tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81464239379121544442024-03-05T16:50:03.658-08:00Out of Left FieldTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-48235325125715397752024-01-29T21:26:00.000-08:002024-01-30T00:38:44.015-08:00Music Monday: End of 2023 PlaylistJust in under the wire, it’s time for another Music Monday Playlist! As usual, here are the links to the YouTube and Spotify playlists:<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?si=3UBS5CWvMbCNOOLS&list=PLNAum9ttHLJV1CMWzJXsuDX60z_2cwdRc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7d6J3dc0GlQRvOikuaEQCB?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><i>The notes on what’s missing: I couldn’t find <a href="https://7mai.bandcamp.com/music">7mai</a> or <a href="https://alphanium.bandcamp.com/music">alpha</a>’s songs on YouTube or Spotify, so I’m just linking their Bandcamp pages here. Also, I could only find <a href="https://flooddistrict.bandcamp.com/album/eden-to-carry">Flood District</a>’s music on YouTube, but it is on the Spotify list.</i><br /><br /><br />One thing I will note here: I’ve historically included YouTube and Spotify playlists in these articles that you can listen along to or sample. Those two platforms are the most requested ones, but I’ve been strongly considering dropping the Spotify one; the most recent reason being the platform <a href="https://twitter.com/dada_drummer/status/1745902985132056602">changing their rules and demonetizing over 80% of songs on the platform</a>. Essentially (assuming my understanding is correct), artists who can’t reach minimum average listens across their catalog aren’t eligible to claim royalties any more. <br /><br />I didn’t want to just stop offering it without a warning, but I also don’t know if any of the artists I mention here fall under that threshold, so I’d push people to listen to the YouTube version if possible. Their payouts still aren’t great, but at least they aren’t doing that (to my knowledge). Also, maybe consider supporting ones you really like through Bandcamp or something (which is having their own issues, but nothing on that level); many of them have pages there, and that’s even where I find a lot of the smaller artists. And if the next playlist post I make doesn’t have a Spotify version, that’s probably at least part of the reason. <br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><br />I feel like I usually have a strong outline here, starting with my favorite release and going down from there, but… I kind of didn’t this time. So instead, here are just my collection of thoughts, roughly assembled into the order they are on the playlist.<br /><br /><br /><b>The Beaches:</b> I had a friend recommend their new album <i>Blame My Ex</i> to me the week it came out. It was some fun and catchy indie rock, and I enjoyed it enough to check out some earlier EPs and singles (which also got some representation on the list). Several weeks after that, I saw them starting to pop up in more places, so I get to say that I was (moderately) ahead of the curve here! (Although maybe it’s just my local alternative station; <a href="https://www.billboard.com/artist/beaches/chart-history/rka/">their peak chart position feels low</a> given how much it’s been popping up, or maybe it’s just slowly rising?)<br /><br /><br /><b>Underscores:</b> I feel like Underscores has been on a solid upward trajectory. I liked her debut album <i>Fishmonger</i>, and I enjoyed her follow-up EP(?) <i>Boneyard AKA Fearmonger</i> even more (both featured on one of my playlists), but <i>Wallsocket </i>is yet another step forward. It’s an interesting album, one that focuses on storytelling and characters, a rare approach that I really love. We get stories about bank robbers on the run, young obsessive not-quite-stalkers, feuding small town elites… there’s a lot, and I need to give it another listen trying to piece together a larger narrative (it’s supposedly about the small town of Wallsocket, from the little bit of behind-the-scenes descriptions I’ve let myself read, but I don’t want to spoil myself entirely). It’s hyperpop, but the much more experimental end, the kind that pulls from any- and everything; you’ll get traces of pop-punk, folk, alternative, electronica… I’ve already included my favorite songs, “Cops and robbers” and “Locals (Girls like us)” on past lists and don’t like to re-use, but “Old money bitch” and “Johnny johnny johnny” are also solid choices. <br /><br /><br /><b>St. Lucia:</b> I called their fourth album <i>Utopia </i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2023/01/music-monday-end-of-2022-playlist.html">one of my favorite albums on my End of 2022 Playlist</a>, but one of my reservations at the time was that it ended on a relatively weak note. One of my favorite things about St. Lucia albums are that they tend to end on a high note: usually a longer track that starts small and driving, then gradually builds to some crashing finale to drive the whole thing home. Sure, maybe it’s a specific trope, but damn if they don’t do it well. <br /><br /><i>Utopia </i>was missing that, and trying new things is nice and all… but the Deluxe version of the album adds banger “Two Moons” at the end, and gosh, does it just make things feel <b>right</b>. I love it. They also released an album of unreleased songs from their debut <i>When the Night </i>to celebrate its tenth anniversary, and “Poet” is here for that. <br /><br /><br /><b>Lauren Mayberry, CHVRCHES: </b>I’ve been working on a larger CHVRCHES post when I have free time, and it’ll hopefully be coming out soon. In the meantime though, I’ve added a song here from their tenth anniversary special edition of <i>The Bones of What You Believe</i>. Also, I loved lead singer Lauren Mayberry’s new single “Shame”, although I still haven’t seen news on if there’s a full album in the immediate future?<br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br /><b>WALK THE MOON: </b>They officially announced they were going on a sort-of hiatus, and capped it off with a collection of new songs and re-releases and reworks of early stuff, <i>The Liftaway</i>. If the CHVRCHES idea goes well, maybe I’ll do something with Walk the Moon next, we’ll see.<br /><br /><br /><b>Bad Suns: </b>I feel like it’s a regular thing on my playlists (maybe for years now?) where I’ll be planning my playlist and looking at things that came out and see a Bad Suns release and be like, “Oh yeah, that was solid!”, and then just… not write it up at all. So I’m specifically calling it out here; their <i>Infinite Joy</i> EP was good! If you like post-punk indie rock stuff, I think they have a solid track record, and I go back to it a lot!<br /><br /><br /><b>Hoity-Toity:</b> I called out the <i>As Above</i> EP by indie rockers Hoity-Toity back in the <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2023/05/music-monday-start-of-2023-playlist.html">Start of 2023 Playlist</a> article, and they just followed it up with the <i>So Below</i> EP. Guess I should have seen that coming. Either way, it’s more of what worked there, so the recommendation still stands! (It only just occurred to me to try listening to them back-to-back, so I can’t comment on whether they flow as a single album, but I should try that next!).<br /><br /><br /><b>Chappell Roan: </b>As you may have noticed by the date, I’m pretty content waiting to publish “Year in Review” type articles back into the new year, until the prior year is actually, you know, done (I mean, sure, some of that is probably that my posts are less constrained to a calendar year to begin with anyway, but whatever). One of the side effects of that stubbornness is that for a little bit of time, I can start looking for things I missed on other lists (look for that to be a thing on the Start of 2024 list,too). Chappell Roan’s <i>The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess</i> is one of those early findings; what a fun, vibrant alt-pop album from a young artist, one that can get grand and dramatic in scale while also keeping a fun sense of humor and energy. Lots of hooks here, plus some real songwriter craft studying the best in the business and implementing her findings; you can feel the influences in some songs, even as they’re reworked into something new and exciting.<br /><br /><br /><b>LOBBY BOY:</b> I wound up going through most of the discography of this Richmond band, and there’s just something about it that I found… comforting, I guess? I don’t know why. It’s some alt-synthpop type stuff, not quite shoegaze, but I feel like it has some similar qualities? Just dense textures that you can dig in or get lost in thought to. “Pursuits of Personhood” is a favorite. <br /><br /><br /><b>Ura Star & Fireball Kid: </b>Another Bandcamp find where I just stumbled upon them and wound up going through a lot of their discography. I actually found Fireball Kid’s solo album <i>Gas Station</i> first (probably on the new tab?), then found their combined discography through that, although the two sets are not terribly different: a lot of synth-heavy, feel-good-party electropop. Definitely a fun time. <br /><br /><br /><b>Zoe Briskey:</b> Zoe’s EP <i>Ultra Desire </i>was another fun Bandcamp find that I listened to a lot. Some fun, tight electropop-punk instrumentals under vocals covered in digitized effects and other experimental touches that remind me of the sort of interesting and jagged style you’d see in, like, early new wave stuff maybe? Or the smoother, PC Music end of hyperpop? It’s only six songs, but I can’t wait for more, and definitely want to dig into her backcatalog. <br /><br /><br /><b>Gold Casio:</b> Another one of my favorite finds on Bandcamp, Gold Casio is a lot of fun, just a bunch of loveable weirdos. <i>Disco Hits Radio (Or, The Ecstasy of Ego Death)</i> is a dance pop album with heavy disco, new wave, and electronic influences, plus a storyline about aliens decked out in gold making contact with humanity. I know I’ve complained about long albums in the past, but this one just zooms even with its length. There’s some strong hooks and solid variety there, and I’m definitely looking forward to more. <br /><br /><br /><b>Lauryl Sulfate & Her Ladies of Leisure: </b>Or maybe you’d prefer your dance music with less of a silly sci-fi bent and more of a nod to the macabre? <i>The Afterparty</i> delivers on that, with tons of solid grooves and banger tracks like “6 ft Under the Dance Floor”. It’s maybe a little heavier on the electropop and electroclash elements than Gold Casio, but a lot of the underlying disco and new wave influences are still there.<br /><br /><br /><b>Heartracer:</b> I actually featured this band on my Start of 2023 playlist; I found an old double-EP they released back in 2018, <i>Summer Heart</i> (literally combining two prior EPs, 2015’s <i>Summer Gold</i> and 2016’s <i>Eat Your Heart Out</i>). And enjoyed it enough, but didn’t think a ton more about it. It’s some nice ‘80s-inspired, new wave-ish, synth-driven pop-rock. I feel like it would have been big in the indie pop scene of the early 2010s. Anyway, I sort of forgot about them until I saw a new album of theirs, <i>The Feel</i>, pop up two different times, first because of a St. Lucia remix, and then having it show up on Bandcamp. I gave it a try off of that and latched on much harder; it has that early sound and promise, but with added experience and the added cohesion of being planned as an album. Definitely a good time! And some inspiration to revisit the earlier stuff.<br /><br /><br /><b>Hannah Diamond: </b>I was sort of middling on Diamond’s first album from back in 2019, but I decided to try her second album <i>Perfect Picture</i> when I saw it came out, and it won me over immediately. It’s a dozen perfect pop tracks, with that trademark PC Music touch of uncanny hyperpop-polish and glitchy chops.<br /><br /><br /><b>Able Machines: </b>An L.A.-based electronic indie pop duo whose album <i>Digital Precision</i> is loaded with sci-fi-ish concepts. The songs are a lot of fun even if they don't add up to much of a narrative. Maybe like a poppier take on Big Data, if you also remember that band? <br /><br /><br /><b>Frost Children: </b>I stumbled on the sibling duo and their album <i>SPEED RUN</i> with no expectations, and found a really fun hyperpop and dance album, peppered fun moments and references. It just bounces around in every direction, it feels like. I was less into <i>Hearth Room</i>, their follow-up, but there are still good moments there; and even more so, I just have to respect the confidence and productivity in releasing a follow-up pop-folk album just seven months after a hyperpop one, not even under a different name or anything. <br /><br /><br /><b>Milk Talk: </b>I tried a few of their singles and liked them, and then they put out a full self-titled album which was also great. Some great funk/city pop to get you moving. <br /><br /><br /><b>Midnight High: </b>I kind of ended up going pretty hard into dark, moody synthpop this time (a lot of it from duos too, weirdly?), and I think Midnight Lesson’s <i>Swimming Lessons</i> was the one that stood out the most, the one I kept coming back to. Each song has a solid enough groove to it to keep things from getting too mushy, and there are nice extra touches to help some songs stand out, like the sax line on “Do It To Me”.<br /><br /><br /><b>CATBEAR: </b>And CATBEAR would probably be the runner-up in that category. They stick harder to down-the-middle synth-y sounds, but they also have a good sense of focus on <i>Into the Light</i>, delivering a short and sweet experience with strong hooks. <br /><br /><br /><b>Broken Record: </b>If you prefer your moody introspection with guitars instead of synths, I came back to <i>Nothing Moves Me</i> a lot as well. Some good, solid emo/post-punk indie rock. <br /><br /><br /><b>Dirty Nice:</b> I covered indie pop/alternative band Dirty Nice over the last few playlists, and their new album <i>Surrenderland </i>released a few months ago. I like it even more than their debut album, it’s a little more consistent from top to bottom, and there’s some good energy in songs like “SHARK!” or “This Is Gonna Hurt” (already featured on a different playlist, so not reused here). I’m very interested in seeing where they go from here.<br /><br /><br /><b>Short Fictions:</b> The Pittsburgh-based Midwest Emo indie rockers released a new album, <i>Oblivion Will Own Me and Death Alone Will Love Me (Void Filler)</i>. I think I ultimately prefer their last album Every Moment of Every Day (it was either slightly less bleak, or the more ornate instrumentation balanced the bleakness out a little better), but this was a solid follow-up! <br /><br /><br /><b>Trust Fund Ozu:</b> Another follow-up for an artist that I’ve covered in playlists before. I enjoyed her last album, and I think <i>FAYE DOUBT</i> is an even better follow-up. I know I’ve included a lot of smoother, poppier hyperpop on my list, and this one is better for those who prefer the glitchier, crunchier, more abrasive side of things.*<br /><br /><i>*I’ve seen some people use terms like “glitchcore” and “bubblegum bass” for these different styles, and I don’t know the exact history there or how hard-and-fast those definitions are, but I feel like I need some way to quickly clarify what I’m talking about. Maybe it’ll be that, who knows.</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Allie X: </b>Every now and then, I’ll find something from a few years ago on Bandcamp randomly and be very impressed it, then find out while researching for the playlist article that it in fact got a lot of buzz in the music press back when it came out, I’m just not on top of things. Anyway, Allie X’s <i>Cape God</i> from 2020 fills that role this time. It’s solid alternative-pop, with lush arrangements and strong songwriting. Maybe I can be on top of things and check out her next album when it releases in February.<br /><br /><br /><b>Wild Nothing:</b> A lot of that also applies to Wild Nothing, I guess. 2023’s <i>Hold </i>got less attention than <i>Cape God</i>, but it’s also the band’s fifth album, and they’ve been getting some attention from the music critic set for years. Still, it’s some solid indie dream pop; I just don’t know that I have much more to add on top of that.<br /><br /><br /><b>Flood District: </b>Like a lot of this list, I found their album <i>Eden to Carry</i> while browsing the electropop and synthpop sections of Bandcamp, but Flood District feels like they’re also pulling much more heavily from stuff like pop-punk and post-punk and emo than most of the other stuff I found. I kind of makes them stand out here, I think. <br /><br /><br /><b>Nasim Siddeeq:</b> A great R&B artist with a smoky, soulful voice, and his albums make for relaxing listens. <i>Singing for My Life</i> is much more stripped back, singer-and-guitar songs, while his self-titled album expands to larger, more traditional R&B arrangements. <br /><br /><br /><b>Civilians: </b>A six person band that uses their horn section for some heavier jazz-funk-rock sounds. Tracks here are pulled from their new self-titled album. <br /><br /><br /><b>Kicksie: </b>I shouted out her two most recent albums in my last playlist, but I continued diving into her music after that, and wanted to mention <i>Mad Dash</i> this time. It was the album that preceded those, and it was another good time, highly recommended if you like indie pop-rock drawing from ‘90s alternative.<br /><br /><br /><b>Chris Farren:</b> Ditto here, his last two albums were good, but so was the album from just before those, <i>Can’t Die</i>. Give it a try if you’re a fan of power-pop and ‘70s singer-songwriter stuff. <br /><br /><br /><b>Holly Humberstone:</b> I was kind of shocked to find out she wasn’t on the same label as The Japanese House and The 1975, she feels very much in that mold. But there is some more youthful energy and a sense of playfulness here than in some of those, with one of my favorite moments being from “Cocoon”: “You said you’d give me both your kidneys/If I cried for help/Like, Jesus Christ, calm down”.<br /><br /><br /><b>Post Coal Prom Queen:</b> If the Gold Casio section’s pitch of “album about first contact” interested, you but not the part about it being dance music, good news! I have another, more refined take on the concept, too: Post Coal Prom Queen’s <i>Music for First Contact</i>, an art pop album with more complex instrumentations and arrangements, which tickles the same part of my brain that likes, say, early Florence + the Machine. <br /><br /><br /><b>Inhaler: </b><i>Cuts & Bruises</i> is a great indie rock record full of wistful lyrics and soaring, yearning guitar work, and it’s a fun listen. It reminds me of <i>something</i>, and it’s been on the tip of my tongue for ages, but I can’t place it. Maybe some 2000s alternative band? Maybe early U2, but that might just be because they’re also Irish (<b>edit</b>: I learned after writing this that their lead singer is actually Bono’s son, so uh, I guess that comparison was closer than I realized). <br /><br /><br /><b>Alice Knows Karate:</b> A Bay Area artist making dreamlike dark synthpop with DIY spirit. The album I listened to,<i> Fablewave Deluxe</i>, is at its best when it’s working as a sort of Alice in Wonderland interpretation, although it drifts away from that after a few songs. <br /><br /><br /><b>Neon Tetra: </b>I’ve talked up the band Ripe a few times here, and if you like their style of pop-funk, give <i>Sweatin’ Up a Storm</i> EP by Neon Tetra a try.<br /><br /><br /><b>Missouri Surf Club: </b>A little more on the DIY-side of alternative and indie rock, but I enjoyed <i>postcards from a churchyard</i>. They have some early Paramore-like energy, I feel like.<br /><br /><br /><u>Theo Tries to Talk about Electronic Music: </u>I always feel like I have less to say about some genres by virtue of being less familiar with it, but I still want to give a shout out to the things that I liked. I also may be misusing labels and subgenres, so please forgive me and let me know if that’s the case.<br /><br /><b>Snail’s House</b> put out the EP <i>Alien Pop IV</i>, which is probably my favorite set of releases that they do. I’ve put them on these playlists a lot, but if you haven’t heard them, they do really energetic and upbeat electronic music. I’ve seen this style called several things, kawaii future bass, kawaii bass, and pico pop are the ones that stand out the most, and Snail’s House is probably the most prominent. <br /><br />I’ve also included <b>7mai</b>, a contemporary of Snail’s House, in the past. I finally made it through all of the <i>Colorful Palette</i> series by listening to the original one, <i>Violet</i>, but then they released <i>White</i>, so both EPs are represented here.<br /><br />I also learned of <b>alpha</b>, who’s also in a similar space stylistically. Their <i>kawaii pop assort</i> and <i>kawaii pop assort 2</i> are both included here.<br /><br />French producer <b>Andora </b>has a lot of overlap as well, but with a touch of French House as well, I think? No EPs here, so I just included some singles. <br /><br />I’ve also mentioned Brazilian producer <b>ElevenWAV </b>here in the past, and she released a short EP as well, <i>a MiLLiOn thoughts after midnight…</i> Her style is close to the kawaii bass set, but with more of a jazz fusion take on those elements.<br /><br /><b>Me and My Kidney</b> is an American producer, and their <i>Magical Girl Coma</i> also has some of the same labels, but has some drum and bass elements to it as well. I’d also say that it sounds more like what I think of when I see “future bass”, which… I don’t really think sounds much like “kawaii future bass”, but whatever.<br /><br /><b>Blackbird Blackbird </b>is from the Bay Area, and his <i>Hearts LP</i> feels like it’s all over Bandcamp usually, so I’m probably just late to the party here. It’s some solid dreampop/chillwave stuff, though, and “It Hurts To Say Goodbye” in particular is an all-time banger.<br /><br /><b>Mark Redito </b>is another American producer, and his <i>Neutropical </i>is some fun tropical bass sounds, which almost feels like a throwback at this point.<br /><br />And even more in that “throwback” lane, British producer <b>Rachel K Collier</b>’s <i>Songs in the Key of Internet </i>is some straight-up house-inspired electropop, like what you would have seen on the pop charts in the early 2010s.<br /><br /><br /><u>Some upcoming things to mention (which also got some pre-release tracks included in the list): </u><br /><br /><b>Bleachers:</b> This is probably the biggest name here, but there are good reasons for that.<br /><br /><b>Chromeo:</b> Playlist regulars here, back with their first full album in six years. Their track “Replacements”, with guest La Roux, is… maybe my favorite thing from either artist in ages? Which is not a small feat! (although I guess both have been quiet for a while, too…)<br /><br /><b>Jamie Paige:</b> The synthpop artist and vocaloid enthusiast has teased a new album in 2024, I think? And a video game soundtrack. Maybe those are the same thing? Either way, her output here includes “Love Renewed” (the theme for that game she’s soundtracking) and the Hatsune Miku-shitpost single “You’re Telling Me A SHRIMP Fried This Rice?!”, which goes harder than a novelty single has any right to.<br /><br /><b>Great Good Fine Ok: </b>They’re usually good for regular releases anyway, but I have a feeling their fifth (album? EP? I can never tell) is coming. I’ve liked all of their recent songs, but special shoutout to “Blame”, which is a jam.<br /><br /><b>Smallpools: </b>Another small indie pop band I’ve been <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2015/03/music-mondays-killer-whales-smallpools.html">following since college</a>. They didn’t get as big as some from that scene, and it makes new music from them a little less frequent, but I appreciate that they’re still releasing solid tunes.<br /><br /><b>The Last Dinner Party:</b> I heard their lead single “Nothing Matters” on my local alternative station, and it was another one that tickled that “Florence + the Machine” part of my brain. Looking forward to trying their debut album.<br /><br /><b>I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME: </b>Another one I’ve heard teased on the local station. I liked their first album enough to give this a chance, and “What Love?” is good.<br /><br /><br />I don’t think I have too many words left in me, but I want to do some final, down-the-line shout-outs to close things out. The specific songs and releases are in the text of the full list at the end, but before then:<br /><br /><b>Genuine Leather: </b>Austin-based synthpop artist making solid new wave revival tunes. Another one that I feel like I would have really gotten into if I found it back in college.<br /><br /><b>Magnolia Park: </b>Their <i>MoonEater </i>and <i>SoulEater </i>EPs are fun emo/pop-punk listens, especially “Manic”.<br /><br /><b>Loveshadow:</b> San Francisco duo making dreamy synthpop with inspiration from ‘80s dance music. <br /><br /><b>Sacred Skin: </b><i>The Decline of Pleasure</i> had a number of strong post-punk/new wave songs.<br /><br /><b>Alicia Walter:</b> “Standing on Your Doorstep” is a fantastic song, and I Am Alicia has retro soul and theatrical influences.<br /><br /><b>Howless:</b> I’m still trying to get into shoegaze, as it feels like it’s having its revival, and Mexico City band Howless’s more synthwave-y approach was one of the more enjoyable takes I’ve had.<br /><br /><b>Saya Noé: </b>Hungarian singer-songwriter making dark, reverberating synth songs.<br /><br /><b>Sen Morimoto:</b> A Chicago-based record store owner making jazz fusion music with touches of rock and hip-hop.<br /><br /><b>Super Cassette:</b> Oakland-based power-pop group; I had a good time with <i>Continue?</i><br /><br /><b>Graveyard Club:</b> Another shoegaze-y band, this one from Minneapolis, coming at that angle from a new wave/post punk angle.<br /><br /><b>Anecdata: </b>A great name that caught my attention; solo New Zealander Dan Satherley has some good power pop/new wave songs on <i>Aucklantis</i>.<br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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<style type="text/css">
.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;
overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;}
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font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;}
.tg .tg-7zrl{text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom}
</style>
<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-7zrl">Artist</th>
<th class="tg-7zrl">Song</th>
<th class="tg-7zrl">Releases</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Beaches</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blame Brett</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blame My Ex</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Beaches</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Everything Is Boring</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blame My Ex</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Beaches</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cigarette</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blame My Ex</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Beaches (with Lights)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Let's Go</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Future Lovers EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Beaches</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Orpheus</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">End of Summer EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">underscores</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Johnny johnny johnny</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Wallsocket</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">underscores</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Old money bitch</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Wallsocket</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">St. Lucia</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Two Moons</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Utopia (Deluxe)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">St. Lucia</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Poet</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Early Demos</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lauren Mayberry</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Shame</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chvrches</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">White Summer</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bones of What You Believe Demos</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">WALK THE MOON</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mono No Aware</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Liftaway</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">WALK THE MOON</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Smoke Signals</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Liftaway</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bad Suns</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The One I Used to Love</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Infinite Joy EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bad Suns</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Everything Is…</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Infinite Joy EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hoity-Toity</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">También</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hoity-Toity EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hoity-Toity</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Without a Sound</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">So Below EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hoity-Toity</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Out of Body</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">So Below EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chappell Roan</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Red Wine Supernova</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chappell Roan</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chappell Roan</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">My Kink Is Karma</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LOBBY BOY</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hold Me Still</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LOBBY BOY</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pursuits of Personhood</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">PURE P.o.P.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LOBBY BOY</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pretty Songs</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pretty Songs/Pursuits of Personhood</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LOBBY BOY</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Discowife</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pretty Songs/Pursuits of Personhood</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LOBBY BOY</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">In Two Places</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LORE!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fireball Kid</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Asking You Out</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gas Station</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fireball Kid</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Let's Fucking Go Tonight</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gas Station</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fireball Kid & Ura Star</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Good Time</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Emotional Bros Hotline</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fireball Kid & Ura Star</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Come Thru</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Emotional Bros Hotline</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fireball Kid (ft. Magi Merlin, Ura Star & Big Friends)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Be Friends</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Speedrun</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fireball Kid</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">20 Kilo</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Speedrun</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Zoe Briskey</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Rock Song</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ultra Desire</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Zoe Briskey</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Horny In London</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ultra Desire</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Zoe Briskey</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Better than Ur Boyfriend</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ultra Desire</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gold Casio</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">$$</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Disco Hits Radio (Or, The Ecstasy of Ego Death)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gold Casio</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Womp</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Disco Hits Radio (Or, The Ecstasy of Ego Death)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gold Casio</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Thieves in the Temple</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Disco Hits Radio (Or, The Ecstasy of Ego Death)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lauryl Sulfate & Her Ladies of Leisure</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">6 ft Under the Dance Floor</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Afterparty</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lauryl Sulfate & Her Ladies of Leisure</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ego</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Afterparty</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lauryl Sulfate & Her Ladies of Leisure</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Girls Cry All the Time</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Afterparty</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Heartracer</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Edge of My Heart</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Feel</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Heartracer</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Until the Sun Comes Back</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Feel</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hannah Diamond</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Affirmations</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Perfect Picture</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hannah Diamond</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Poster Girl</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Perfect Picture</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hannah Diamond</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">No FX</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Perfect Picture</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">able machines</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Digital Precision</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Digital Precision</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">able machines</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Watch the World Die</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Digital Precision</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">able machines</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Evidence</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Digital Precision</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Frost Children</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">COUP</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">SPEED RUN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Frost Children</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">FLATLINE</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">SPEED RUN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Frost Children</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Got Me By the Tail</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hearth Room</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Milk Talk & Vantage</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Million Miles Away</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">singles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Milk Talk</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ah Be Rue</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Milk Talk</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Milk Talk</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pixelated Girl</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Milk Talk</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Moe Shop (feat. Milk Talk)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Silhouette</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Midnight High</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Avenue</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Swimming Lessons</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Midnight High</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Higher</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Swimming Lessons</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Midnight High</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Do It To Me</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Swimming Lessons</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CATBEAR</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Only Desire</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Into the Light</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CATBEAR</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Love and War</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Into the Light</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CATBEAR</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Higher</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Broken Record</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nothing Moves Me</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nothing Moves Me</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Broken Record</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">See It Through</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nothing Moves Me</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dirty Nice</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sophie, What's Up</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Surrenderland</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dirty Nice</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">SHARK!</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Surrenderland</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Short Fictions</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Self Betterment in a Time of Loneliness</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oblivion Will Own Me and Death Alone Will Love Me (Void Filler)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Short Fictions</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Reno Nevada, January 2020</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oblivion Will Own Me and Death Alone Will Love Me (Void Filler)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Trust Fund Ozu</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CIGARETTES</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">FAYE DOUBT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Trust Fund Ozu</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LET'S FUCKING GO!!?</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">FAYE DOUBT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Allie X</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fresh Laundry</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cape God</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Allie X</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sarah Come Home</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cape God</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Allie X ft. Mitski</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Susie Save Your Love</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cape God</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Wild Nothing (feat. Hatchie)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Headlights On</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hold</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Wild Nothing</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Suburban Solutions</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hold</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Flood District</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I'd Rather Feel Nothing</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Eden to Carry</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Flood District</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sleepyhead</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Eden to Carry</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nasim Siddeeq</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">This Time Around</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Singing for My Life</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nasim Siddeeq</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Need Your Love</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Singing for My Life</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nasim Siddeeq</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Want You</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nasim Siddeeq</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nasim Siddeeq</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Let's Just Dance</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nasim Siddeeq</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CIVILIANS</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fat Friend</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Civilians</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CIVILIANS</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Zizmor</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Civilians</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kicksie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Caught My Attention</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mad Dash</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kicksie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mad Dash</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mad Dash</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chris Farren</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Human Being</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Can't Die</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chris Farren</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Say U Want Me</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Can't Die</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Holly Humberstone</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Into Your Room</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Paint My Bedroom Black</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Holly Humberstone</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cocoon</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Paint My Bedroom Black</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Post Coal Prom Queen</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Free Radio Phobos</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Music for First Contact</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Post Coal Prom Queen</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">From Glasgow to Mars</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Music for First Contact</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Inhaler</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">These Are the Days</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cuts & Bruises</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Inhaler</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">When I Have Her On My Mind</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cuts & Bruises</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Alice Knows Karate</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">She's Got Legs</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fablewave Deluxe</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Alice Knows Karate</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">We're All Mad Here</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fablewave Deluxe</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Neon Tetra</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sweatin' Up a Storm</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sweatin Up a Storm EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Neon Tetra</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jealous Love</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sweatin Up a Storm EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">missouri surf club</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">kingdom come</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">postcards from a churchyard</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">missouri surf club</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">junk!</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">postcards from a churchyard</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Snail's House</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hypernova Disco</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Alien Pop IV</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Snail's House</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Club Nebula</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Alien Pop IV</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Peplum</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">White EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Arcobaleno</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">White EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CUTE-Distinction</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Violet EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lavender Bouquet</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Violet EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">alpha</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lemonpie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">kawaii pop assort</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">alpha</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Earlgrey</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">kawaii pop assort</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">alpha</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sweetie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">kawaii pop assort 2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Andora</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Starlight</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">singles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Andora (feat. WaMi)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Moonrise</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">singles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ElevenWAV</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Laying There</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">a MiLLion thoughts after midnight…</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Me and My Kidney</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dream State</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Magical Girl Coma</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Me and My Kidney</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Slime</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Magical Girl Coma</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blackbird Blackbird</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">It Hurts to Say Goodbye</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hearts LP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blackbird Blackbird</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">What We've Built</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hearts LP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mark Redito (ft. Ehiorobo)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Right There</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Neutropical</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mark Redito (ft. Abbi Press)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cloud Keep</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Neutropical</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Rachel K Collier</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Wish You Well</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Songs in the Key of Internet</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Rachel K Collier</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">A B X Y</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Songs in the Key of Internet</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bleachers</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Modern Girl</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">pre-release</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chromeo (feat. La Roux)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Replacements</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">pre-release</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jamie Paige</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Love Renewed</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jamie Paige</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">You're Telling Me a SHRIMP Fried This Rice?!</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Great Good Fine Ok</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Midnight Rain</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Singles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Great Good Fine Ok</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blame</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Singles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Smallpools (feat. Yot Club)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Motion</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">pre-release singles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Smallpools</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Night Shift</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">pre-release singles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Last Dinner Party</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nothing Matters</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">pre-release</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">WHAT LOVE?</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">pre-release</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Genuine Leather</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Promises</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Genuine Pleasure EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Genuine Leather</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Genuine Love</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Genuine Pleasure EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Magnolia Park & 408</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Manic</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">SoulEater EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Magnolia Park & Decode</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blud Luv</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">SoulEater EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Magnolia Park & nothing,nowhere</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Breathing</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mooneater EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Loveshadow</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Last Room</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">II</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Loveshadow</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Another Dream</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">II</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sacred Skin</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Circles</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Decline of Pleasure</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sacred Skin</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fever</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Decline of Pleasure</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Alicia Walter</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Suit Yourself</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Am Alicia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Alicia Walter</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Standing at Your Doorstep</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Am Alicia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Howless</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Levels</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">To Repel Ghosts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Howless</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Unlucky</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">To Repel Ghosts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Saya Noé</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pinky Promise</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jupiter</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Saya Noé</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jupiter I.</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jupiter</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sen Morimoto</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bad State</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Diagnosis</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sen Morimoto</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pressure on the Pulse</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Diagnosis</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Super Cassette</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ember</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Continue?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Super Cassette</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">9 to 5</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Continue?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Graveyard Club</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Nowhere</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Moonflower</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Graveyard Club</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Valens</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Moonflower</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Anecdata</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Control</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Aucklantis</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Anecdata</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">One Man Bland</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Aucklantis</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">again&again</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sundays</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ARIZONA</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hanging On</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Boy Jr.</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DOITHINKYOUREHOT?</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Okay Fine I'll Put It on Spotify</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cafuné</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tek It</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Running</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cafuné</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Friction</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Capital Cities</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Skeleton Man</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CD Ghost</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Let Go</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Vignette I</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CIEL</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jealousy</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Make It Better/Rather Be Alone [Double EP]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CIEL</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Talk</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Make It Better/Rather Be Alone [Double EP]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CLAVVS</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ship</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">O</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CLAVVS</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Interference</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cloud Seeker</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">You're Moving On</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">From Me to You EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cloud Seeker</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">From Me to You</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">From Me to You EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Damn the Witch Siren (feat. Largemouth Brass Band)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dog</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">David Hale</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Under Control</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Paradigm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dinosoul</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Garbage Truck</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Eleven</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dinosoul</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Right Now</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Eleven</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dresage</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sanctify</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Earth Moon Earth</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">New Mourning (Hummingbird)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Earth Moon Earth</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Grand Hotel</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Places & Faces</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Heaven Tonight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Grand Hotel</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gotta Get It</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Heaven Tonight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">hex gf</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Haters</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Haters</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">It's Butter</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Calluses</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">It's Butter EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jukebox the Ghost</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Automatic</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kady Rain</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Can't Save Us</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All I Ever Wanted EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kady Rain</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All I Ever Wanted</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All I Ever Wanted EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cherry Splits</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">In Steps</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Feel You Happen</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Paper Crush EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Madame Reaper and the Gentlemen's Club</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gimme</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Madame Reaper's Gentlemen's Club</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Megan McDuffee</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Entity</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Neon Trees</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Losing My Head</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oux</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Beekeeper Pt. 1</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Honeymood</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Primo the Alien</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Move</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">We All Hate Ourselves Sometimes EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">PRIZM</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Go Your Own Way</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Rumors in the Night</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Roosevelt</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ordinary Love</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Embrace</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Roosevelt</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Luna</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Embrace</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">saoirse dream</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">down in flames</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">single</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tamar Berk</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">if u know, u know</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">tiny injuries</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tamar Berk</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sunday driving</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">tiny injuries</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Belle Sounds</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Four Fathoms Deep</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Four Fathoms Deep EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Belle Sounds</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All About Love</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All About Love EP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Undercover Dream Lovers</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Too Late</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Time Lapsed</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Vallis Alps</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Set It Off, Set It Right</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cleave</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Vallis Alps</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Start Again</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cleave</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-37601894110775022872023-09-11T19:25:00.004-07:002023-09-12T23:05:20.837-07:00Music Monday: Summer 2023 PlaylistHappy Music Monday! It’s once again <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/Playlist">time for a playlist!</a> <br /><br />As I mentioned in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2023/05/music-monday-start-of-2023-playlist.html">my last playlist article back in May</a>, this year I’m splitting my normal massive End-of-Summer Playlist into two smaller ones, with this one roughly covering music I found from May through September… except as I’ve said in the past, I’m also not very timely when it comes to new music anyway, so I guess it’s a little debatable how much those timeframes matter to anyone else. Ah well. I’m also doing my usual write-ups, except I felt less wordy this time, so it probably won’t be as long (although last time was also a little extreme in length, so maybe that’s for the best). <br /><br />Here are the YouTube and Spotify playlists:<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?si=r7GvyXqtQlnT4TyC&list=PLNAum9ttHLJVQtnKr74cLgvrlbJqN3B0u" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4DgRTS9pEglr8YBWfJuOvO?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br /><br />The notes on what’s missing: Mouse removed her music from Spotify, so that’s only on the YouTube playlist. I couldn’t find “Strange Luvv” by King Isis on either platform, so <a href="https://kingisis.bandcamp.com/track/strange-luvv">here’s a Bandcamp link</a>. And 7mai doesn’t use either, so <a href="https://7mai.bandcamp.com/music">here’s a link to their Bandcamp page</a>; the picks on this playlist come from the Gray, Pink, Yellow, and Violet “Colorful Palette” EPs.<br /><br />And speaking of, as always, a lot of these artists have Bandcamp pages where you can purchase their music directly. So if there’s something that you really like, maybe consider throwing some money their way as well!<br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><br /><br /><u><b>Carly Rae Jepsen, <i>The Loveliest Time </i></b></u><br /><br />Once again, Carly Rae Jepsen followed up an album release with a B-sides collection the following year. I don’t really have a ton to say here; Carly Rae Jepsen released an album of very good pop music? And I liked it a lot? Wow, what a shock, who could have guessed any of this! <br /><br />It is kind of interesting that this one dropped the “B-Sides” label this time in exchange for its own (derivative) name, although it’s also probably the B-Side album that feels like it most strongly stands on its own, so it makes sense. It does feel like <i>The Loveliest Time</i> dabbles around in styles more than any of her other albums. I wish it had a song I liked as much as “Run Away With Me” or “The Loneliest Time” or “Want You In My Room”, but it’s also not hard to recommend songs like “Shy Boy” and “Psychedelic Switch”. Overall, I’m not sure if it’s my favorite of CRJ’s projects, but that’s a difficult catalog to stand out in, and probably partly personal taste.<br /><br /><br /><u><b>PRIZM, </b></u><i><u><b>All Night</b></u><br /></i><br />This one was my big, new discovery while browsing Bandcamp over the last few months. I know that I have a thing for those sparkling atmospheric synths and haunting saxes and powerful vocals singing big hooks cutting through it all… but also, this Dallas-based duo makes it so easy to love it. They have the style down pat, writing banger after banger and polishing them to a gem-like gleam, and splashing them across the night sky with a sense of cinematic grandeur. The songs I’ve picked for the list (“All Night”, “Lost You”, and “Can’t Bring Me Down”) were all easy calls, instant classics that I immediately fell in love with, but really, there are no weak links on <i>All Night</i>. I tore through the rest of their releases and can recommend it all, although for the sake of this playlist, I included “Sober” (one of three recent singles, hopefully prelude to a new album?) and cover “Don’t Stop” (one of a trio of Fleetwood Mac covers they released; I like them all, but felt like this one was the most interesting, really putting a unique spin all their own on it).<br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><u><b>Recurring Bands with New Music</b></u><br /><br /><b>The Aces, <i>I’ve Loved You For So Long</i></b><br />I’ve featured The Aces on several of these playlists now. My most recent thing was that their sophomore album wasn’t as strong as their debut album or EP, but their third album is a definite improvement. Much tighter, I think the hooks are stronger, and the best songs stand out more (although I’ve included “Always Get This Way” and “Girls Make Me Want To Die” on past playlists as pre-release singles, so I’m branching out for this one). <br /><br /><b>Alex Lahey, <i>The Answer Is Always Yes</i></b><br />Actually, now that I think about it, those general sentiments also go for Alex Lahey (another recurring top-of-the-alphabet feature on these lists) and her third album. There are some strong guitar riffs and Lahey’s normal introspection and sarcasm in the lyrics. My biggest gripe is if it had some of her strong between-album singles here, it might have been her best release? But maybe that’s just me having a different mindset on building an album’s tracklist. <br /><br /><b>Janelle Monae,<i> The Age of Pleasure</i></b><br />Janelle Monae’s new album is great! It’s just… I dunno, I loved her last two albums, <i>The Electric Lady</i> and <i>Dirty Computer</i>. <i>The Age of Pleasure</i>, despite being fun and well-made and all that, just… doesn’t line up as perfectly with my personal interests as those two did. That happens sometimes when artists try new things, it’s fine. I kind of just wish it didn’t take five years per album release, so there was less build-up and each album didn’t need to tide you over as long and all that, but I also completely get it, given the current state of the music industry. <br /><br /><b>MisterWives, <i>Nosebleeds </i></b><br />Again, maybe it was just how much I liked <i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/01/music-monday-best-music-of-2017.html">Connect the Dots</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/08/quarantine-music-recs-superbloom-by.html">SUPERBLOOM</a></i>, but this one also didn’t grab me. MisterWives definitely changed some things while recording their independent debut, and it’s not bad; I’m curious to see where they go from here, after a decade of following them. But I’ll probably be quicker to revisit those other albums before <i>Nosebleeds</i>. <br /><br /><b>Mystery Skulls, <i>The Gold Album</i> <br />7mai, <i>Colorful Palette: Gray</i></b><br />Some more series regulars appear with their new releases. Maybe they aren’t the most adventurous acts, but they both have their niches, and they sure love exploring them fully and excelling at them. I don’t think I’ve been disappointed by either of them in a while, and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect going in. So if you’re also a fan of Mystery Skulls’ funky electronic dance grooves, or 7mai’s hyperactive kawaii bass, I guess just take this as a heads up for their new stuff; and if you haven’t heard them yet, these are as good a place to give them a try as any. (Also, I finally made it back through the earliest volumes of 7mai’s <i>Colorful Palette</i> series over the summer, so I’ve included some picks from <i>Pink</i>, <i>Yellow</i>, and <i>Purple </i>as well).<br /><br /><b>Tove Lo<br /></b>Last time, I gave a shout-out to Tove Lo’s newest album <i>Dirt Femme</i>, and since then, she’s released a deluxe version with a few new songs and some remixes and other things. I liked the new songs (and included one of them here, “I like u”), although unusually for these types of things, they’re placed at the start of the album? Seems odd, since I thought the original opening was good, and I think she had a whole visual album thing to go along with it, so it feels like that would mess that up a little? I don’t know, maybe I just need to give the full thing another listen and see if it grows on me.<br /><br /><b>CHVRCHES</b><br />I’ve written about <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/09/music-monday-summer-2021-playlist.html">my love of CHVRCHES in the past</a>, so I’ll take this space to note some developments. Last Playlist, I included their newest single, “Over”, as well as some music from Iain Cook’s side project Protection. In the four months since, the band announced a tenth-anniversary re-release of their first album <i>The Bones of What You Believe</i> (still great!) with unreleased tracks (“Manhattan” is featured here), and Lauren Mayberry announced solo music, including lead single “Are You Awake?”. This feels kind of like the start of a hiatus… maybe I’ll need to do something special, as a sort of retrospective.<br /><br />(Also, Walk the Moon announced they’d be going on a hiatus recently as well, so maybe if the CHVRCHES idea goes well, I’ll do something for them too. Not to get too far ahead of myself or anything.)<br /><br /><b>Underscores, Roosevelt, Dirty Nice</b><br />And here we have the “End of 2022 Previews”. All of them have announced albums coming out before the end of the year to go with their new singles, so don’t be shocked if they turn up again. I’m especially pumped for Underscores’ <i>Wallsocket</i>, I’ve loved both “Cops and Robbers” and “Locals (Girls Like Us)”, so they both show up on this playlist. KennyHoopla might also be building to something, although maybe that was just his recent 3-song EP. Neon Trees released a new single and started to tour. Bleachers has announced new music coming soon. And the Bad Suns released something while I was finishing this up, but I’m using Labor Day as my cutoff to stop myself from just adding things right up to the moment I publish, so we’ll just deal with that next time.<br /><br /><b>Panama Wedding, Scavenger Hunt</b><br />These groups also released new singles. I don’t know that either is a precursor to new music, though; I’m just a longtime fan, and new music from either of them has become rarer, so I want to call them out anyway.<br /><br /><br /><br /><u><b>“New” Things I Want to Discuss</b></u><br /><br /><b>Orla Gartland, <i>Woman on the Internet</i></b><br />I was sure I had included Gartland on a playlist before as a featured artist from “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw8HpAQApYY">Shapeshifting</a>”, her collaboration with series regulars Great Good Fine Ok, but that one apparently came out when I wasn’t doing playlists, so go check it out now if you haven’t before. So I recognized her name when I saw the Anniversary Edition of her 2021 debut somewhere (like I said, this isn’t always timely), and was very happy with what I heard. It reminds me a lot of Jukebox the Ghost, a sort of songwriter pop-rock with some theatrical flair (although with less complex piano lines). I know that some people find that kind of energy a little overwhelming, but I love it, so if you’re on my side of things, give this a listen.<br /><br /><b>The Japanese House, <i>In the End It Always Does</i></b><br />I had heard good things about them (or her, I didn’t realize Amber Bain was a solo act and not a band until listening), and gave the new album a listen after its June release. I had a good time with it, just some solid moody, dreamy synthpop. “Touching Yourself” was the one that caught my attention, and it’s just a stellar track, with new tricks at every turn, and one of my favorite songs on the playlist. I’m also a big fan of “Sad to Breathe” and “Friends”, although I wish there were a few more standout songs with them. I had heard some comparisons to The 1975, and I see them; there’s a lot of overlap in style, except that Bain is substantially less overbearing, and while <i>In the End…</i> slows down in parts, she knows how to keep her albums to a reasonable, less self-indulgent length, so it doesn’t wear on you nearly as much.<br /><br /><b>Oceanator, <i>Nothing’s Ever Fine</i></b><br />I don’t remember how I found this one on Bandcamp, but it was a very pleasant surprise! It’s some solid indie garage rock type stuff, with the album loosely themed around the excitements and anxieties of an aimless summer day, I think? But it goes a lot of fun places around that theme. Lots of good riffs all around, “The Last Sumer” is a great early single, “Bad Brain Daze” is just a stream of fun solos in the backend, and I love the opening instrumental “Summer” recurring as a midpoint and then getting a full performance as album closer “Evening”. Maybe it’s still a little summery where you are; if so, give this one a listen while it still applies for extra effect. <br /><br /><b>Kicksie, <i>Slouch </i>and <i>All My Friends</i></b><br />I tried Slouch a little after it released, since it popped up on my Bandcamp, and found myself listening to it a lot, to the point where I went out and tried her previous album too (I liked <i>Slouch </i>more, but <i>All My Friends</i> definitely scratches the same itch). It’s just some great indie pop-rock, drawing a lot on ‘90s alternative stuff, so you get some great crunchy guitar bits and shout-sung choruses and lyrics cheekily detailing relationship dramas and all of that, but with a modern indie pop gloss that gives it all a different, interesting feel. <br /><br /><b>Chris Farren, <i>Doom Singer</i> and<i> Born Hot</i></b><br />The story on Farren is basically inverted, I guess? I saw his last album <i>Born Hot</i> on Bandcamp while browsing power pop stuff, gave it a try, liked it, then got <i>Doom Singer</i> when it released. I’m not sure which I wound up liking more, they’ve both got their moments. If you like jangly, upbeat pop melodies over lyrics about feeling stressed and anxious, with fun ‘70s-inspired arrangements and a touch of melodrama (I think there’s a conceit about <i>Born Hot</i> being the score to a fictional movie, with an early song titled “Love Theme from <i>Born Hot</i>”? Although I couldn’t really follow it.), check it out.<br /><br /><b>Grace Ives, </b><i><b>Janky Star</b><br /></i>I don’t really know what keeps drawing me back here. <i>Janky Star</i> is some lo-fi, synthy bedroom pop, a tight just-under-half-an-hour album, and I keep coming back to it. I can’t really put into words why I do, none of the songs immediately jumped out at me in the way they do with some records. But each time, there would just be a melody or synth line or even just a vibe of a song that would catch my ear and draw me out of what I was doing whenever I listened, and I feel like that’s worth calling out! <br /><br /><b>Midi Matilda, <i>Just a Game</i> EP<br />SISTIR, <i>touchwood </i>EP</b><br />And finally, a quick pair of EPs to polish off this section. I actually included Midi Matilda <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/music-monday-summer-2020-playlist.html">way back in 2020</a>, but it was just a few singles. They ended up coming to my mind over the summer for some reason (probably <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etEM_zPL_nQ">remembering “Tidal Wave”</a>, which still slaps), and I looked them up and… learned they had actually released an EP 3 days after I originally wrote about them, I just missed it. Anyway, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it, it feels like a throwback to the type of early-2010s indie synthpop that I would have found back circa 2012 and dug. It’s weird how of-a-time that style feels, just a decade later.<br /><br />SISTIR also kind of makes me think of that era? Although their release is from this year, and I didn’t see anything they’ve been active before then like Midi Matilda. It’s a slightly different feel too, like someone playing around with lusher pop arrangements and melodies but for songs that have a little more of a singer and songwriter bent? If that makes sense? The EP is just four songs, but it makes me interested to see what comes next. <br /><br /><br /><br /><b><u>I Kept Going Through Their Catalogs After Writing About Them Last Time:</u></b><br /><br /><b>The Beths: </b><br />I got around to their first album and EP (<i>Future Me Hates Me</i> and <i>Warm Blood</i>), and yep, still good! Less good than their most recent two albums, but solid debuts still! And it's easy to see how they grew into that band.<br /><br /><b>DMN: </b><br />The Portland group had two EPs before their debut album, <i>Gamma Waves</i> and <i>Snowblind</i>, and I wound up loving them both. They basically had their building, electronic-y synthpop sound of <i>Default Mode Network</i> nailed from the get-go, and songs like “(Don’t) Surrender” stand with their best tracks. <br /><br /><b>King Isis, Hoity-Toity:</b><br />I highlighted <i>scales </i>and <i>As Above</i> as my Promising EPs last time, but neither was a debut. I listened to earlier EPs from both, King Isis’s <i>#1</i> (plus single “Strange Luvv”) and Hoity-Toity’s <i>Not Your Kind</i>, and they both fall in the same category as The Beths, as less polished but still very recognizable as earlier versions of those artists, so it makes me excited to see where they both go next! <br /><br /><b>Softee:</b><br />I guess this one isn’t a backlog, but the second-half of Softee’s new album <i>Natural </i>released, and I don’t have much to say other than “Yeah, that’s some good, vibe-y retro-influenced pop”. I think it might make for her strongest overall release yet?<br /><br /><b>Letting Up Despite Great Faults:</b><br />I mentioned their 2022 album <i>IV</i> and 2023 EP <i>Crumble </i>as interesting shoegaze-twee stuff, but I also mentioned that they were the Austin band’s first releases following a hiatus. Well, I went back and tried some of their pre-hiatus stuff (2017’s <i>Alexander Devotion</i> EP, 2014’s <i>Neon</i>, and 2012’s <i>Untogether</i>), and it was also pretty good! I preferred their newer stuff, so maybe try that if you’re totally unfamiliar, but if you tried those and want more, I’d also recommend these (<i>Neon </i>being my personal favorite of the bunch).<br /><b><br />Happy Hollows:</b><br />This is another band that had just ended a recent hiatus. Last time, I said they were solid indie rock/electro pop, but that their 2023 album <i>Craver </i>was kind of carried by single “Prowler”. Well, I went back and tried their earlier albums (<i>Concordia</i>, 2017 and <i>Amethyst</i>, 2013), and while I don’t know if any of their singles beats “Prowler”, I think both albums are better than <i>Craver</i>. So maybe start with these albums, if you didn’t give them a listen last time. <br /><br /><br /><br /><b><u>Other New Things I Want to Give a Shout-out </u></b><br /><br />And finally, I’m going to give a quick rundown of the smaller acts I found while browsing Bandcamp. If any of the <br /><br />It’s Butter: Some fun jazz-pop; I especially loved “Still in Love”.<br /><br />Plasma Cutter: If you like Anamanaguchi’s style of chiptune/rock, definitely check out <i>Genesis Dream</i>!<br /><br />Father Koi: If you like the glistening smooth, plastic-y and surreal type of hyperpop, I enjoyed <i>everything is a dream, but it is your dream</i>. I wouldn’t be shocked if this one grows on me and I revisit it a lot.<br /><br />Tragic Lovers: Just a few songs rather than a full album here, but I’ve enjoyed their catchy post-punk stuff so far. <br /><br />Indigo De Souza: This is another singer-songwriter with some ‘90s alternative influences? It kind of makes for an interesting contrast with Kicksie; I know I used some of those same adjectives, but the ends result here (<i>All of This Will End</i>) feels different, maybe a little darker.<br /><br />Trust Fund Ozu: <i>Tribute Summon</i> is from the crunchier, glitchier end of the hyperpop spectrum. I’m definitely interested in checking out her next album, which comes out later this month. <br /><br />Sugar Nova: This duo’s debut album <i>Halogen </i>is another lo-fi electropop one, with songs that would sneak up and get stuck in my head.<br /><br />Crozet: Some more synthwave. I didn’t like them as much as PRIZM, but I still had fun listening to their albums <i>Running Time</i> and <i>Suburbia</i>.<br /><br />Madebit: Madebit’s EP <i>CMYK </i>caught my eye, so I picked up her full album <i>An Alien Among Us</i> when it released. It’s a quirky dance/edm-pop set, and I don’t know if it’s my favorite thing, but it’s stuck with me.<br /><br />June Jones: Some more lo-fi electropop. I enjoyed her EP <i>Pop Music for Normal Women</i>, and her new single “Good Girl” is an interesting follow-up, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next. <br /><br />Color Palette: A DC-based alternative pop-rock artist with a few EPs and singles. “Pacing Like a Lion” is instantly gripping. <br /><br />Mel Stone: Her album <i>Princess </i>feels like a throwback to ‘70s songwriter rockers, with some heartland rock influences.<br /><br />Madison McFerrin: <i>I Hope You Can Forgive Me </i>is a quick-and-smooth little alternative/neo-soul record (and from an artist who comes from a family with a notable musical history).<br /><br />KNOWER:<i> KNOWER FOREVER</i> is a pop-nerd’s pop record, luxuriating in using horns and strings and jazz theory and everything else they can to make complex, dense arrangements. "I'm the President" is a fun example, with just a ton of stuff going on musically.<br /><br />Moon Palace: <i>Love Lost</i> is a half-dozen funky, psychedelic pop-rock songs. <br /><br />Wingtips: <i>Cutting Room Floor</i> is just some good old-fashioned gothy, post-punk synthpop.<br /><br />Stay Lunar: If you need more of your shoegaze/dreampop fix, their EPs <i>Every Cloud</i> and <i>When the Sun Sets</i> are both solid choices.<br /><br />bash explode: <i>CTF </i>is another fun, very electronic album. I think there’s also some sort of puzzle challenge associated with this one? I didn’t follow it at all, just listened to the music, although <a href="https://ctf.bashexplode.com/notifications">it looks like it’s still running</a>.<br /><br />Star 99: The San Jose-based quartet’s album <i>Bitch Unlimited</i> is a solid, punky power-pop record.<br /><br />Grand Lilac: Sometimes I’ll just enter random combinations of tags into Bandcamp and check what comes up. I believe that I found Grand Lilac’s self-titled debut with “power pop + chamber pop”, and yep! It sounds like power pop with touches of chamber pop influences! If that sounds like your thing, definitely try them!<br /><br />CHIZI: Her EP <i>Drive </i>is some nice electropop, and lead track “Bad Habit” feels like a breakout pop song.<br /><br />City Fathers: And one final one, I liked alt pop act City Fathers’ single “Where Did the Night Go”, and their subsequent EP is also pretty good.<br /><br /><br />—<br />For those interested, the full playlist can be found in text below, after the email sign-up form (and if you would like to get an email when the End of 2023 Playlist goes up in three to four months, consider signing up! I only send emails when there’s a new article at this site, so it’s low commitment! If you want the baseball articles also, that’s <a href="https://adept-speaker-2764.ck.page/74ac9bdeff">a separate list</a>.)<br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-0lax" style="text-align: left;">Artist(s)</th>
<th class="tg-0lax" style="text-align: left;">Song</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Carly Rae Jepsen</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Shy Boy</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Carly Rae Jepsen</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Psychadcelic Switch</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Carly Rae Jepsen</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Stadium Love</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">PRIZM</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All Night</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">PRIZM</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lose You</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">PRIZM</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Can't Bring Me Down</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">PRIZM</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sober</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">PRIZM</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Don't Stop</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Aces</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Suburban Blues</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Aces</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Person</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Alex Lahey</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">You'll Never Get Your Money Back</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Alex Lahey</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">They Wouldn't Let Me In</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Janelle Monae</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Champagne Shit</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Janelle Monae</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lipstick Lover</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">MisterWives</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Flower Moon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">MisterWives</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">End of My Rope</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mystery Skulls</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dream Come True</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mystery Skulls</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Better Than Ever</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lucky Penguin</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Living Coral</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lemonade</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CUTE-Distinction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tove Lo</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I like u</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CHVRCHES</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Manhattan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lauren Mayberry</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Are You Awake?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">WALK THE MOON</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Win Anyway</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">underscores</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cops and Robbers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">underscores & Gabby Start</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Locals (Girls like us)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Roosevelt & Nile Rogers</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Passion</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dirty Nice</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Shoes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">KennyHoopla</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">YOU NEEDED A HIT//</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Neon Trees</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Favorite Daze</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Panama Wedding</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Can't Hold Back</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Scavenger Hunt</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Diving In</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Orla Garland</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">You're Not Special, Babe</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Orla Garland</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Zombie!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Orla Garland</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bloodline & Difficult Things</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Japanese House</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Touching Yourself</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Japanese House</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sad to Breathe</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Japanese House</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oceanator</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Last Summer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oceanator</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bad Brain Daze</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oceanator</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Evening</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kicksie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">You're On</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kicksie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Go-Getter</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kicksie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">BANANA POP!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kicksie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ouroboros</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chris Farren</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Love Theme from "Born Hot"</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chris Farren</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Search 4 Me</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chris Farren</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bluish</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chris Farren</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All We Ever</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Grace Ives</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Burn Bridges</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Grace Ives</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lullaby</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Midi Matilda</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Feel Like That</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Midi Matilda</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Just a Game</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">SISTIR</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">in the eyes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">SISTIR</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">touch wood</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Beths</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Uptown Girl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Beths</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Little Death</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Beths</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Warm Blood</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DMN</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">(Don't) Surrender</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DMN</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All The Right Words</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DMN</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">What You Need</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DMN</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Walking Backwards</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">King Isis</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Strange Luvv</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hoity-Toity</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Y'Know</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hoity-Toity</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mykinnacoma (Not Your Kind)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Softee</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Isn't Enough</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Softee</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Natural</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gold</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bishops</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bulletproof Girl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Happy Hollows</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">On the Wave</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Happy Hollows</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Meteors</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Happy Hollows</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Amethyst</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Happy Hollows</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hawaii</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Air Apparent (ft. Julia Ross)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tokyo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ARIZONA</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dark Skies</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ARIZONA</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pressure</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dresage</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Plastique</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gryff (with YATTE)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Journey</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Knox Hamilton</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lost in a Party</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Laveda</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Troy Creeps</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Megan McDuffee & TELLE</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Twisted</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mouse</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Swarovski</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Noah Kahan</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dial Drunk</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Primo the Alien</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">More Love</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">saorise dream</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">catherine never broke again</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">saorise dream</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">just like you</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Snail's House & Moe Shop</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fashionista</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">sungazer</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Electro</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tomo Nakayama</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Contigo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">It's Butter</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Still In Love</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">It's Butter</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Can't Be Too Hard on Myself</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Plasma Cutter</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ignition Sequence</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Plasma Cutter</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Genesis Dream</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Father Koi</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">bittersweet</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Father Koi</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">New Years</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tragic Lovers</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Little Rebel</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tragic Lovers</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">New Fire Ceremony</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Indigo De Souza</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">You Can Be Mean</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Indigo De Souza</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Water</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Trust Fund Ozu</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Succubus</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sugar Nova</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Send Me Higher</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sugar Nova</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt II</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Crozet</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Summer Nights</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Crozet (feat. Carl Cox)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Moment of Nostalgia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">madebit</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Mellow</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">madebit</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">An Alien Among Us</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">madebit</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Moon Dance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">June Jones</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gamer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">June Jones</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Good Girl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Color Palette</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pacing Like a Lion</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mel Stone</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Simone</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Madison McFerrin</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Utah</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">KNOWER</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I'm the President</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Moon Palace</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Too Late To Compromise</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Wingtips</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Minimalistic</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Stay Lunar</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">keeping me up all night</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Stay Lunar</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">i like it when you're around</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">bash explode</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">phase cancellation</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">bash explode</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">nostalgia per minute</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Star 99</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">South Second</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Grand Lilac</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Day Job</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">CHIZI</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bad Habit</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">City Fathers</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Where Did the Night Go</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">MIDI Bunny</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ILY RAMONA!!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sherry CD-ROM (feat. Heather Harper)<br /></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hero Garden</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Snail Mail</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Madonna</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-50655989721326071462023-08-30T21:41:00.000-07:002023-08-30T21:41:11.972-07:00Cassette Beasts, Side B: Steam in the Subway, Earth Is Afire<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgQmZJyDZ3WyN7X6Pui4OfVJe9Ayac5pLGfM_y_YZQko8zOenqvnbjVsfsO2w50DZidMme6xfcZPudRWDMTJGvJuYe4-woj6Zz_h7vf6jHkCJvVGUzCq5Z4p4wp66O1wxALhfmkqI3u4GfTnDau2HY_lLokmZHB72tc8e9RQ84xjRNLu7oIY2NkO2m0M/s2556/Cassette%20Beasts%20Title%20Screen.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2556" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgQmZJyDZ3WyN7X6Pui4OfVJe9Ayac5pLGfM_y_YZQko8zOenqvnbjVsfsO2w50DZidMme6xfcZPudRWDMTJGvJuYe4-woj6Zz_h7vf6jHkCJvVGUzCq5Z4p4wp66O1wxALhfmkqI3u4GfTnDau2HY_lLokmZHB72tc8e9RQ84xjRNLu7oIY2NkO2m0M/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Title%20Screen.png" width="640" /></a><br /><i><br />I’m finally back with my promised second article on </i>Cassette Beasts<i>! If you missed the first one, you can read it <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2023/07/Cassette-Beasts-Indie-Game-Review-Recommendation.html">here</a>; that one serves as my mostly spoiler-free general recommendation of the game. However, I also wanted to do some deeper looks into the game, its systems, its themes, and so on, which necessitates some spoilers. I’ll give a general warning when I start getting into mild things (like discussing specific monsters or the game’s mechanics), and then give a warning at the midpoint when I start moving into more serious story-related spoilers (as well as a few mentions about the story of Bytten Studio’s first game, </i>Lenna’s Inception<i>, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/lennas-inception-is-one-of-best-games.html">which I covered here</a>). Generally, I think this game is strong enough that being spoiled wouldn’t ruin it for you, but if you are sensitive to those, feel free to take advantage of those warnings as jumping off points, or even bookmark this for later, and come back later after you’ve played it some .</i><br /><br />In <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2023/07/Cassette-Beasts-Indie-Game-Review-Recommendation.html">the first part</a> of my <a href="https://www.cassettebeasts.com/"><i>Cassette Beasts</i></a> review, I mentioned that the game lived up to all of the expectations I had for it after loving <a href="https://bytten-studio.com/">Bytten Studio</a>’s first game, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/lennas-inception-is-one-of-best-games.html"><i>Lenna’s Inception</i></a>. And I want to look at that a little more; I’ve already said that they make for an interesting comparison, but there was something specific that stood out to me when I was looking at what I wanted to cover in a spoilered review. See, while it lived up to <i>Lenna </i>in quality, it was actually kind of funny how much expecting <i>Cassette Beasts</i> to be like its predecessor ended up surprising me, particularly in its world building. <br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-fields{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:0 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 0 15px 0;-webkit-flex:1 0 100%;-ms-flex:1 0 100%;flex:1 0 100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit-container{margin:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-submit{position:static;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] [data-style="clean"],.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] [data-style="clean"]{padding:10px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"],.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"]{margin-left:-5px;margin-right:-5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><br />Not to spoil it too much, but <i>Lenna’s Inception</i> breaks the fourth wall several times over the course of a playthrough, culminating in a few big reveals during the final dungeon that recontextualize everything you’ve seen to that point, in a way that directly calls attention to the fact that it is a video game. It’s a really big and fun twist, the kind of thing that makes you go back and think “Oh, why didn’t I notice that earlier!”, and I kept expecting something like that in <i>Cassette Beasts</i>. Maybe it’s not fair to expect some huge surprise like that twice, but I can also see why I thought that; there are a few moments where you can see some similar ideas popping up, so it’s maybe not too big of a stretch to think that <i>Cassette Beasts</i> might at least have similar ideas on its mind. <br /><br /><span></span><p></p><a name='more'></a><br />But it does something different instead, blazes its own trail in discussing the metatextual. And so even though that big and shocking reveal never really comes… I never found myself disappointed. <i>Lenna</i> relished in making ostensible glitches into story elements and mechanics. In contrast, <i>Cassette Beasts</i> uses some of those elements again, but in a much more limited way, making it feel like Bytten Studio reapplying what they learned to different effect. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkZpKF3yXgZ7hdPjM1MKQuhHS3IrL6roJwes0jfHc8WeMcsTK0bbibeIpS76cKcaOtNJM8X5Y9IpGxjzIvwLVo7-uRwnvaJRdllKSFvrY6C00yon7aAcWtlVwKVwmdPIHTPqut5sxQAe2oie70gAqz3xi80PQH7A2B9-DSDvdnRgEK32WxFbF5hz92pY/s2559/Cassette%20Beasts%20Town%20Square.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="2559" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkZpKF3yXgZ7hdPjM1MKQuhHS3IrL6roJwes0jfHc8WeMcsTK0bbibeIpS76cKcaOtNJM8X5Y9IpGxjzIvwLVo7-uRwnvaJRdllKSFvrY6C00yon7aAcWtlVwKVwmdPIHTPqut5sxQAe2oie70gAqz3xi80PQH7A2B9-DSDvdnRgEK32WxFbF5hz92pY/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Town%20Square.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The game still looks like it’s “breaking down” at times, but at very specific moments and ways to instill specific feelings in the player, rather than as a story element or gameplay mechanic. Things like television static effects or screen shake (both of course calling on the game’s tape motif) or wall-breaking art shifts happen during things like boss fights or dungeons, where the characters comment on their unease or the sense of something being <b><i>wrong </i></b>with the space somehow. It’s a clever way to convey that unease to the player, really; after all, you’re just playing a fantastical video game about waking up on a strange, otherworldly island, few things can really seem that unnatural or out of place. But seeing a full 3D model that distorts the fabric of the pixelated world and breaks the game’s soundtrack when it appears? Yeah, I directly get what’s making my characters feel uneasy, that’s a fun trick!<br /><br />Recognizing that the developers were still chewing on these themes got me thinking about how the game played with and thought about its status as a video game, and sort of shaped a lot of my other thoughts about it. And one of the threads that I kept pulling at was that I think it helps Bytten Studio to do an extremely interesting job with their worldbuilding. <br /><br />I’ve talked about games with particularly interesting settings before; see, for example, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/06/Ikenfell-video-game-recommendation-review.html">my review of Ikenfell</a>, where I talked about all of the care that went into making the titular school feel like a real place. New Wirral doesn’t do that at all; in fact, it seems to revel in its off-kilter un-realness at times. And yet… I kept coming back to Ikenfell as a point of comparison. I think a big part of it was that both games know that their settings carry with them a <i>feeling</i>, a sense of history that permeates the location, something more than just the sum of the people and things you see. Ikenfell <i>feels </i>like an ancient magic school still in use in the modern day. Meanwhile, New Wirral feels like…<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnHMxxldHKgBRiafMaEk9OWe7pEIOhJVBVfMSJ7mS2n8Gk-37guezip-R4vjSJ3r66kaUs3ZOCFlLVXqrBJr_68bslAxIcRUmF_VYmb88nW9nymTWBfBSpSchxOjAc7SY_WpGeE403kb2bO1PIWId5vPVahezlyJDfW6s_vwCvDCfXlDxFFb3dvTkSyk/s2559/Cassette%20Beasts%20Fusion%20Battle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2559" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnHMxxldHKgBRiafMaEk9OWe7pEIOhJVBVfMSJ7mS2n8Gk-37guezip-R4vjSJ3r66kaUs3ZOCFlLVXqrBJr_68bslAxIcRUmF_VYmb88nW9nymTWBfBSpSchxOjAc7SY_WpGeE403kb2bO1PIWId5vPVahezlyJDfW6s_vwCvDCfXlDxFFb3dvTkSyk/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Fusion%20Battle.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Well, what is New Wirral, exactly? (<b>This is probably where the mild <i>Cassette Beasts</i> spoilers will start to flow more freely, although nothing too earth-shattering just yet.</b>) In my first piece, I compared it to Koholint Island from <i>Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening</i> (among other things), with you washing up on the beach of an island full of monsters that appears to defy logic in many ways. But New Wirral isn’t a dream, per se; instead, it’s a sort of negative space outside of the universe, a spot for the many people and things that somehow slip through the cracks of different realities to accumulate. <br /><br />That’s sort of the element tying everything together in New Wirral. The inhabitants are all people out of place and time, building a new world together out of the things that follow them to New Wirral. There’s an entire division of the town’s work force dedicated to picking through the cargo crates and other things that wash up on the shores or fall out of the skies, and there are small elements all over that remind you of that. <br /><br />Outside of town, the landscape is dotted with things that have fallen through space-time as well, from shipwrecks or construction equipment to entire buildings. It’s an interesting mix of untamed, monster-filled wilderness and clear signs of human development stripped of all of its normal context. <br /><br />And of course, all of the monsters take this angle, too, which provides a nice sense of cohesion all around. I mentioned in my first piece that this is the clearest and tightest monster theming of any indie Pokémon-like game that I’ve seen, in that every creature takes some inspiration from human creation, whether that’s a creature from folklore or an actual human product. <br /><br />It’s a nice, broad approach that provides an obvious commonality while still leaving a lot of potential approaches for your designs. There’s something freeing in how anything can be a Pokémon, but it also makes it harder to stand out if you’re a new property trying to enter the field. Trying to take that same approach can mean you’re offering an easy direct comparison against both the series and its many talented fan artists. Conversely, deciding to base your monsters only on mythology, or “animal + element” is an easy way to give yourself an identity <i>apart </i>from Pokémon, but can become kind of restricting. <br /><br />So instead, <i>Cassette Beasts</i> kind of limits itself, but in a way that leaves plenty of room for clever interpretations and easy work-arounds. So maybe you can’t make<a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Charmander_(Pok%C3%A9mon)"> your standard fire lizard</a> monster, but <a href="https://wiki.cassettebeasts.com/wiki/Pyromeleon">slap that chameleon in mage robes and specifically tie it to pyromancy</a>? That’s actually pretty cool! Really, having those minimal self-imposed limitations can get you new, fun ideas, or interesting interpretations of otherwise common monster concepts. Sure, everyone might have an idea for a big walrus monster, so why not instead focus your walrus monster design around <a href="https://wiki.cassettebeasts.com/wiki/Scubalrus">old-time diving gear</a>?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Q0PTAtzsYIx3KVXdxqPwAzSRkocqthFHwkTMGj-blYbDDjTeBT-TdQrW9Eq-br3LTJUUBdL5pB6d41Il3mS6H_rgu2g1kBmKRFH4lLrGK_0CUmK1qujddttFQl6oxtCSX2S8GEIyhbUklJjWl9OxIVCRDi4LA51TQ6xB3ISQRVy4VFoH5NSCyMnKglA/s2558/Cassette%20Beasts%20Starters.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="2558" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Q0PTAtzsYIx3KVXdxqPwAzSRkocqthFHwkTMGj-blYbDDjTeBT-TdQrW9Eq-br3LTJUUBdL5pB6d41Il3mS6H_rgu2g1kBmKRFH4lLrGK_0CUmK1qujddttFQl6oxtCSX2S8GEIyhbUklJjWl9OxIVCRDi4LA51TQ6xB3ISQRVy4VFoH5NSCyMnKglA/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Starters.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />While I’m on the subject of the game’s creatures, I’d like to give a special shout-out to the starters, <a href="https://wiki.cassettebeasts.com/wiki/Candevil">Candevil </a>and <a href="https://wiki.cassettebeasts.com/wiki/Bansheep">Bansheep</a>. I mentioned them in my original article, but a lot of what I wanted to say had to be saved for the spoiler piece. Really, they just work so well on so many different levels at helping <i>Cassette Beasts</i> establish its universe and distinguish itself from the field. So, to start with, the game doesn’t actually show you them before letting you pick; instead, it asks you a personality question, whether you prefer “Spooky or Sweet” vibes, gifting you the appropriate starter based on your answer. That’s actually a big deal for the tone, I think; you aren’t getting a lifelong partner like when you pick a starter Pokémon, you’re just you, and this is almost just another way of expressing yourself. This actually happens <b>again </b>once you level them up enough, the game will prompt you with another this-or-that question. Each answer corresponds to one of two evolutionary paths for each ‘mon.<br /><br />So there’s of course the narrative hook there, getting you into the game’s mindset early. But also, there are just a lot of cool mechanical things tied in. There’s of course the unique evolutionary trees, something the game loves doing, almost like it’s going out of its way to design evolution trees that Pokémon has so far avoided. Both starters are, in their first form, Beast type, introducing you to one of <i>Cassette Beasts</i>’ new elements. And the evolutions change type from there, which is not only something else that the game loves doing for fun twists, but they work to demonstrate the weirder types of the game. Gone is the Fire-Water-Grass that Pokémon and others love to use. Instead, you wind up with either a Poison, Metal, Astral, or Earth type monster, which is a really fun showcase for the game’s unique type chart. I think Poison and Metal play <b>very </b>differently from the similarly-named Pokémon types, and Astral is something else entirely. And of course, it gives you a big open spot in the Bestiary that you can work towards clearing up. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXqlPu1NNnx3Pcol3oJ8ucfQrAyy3hnAAz4JZ7NI2rtuIl9-v4sZ_SF2lrnwvNeCr4mSoedFhVprX3dOGpaVfncwF3pQ6tllw5WLmz0MabWQibLgxK40e9PULQT7UyaE73TZLzCP01ytzscOt7ezlI0HlC8KklqQU_ooSHGoAUQvVuJ5jSkSLj0R2WgM/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20landlord%20fight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXqlPu1NNnx3Pcol3oJ8ucfQrAyy3hnAAz4JZ7NI2rtuIl9-v4sZ_SF2lrnwvNeCr4mSoedFhVprX3dOGpaVfncwF3pQ6tllw5WLmz0MabWQibLgxK40e9PULQT7UyaE73TZLzCP01ytzscOt7ezlI0HlC8KklqQU_ooSHGoAUQvVuJ5jSkSLj0R2WgM/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20landlord%20fight.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Actually, that makes for a nice transition into the next part that I want to talk about; Bytten Studio has a great sense of how to motivate players in their design, and their methods include using the more meta elements of the game’s design. Like I said, there are those gaps in the Bestiary that will show up as you play, showing you which monsters you need to train to find evolutions, and roughly corresponding to which parts of the map you need to investigate. <br /><br />Even more fun, they enjoy using unusual branching evolution methods, and placing evidence around the world for the player to find and remember. In fact, there were multiple times I battled a trainer who used something rare that corresponded to a hole in my findings, at which point I remembered some book or character in the world I had stumbled upon earlier directly hinting at a unique evolution method, at which point I had a good set of dots to connect that I felt like I had found myself (even though it was really a neatly-arranged trail of breadcrumbs). Again, it’s a nice middle point between some of Pokémon’s increasingly obscure new evolution methods (many of which lack any clues in-game, and need to just be looked up), and a lot of Pokémon competitors that just cut that element all together.<br /><br />There are other elements though, too. For example, the devs have specifically geared every gameplay loop they can into pushing players to explore and try new monsters out. I feel like I kind of glossed over this a little in my first article, so to home in on it a little more here: each monster that you transform into gets a level between 0 and 5 stars on its tape, which is totally unrelated to the game’s main leveling mechanic (that being the one for the player character and their partner, which is I believe uncapped? I got mine over 120 during the postgame). With each star up to 5, the tape will get a little stronger and gain a new move (which are semi-random; they can have a variety of side effects added on, which is a nice tie into the idea of infinite randomness across the universes that the game also gestures towards). If the tape can evolve into a new monster, you’ll get the option to “remaster” it once it reaches five stars (and then start over at 0 stars in its new form); otherwise, it will stay on five stars, and give you another new move with an increased chance of having those special effects added (although your monster will generally stop seeing its slots for usable moves expand by star 5, so you’ll have to swap out a current move to try those new ones).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrGrRjGVny6aT6stZNFL_kubc15PPVA_7CIsjds4ggXuAcI8Aw6FGyL-a9UnzY9VnNBJ8g_DqBZs8LScS2XeIiev37L7dU2TWjnvwSGZVDvDNl0WSpIY5QpyGoc_1WCMazBOFBeYV6Q_XOn4FxUxpgWD2fARqFquminkXgrHqRji4p9lnTH1IzBFCGVw/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Marsh.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrGrRjGVny6aT6stZNFL_kubc15PPVA_7CIsjds4ggXuAcI8Aw6FGyL-a9UnzY9VnNBJ8g_DqBZs8LScS2XeIiev37L7dU2TWjnvwSGZVDvDNl0WSpIY5QpyGoc_1WCMazBOFBeYV6Q_XOn4FxUxpgWD2fARqFquminkXgrHqRji4p9lnTH1IzBFCGVw/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Marsh.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />So, as you can kind of see… there’s not really a reason to stick to a set party for the whole game; the benefits level off pretty hard past a certain point. However, Bytten piled incentives in the other direction. You get an expanded Bestiary entry upon reaching 5 stars on a monster. So why not try a new one in your party to replace that 5 star? Besides, since most of the strength comes from your level rather than the tape’s star rating, you won’t be too disadvantaged if you just try them out. You’re already exploring and filling out a map, why not turn your exploration into another way to fill out more of the game world?<br /><br />Or another decision: there <i>are </i>plenty of movement options to expand your ability to explore the overworld, similar to items in Legend of Zelda or HMs in Pokémon, but they’re tied to catching specific new monsters. Which ones? Well, you won’t know until you catch them… so why not record every monster that you see? Each new one might be the one that opens up new sections of the map! Also, every fight shows up in the overworld, which (in addition to making it easier to dodge battles when you’re in a hurry) gives you a chance to scope out new monsters when you see them. And special bootlegs will even get a special effect in their overworld sprite! <br /><br />Maybe it’s kind of cheating to include smart game design decisions like these as metatextual, but it does show that Bytten has paid attention to what other games are doing, given real thought to how those systems function, and how they can be used to incentivize player decisions. So there <i>is </i>a conversation of sorts going on here. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjr49UcvDfjOdnOWl5c2wKhkay1A_FoXbfq4SPtvAHawb4LFtA9Zhhs5eLsv_i0sLYcc02jrZzaBU7GbWYbTqt14dsSeyoR5yPY7nYGS6Xw_uI-PXKA88vrz0pDgIOv7CUrE0zhja9aowRBc_3S1gJu2fuGkb7U2I4z8ZojW0cTWaDPOD5784vBsUxvA/s2554/Cassette%20Beasts%20Market%20Night.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2554" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjr49UcvDfjOdnOWl5c2wKhkay1A_FoXbfq4SPtvAHawb4LFtA9Zhhs5eLsv_i0sLYcc02jrZzaBU7GbWYbTqt14dsSeyoR5yPY7nYGS6Xw_uI-PXKA88vrz0pDgIOv7CUrE0zhja9aowRBc_3S1gJu2fuGkb7U2I4z8ZojW0cTWaDPOD5784vBsUxvA/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Market%20Night.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And it’s nice seeing a monster collecting game that understands that a lot of the fun in this genre is finding and seeing and trying all of these monsters; they made over 100 of them, and you’re going to try them, gosh darn it! Pokémon has squared that circle by making it very easy to just train dozens of things. That’s why they’ve shifted hard into items that help with Experience lately; you can easily make it to the end rotating through two or three dozen Pokémon without the game getting too long. Of course, that makes it easy to overlevel things and blaze through the game if you dump your focus into just six creatures. <br /><br />Conversely, if you’re an indie game trying to make a more challenging experience, upping the levels and difficulty can solve that, but it can also become a harsh penalty on experimenting with your team too much; you’re just wasting time if you branch out from your core team too much. I loved <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/02/nexomon-extinction-review-recommendation-switch.html"><i>Nexomon Extinction</i></a>, and it was great that they could fully populate their world with nearly 400 monsters… but I also repeatedly found myself thinking during my playthrough that it was a little silly how there were so many options, but training up more than the nine needed to cover the game’s types made everything into a slog (and even nine probably slowed my progress at least somewhat). So good on Bytten for figuring out how to solve this issue through their game’s design and systems!<br /><br />I really like pulling apart the cool ways these systems interlock and how it can tie into the world building, but that feels sort of indirect too. Let’s pull things back into the realm of narrative, <b>so as a warning, the larger, story-related spoilers will follow.<br /><br /></b><br /><br />So, let’s just start with a big one; it isn’t just the monsters that directly draw on the fusion of the fantastical dream and the mundane real-world. Like I said, the setting is a mysterious, unreal island that’s still somehow dotted with recognizable structures, and the most notable ones are probably the dungeons.* Most of them are themed around deserted subway stations. <br /><br /><i>*I say “dungeons” because they fill that role narratively and in setting, but they’re not really like Zelda dungeons. Usually they have a few puzzles based around a specific idea, ending in a big boss fight. So they wind up a little shorter overall, but really, that’s probably better overall than just turning them into a big enemy gauntlet or something, which I’ve seen some other games do. This way, they still get to feel like ominous, impactful moments, even if they usually don’t top a dozen rooms.</i><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSdYYbKUMY8lrB-sRGWqG-28XbWLUJjcspVuamNT3Zygg-81ypVFCEQIX97y3h-BkRW1AZFst95X-r8VXUDO7jkd6fAocpcpQOXAk5MUMgLKJ0Jr9vQjz-gB59JfHtxgMbCUIA9wWRJ8rUIIe2T8hzLNIYabTbzX1Wa2STNaUlI4gw5WYp6zV692WhK4/s2553/Cassette%20Beasts%20Station.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2553" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSdYYbKUMY8lrB-sRGWqG-28XbWLUJjcspVuamNT3Zygg-81ypVFCEQIX97y3h-BkRW1AZFst95X-r8VXUDO7jkd6fAocpcpQOXAk5MUMgLKJ0Jr9vQjz-gB59JfHtxgMbCUIA9wWRJ8rUIIe2T8hzLNIYabTbzX1Wa2STNaUlI4gw5WYp6zV692WhK4/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Station.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And just conceptually, empty subway stations are pretty great ideas for this! “Abandoned human-built structures” and “dark underground places” are both classic creepy settings, even if “haunted subway station” itself isn’t the most used example of this. They obviously feel very ominous, accentuated by the game’s art and sound design; Joel Baylis, composer for both of Bytten Studio’s fantastic soundtracks, gives them a separate theme from other caves, something less melodic and more droning, pulsating. And these are the spots where the game loves to pull out those glitches and other fourth-wall effects that I described earlier, building the sense of unease. <br /><br />But they are still subway lines, too! They conveniently get to double as fast-travel points (which I think is another cool game design thing), so you are going to be regularly going through them and using them as transit, talking to the station’s attendant (one of two talking monster in-game, and the first one you’ll see, making it another fun small reveal) as he rambles mysteriously about the will of the Mer-line (the apparently alive train system supposedly undergirding the island?). And of course, just about every station grows out of the ground when you finally open it, another fun example of “real world fused with fantasy”; it’s such a great idea that adds to the game’s central worldbuilding philosophy, the kind of idea where just seeing it so naturally makes me surprised that it wasn’t some big, running genre trope.<br /><br />But it’s not just subway stations; they throw in a few other not-dungeons like that. The largest (and my favorite) being a literally <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_mall">dead mall</a> that fell into this world at some point, filled with broken storefronts and bottomless pits and actual ghosts, all while what sounds like a lost ‘80s hit plays over the distorted mall speakers. And yet, it’s just treated like another feature of the terrain, with town residents talking about making trips over to scavenge for clothes and tapes and other goods. There are a variety of other, simpler dungeon-like areas that all get similar treatments (a sunken ship, boarded-up office buildings, a graveyard…), all of it playing on this theme and working so smoothly with the monsters.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYejIpUhvx7dEQ0-Nvy9BRq-Zqdp8WewdeQQTRPOzdi5VVqvXI22K7XJUvopOuqRRQO37UmJSsZpGsyI8b4XpMCGC2P1AGoBz1E_EAlwxfI0Nmg_v-OY_qhhdmLfycIe8Pfz7c8dvhoQ-8vQ7sxsy3E22n5blSp9w-Bm_UiH5w7P4_MDaOrS89RgnCrE/s2559/Cassette%20Beasts%20Falldown%20Mall.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2559" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYejIpUhvx7dEQ0-Nvy9BRq-Zqdp8WewdeQQTRPOzdi5VVqvXI22K7XJUvopOuqRRQO37UmJSsZpGsyI8b4XpMCGC2P1AGoBz1E_EAlwxfI0Nmg_v-OY_qhhdmLfycIe8Pfz7c8dvhoQ-8vQ7sxsy3E22n5blSp9w-Bm_UiH5w7P4_MDaOrS89RgnCrE/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Falldown%20Mall.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And what good are interesting, thematic little dungeons if their finales disappoint? Thankfully, these are some of the best moments of <i>Cassette Beasts</i>. I talked a lot in the first article about how the game does a great job building up these fights thematically, what with the ominous atmosphere of the dungeons as a prelude, and then by giving them a surreal setting and a unique musical theme, which adds a kickass vocal track if you use your Fusion power. But now, I can go more into the things I only hinted at in that one, the spoiler-y stuff. <br /><br />As you approach the actual train platform, the visual glitches that poke at the fourth wall pick up in intensity and frequency, the ominous droning music curdles into something harsher and more frantic, a train approaches the deserted station, and… out steps something wrong. These are the Archangels, the bosses of <i>Cassette Beasts</i>. <br /><br />The game works hard to establish a detailed, 2D-pixel-graphic-in-a-3D-world style across the entire world that looks really good, which makes it even better that none of the major bosses do that. Every one of them is some kind of drastic art shift, from 3D modeled characters, to hand-drawn cartoons, to photographed real-life objects, to collages of faces stuck together. Honestly, getting to see just what I would be fighting next and the anticipation preceding the reveal were all incredible fun.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhergYOIMgAIXeWzOa7utFRsYSb_zm-ItqHAExH0oIQeXLluaYoo-jx3As5uIoaBfFJA7zDJRYAEfwY4iMzu7WRaGoqA0SZfQiD_S9wfDOvwzR6N-TlVCve1hALnREnlntNVMFcTSGnLdysWIfk4KaChQeP7-rbgglbo2bxLeTYAXmYfhlnU7Rz3DhQBg/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Morgante%20Fight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhergYOIMgAIXeWzOa7utFRsYSb_zm-ItqHAExH0oIQeXLluaYoo-jx3As5uIoaBfFJA7zDJRYAEfwY4iMzu7WRaGoqA0SZfQiD_S9wfDOvwzR6N-TlVCve1hALnREnlntNVMFcTSGnLdysWIfk4KaChQeP7-rbgglbo2bxLeTYAXmYfhlnU7Rz3DhQBg/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Morgante%20Fight.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />But the Archangels themselves are also clearly something <i>more </i>than jarringly-animated bosses in creepy subway stations. It’s hinted at in your first encounter, though the boss itself is rambling and unable to explain what’s going on. Each one that you run into from there (especially if you follow the order the game nudges you towards) adds to it. You meet the Station Attendant in your second one, who can tell you a little more about what’s going on, but is also clearly under some sort of gag order from a higher power. The third boss is in a subway station buried under a cult headquarters, with the cult clearly believing that their dig towards it is in some way important. The next one is in the basement of the aforementioned mall, declaring itself the ruler of the haunted building. And of course, there’s the shady figure who has been appearing to whisk the bosses away after you beat them. There’s clearly <i>something </i>bigger than you occurring here. <br /><br />Eventually, around the halfway point, you get the big reveal that shifts your perception on the events that have transpired so far: the Archangels are also runoff from the human realm. But rather than being the products or monsters that they’ve created, they’re the ideals of humanity, given form and consciousness. There are things like logic, devotion, greed, ego, conquest, et cetera. <br /><br />Around this time, the bosses themselves start becoming more explicit in their designs. The early monsters feel like vague allusions to something, but they’re also transformed enough that it can be harder to trigger a real connection in your mind; things like a name that might allude to notable mythological characters, or a design that borrows from several gods of ancient religions, or being represented through pure geometric shapes. In the back-half, things get more explicit; characters claim to be historical figures, or are directly taken from literary canon (some know it, some do not), or share their names with Biblical figures. One postgame Archangel looks like a scientific model of an atom. It makes sense that they’re representing these big ideals, they feel almost like fundamental forces in a way.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeOrHZCcoxH1rqOCDbGRslkKItX08MPtfxISvamN0Clix_tgRCpIc4pRZZ5xOd155Y4AJIbdYQ76ay6IkB3krwWFTOuHKFNyWPcf9VoC0iViIaqy_sB-0d1McBi7MLMEXCPiaPfxdU86GHSJ1FlCYxOGH61Prq6CqSL0Z2eMjI4H3xzHMh9lXRK-c2U0/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Late%20fight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeOrHZCcoxH1rqOCDbGRslkKItX08MPtfxISvamN0Clix_tgRCpIc4pRZZ5xOd155Y4AJIbdYQ76ay6IkB3krwWFTOuHKFNyWPcf9VoC0iViIaqy_sB-0d1McBi7MLMEXCPiaPfxdU86GHSJ1FlCYxOGH61Prq6CqSL0Z2eMjI4H3xzHMh9lXRK-c2U0/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Late%20fight.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />There are a few interesting variations, too. For example, there’s one titled the Tower of Ignorance, and named Babelith; it looks like a crude child’s drawing trying to interpret the Tower of Babel. And notably, not every one of these references is a boss. You find a Viola at one point who joins your party, and may or may not be the character from William Shakespeare’s <i>Twelfth Night</i>. She’s unaware of her background, and is taunted by the boss of her sidequest about it, Robin Goodfellow (a creature of folklore who is, in contrast, completely aware of his adaptation in Shakespeare’s writing). The game winks, making it unclear what the “real” explanation is here, whether she was some sort of accidental inter-cosmic inspiration for the play, or if her universe was directly created by the story itself, or if it was just some inevitable outcome of a multiverse with infinite possibilities and random chance, with the character herself eventually deciding the answer is immaterial to her goals. <br /><br /> And then, there’s Kuneko, an ally and regular monster (albeit one who’s maybe closer to <i>Cassette Beasts</i>’ version of the legendary or pseudo-legendary tier?) who gets imbued with the power of the Archangels. Kuneko is the ode to the amateur creator, rather than “The Canon”; she began life as the embarrassing Original Character that your partner Felix created as a middle schooler (complete with a full spate of “special” traits and cliched backstory), and was brought to life when he landed in New Wirral. Felix’s story ends up being him coming to peace with his earlier, rougher creations, and appreciating what she meant to him as a growing artist (via fighting her to save her from Archangel control, because this is turn-based JRPG).<br /><br />It’s a nice story, and I think really helps demonstrate the full scope of what Bytten Studio is going for. <i>Everything </i>human-created can appear here, from the small rumors and local legends and pop music (I touched on that one a lot in my first article, particularly how everything from the game’s world is themed around music, from the central Cassette conceit to naming everything after ‘80s pop songs) and everyday products, and without special consideration given to “The Classics”. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL5nplH6yiT82S17KYe1GvDWnrR1JO_mrpWdBj_acsCPFT7TnlUkjFsNm4VG6DgnMRCwNDKRGLiopqU5nd5VjuGg3FG1OMUAh7c8Mkk_B2L_5gtvhvZyaHgUO8fFEGITSuJkO1eQ8177nFSkjLu3JCcNyfK0Vi3FKSn-RQik4hlTCDd6-fCDPTV2KKBE/s2556/Cassette%20Beasts%20Subway%20Turnstile.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2556" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL5nplH6yiT82S17KYe1GvDWnrR1JO_mrpWdBj_acsCPFT7TnlUkjFsNm4VG6DgnMRCwNDKRGLiopqU5nd5VjuGg3FG1OMUAh7c8Mkk_B2L_5gtvhvZyaHgUO8fFEGITSuJkO1eQ8177nFSkjLu3JCcNyfK0Vi3FKSn-RQik4hlTCDd6-fCDPTV2KKBE/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Subway%20Turnstile.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And there’s also some love shown to the infinite world of possibility contained within variations and reworkings and remixes, both within the game mechanics (the large degree of customization within the game’s ruleset, between 120+ monsters, bootlegs, large movepools with added effects, fusions for every monster combination…) and story (the residents of New Wirral are all acknowledged to come from different universes and love discussing differences between their homes; one partner’s storyline involves her looking for a cherished record from her home, only finding variations from across the multiverse, and going from disappointment at not finding her favorite to learning to love these unique artifacts for what they are).<br /><br />Personally, I love it when these types of discussions take a wide lens like this, giving consideration to the titans, but also acknowledging the importance of more mundane innovations, or discussing amateur creation and growth, or praising the many small touches in a large canvas that can make art unique and personal, and just generally looking at the full range of ways people can be creative. And to vaguely spoil a minor plot point from the end of the game, the importance of all of these items ends up being what the things mean to us/the characters, rather than any sort of innate magical quality of the things themselves, which I think helps drive home the idea that this is a celebration of creativity in all forms. <br /><br />Also, all of this makes it extra fun when Lenna shows up in the postgame. And she appears as a full-fledged boss Archangel too, one of the ones on par with the big ideals of humanity, rather than a powered-up creature to copy. Sure, her status is partly an in-joke: the way Archangel was used in <i>Lenna’s Inception</i> was still fairly different from how it’s used here (it is one of several elements that recur, though). But ultimately… isn’t Lenna kind of a kind of fundamental force to the game’s world, in a way not too dissimilar from the others? Like, without that first game, New Wirral doesn’t exist, right? And I don’t think the Bytten team views Lenna the way that Felix does Kuneko, but their first game was a big learning experience too (if you like behind-the-scenes stuff, <a href="https://lennasinception.com/tag/retrospective/">their One-Year Retrospective on <i>Lenna’s Inception</i>’s Release</a> is very interesting!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWZi6zi5coadRpXovJey1gkbcLW8-96cpUM1TmjLzxi9aJ91FmrQ8IbM46uU9h9G_5D2GMWt_uVYgImafZwi0tzdfA8TeURijPlta8Fe2xyCm66OobNzqFVrIwJENsMeND7XA-zdASuAkUeyg9AIaUlAw0k09bmrK7ghPmne0vwcGTNEq7zNUjlyDTPk/s2550/Cassette%20Beasts%20Kuneko.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2550" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWZi6zi5coadRpXovJey1gkbcLW8-96cpUM1TmjLzxi9aJ91FmrQ8IbM46uU9h9G_5D2GMWt_uVYgImafZwi0tzdfA8TeURijPlta8Fe2xyCm66OobNzqFVrIwJENsMeND7XA-zdASuAkUeyg9AIaUlAw0k09bmrK7ghPmne0vwcGTNEq7zNUjlyDTPk/w640-h362/Cassette%20Beasts%20Kuneko.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And once we start thinking that way, it’s not difficult to begin extending it to the rest of the setting, and seeing the bits of inspiration from other games as another sort of folklore helping to build the world. Like, I’ve compared New Wirral to Koholint from <i>Link’s Awakening</i> in both of my articles so far, but if we can have monsters based on other human creations or have pop music as a building block of the world, why couldn’t we just apply that to video games? They do share a lot of similarities, as dream-like islands full of monsters and dungeons where travelers keep washing up on a beach near the lone town. And The Legend of Zelda as a series and <i>Link’s Awakening</i> as a game are certainly some of the more heavily-mythologized works of the medium, so it doesn’t feel like that big of a stretch to me.<br /><br />There are some direct video game references in the monsters, too, from the arcade-inspired <a href="https://wiki.cassettebeasts.com/wiki/Arkidd">Arkidd</a>, to space creature <a href="https://wiki.cassettebeasts.com/wiki/Galagor">Galagor</a>, to <a href="https://wiki.cassettebeasts.com/wiki/Pinbolt">Pinbolt</a>. And you can of course find a whole bunch of other, vaguer things too. Some monsters borrow from fantasy character archetypes, and those may overlap with some other notable characters (not to mention other non-video games being referenced, like Chess or Tabletop RPGs). There are plenty of common video game tropes in the world design, things like floating islands and caves behind waterfalls. I’m sure you could turn up plenty of others, especially if you’re looking in a more general “games as a folklore” sense.<br /><br />However, a lot of the big, specific examples that I want to look at are Pokémon-related, but less in the way that other Monster Collecting games are, and more in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/lennas-inception-is-one-of-best-games.html">the way that I covered back in my <i>Lenna’s Inception</i> review</a>: that is, as a sort of shared culture of lore and rumor and ideas. And yes, some of that is the community that has sprung up around the game; but even within the game itself, there’s plenty of nods to this. Rumors among the townfolk in the square are a good way to find updates on rare monster sightings, Fusion Battle pop-ups, and other things. And battles with other members of the Ranger Guild are a good way to get clued in as to the existence of rare evolutions that you probably missed, as I mentioned earlier. <br /><br />Another one of my favorite examples is also something of a shout-out to the glitch-hunting in early Pokémon games; the main quest of the game doles out instructions to find and open the final dungeon, delivered in a poem line-by-line. However, the actual actions that trigger it are seemingly nonsensical; for example, mine had me walk to a specific spot on the island and open my map three times in a row. It’s highly reminiscent of strange set of actions you had to execute to pull off the <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Mew_glitch">Mew Glitch</a> or the <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Old_man_glitch">Missingno Glitch</a>; even more fun, it led to its own set of online discussions, as fans learned that the clues were randomized by playthrough, and searched for ways to trigger them earlier for things like speedrunning the game. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH5IoUjjUJT0XscKSiTrnZ8F2hbzu6i3N0V37gr9avW9ucpCngOkYW25Hj0QvWnq-v2fhobEwHhgXgE3Nd-fT53p8gkidalfrDa0u5X2fEHhwiF6IE4YF5PEM1bEKFYZoH60WbCrocugUjrAFuuB9JqbxOIQY-QyQF_6IzCg1pLKE51M-Zbw0kMnCn-8/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Water%20Station.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH5IoUjjUJT0XscKSiTrnZ8F2hbzu6i3N0V37gr9avW9ucpCngOkYW25Hj0QvWnq-v2fhobEwHhgXgE3Nd-fT53p8gkidalfrDa0u5X2fEHhwiF6IE4YF5PEM1bEKFYZoH60WbCrocugUjrAFuuB9JqbxOIQY-QyQF_6IzCg1pLKE51M-Zbw0kMnCn-8/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Water%20Station.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />I think that my favorite example of the game’s lore and world might be the Legendary monsters (or whatever this game’s equivalent is called; I’ve seen some debate). I don’t think it’s necessarily exceptional in that regard; really, I’d probably say that Legends and their role in a story are regularly one of the more defining elements of a Monster Collecting game. Instead, it’s <i>Cassette Beasts</i>’ approach here; it lets them remain legends, lurking in the edges of the game while leaving a lot of narrative blank space to let you fill in. <br /><br />And some of the biggest things they do are pushing the legendaries far out of the way. In fact, the game doesn’t ever use that term, and fans are split over which monsters actually qualify, which is already kind of interesting as an approach. There’s not really a bunch of story-important monsters you face off with, and then tame later; instead, the bosses of the game are something else entirely, completely uncatchable. <br /><br />Meanwhile, several legendaries won’t show up until you’ve faced the final boss, and it’s possible to make it to the end of the game while only ever seeing one or two legendary monsters, maybe. Even that’s not clear, really; two possibly-legendary monsters will show up during quests for your partner characters, but one of them’s legendary status is debatable, and the less-debatable one can only be fought prior to the final boss, not caught. And of course, even in those two cases, you can finish the game easily while completely skipping those quests anyway. <br /><br />Really, this “Legendary Monster” framework might not even be the right way to be looking at this! It kind of gets back to my point in the first article, that <i>Cassette Beasts</i> is completely willing to ignore Pokémon’s systems and do its own thing when they feel like it, and that’s part of what makes it cool. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8oAN24bgNtl-TTjGbYG0EtQpN9C8tSfvjPf0C_VSlOA5GRoTAm0FH_YdlfShK4pQORCUwklfFHXJeu-4MM3bbg4KSqYpCAcSRxHng1fCun3V0GJVl_Es0FPdtu_lT-1aWQK6iAQLOZxcKllzQBAUrwuvrCiVp5eCpEgLmR4cc3t15sRNvUC1klzJgyc/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Hills.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8oAN24bgNtl-TTjGbYG0EtQpN9C8tSfvjPf0C_VSlOA5GRoTAm0FH_YdlfShK4pQORCUwklfFHXJeu-4MM3bbg4KSqYpCAcSRxHng1fCun3V0GJVl_Es0FPdtu_lT-1aWQK6iAQLOZxcKllzQBAUrwuvrCiVp5eCpEgLmR4cc3t15sRNvUC1klzJgyc/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Hills.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />But that being said, it still feels like it’s borrowing a little from the early Generations of Pokémon, mostly in spirit, to add to its own distinctive feel. Pokémon itself has shifted away from this, but in the earlier games (particularly Gens I and II), the Legendary ‘mons were also generally kept out of the way, often in special, optional environments built specifically for them. Around Generation III, there was a shift towards tying them into the main story, which can be fun in its own way, but there’s a special kind of feeling to stumbling into the secret basement of a cave and finding some powerful, unexplained monster, or being told to come back to a place once your strong enough to handle what’s inside.<br /><br /><i>Cassette Beasts</i> mixes all of these together. My favorite is the mysterious locked abbey, inexplicably built in a sparsely-populated corner of the map, locked and spoken of in confused whispers. Returning later and finding your way in, you find a lone, angelic figure made of stained glass, the game’s only natural Glass type monster, which gets no further explanation before a battle starts. It’s just such a classic moment, walking into this quiet place to find something totally unique and almost alien, even by this game’s standards.*<br /><br /><i>*Granted, the developers have made things a little more user-friendly than early Pokémon games; if you defeat Glaistain or the other legends in your first fight, you’ll get chances for them to pop up later.</i><br /><br />You’ll find the large bird Averevoir during one partner’s side quest, but you’re only able to fight it off. Returning to town, New Wirral residents will begin telling you about it, a rare creature that few in town have seen and none of mastered, and it will begin popping up around your map; you’ll wander into a new screen, only to see a large bird perched on something. Again, it’s a fun and surprising moment to stumble into. <br /><br />In contrast, there’s Khepri*, a fire-powered scarab who town residents will also whisper about. Like Averevoir, it’s a random encounter, but unlike the bird, Khepri will only randomly appear as the second monster in battles. In fact, I believe it’s the only monster in the game (other than starters, maybe) that doesn’t have an overworld sprite? It has a wildly low encounter rate (you’re almost certainly going to first learn about it as a town rumor), so actually finding one is another big surprise moment, and on top of that, it only appears in two locations (one of which is only unlocked in the post-game), so it really feels like it earns that “unfounded town legend” status, even in a world full of cryptid-like creatures. <br /><br /><i>*Khepri is also one of the monsters where the legendary status is most debated among fans, in my experience? It’s at the end of the bestiary with the others here, so I include it.</i><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56U02_nlk5uWhehTda_6MaJuON9a_lI4PCv-Fsktirrjnlmmc_UCAVKsU4zTo1IOvsMi-LFPgOpjzxEdkLQIG-YWlJy5aI5snVSNFqXCPDV7PX0ASAvvfF5kiXfMtWUN2ZX1zu4v4iT0oJJUJp8xlRjr10NVB22g8zF689mwhc8JWbKO5OXhoH1NGkvg/s2557/Cassette%20Beasts%20Miss%20Mimic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I don't trust it" border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="2557" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56U02_nlk5uWhehTda_6MaJuON9a_lI4PCv-Fsktirrjnlmmc_UCAVKsU4zTo1IOvsMi-LFPgOpjzxEdkLQIG-YWlJy5aI5snVSNFqXCPDV7PX0ASAvvfF5kiXfMtWUN2ZX1zu4v4iT0oJJUJp8xlRjr10NVB22g8zF689mwhc8JWbKO5OXhoH1NGkvg/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Miss%20Mimic.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And then we have the post-game options. Miss Mimic is another otherwise unexplained monster, one that looks like the game’s treasure chests, designed to pull you in by replacing a chest in the overworld that you’ve already opened. Otherwise, it works a lot like Averevoir, appearing randomly all around the island. And lastly, there’s Anathema, a scientific-experiment gone wrong that drives most of the post-game storyline, complete with a sealed-off cave area it calls home (the Mewtwo in Red/Blue comparisons abound).*<br /><br /><i>*There’s also Picksie, who was added in the first big post-game update, so I’m not positive if it’s fully available before the last boss, although it’s once again off the path of the game’s main story. You find it in a cave, causing it to flee and become another roaming legendary; if we’re looking for another early Pokémon comparison, it feels like the nearest match for the Legendary Beasts of Generation II.</i><br /><br />Except… that’s not all. It’s not a legendary, but there’s also a #000 entry in your Bestiary, an alternate evolution of common monster Traffikrab that can only be obtained in very specific circumstances (albeit circumstances that the game hints at). It definitely calls to mind the “secret evolution” rumors that swirled around early Pokémon games, about how you could find new evolutions to existing monsters (I remember Dragonair evolving into Yoshi being a common one) by following highly-specific nonsense instructions. In a similar vein, there’s also a secret garden in <i>Cassette Beasts</i> where you can find wild versions of each of your partner’s starting monsters, although it too is fairly well hidden. <br /><br />Which… kind of just adds to the idea that the entire game world is in part shaped by the folklore and myths of gaming, <i>including </i>the chatter around these older games, right? Like, it’s directly borrowing from these classic Game Boy games that influenced so many people who played them, but it’s also pulling from the community and discussion that sprung up around them and ran in their own directions, sketching out a wider world based on the in-game legends but also creating its own totally new ones. When you think about it that way, it’s a surprisingly level of metacommentary to achieve, but also pretty in-line with Bytten’s other work.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusE_RKirhB3vm-TqedLzRRo_27E3EvRtMZ7PzNOpcDSjVbj6mc2XX37_UL1Bls_BNRg3JbxrVSg-Y9lR3OkgL_4aUZKuRLSCEOUzhZM38Nk9I-d1EEGbn-YaHiefImphgt6MoRNhPVn5Yc4KPLAub1BBLu8CvLH46Oj-5YfTcMj90BVPnT2SS9fbB6-g/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Fusion%20Fight.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusE_RKirhB3vm-TqedLzRRo_27E3EvRtMZ7PzNOpcDSjVbj6mc2XX37_UL1Bls_BNRg3JbxrVSg-Y9lR3OkgL_4aUZKuRLSCEOUzhZM38Nk9I-d1EEGbn-YaHiefImphgt6MoRNhPVn5Yc4KPLAub1BBLu8CvLH46Oj-5YfTcMj90BVPnT2SS9fbB6-g/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Fusion%20Fight.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The closest thing I have to a gripe with the game is probably the ending. I think the general last dungeon is fine, and the final boss is generally what I want out of a turn-based RPG (specifically, a challenging fight, followed by a second fight that’s easier but also much bigger and cinematic and focused on tying up the actual story). At that point, you and your partners are presented with a one-way trip to get back to your homes, which you can access at any point during the post-game. <br /><br />Thankfully, triggering the ending scene doesn’t even lock you out of going back to do post-game content, which is great. The post-game stuff can definitely wear a little long if you do all of it <br />(which is probably my other notable gripe with the game). But it’s not like you need to do all of that to see the ending, nor is there a true ending you get for clearing out those quests. You just get the conclusion of the main story and the credits, and then you can return to clearing out missions from the Ranger Mission Board. <br /><br />That might seem anticlimactic, but the “main story ending” itself is also kind of like that. You and your party are presented with the option to go your own ways, back to your original worlds, and… you do. You say your tearful goodbyes and go home, changed by your experiences on New Wirral. Granted, this has been the thing you’re building up to the entire game, so it’s not unexpected; it’s a fulfillment of the goal laid out at the ending. And some of your partners have very clear motivations to leave New Wirral, plus there are hints that many other minor characters around the island will also return to their home worlds, inspired by your example to dramatically change things.<br /><br />However, the game also makes sure to point out that a lot of this community <i>can’t</i> go home. In the years the other residents have spent here, they’ve built lives, met partners, started families; some of the people on New Wirral were even born there, and haven’t known anywhere else. And even those edge cases aside, they also make sure to show that people will continue to wind up New Wirral, just as you did back in the start. There will probably always be at least a few people here, even with you finding the magic ticket back. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvFesaequYL2JnCPXiqlShO46Z6iuYW3cyq5cRDGoxt2qxQtqHkudXB4IZGPZS6usXJ6UB-KIJ963pa3K1YJ8HJ9OcpuTzFIUhYwjronoRE_mut_eIiL9MukFr00sDgAGFrINz-1nLdRACshsTo1UQFwIaNJDNbyrUApJeCXFFuCQbxgI-8KocbsV0VI/s2559/Cassette%20Beasts%20Camping.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="2559" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvFesaequYL2JnCPXiqlShO46Z6iuYW3cyq5cRDGoxt2qxQtqHkudXB4IZGPZS6usXJ6UB-KIJ963pa3K1YJ8HJ9OcpuTzFIUhYwjronoRE_mut_eIiL9MukFr00sDgAGFrINz-1nLdRACshsTo1UQFwIaNJDNbyrUApJeCXFFuCQbxgI-8KocbsV0VI/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Camping.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And really, while some of your partners have a very clear desire to return home, a lot of them seem like they might also be happier here, having lost loved ones back home or found a community that they love. There’s kind of a spectrum to each of their stories, and it makes sense that they might go their separate ways at the ending, even if some of them do stay together here. And since your character is very explicitly a cypher for <i>you, specifically</i>,* you can kind of read what makes the most sense to you into the ending. It doesn’t really come up in-game at all (outside of maybe influencing your decision to date a specific character, which doesn’t affect many things in-game), so this really is just “letting you interpret the story you decide to tell”.<br /><br /><i>*Like, this explicitly comes up in the game; one of the Archangels can “see” you, the player, piloting your character.</i><br /><br />With all of that out of the way as a disclaimer… Honestly, it kind of makes me more inclined to say the real ending is: “You and your new friends remain on New Wirral, continuing to serve as Rangers”.* Goodness knows there’s a lot of stuff to do, as far as these kinds of games go. You of course get the option to re-fight the Ranger captains (under the premise of testing them as a fellow member) and the Archangels (as someone who has shown you can keep them in check, should they get too rowdy). You’re also of course given quests that encourage you to fill out the bestiary and hunt for legendaries and explore mechanics like bootlegs more deeply, all of which also feel normal for monster collecting games.<br /><br /><i>*It also certainly helps that the dropping of new post-release updates and the promise of more DLC coming adds to the idea of there being even more tasks to complete and places to discover. Not to mention that it also adds a sort of “Wanting vs. Needing” dynamic that’s popular in the conclusion of so many stories: the idea that your character wanted a way home, but got what they needed instead, friends and purpose and adventures and whatever else.</i><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgig1ix1_maQqqtpDRlAjjlDgY2-scB72UEjvJX-OALHn-YvqUAsB-TFCFtLzNTCbmV1cCwQ25z8upDibgTlhXzt_TlP9J0a5D4CQKSklxgG4XnZXaDaGOjdFC9I8-b985RkXi7SMTdU3lk3skLsh4rPTmv1P_yynPtahwaHswcTheRaxwIBrBCsXzjkyo/s600/Cassette%20Beasts%20DLC%20Image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgig1ix1_maQqqtpDRlAjjlDgY2-scB72UEjvJX-OALHn-YvqUAsB-TFCFtLzNTCbmV1cCwQ25z8upDibgTlhXzt_TlP9J0a5D4CQKSklxgG4XnZXaDaGOjdFC9I8-b985RkXi7SMTdU3lk3skLsh4rPTmv1P_yynPtahwaHswcTheRaxwIBrBCsXzjkyo/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20DLC%20Image.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The most interesting ones are the ones that essentially continue the story: you’re given the ability to investigate more of the island’s cosmology, and you become the mentor for new recruits for the Rangers. The former is obvious in its appeal; you get to continue working with the team that you’ve built, protecting your new home. You get a deeper look into the world, finding more major Archangels, discovering potential mysteries, learning that the Archangels that you already fought will eventually return as humanity continues to tap into their primal emotions over time; all of which slot the story into a much larger, cultural mythology of the island. It explicitly ties into all the same themes of the normal story while expanding the scope even more, showing that there’s plenty of other things that can exist offscreen. And I personally always appreciate stories that use the idea there’s no ending that solves everything forever, even if your main story came to a conclusion.<br /><br />And then, there’s the mentoring storylines; there are actually two of them! One of them deliberately mirrors your story, complete with gifting your newly-arrived mentee her first monster tape on the same beach you arrived on back at the start. Maybe I’m also just a sucker for that kind of thing, but I think it’s a sweet moment! The other mentee storyline is less parallel, and involves winning over a skeptical New Wirral resident into joining the Ranger Corps through a series of battles. <br /><br />None of them are huge; they’re shorter than the main story quests, and it’s not like they introduce some new mechanic to see how well you can teach people. But they’re conceptually neat, and I really think they work well with the themes I’ve been discussing. You get to see cycles continue, see yourself enter part of the world’s story as you pass down local knowledge, and become a sort of folklore hero of your own. It’s just a whole bunch of nice touches like that, which pushed me to appreciate the sort of open-ended, almost “non-ending” feeling of the post-game even more. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihehMl_mwtNiCtbpxCC_WeKqWh6UwHRXBfYh6HX8fdcdYmu7OsGwZkgbWpHtqtcRThiy1gNILFYADGaXxO_DobhF2Xc_ud6ZEGI1TbW_OJ7SgwYatAOUkYBCh9ylrXxQ6F4bhdHn99c5VWQPRW3UxfpKlU5xOZLDK9lCPKdzCVsMY407tnszUbDDMPKOA/s1082/CassetteBeasts_Logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="1082" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihehMl_mwtNiCtbpxCC_WeKqWh6UwHRXBfYh6HX8fdcdYmu7OsGwZkgbWpHtqtcRThiy1gNILFYADGaXxO_DobhF2Xc_ud6ZEGI1TbW_OJ7SgwYatAOUkYBCh9ylrXxQ6F4bhdHn99c5VWQPRW3UxfpKlU5xOZLDK9lCPKdzCVsMY407tnszUbDDMPKOA/w640-h382/CassetteBeasts_Logo.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />In all, I think that <i>Cassette Beasts</i> makes for a fascinating continuation of the ideas Bytten Studio tackled in <i>Lenna’s Inception</i>, but the way they are introduced and discussed makes the ideas stand out even without the context of their first game. Plenty of video games have taken a sort of meta approach to the story in the past, but the best ones can contextualize it in a way that says a little more than just commenting on the tropes of the medium, and in that area, I think <i>Cassette Beasts</i> can stand with the best in the field. And in that sense, it’s also interesting to watch how they do it in a manner that doesn’t necessarily call attention to itself. So yeah, I think <i>Cassette Beasts</i> is an indie game worth playing, but I think if you’re the type of person that also really likes the deeper layers of commentary on games in things like <i>Undertale </i>or <a href="https://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/08/chicory-colorful-tale-is-stellar-follow.html"><i>Chicory: A Colorful Tale</i></a>, then you should definitely take a look here as well!<p></p><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><p></p>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-16893125778016679092023-07-06T21:53:00.000-07:002023-07-06T21:53:10.342-07:00Cassette Beasts, Side A: So Many Things That I Want To Say<p> <i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6KEWDCP62qZJ8v-UZZuXkbSCOSIEeMWyIUaSrXcopVGb6R5v3pJMVKNYL8zUS0jngEKofec4ZoVDBXW6YF1UvxYZ3ac2GntE7kOCNEN6P9AgmB6cdu7SUmTm5DTE1Bn6eCxBPysgLRccpLDYjhqRzS6V5xEBb-f4cQo_Z44QOPmWlFTiohaiQ2DoUHc/s1920/CassetteBeasts_keyart_16_9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6KEWDCP62qZJ8v-UZZuXkbSCOSIEeMWyIUaSrXcopVGb6R5v3pJMVKNYL8zUS0jngEKofec4ZoVDBXW6YF1UvxYZ3ac2GntE7kOCNEN6P9AgmB6cdu7SUmTm5DTE1Bn6eCxBPysgLRccpLDYjhqRzS6V5xEBb-f4cQo_Z44QOPmWlFTiohaiQ2DoUHc/w640-h360/CassetteBeasts_keyart_16_9.png" width="640" /></a></i></p><p><i><u>Editor’s Note (please ignore that the editor and writer are the same person): </u><br />As you might be able to tell from the article below, I <b>really </b>like this game, and have a lot to say about it. So, in order to prevent the sort of schedule slippage that can happen when I try and sort out more complicated thoughts, I’m going to be trying something new: running two, shorter articles. This one will serve as a basically spoiler-free recommendation, and the second piece that follows (schedule very much TBD) will have a more in-depth commentary, and include more spoiler-y details. Maybe the shorter length will make them both a little more readable too, we’ll see. <br /></i><br /><i>In the meantime, if you’d like, you could pick up </i>Cassette Beasts<i> now (it’s on sale as part of the <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1321440/Cassette_Beasts/">Steam Summer Sale!</a>) and maybe you’ll have thoughts of your own by the time part 2 arrives! And of course, as always, feel free to sign up for my email list if you'd like to be notified when that article goes live; I promise that I'll only send things when there's new writings to read!</i><br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><br />Back in December, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/12/neon-white-review-recommendation-2022.html">I wrote about the greatness that was <i>Neon White</i></a>, and mentioned the excitement that comes when something that you’ve greatly anticipated lives up to high expectations. Well, I’m excited to announce that yet again*, another indie video game has pulled it off, with <a href="https://bytten-studio.com/">Bytten Studio</a> delivering an absolute masterpiece in <a href="https://www.cassettebeasts.com/"><i>Cassette Beast</i>s</a>.<br /><br /><i>*I originally said “for the second year in a row” here, but 2021 had </i><a href="https://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/08/chicory-colorful-tale-is-stellar-follow.html">Chicory</a><i> and </i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/03/Demon-Turf-3D-platformer-review-recommendation.html">Demon Turf</a><i>, so I suppose it’s a little more frequent than that. We’re just in a good time for indie games!</i><br /><br />I first became aware of the game while writing about the two-person studio’s previous game, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/lennas-inception-is-one-of-best-games.html"><i>Lenna’s Inception</i>, which was my favorite game that I played in 2020</a>. In fact, my memory might be wrong, but I think the announcement came out while I was doing research for that article? Either way, from the moment I saw that first trailer, I have been pumped, and I’m glad it’s lived up to all of my anticipation.<br /><br /><span></span><p></p><a name='more'></a><p><br /><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC47hBpD1r7xAvAdxeKxb89TqF4PFiLRuU5TfUmPUzbnoSeAx1LLiGocY2x-RF1WUVAoqvgKBBXhmnr22qaZ9OXi0mjERatvXJdDpMitADBkwjRAEXmRjjih0a-ed287VYr-5BdnygVZ4CjZcA57o1JgSZT2xMAjKRwUptA89o6xiW9C6OgpSQvfg72jI/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Town.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC47hBpD1r7xAvAdxeKxb89TqF4PFiLRuU5TfUmPUzbnoSeAx1LLiGocY2x-RF1WUVAoqvgKBBXhmnr22qaZ9OXi0mjERatvXJdDpMitADBkwjRAEXmRjjih0a-ed287VYr-5BdnygVZ4CjZcA57o1JgSZT2xMAjKRwUptA89o6xiW9C6OgpSQvfg72jI/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Town.png" width="640" /></a></i><br /><br />But let’s rewind for a minute, before getting too far into the game’s backstory: <i>Cassette Beasts</i> is a monster collecting turn-based RPG. You play as a customizable player character who has somehow fallen through a portal and washed up on a monster-filled island. Thankfully, you’re quickly rescued by a woman from a nearby town, who explains that dozens of other people over the years have fallen through space and time to this island just like you, and that they’ve banded together into a small community in this strange world. And the way they defend themselves against these monsters is with cassette players.<br /><br />Specifically, something about these creatures allows them to be recorded onto blank cassette tapes, and playing those tapes back over headphones allows you to transform into copies of the monsters and fight back. So, you get your standard choice of two different starter monsters (the impish Candevil or the ghostly Bansheep, both of which I love; the starters and their evolutions really help set this game stand out in the genre!), a quick rundown of the battle systems, and you’re off!<br /><br /><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-iVSiZVBmpN6yPuo8TMQKrnqF7wz0J2IrFrar5i9gDtguCKGIt6Gfs3NJGKjmrZLafJKDdrZEAm2a6-Tvk-kl29cDOKjwBtEeQpjpwhOap6MAV87CELzud-G81ZTiswaFPlzarBffe5u7cesoBv_LIqoFRi8NMTzOU7kRH72UTkeArVxdahaa6M1JTc/s2558/Cassette%20Beasts%20Starters.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Look at these little guys!" border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="2558" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-iVSiZVBmpN6yPuo8TMQKrnqF7wz0J2IrFrar5i9gDtguCKGIt6Gfs3NJGKjmrZLafJKDdrZEAm2a6-Tvk-kl29cDOKjwBtEeQpjpwhOap6MAV87CELzud-G81ZTiswaFPlzarBffe5u7cesoBv_LIqoFRi8NMTzOU7kRH72UTkeArVxdahaa6M1JTc/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Starters.png" width="640" /></a></i><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Look at these little guys!</i><br /></p><p>So, yes, it’s a creature collecting game, and Pokémon kind of looms large over the entire genre. However, there’s a good deal here setting <i>C</i><i>assette Beasts</i> apart from them (and most of the field). Every battle is by default two-on-two, with you getting a partner to accompany you. Each of them transforms just like you, and they all have their own storylines that you’ll help them through over the course of the story, in any order and at any pace you like. The world is fairly wide open here, and I didn’t really test the limits too hard, but I get the sense that if you really want to, you can blast through the main story with most quests uncompleted. (And maybe even most partners un-discovered? But again, I didn’t really test this.)</p>In a different approach for a Pokémon-inspired creature collector, your character (fully customizable!) and the partners are the important things here. They’re the things gaining levels with experience points, <b><i>not </i></b>the creatures you copy. Which in turn allows you a lot more freedom in picking your monsters; they’ll learn more moves and improve their stats a little bit with usage, but their growth is separate and has a pretty low ceiling. The character levels matter much more, so you can try out every creature in the bestiary without worrying too much about them being too weak for your current level. <br /><br />I’ll also add that, just as characters, all of the partners are really cool! Each gets a storyline that lets you get to know them better, complete with a big climactic moment where they overcome their challenges. And spending more time with each will get you more backstory and emotions, culminating with the option to date one of them (it doesn’t change anything mechanically, but it is a fun touch!). It’s nothing super groundbreaking story-wise, but it’s nice that they’re all competently written (and much like with the monsters, I’m sure anyone who plays will find a favorite or two).<br /><br /><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fqPVA7hVGArmxzzHCbu2agnXNisTdQlyskNpdHaniWt0vhvau67LvWNxj9bV1XN1SXvjxKZJxK9BTZnFxPW7ozt10F7clf4IVeeXHbxVDmgpXtD7bwvSNTWbV8Zd7-YQWhbmQYtJOXHcJ10pJ_RV8-G48Sd31tFeOviClnMQxq6UlmhGWZAGCzwgfQY/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Partners.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fqPVA7hVGArmxzzHCbu2agnXNisTdQlyskNpdHaniWt0vhvau67LvWNxj9bV1XN1SXvjxKZJxK9BTZnFxPW7ozt10F7clf4IVeeXHbxVDmgpXtD7bwvSNTWbV8Zd7-YQWhbmQYtJOXHcJ10pJ_RV8-G48Sd31tFeOviClnMQxq6UlmhGWZAGCzwgfQY/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Partners.png" width="640" /></a></i><br /><br />The monsters here also carry some differences from Pokémon. There are over 120 species*, and they are not only a wide variety of fun designs (always a must in this genre!), but also probably the tightest thematic set of any monster collecting game I can think of. <b><i>Everything </i></b>ties heavily into some aspect of human creation, either something physical (e.g. crabs using traffic cones as shells), something from folklore or myth (e.g. a winged jackalope), or something with bits of both (e.g. an imp made of candy corn). And it’ll lay all of that out for you, if you use them enough; much like in <i>Pokémon Legends Arceus</i>, there are separate achievements for catching every monster to enter their basic data and using them enough in-game to reveal more info like their inspirations. It’s a nice twist that adds to the game’s surprisingly deep world.<br /><br /><i>*The first major free update has already been released and upped the base game’s count, so I won’t be giving the exact number because I’m sure that will change even more going forward</i><br /><br />Pokémon’s type chart also gets a bit of a remix. You of course have your stock base types: Fire, Water, Plant, and so on. There are some other types that overlap, like Metal and Poison, although they generally feel fairly distinct from Pokemon in how they play here. And then there are the very unique ones, like Beast or Plastic or Glass. Every creature only gets one type, but a variety of other moves that give them coverage, and a lot of ways to temporarily change their type for extra battle strategies. And to keep any type from feeling like it doesn’t have enough tools in its toolbox, there are also a number of neutral moves, which will take on the type of the monster they’re attached to.<br /><br />The strengths and weaknesses work very differently as well: in addition to doing slightly more or less damage, types will have unique extra interactions, like water attacks also weakening fire types’ offense, or poison types being automatically burned by fire moves, or earth types becoming glass types when they’re hit by electric moves. It feels like a lot, but most of them are intuitive and will stick with you as you play (plus the game’s UI will give you reminders), so it mostly winds up being another fun changeup.<p></p><p><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQR9mwk7mMtjDlq4kGhQiNaP6UW7mcC3IbKU70dh-ELJ5SQTMSTKBHDohXoVVMsQh3QGJ0i0cAz6tC0J84ZGSiM6NfdPKzx-1cYwqUrcF7ru1swcpb2fkxnmx7SZzEMgwBOIBceMJ0aauwsFsjoZTs1TNmpL53zjlxtX7wmVdPEFH97R05BCqAk1VB_s/s2557/Cassette%20Beasts%20Fusion.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2557" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQR9mwk7mMtjDlq4kGhQiNaP6UW7mcC3IbKU70dh-ELJ5SQTMSTKBHDohXoVVMsQh3QGJ0i0cAz6tC0J84ZGSiM6NfdPKzx-1cYwqUrcF7ru1swcpb2fkxnmx7SZzEMgwBOIBceMJ0aauwsFsjoZTs1TNmpL53zjlxtX7wmVdPEFH97R05BCqAk1VB_s/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Fusion.png" width="640" /><br /></a></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Those little guys from earlier, now combined into one bigger guy.</i><br /></p><p>And then there’s the last big trick up their sleeve, fusions. They’re exactly what they sound like: once your fusion meter is full, your character and your partner can combine to form a bigger, stronger monster with more resources, including a special semi-custom super move. I don’t know that it’s strategically much deeper than it sounds, but it <b>is </b>really cool, bringing a exciting, climactic element to the battle much in the same way that, say, Dynamaxing or Mega Evolution does in Pokémon. It helps you match up to the big bosses, tough enemy trainers will break it out and dare you to match, every fusion (several thousand of them!) has a custom sprite… It’s a lot of effort to make something basic feel even more interesting, and it’s much appreciated in-game!<br /><br />Of course, all of those gameplay elements help distinguish <i>Cassette Beasts</i> significantly, but they also still feel like it’s selling it short. Because even outside of all of those base mechanics, more than every other indie game in this field that I’ve tried, <i>Cassette Beasts</i> pushes against the conventions that Pokémon has set for the field, bringing in a wide array of other influences that it’s happy to display, and it results in an extremely unique and interesting experience. There’s some Digimon and Shin Megami Tensei in how it feels and plays as well*, but it goes even deeper than that.<br /><br /><i>*Which is honestly shockingly rare for these games, despite the fact that those two are maybe the distant second and third biggest players in the Creature Collecting subgenre? Like, it’s not even that Bytten Studio is pulling heavily from either, just small elements here and there, but it’s still enough to stand out from a lot of the competition.</i><br /><br /><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSp5Y7Aqs_pyl_Y997JqMkmDv6N4vP3Ht26IVay42IQ3oMjgKDpF-sgvvEBxEB9I-kGCK6jRTRlMsgXIgnBAs-2TU9W3OktGOJ_stdvBx7ECBMgvzieYJQkmw2MV0Z-2PuLwkiu0-u0vg6CAy4zC8hLgcHaHaVtDXymJjJ6AR9Vj_KK82fH9DvmaBk8c/s1919/Cassette%20Beasts%20Menu.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1919" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSp5Y7Aqs_pyl_Y997JqMkmDv6N4vP3Ht26IVay42IQ3oMjgKDpF-sgvvEBxEB9I-kGCK6jRTRlMsgXIgnBAs-2TU9W3OktGOJ_stdvBx7ECBMgvzieYJQkmw2MV0Z-2PuLwkiu0-u0vg6CAy4zC8hLgcHaHaVtDXymJjJ6AR9Vj_KK82fH9DvmaBk8c/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Menu.png" width="640" /></a></i><br /><br />There’s just a love of music that’s palpable all throughout the game. There’s the cassettes and tape players that serve as the central mechanic, of course, and those carry through for everything: the tape player serves as the battle UI, move sets are represented by stickers on the tape arranged like a playlist, you heal with pencils and keys that rewind and re-spool them, even the rare variants are called “bootlegs”.* Having a very clear, very distinct vibe like that also goes a long way in setting any game apart (and again, even more so in a space where many other games are content to just cheekily recolor different shapes to look like Pokéballs and borrow terminology wholesale).<br /><br /><i>*I didn’t even mention this earlier, since they are relatively rare in the main story, but bootlegs are also a super fun twist on shiny Pokémon. Not only do your monsters get a neat recolor, they also get an entirely different type (in fact, there’s one recolor for every type in game!) and special, rarer moves. They open up so many new and fun avenues to play with, from bootleg hunting to building specialty teams in the postgame, to the ability to start a new file after your first one with randomly re-rolled types for every monster in-game for extra variety. </i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjetOpAEiNVQPNQZpinS1Lraduin-WRmogNFS57HIDF_u2F6hFH_OuN27BgTJsNyghkEFBp_bON5NN0g-T-MbjhZQ-0CYEoDugnDl6YOxzE5NxvF5DDB7coESo0pl4IvdYHsfD1Ve-3r56KC2zR_IiCjtq9K-TMmnGoISrtJ5jhSvhDMoar0YwwFWjUyk/s2556/Cassette%20Beasts%20Bootleg%20Starters.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2556" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjetOpAEiNVQPNQZpinS1Lraduin-WRmogNFS57HIDF_u2F6hFH_OuN27BgTJsNyghkEFBp_bON5NN0g-T-MbjhZQ-0CYEoDugnDl6YOxzE5NxvF5DDB7coESo0pl4IvdYHsfD1Ve-3r56KC2zR_IiCjtq9K-TMmnGoISrtJ5jhSvhDMoar0YwwFWjUyk/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Bootleg%20Starters.png" width="640" /></a></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Hey wait, those little guys from earlier look different now...</i><br /></p><p>But there’s also a whole host of the smaller, non-mechanical things, too. Every mission pulls its name from pop songs, with the major ones all leaning on famous ‘80s new wave and synthpop for nice thematic cohesion.* About half of the partner characters have music as a part of their individual storylines. Even the soundtrack fits; it’s a fun set of songs that stylistically borrows from those same ‘80s hits, and they’ll even add in a vocal track when you activate your fusion. Reaching the climactic part of a battle and having lyrics kick in (because of <i>your </i>choices, no less) just makes the experience so much more exciting and memorable; you really <i>feel </i>that extra adrenaline when it hits!<br /><br /><i>*Which is also why I gave this piece its title.</i><br /><br />There’s also a lot of 2D Zelda kicking around in here, too, although that’s probably not a surprise <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/lennas-inception-is-one-of-best-games.html">given this team’s last project</a>. I’ve argued several times that Pokémon and Zelda have a lot of overlapping gameplay elements, so it’s nice to see that other people get it. Really, it makes <i>Cassette Beasts</i> an even more interesting comparison with <i>Lenna’s Inception</i>, as a Monster Tamer with Zelda touches; I argued last time that <i>Lenna </i>was a <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/07/naming-2d-zelda-genre.html">Top Down A-A</a> game with a bunch of Pokémon weaved in, making this sort of an inverse.<br /><br />It works on a whole bunch of levels, really. There’s the general premise of just getting plopped down into a fantastical, almost dream-like world full of monsters with a main town at the core; New Wirral measures up to Koholint, Holodrum, Labrynna, and early Hyrule as much as it follows them. You’re given large amounts of freedom to explore, although there are a few key funnel points to pass through. Never fear though, new abilities (from Monsters you copy, rather than dungeon items) will open those right up! There’s a sense of the ancient and magical permeating New Wirral, and it gives this game such a fun vibe of exploration. <br /><br /><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtyvfvvE1Bdbv-uTkPzQvzjfUl8c_XUTGE2Kek224_xGBJ9tXmiTHEHfMrPHCFNMwegO8sHWlF95c9mVtpc1XcrteHXup1eA2D7bUSwK8rzngkVWoys92d61diJaGq6T9y-HKGwmNxFEd2FNWRhUtNjhCdUtBGyj16HXq0AEAwndowqc4_HPHUZ2cx-w/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20Hills.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtyvfvvE1Bdbv-uTkPzQvzjfUl8c_XUTGE2Kek224_xGBJ9tXmiTHEHfMrPHCFNMwegO8sHWlF95c9mVtpc1XcrteHXup1eA2D7bUSwK8rzngkVWoys92d61diJaGq6T9y-HKGwmNxFEd2FNWRhUtNjhCdUtBGyj16HXq0AEAwndowqc4_HPHUZ2cx-w/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20Hills.png" width="640" /></a></i><br /><br />And while there are no Zelda-like dungeons proper, there are a few things close. And these spots just <i>nail </i>that ominous dread, the kind that earlier games might have conveyed largely through implication to young imaginative minds, which can here be realized with detailed pixel graphics, dark music lurking at the edges, and things going… just a bit <i>wrong </i>at the edges of the game. And of course, there are the boss fights, Archangels*, which just pushes this further. Every one of them is a showstopper, jarring you uncomfortably in a fun way every time you meet one, and giving you a good excuse to kick on that triumphant vocal track for your big fight!<br /><br /><i>*Again linking this to Lenna’s Inception through the reuse of that term/concept, although they’re a bit different here. There’s still a playful sense of tapping on the fourth wall, though; they don’t go as far with the more meta elements this time, but it’s definitely interesting to see them toying with some of those same tools to different effect here. </i><br /><br />And while we’re discussing the world… there are just so many small touches that help deepen it. I went on at length in my <i>Lenna’s Inception</i> review talking about all the ways it referenced the weirdness and hoaxes and glitches of early games (<i>Pokémon Red and Blue</i>, especially). That’s here as well, and if you know enough about those games and the lore around them, you might even see some of the specific viral rumors if you squint enough. <br /><br /><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTWQmRBSePuAS_HCMG0QXnfTZsetXr52GS11P3N84PIcW3MuiawoGkWEs0lJfF2b8-RJ01KwJWO0wsxlZcUai3_DdvbQ4UKclhxoZfb5jsz6V2yzArefR7IfuasJAnqv9Zncx9p9-My1B0t__2NMXJgqgk14eCjX4SS_kC1lnnb8q8-d_ScuPvZmpMpc/s1920/Cassette%20Beasts%20church.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTWQmRBSePuAS_HCMG0QXnfTZsetXr52GS11P3N84PIcW3MuiawoGkWEs0lJfF2b8-RJ01KwJWO0wsxlZcUai3_DdvbQ4UKclhxoZfb5jsz6V2yzArefR7IfuasJAnqv9Zncx9p9-My1B0t__2NMXJgqgk14eCjX4SS_kC1lnnb8q8-d_ScuPvZmpMpc/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20church.png" width="640" /></a></i><br /><br />It’s a great way to encourage and reward players to explore your full map thoroughly, in an otherwise open game. It often adds some mystery, too, since the devs know how to give rewarding answers to those questions while raising more. Why <b>is </b>there a boarded-up church in the corner of the map? What <b>does </b>this shadow over the ocean mean? What <b>was </b>that strange monster that I found and can’t seem to re-discover? I could gush for hours about all of this! <br /><br />And I still might! There’s no sense in half-assing that here, though; just come back and check out Side B when I post it here. For now, just know that <i>Cassette Beasts</i> more than lives up to the hype I’ve been feeling for it the last few years; it may well wind up my favorite game of the year! And perhaps even more excitingly, there’s still much more in store; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOMkvnoCCe0">their recent developer showcase</a> demonstrated that they’re hard at work on plenty of updates and new content, including <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2202291/Cassette_Beasts_Pier_of_the_Unknown/">a full DLC expansion centered around an entirely new location</a> (release date still TBA). I’d really recommend it to just about anyone, but if you’re also a big fan of Creature Collector or Top-Down Adventure games, it really does feel like a must-play: a refreshing shot right through for both genres, like a bolt of blue.<br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><p></p><p></p><p><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ur7_9eYq2Ly7_-L3__m_kHpUgvl4bfwRwXXAh2iAeL84DOAJJpEOnaYsjOD7LFaTp4L-wBXGZzqZv2eKIEz7ZI0XurVWBfZsEGrEUJMoQrOTW-ZWpNnFZqmiQ5oJ-TXYjD3HC8MAkupHlUZVSY0s7fTmQeetQGZtm0AN3e_e-7cSX3T5YQKwiBe5C60/s1024/Cassette%20Beasts%20DLC%20teaser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ur7_9eYq2Ly7_-L3__m_kHpUgvl4bfwRwXXAh2iAeL84DOAJJpEOnaYsjOD7LFaTp4L-wBXGZzqZv2eKIEz7ZI0XurVWBfZsEGrEUJMoQrOTW-ZWpNnFZqmiQ5oJ-TXYjD3HC8MAkupHlUZVSY0s7fTmQeetQGZtm0AN3e_e-7cSX3T5YQKwiBe5C60/w640-h360/Cassette%20Beasts%20DLC%20teaser.jpg" width="640" /></a></i> <br /></p><p></p>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-46968231605397549712023-05-29T16:21:00.003-07:002023-06-15T20:40:15.213-07:00Music Monday: Start of 2023 Playlist<p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-56396e1a-7fff-37e0-b774-4371fc145083" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><p>Happy Memorial Day! It’s time for some music!<br /><br />I’m going to be trying something slightly new this year. I like making playlists and writing about what I’ve been listening to, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/Playlist">as you can see here</a>. It kind of started as me making a summer playlist, which wound up covering everything I’d been listening to from the start of the year through roughly Labor Day, and then me making a smaller article to cover the rest of the year. But last year’s summer playlist wound up being way longer and more involved than I liked, and it looked like that trend would only continue.<br /><br />So instead, this year I’m splitting it into two playlists to keep things more manageable. The Summer one should come at more or less the regular time, but I’m cutting it down to just May through August, more or less. And this Spring Playlist will cover January through April (even though it’s posting in late May; sorry, but I do still need time to actually write out my thoughts).<br /><br />I’ve had a lot of fun looking for new music and collecting my thoughts on it (and <i>not </i>overwhelming myself with eight months worth of it! And spacing out the writing over a few weeks!), so if you want to follow along, I’ve included both Spotify and Youtube playlists. And if any of the songs jump out at you, definitely check out the records and artists they’re from; a lot of the time, I’m picking my favorite songs from full albums that I loved (especially if it’s one of the albums I’m writing about!).<br /><br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLNAum9ttHLJXzfc5PtrxuFkfu7U8zlKzB" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/58eR1HIJMbSVmrP9fvDnPG?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br /><i><br />Some housekeeping notes on the playlists, before we dive in: the Spotify version is missing 8 songs. Three of those (the DDRKirby(ISQ) and Jamie Paige ones) are on the Youtube version. The Hiro Tadomatsu songs can be found on his Soundcloud (<a href="https://soundcloud.com/hirotado/fahrenheit">here</a> and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hirotado/pink-light-district">here</a>). 7mai’s can be found on their Bandcamp page (<a href="https://7mai.bandcamp.com/track/hazelnut">here</a>, <a href="https://7mai.bandcamp.com/track/colette-olive">here</a>, and <a href="https://7mai.bandcamp.com/track/nasturtium">here</a>). In fact, most of these artists also have Bandcamp pages you can check out; it’s where I found a lot of them! Things are roughly arranged in the order I go through in the article, but also obviously feel free to skip around if you want; it’s not like the pacing of the music and writing will sync up, I’m not that skillful.<br /><br />Also, if you’re a fan of these playlists or my game articles and want to be notified when they go up here, a reminder that you can sign up for my Out of Left Field mailing list below! </i><br /></p><p><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><b><u><i>Expert in a Dying Field, </i>The Beths</u></b><br /><br />I’m sure this will come as a shock to everyone, but my two playlists from last year featuring a few dozen recommendations? They don’t cover the entire sum of music released by humanity in the year 2022. So I spent the first but of the year catching up on some of the albums that I saw getting discussed on End of the Year Best lists, which is what brought me to New Zealand power pop band The Beths and their stellar record <i>Expert in a Dying Field.</i> And as you might be able to tell by looking at the contents of the playlist, I liked it so much that I wound up listening to even more of their stuff. <br /><br />Really, I don’t know what else to say, other than it’s a perfect pop-rock record. The Beths excel at packing in catchy hooks and melodies that will get stuck in your head and have you singing along by the end of your first listen, even as they keep everything to reasonable lengths. The guitar riffs are jangly and energetic, the rhythm section is tight, and their vocal harmonies provide a lot of fun layering in the background. Lead singer Elizabeth Stokes has an understated but powerful vocal style that accentuates her lyrics, which have this beautiful melancholy to them, as she recounts all the anxieties that make up life and provides a cathartic release for those pent up emotions. <br /><br />From the first notes of the opening <b>titular track</b> as it slowly builds from staccato pick ups to big chorus while weaving a metaphor between a failing relationship and seeing your life work die out, it has the way of just hooking you in, being relatable in an almost mundane way while also making you want to pump your fist to big guitar moments. But even the lower-key numbers, like “<b>Your Side</b>”, have an energy to them while still feeling intimate. And my favorite moment might be towards the end, “<b>A Passing Rain</b>”, another rumination on anxiety where Stokes relates her many fears before expressing shock and gratefulness at a partner who accepts her in spite of that, a sweet moment that’s made so much bigger by the kickass guitar riff and belted chorus of “I cave! Like I was built to break!/You stay! Like it’s a passing rain!” Man, it just feels like a high point that’s been slowly building for the entire album, even as there are so many good points on the way to it; I feel like I’m appreciating new songs each time I re-listen (even now, on my latest re-listen, I’m debating whether to swap in “Best Left” for one of these).<br /><br />If you try <i>Expert in a Dying Field</i> and also find yourself liking it, my next move was trying the singles from before and after it, as well as their previous album, <i><b>Jump Rope Gazers</b></i>. It’s all just great in the same ways (check out “<b>Dying to Believe</b>” for a highlight), even if I think <i>Expert </i>is still a cut above them. <br /><br /><br /><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><i><b><u>Preacher’s Daughter, </u></b></i><b><u>Ethel Cain</u></b><br /><br />This was another one that I found browsing other people’s Best of 2022 Lists and wound up loving. It’s kind of a big contrast with <i>Expert in a Dying Field</i> in a lot of ways, though. The songs on <i>Preacher’s Daughter</i> are big, sprawling things, both in length, but also in size? They feel like large caverns or imposing cathedrals, in a way I can’t quite describe; something about the big arrangements that dabble in so many styles, and how they feel like they go on and on even beyond their run times. Or maybe it’s the scope of the story; it’s a concept album, a tragic epic (both in the narrative sense) of a teenage girl trying to escape her small, crushing hometown by any means and running into disaster after horrific disaster. Really, if there’s a reason this doesn’t chart as high, it’s that it’s <i>a lot</i>, thematically dark and heavy in so many ways that I just can’t pop it on at a moment’s notice like I can, say, The Beths. But if you’re in the mood for that, I’d still recommend it; and if that sounds like too much to go in blind, at least try lead track (after the intro) “<b>American Teenager</b>”, which does a great job of setting the scene with a big, anthemic banger about a crisis of faith and dying to escape an oppressive hometown for the larger world, complete with a “Don’t Stop Believin’”-esque guitar solo over the outro.<br /><br /><br /><b><i><u>Bright Blues, </u></i><u>RIPE</u></b><br /><br />I didn’t write any blurbs up for artists or albums back in 2018, but Ripe’s <i>Joy in the Wild Unknown</i> was one of my favorite releases of that year (which is really saying something given that there are a ton of records that I loved from that year), and it’s remained in regular rotation for me since then. The entire thing is just pop-funk perfection, filled wall-to-wall with infectious hooks and horn lines. <br /><br />But the band had gone kind of quiet on the new music front in the five years since, focusing on touring and live releases, with only four new songs released in the interim (all in 2020). This spring, though, they finally released their sophomore studio album, <i>Brightest Blue</i>. I don’t think it’s quite as dense on standout tracks as <i>Joy </i>was, but they definitely still have a solid touch in that regard. Ripe just has too much experience writing funky grooves and big, climactic choruses to not load the album with them, and it makes for another solid listen overall, with standout tracks like “<b>Settling</b>” and “<b>Queen of the City</b>”. I’m hoping the gap before their next release isn’t this long, but at least when they do get around to it, they do a good job of keeping their skills polished.<br /><br /><br /><i><b><u>Default Mode Network, </u></b></i><b><u>DMN</u></b><br /><br />Synthpop probably the genre I end up defaulting to the most in my personal taste (and it’s definitely the area of Bandcamp I end up picking over the most while I’m searching Bandcamp)*, and this is probably my favorite thing I’ve found there in this playlist. DMN is a four-piece band from Portland that just does a good job of building solid grooves around fun bass and synth lines, the kind of thing that you could dance to or easily throw on at parties. It’s so easy to lose yourself in the hypnotic songs, to the point where I’m always shocked when I look at the track times and realize most of this album is on the “5 minutes and up” side of things (it also doesn’t help that they <i>love </i>doing ending fake-outs for their songs). <br /><br />But another major factor is that all of the songs have a lot of good moments in them, from strong centerpieces to draw you in to long builds and cathartic releases. It was genuinely difficult to choose a few songs here, they’re all so strong in their own ways. Album centerpiece “<b>50303</b>” is probably the most representative, a 7-minute sung-spoken jam about a house party, complete with shouted group vocals and echo-y discordant guitar stabs to punctuate the choruses. And my other two picks, album opener “<b>Like a Fever</b>” and “<b>Known Unknowns</b>”, do a great job serving in those roles while also representing the whole, with the former’s long build to a crescendo and the outro’s big chorus and key change. But if you like any of those, it’s definitely worth checking out the full thing (after all, these three are already a third of the album anyway).<br /><br /><i>*Or electropop? I browse both tags, and I’m still not totally sure that there’s a big difference between the two, so I end up using them kind of interchangeably.</i><br /><br /><i><br /><b><u>fallback and new low EPs, </u></b></i><b><u>nightlife</u></b><br /><br />Nightlife is the rare kind of musical act, the kind where you hear them and instantly sit up, thinking “This is new! This feels exciting!” The trio describes themselves as “Baltimore soulpunk” on their bandcamp, and that’s probably the best summary, combining the slick R&B-influenced pop of the late ‘90s with things like crunchier guitars and bigger drums of pop-punk.* It sounds simple, but sounds almost revelatory, especially in how much it feels like it stands out from the current pop scene. I had both of their EPs on repeat, with tracks like “<b>nightlifetypebeat</b>”, “<b>new low</b>”, and “<b>fallback</b>” as the standouts. They’re an easy pick for my informal “Most Promising Newcomer” award here; I’m excited to see what’s next for them, and I kind of wonder if they might be at the forefront of a new nostalgia cycle for the eras they’re drawing from?<br /><br /><i>*Honestly, the best comparison I can think of might be those “Pop Goes Punk” records from the 2000s, where pop-punk bands covered teen pop like ‘NSYNC? Except those always had some level of irony behind them, a “can you believe this?” vibe at times; nightlife’s approach strips tongue from cheek, and tries to push that idea to its full potential.</i><br /><br /><br /><u><i><b>As Above EP, </b></i><b>Hoity-Toity</b></u><br /><br />My runner-up for “Most Promising” pick is L.A. alt rock/indie pop act Hoity-Toity, for their new EP from March. I don’t really know what to say, other than it’s five really fun, high-energy pop-rock tracks that make me excited to hear more from them! They’ve have a few older EPs from the past few years that I looked through, and while I think the earlier ones are good, there’s something about <i>As Above</i> that feels peak, like it’s the results of years of polishing and honing their songwriting and style; it’s cool as a new follower to look back and see that kind of growth over the years. Also, if you remember We Are the Union from <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/09/music-monday-summer-2021-playlist.html">my Summer 2021 Playlist</a>, their lead singer Reade Wolcott mixed this EP, which is a fun crossover!<br /><br /><br /><b><u><i>scales, </i>King Isis</u></b><br /><br />This is the other “Most Promising EP” pick. A young artist from the Bay Area, King Isis’s songs here feel like a distinct fusion of smooth R&B jams and jangly alt rock guitars. It’s the fun kind of stuff that grows on you, where you start putting it on for a general vibing mood and then realize “oh wait, this is a really big, fun cathartic moment here”. Definitely looking forward to seeing more of their stuff. <br /><br /><br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Other albums and songs</h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>mini mix vol. 3, </i>Magdalena Bay</b><br />Sure, a short EP isn't going to match the masterpiece that is <i>Mercurial World</i>, but Magdalena Bay is still very good at their dreamy brand of indie pop, and new releases from them are always anticipated here.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><b><i>Civilisation</i>, Kero Kero Bonito</b><br />I had liked art-pop weirdos Kero Kero Bonito before, but in a kind of hit-or-miss way. But I checked out their 2021 album <i>Civilisation</i>, which combines their two previous similarly-titled and thematically-linked EPs, and man, if it isn't just the best vehicle for their brand of big-swing weirdness. It’s on the borderline of a concept album, drawing from things like fairy tales and apocalyptic sci-fi to tell about the shock and boredom of the end of the world, as well as continuing on after. It’s, uh, maybe not hard to see the inspiration from the COVID pandemic here. I loved the synth solos on “<b>The River</b>” and “<b>The Princess and the Clock</b>”, and the closer “Well Rested” is a fun almost anti-apocalyptic sermon about the resilience of humanity to send it all off.<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Let’s!</i>, Mecha Maiko</b><br />This would be my other favorite synthpop discovery of this playlist. Mecha Maiko is a Canadian electronic artist, with a style of synthwave that draws from retro ‘80s and ‘90s styles. I ended up going through her three albums, and her newest album <i><b>NOT OK</b></i> was also a strong contender for this, but I ended up going with her second album <i>Let’s!</i> instead. I think it helps that it’s a little lighter and more energetic (which is fair, it was definitely an intentional choice), but Let’s! is also definitely buoyed by “Trust”, which is just a glistening banger of a track, fully adorned with driving vocals and crystalline synth chimes, that gets your blood pumping. It’s really just the prime example of the album’s energy. <br /><br /><br /><b><i>Mean Dreams</i>, Miracles of Modern Science</b><i><br /></i>Another group I found while browsing Bandcamp. This is one of those bands that’s inherently interesting just by its existence, a band with a chamber pop instrumentations and arrangements (including violin, cello, double bass, and mandolin as their default), but with songwriting that pulls from new wave, pop, alternative, indie rock… it’s as distinctive as it sounds. And there’s a wit and humor to the lyrics and topics, but also a lot of self-aware melancholy that really hits you (in a way that reminds me of Short Fiction’s <i>Every Moment of Every Day</i> from my last playlist). The opening song, “<b>Follow Your Heart (or Something)</b>” reflects directly on the precarity of chasing your dreams, and the closer “Never Knew Normal” mourns slowly fading away, overwhelmed despite their efforts but living on in spirit. <i>Mean Dreams</i> was Miracles of Modern Science’s second album, originally released in 2015 after a decade or so of music that seemed to be generally acclaimed but not super popular; they haven’t released any music since then, and their social media accounts haven’t posted anything in years, so uh… I’m going to go out on a ledge and say they maybe saw some writing on the wall here. But it’s quite the parting gift, if nothing else. <br /><br />I went back and checked <b>their first album</b> and the <b>intervening EP</b>, and they’re also pretty good if you’re in the mood for more stuff like this! I still prefer <i>Mean Dreams</i> the most out of that set, but there’s good in all of them (and it’s not like there’s a ton of other groups that sound like this anyway, so there aren’t many other options if you do want more…).<br /><br /><br /><b><i>This Is Why</i>, Paramore</b><br />It’s been kind of wild watching Paramore over the years go from “band for teenagers” at their debut (no slight to them there, I was in that group at the time!) to “one of the most acclaimed modern rock bands”. I don’t know that I like this record as much as their last two, personally, but this is still a tight album. My biggest gripe is that I don’t know that there’s an S-tier single here (in the vein of, say, “Ain’t It Fun” or “Hard Times” or “Misery Business”...) to kick it up that last notch... but I have to say, “<b>The News</b>” has been growing on me more and more, with it’s frantic guitar and percussion work, so maybe I’ll end up revising this opinion later.<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Dirt Femme</i>, Tove Lo</b><br />This was another catch-up album from 2022 that I missed; last year, the Swedish pop singer released her first independent record after four on major records (which might be how it slipped by me?). As a long-time listener, it might be her best album since her first one back in 2013. That one is too nostalgic for me, so I might need to do a more neutral re-listen for direct comparison, but either way, this is a very strong entry in the singer’s catalog, and definitely recommended! Every track here is just so solid, full of dark and dancy synth lines.<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Collapsed in Sunbeams</i>, Arlo Parks</b><br />Yet another album I heard good things about but finally got around to, <i>Collapsed in Sunbeams</i> is a wonderfully smooth slice of dream pop/R&B. It pulls you right in from the opening, smoky groove of “<b>Hurt</b>” and just keeps going from there. Gosh, this is such a great album for just sitting around and thinking and vibing.<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Continue as a Guest</i>, The New Pornographers</b><br />This is a good album, but weirdly difficult to write about. Like, sure it’s good, but it’s also The New Pornographers’ ninth album, and they’ve all been good; being bad would be more of a surprise at this point. It’s definitely got a more somber, reserved tone than their other ones. I like it, but it’s not a personal favorite of mine (probably at least in part due to the tone), like <i>Twin Cinema</i> or <i>Brill Bruisers</i>. There’s no bad songs on it, but there’s also none that I’d call one of my favorites among them; there are a few that are close, but they all have clear things holding them back for me (I wish “<b>Cat and Mouse With the Light</b>” had a slightly bigger climax; I love the dark bass grove and hushed sax on “<b>Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies</b>” and the big opening of “<b>Really Really Light</b>” but I feel like the lyrics on both let them down a little). If you at all like The New Pornographers, this album is definitely still worth checking out, and maybe you’ll even really vibe with it; if you’re less familiar but trying to get into them though, this is probably not the best starting place (I’d personally go with the two albums I mentioned earlier or <i>Together</i>).<br /><br /><br /><b><i>The North</i>, Stars</b><br />While we’re on the subject of 2000s/2010s Canadian indie rock bands… I finally gave Stars a try, with their 2012 album <i>The North</i>. And yeah, a lot of things I like about The New Pornographers are here as well; ‘<b>The Theory of Relativity</b>” and “<b>Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It</b>” (somehow only the second longest song title on this playlist) are some great examples of what the album has to offer. I need to give the rest of their discography a go now that I have an in. <br /><br /><br /><b><i>Desire, I Want To Turn Into You</i>, Caroline Polachek</b><br />I feel like I’m grading this one on an unfair curve. It’s better than her last album, <i>Pang</i>, which I already loved! It feels like it should be in the running for my favorite album on the album, but it probably gets hurt by the fact that 1) it’s more of less what I expected from Caroline Polachek, some very good, kind of artsy pop music; 2) it was even less surprising because all of the best songs (“Welcome to My Island”, “Bunny Is a Rider”, and “Sunsets” remain favorites, although all of them have featured on past playlists and won’t make it here) were released as singles ahead of time. Which is kind of what you want in marketing I guess, but I did kind of wear myself out of them a little before my “first” listen. I’ll be curious to see if it moves up when I revisit it after some time away, but for now, I can still at least say that it’s definitely good!<br /><br /><br /><b><i>10,000 gecs</i>, 100 gecs</b><br />The poster children of hyperpop are back! This is another one in the same category as Desire; the album is only 25 minutes long, and three of my favorite songs on it were pre-release singles (“mememe” and “Doritos & Fritos” have appeared on past playlists, although “<b>Hollywood Baby</b>” was released late enough to qualify here; “<b>Frog on the Floor</b>” was from the remaining seven). Still, even in that short length, it packs in<i> a lot</i>, with wild swings in styles from ska to nu-metal to electronica to whatever else they feel like, and it’s definitely a fun ride along the way!<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Emotional Creature</i>, Beach Bunny</b><br />I’ve featured Beach Bunny on one of these lists before, and I feel like they have a pretty distinctive sound? But their album from last year feels like it takes that as a base and pushes in a few different directions, but in a way that’s hard to explain. Like, it’s definitely still their stylistic sound, but… I feel like they try more things to expand on that, like the layers of synths on “Scream” or the big key changes on closing track “Love Story”. But their normal strong ear for catchy songs and riffs is still there, in songs like “<b>Entropy</b>” and “<b>Weeds</b>”, and it makes this a strong release all-around.<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Between the Moon and Stars</i>, Futurecop!</b><br />Futurecop! has popped up in my past searches on the Synthwave genre tag on Bandcamp, and their music has never been bad when I’ve sampled it, but it also hadn’t really stood out either. But something about their newest album back in March caught my attention. I think it has something about the “less is more” style of it? It’s only 8 songs and under half an hour with no guest vocals or anything else. But each song is richly layered while being highly distinct, and maybe it’s just the striking landscape on the cover art, but each one feels like a distinct and vibrant place and scene. Honestly, it feels like it could almost be the soundtrack to a <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/01/sayonara-wild-hearts-review-recommendation.html"><i>Sayonara Wild Hearts</i></a> spin-off or something; it’s not quite on that album’s level, but the fact that it’s good enough to make me think of that is a major compliment!<br /><br /><br /><b><i>The Black Light</i>, The Ting Tings</b><br />I loved The Ting Ting’s first two albums, which came out when I was in high school and college, and I think they had a noticeable impact on my developing music tastes. But at some point, they just kind of… faded from my attention? Like, I’d still re-visit those first two albums because of nostalgia, but I kind of just forgot about their third album, 2014’s <i>Super Critical</i>. I don’t even know why; I went back and listened to it and found that it was pretty good as well! It’s their signature fun and bouncy songs, but with a much bigger disco influence than earlier albums; I think “Wrong Club” at least stands among their biggest hits, and there are definitely a few other stand-out tracks. I’m not sure why I didn’t latch onto it at the time like I did the first two.<br /><br />But I also realized that I had kind of lost track of them in the intervening years, and wanted to see what I missed. As it turned out, they took a long break before releasing <i>The Black Light</i> in 2018, and no other new material since. It seems like it didn’t make much of a splash at the time either, so I guess it makes sense that I missed it? It’s definitely the black sheep of their catalog; whereas <i>Super Critical</i> used warmer and denser arrangements, <i>The Black Light</i> is darker and stripped-back. I’m not going to call it rough, the Ting Tings are still using their normal slick pop polish, but they definitely went for a rougher version of that style here. You get the deep wubs of drum-and-bass and breakbeat at the foundation, the vocals sound like they’re mixed to be echoing through an empty space at parts, songs are in minor keys, there are stark synth lines in arrangements that sound conspicuously hollow compared to their past albums (especially the last one). I kind of dig the stylistic turn, honestly. I can see why some people might have felt alienated if that’s what happened here, but I enjoyed seeing a take that is both so firmly <i>them </i>while being <i>something else</i>. I’m not sure I’d say it should be your entrypoint into their discography if you haven’t listened to them before (that’s still probably their debut album), but I enjoyed my time with it. <br /><br /><br /><b><i>Dance Fever</i>, Florence and the Machine</b><br />I wasn’t huge on their previous album, <i>High as Hope</i>, but decided to give it a try after hearing Jack Antonoff worked with them; after all, this was basically the same progression I felt towards the 1975, but I wound up liking their album last year. Maybe lightning would hit twice?<br /><br />And… it’s fine. I liked it more than <i>High as Hope</i>, but it doesn’t quite match the heights of Florence and the Machine’s first three albums (which were also pretty influential on my high school and college years, coincidentally). There are some good songs (especially the opening three, “King”, “Free”, and “Choreomania”), and on the whole it’s not a bad album, but it’s definitely a change in direction that never quite hits the big, sweeping grandeur of those first three albums. <br /><br />I tried poking around a little while reflecting here, and noticed that Isabella Summers (the “the Machine” part of the band name) has cut back her involvement with the group over the last two albums (her only credits from the last two albums are “backing vocals” on this album, after various writing, production, and instrumental credits before <i>High as Hope</i>). I’m never going to be able to do more than speculate, but I wonder if that change is her influence? In which case… I prefer this marked change in direction to the more listless <i>HaH</i>, at least. I just kind of miss those big, showstopper-type numbers. Speaking of…<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Powderpaint EP</i>, Powderpaint</b><br />This is a fun, throwback synth dance pop group who caught my eye in part for their cover of Florence and the Machine’s “<b>Spectrum</b>” from <i>Ceremonials </i>(which might be my favorite song of theirs? Tied with “Dog Days Are Over” maybe?). That is a difficult song to pull off, but Powderpoint translates it perfectly into a big ‘80s-style dance track (turns out, those belted vocals work just as perfectly coming from a disco diva-style performance, and the complex orchestration makes for some fun running synth lines) and just nails it! Anyway, that roped me in to checking out the rest of their discography, which is similarly a blast to listen to, and highly recommended if you’re at all a fan of that style.<br /><br /><br /><b><i>The Night Game</i> (and <i>Dog Years</i>), The Night Game</b><br />I heard about this band via their song “<b>The Outfield</b>”, which is just a perfect song in my opinion, a throwback to ‘80s new wave stuff like, uh, The Outfield. In fact, the song sounds like someone somehow figured out how to recreate their classic hit “Your Love” while still making something that can completely stand on its own; it really is great. I don’t know that they ever quite reach that height on the rest of their two albums, but they’re still both a lot of fun, so maybe give them a try if you like that song. There’s also a Caroline Polachek feature in “<b>Do You Think About Us</b>”, which is another great fusion of retro and modern pop writing. <br /><br /><br /><b><i>Fantasy League</i>, Fantasy League</b><br />A synthpop duo I once again found through Bandcamp that reminds me of Creature Canopy (included <i>way </i>back on my <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/09/music-monday-summer-2018-playlist.html">Summer 2018 Playlist</a>, and I still go back to them every now and then despite no new music recently). What can I say, I have a few types that tickle the primal parts of my brain, and one of them is “blaring, catchy synth lines, layers of instrumentals, and shouted vocals”. I didn’t know if I had a lot to say about the album as a whole, but there are a bunch of catchy songs on it and I kept coming back to it, and at a certain point, what else can you say?<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Lobster</i>, Dirty Nice </b><br />Another fun indie pop band I found while browsing Bandcamp. There’s a bit of wobbly weirdness to their style that I really appreciate, bouncing between things like acoustic guitar strumming and sped up synths and vocals. But my favorite thing I included might be a single they’ve released in the time since <i>Lobster</i>, a frantic piano-led jam from earlier this year called “<b>This Is Gonna Hurt</b>”.<br /><br /><br /><b><i>SEEDS I</i> EP, Protection</b><br />Protection is a duo that’s also a side-project of CHVRCHES’ Iain Cook , which is how I heard about them. They also deal in complex synth arrangements, but more in the territory of electronic dance music. “<b>Still Love You</b>” is an all-time banger of a track with a spidery synth line that I love (which is kind of a recurring thing here) and a fantastic driving sample at its core. I’m over 95% sure Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES’s singer) contributes the vocal sample on at least “<b>Doll</b>” (maybe more, although I’m less certain there).<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Farm to Table</i>, Bartees Strange<br /><i>Tear</i>, Korine</b><br />I’ve seen smart music critics praise these alt rock albums albums, but I’ve been kind of unable to produce thoughts on them more in-depth than “Yeah, they’re good!”. So, uh, yeah, they’re good!<br /><br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Quick Hits! </h3><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><u><b>New Music from Bands I’ve Covered Before:</b></u><br /><b><br />CHVRCHES, “Over”</b>: I’m not sure if this is the lead-up to a new album or just a one-off, but either way, it’s CHVRCHES’s normal solid work. I’ve been kicking around an idea for an article taking a look at their full discography, and maybe this is what inspires me to finally do it? Before they announce an actual album? <br /><br /><b>Muna, “One That Got Away” and “Bad at Letting Go” (with Leland)</b>: I’m not sure if these are leftover songs from their self-titled album last year or entirely new songs, but either way, they’re definitely of a piece with that album stylistically. I also think they’re pretty high quality, too. Also of note, Leland was a co-writer on “What I Want” (which made last Summer’s playlist), which I learned from listening to them discussing that song on the podcast Song Exploder; it was also an interesting listen, if you like behind-the-scenes stuff!<br /><br /><b>Gryff</b>: Since I called out <i>Calypso Drip FM</i> last time, I’ll mention that his four pre-release singles that aren’t on the album (“<b>Halcyon</b>”, “<b>All Night</b>”, “1984”, and “Night Drive”) all make for a great extension of it! I added the former two here.<br /><br /><b>Jamie Paige, “Ride on Time”</b>: It’s just a cover/translation/rearrangement of a Japanese city pop classic, but it’s a good one, and there’s a promise of more music on the way!<br /><br /><b>Underscores, “Count of three (You can eat $#@!)”</b>: After writing and producing her debut album <i>fishmonger </i>and follow-up EP <i>boneyard aka fearmonger,</i> underscores gets some big assists here from Dylan Brady (half of 100 gecs), Benny Blanco, and Cashmere Cat. I’m not sure if that’s a one-off or an indicator of what’s next, but in writing this, I learned that she has a new song out, so I guess maybe look for more info on the Summer playlist?<br /><br /><b>PG14</b>: This is actually just a Matt & Kim sideproject, so far consisting of just an EP titled <i>YES PLEASE</i>. I couldn’t find a ton of material covering why they decided to do it this way, but from the one interview I did find, it sounds kind of like they wanted to separate themselves from their other work? Stylistically, I think it’s pretty similar to the type of music that they’re known for, so doing all of that seems a little over-the-top. But they do bring a renewed energy to it, so maybe that mentality helped them take a fresh look; it’s probably my favorite project of theirs in over a decade?<br /><br /><b>Common OoLF Playlist features MisterWives, The Aces, Alex Lahey, and ARIZONA</b> all have pre-release singles for upcoming albums here (although the latter two released their albums in May after my cutoff), so expect to see more of them in a few months. Ditto Janelle Monae (although that announcement also fell after my deadline).<br /><br /><b>Shelby Harvey</b>: Okay, so I haven’t featured Shelby here before, but while I’m foreshadowing things to come at Out of Left Field, I’ll mention that I found her music because she’s also the vocalist on the <a href="https://www.cassettebeasts.com/">Cassette Beasts</a> soundtrack, and there is absolutely an article coming on that game soon. I love it all so much!<br /><br /><br /><b><u>Fun Things I Found on Bandcamp That I Want to Call Out (but don’t necessarily have a full blurb on):</u></b><br /><br /><b>Softee</b>: Some fun, chill indie pop stuff. I wound up tearing through her entire catalog, so there are a few picks from each release included here. That includes “<b>Molly</b>”, a single from her new album <i>Natural</i>, which technically also released after my early May cutoff, so expect more from that one on the next list as well.<br /><br /><b>King Wine</b>: A Scottish indie pop band whose self-titled debut album builds their traditional stuff around chiptune riffs to catch your ear, then grows on you from there. Something about those main hooks is just incredibly infectious, especially lead track “<b>I Ride My Bike in the Summer</b>”, and it helps that they have a goofy, endearing sense of humor to their lyrics.<br /><br /><b>ElevenWAV</b>: ElevenWAV follows 7mai, Snail’s House (both also featured on the list), etc. in my long tradition of “finding an electronic artist who makes exciting, bouncy instrumental music and start digging through their backlog”. If you liked those past examples, maybe check this one out too. <br /><br /><b>saorise dream</b>: I had a hard time picking songs from her (I think? There are some EPs and mixtapes too) debut album <i>star★☆</i>; it’s a wonderful slice of bedroom-pop/hyperpop, taking songwriting influence from the former and production from the latter.<br /><br /><b>muscle memory</b>: I’ve stated my love for early-2010s indie pop before, and this is another great example… in part, because their music is overwhelmingly from 2014-15 (with only one follow up over the past seven years). I still enjoyed it, band singer and songwriter David Adedokun has a distinctive vocal style and delivery that I enjoy, almost a kind of crooning. <br /><br /><b>Letting Up Despite Great Faults</b>: I just kind of stumbled on this Austin-based band through their newer stuff; they released a new album <i>IV </i>last year, and an EP <i>Crumble </i>this year, following a long hiatus (their last album came in 2014, and their release of any type was 2017). I haven’t checked out their stuff from before 2022, but it’s some great alternative rock that blends twee and shoegaze.<br /><br /><b>Happy Hollows</b>: Their album <i>Craver </i>was some pretty good indie rock-electropop, but it honestly might be carried by single “<b>Prowler</b>”, which is just a fantastic track.<br /><br /><b>Declan Sheehy-Moss</b>: If you liked Sungazer and their more experimental electronic-jazz stuff back when I included that on a playlist, you might also enjoy Declan’s EP <i>Drive Safe</i>. <br /><br /><b>Bridal Party</b>: I got bored and started browsing the “City Pop” tag to see what I could find, and gave this Canadian band’s album <i>Cool Down</i> a try to see how well they translated the genre to a more North American style. I don’t know that it’s traditional city pop, but I see where they were coming from, and it’s still interesting. <br /><br /><b>AIR APPARENT</b>: This feels like a throwback to the sort of big EDM-pop from the first half of the 2010s? I hadn’t thought of that as something that qualified as needing a throwback until I heard this and realized how different it seems from the current pop landscape. I think their first album <i>Chromatic </i>is a pretty well-executed version of that, so if you also have nostalgia for that era, maybe give this a listen?<br /><br /><b>Vinaigrette</b>: Their EP <i>Cliché </i>is a short-and-sweet burst of catchy and aggressive electroclash. The bassline of “<b>Kirsten Dunst</b>” is the kind that immediately carved itself into your brain. <br /><br /><b>Parannoul</b>: Post-rock and Korean music aren’t my normal things, but I gave <i>After the Magic</i> a try, and I enjoyed it a lot! People who know more about them both seem to like it too, in case my novice word isn’t good enough.<br /><br /><b>Shamir</b>: Shamir has this great, soulful voice, and makes some great more atmospheric alternative music here. <br /><br /><b>ANGEL_TECH + Metagirl</b>: ANGEL_TECH is some good old-fashioned hyperpop, full of beeps and static and lyrics about life on-line. And if you’re in the mood for something the exact opposite of that, Metagirl is the very stripped-bare folk music solo effort of half of the duo, which is an interesting contrast.<br /><br /><b>Namasenda</b>: If you prefer the glossier end of hyperpop, Namasenda is a new graduate of PC Music, and her music fits the almost-alien pop-slickness the genre sometimes goes for.<br /><br /><b>Sunstoney</b>: Some funky, spacey electronic dance stuff.<br /><br /><b>KALANDRA</b>: If you liked Aurora’s blending of Nordic folk elements into pop music but want something a little more orchestral rock-y, maybe give KALANDRA a lock. <br /><br /><b>Kenneka Cook</b>: Some fun alternative and jazz stuff here, including a fun Vampire Weekend cover in “<b>The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance</b>”.<br /><br /><b>Laura Wolf</b>: Some fun alt pop with electro- and chamber- influences!<br /><br /><b>Felt Out</b>: This Austin-based band uses a lot of unique descriptors for their airy, atmospheric, kind of synthy-shoegaze; I liked their album <i>Superfluid </i>a good deal, and their newer one <i>Until I’m Light</i> is growing on me.<br /><br /><b>Boy Jr.</b>: Some more chill indie pop stuff; if you liked Softee’s stuff earlier, maybe also give Boy Jr.'s album a try!<br /><br /><b>ff00ff</b>: Some fun indietronica that plays around with very electronic synth and vocal sounds.<br /><br /><b>Fearful Earful</b>: My love of pop hooks and blaring synths and unique vocal deliveries strikes again; check them out if that also describes you!<br /><br /><b>Hiro Tadomatsu</b>: And finally, I’m not a future funk expert or anything, but I had a good time with his album <i>The NeoKobe Nightly Selecta</i>!</p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;">The full playlist is available below in text, after one final reminder to join the Out of Left Field mailing list!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-fields{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:25px auto 0 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"] .formkit-field{min-width:220px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 0 15px 0;-webkit-flex:1 0 100%;-ms-flex:1 0 100%;flex:1 0 100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] [data-style="minimal"]{padding:40px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"]{margin-left:-5px;margin-right:-5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Full Playlist</h2><p style="text-align: left;"><style type="text/css">
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</p><table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-j6zm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Artist(s)</span></th>
<th class="tg-j6zm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Song</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Beths</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Expert in a Dying Field</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Beths</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Your Side</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Beths</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A Passing Rain</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Beths</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Watching the Credits</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Beths</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I'm Not Getting Excited</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Beths</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dying to Believe</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Beths</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Acrid</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ethel Cain</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">American Teenager</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ethel Cain</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sun Bleached Flies</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ripe</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Get Over</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ripe</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Settling</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ripe</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Queen of the City</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">DMN</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Like a Fever</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">DMN</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">50303</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">DMN</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Known Unknowns</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">nightlife</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">nightlifetypebeat</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">nightlife</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">fallback</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">nightlife</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">new low</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hoity-Toity</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Playing the Game</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hoity-Toity</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Karma</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">King Isis</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">in my ways</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">King Isis</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">im fine, thx 4 asking</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Magdalena Bay</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">EXO</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Magdalena Bay</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tonguetwister</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kero Kero Bonito</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The River</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kero Kero Bonito</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Princess and the Clock</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mecha Maiko</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Apathy</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mecha Maiko</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">End of Your Life</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mecha Maiko</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Trust</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mecha Maiko feat. Dana Jean Phoenix</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cold</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mecha Maiko</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shut It Down</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mecha Maiko</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Kids</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Miracles of Modern Science</span></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Follow Your Heart (or Something)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Miracles of Modern Science</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jimjams</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Miracles of Modern Science</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Chop</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Miracles of Modern Science</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Moms Away!?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Miracles of Modern Science</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Eating Me Alive</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Miracles of Modern Science</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dear Pressure</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Paramore</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This Is Why</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Paramore</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The News</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tove Lo</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Suburbia</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tove Lo</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Grapefruit</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tove Lo & SG Lewis</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pineapple Slice</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Arlo Parks</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hurt</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Arlo Parks</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Too Good</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The New Pornographers</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Really Really Light</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The New Pornographers</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pontius Pilate's Home Movies</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The New Pornographers</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cat and Mouse With the Light</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Stars</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Theory of Relativity</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Stars</span></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Hold on When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Caroline Polachek</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pretty In Possible</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Caroline Polachek</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I Believe</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">100 gecs</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hollywood Baby</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">100 gecs</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Frog on the Floor</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beach Bunny</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Entropy</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beach Bunny</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Weeds</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Futurecop!</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Voyager</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Futurecop!</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lavender Skies</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Ting Tings</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Estranged</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Ting Tings</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Good Grief</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Florence + the Machine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">King</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Florence + the Machine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Free</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Florence + the Machine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Choreomania</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Powderpaint</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Constellation</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Powderpaint</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Spectrum</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Powderpaint</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This Being</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Night Game</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Outfield</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Night Game feat. Caroline Polachek</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Do You Think About Us</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Night Game</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I Feel Like Dancing</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Night Game</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beautiful Stranger</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fantasy League</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Imaginary Lines</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fantasy League</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Butterfly</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fantasy League</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Is This Your Weight?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dirty Nice</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This Is Gonna Hurt</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dirty Nice</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tulips</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dirty Nice</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sunshine End Times</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Protection</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Still Love You</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Protection</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Doll</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bartees Strange</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mulholland Dr.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bartees Strange</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Wretched</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Korine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Burn the World</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Korine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Train to Harlem</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">CHVRCHES</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Over</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">MUNA</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">One That Got Away</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Leland & MUNA</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bad At Letting Go</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Gryff</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Halcyon</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Gryff</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">All Night</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jamie Paige</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ride on Time</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">underscores</span></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Count of three (You can eat $#@!)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">PG14</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">GET IT GOT IT!</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">PG14</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">DEAD DEAD DEAD</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Alex Lahey</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shit Talkin'</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Aces</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Always Get This Way</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ARIZONA</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Die for a Night</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shelby Harvey</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Treat Me Right</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">MisterWives</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Out of Your Mind</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jukebox the Ghost</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Costume</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Scavenger Hunt</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">All the Feels</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Midnight</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Land Locked Heart</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Soul Push</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shining Star</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Little Hurt</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cooler If U Did</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Modern Original</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Checking Out</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Snail's House</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cherry</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Snail's House & YUC'e</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cosmic Air Ride</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sub-Radio</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Waste Your Time</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Chain Gang of 1974</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Highwire Days</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Olivver the Kid</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Well Hung Heart</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Olivver the Kid</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oh, Romeo</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kristina Johnsen Morse</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">On Fire</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Panic Division</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Photograph</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Panic Division</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Silver Rings</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Panic Division</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Melody Ave</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sylvan Esso</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Echo Party</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">7mai</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hazelnut</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">7mai</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Colette Olive</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">7mai</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Nasturtium</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A-zu-ra & DDRKirbyISQ</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sunrise Shine</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">DDRKirby(ISQ) feat. Aivi Tran</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Passing You By</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Happy Fits</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Achey Bones</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Happy Fits</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Grow Back</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Happy Fits</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">While You Fade Away</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Primo the Alien</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beginning of Us</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Primo the Alien</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Emotional</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Short Fictions</span></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Nothingness Lies Coiled at the Heart of Being (It's Such a Good Feeling)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ALVVAYS</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">After the Earthquake</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ALVVAYS</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Very Online Guy</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">NNAMDI</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Everyone I Loved</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Blood Cultures</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dunk On Me</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Softee</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Keep On</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Softee</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rebecca</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Softee</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hang Out</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Softee</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cutout</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Softee</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Molly</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">King Wine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I Ride My Bike in the Summer</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">King Wine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Moon Princess</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">King Wine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sad Dance Party</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ElevenWAV</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lemon Juice</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ElevenWAV</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Your Best Pal</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ElevenWAV</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Saudade</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">saorise dream</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">dare</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">saorise dream w/ can of bliss</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">collar</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">muscle memory</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ball & chain</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">muscle memory</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">tautology (dance floor logic)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">muscle memory</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Golden</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Gorgeous</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">She Spins</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Do-Over</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Letting Up Despite Great Faults</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ricochet</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Happy Hollows</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Prowler</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Declan Sheehy-Moss</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Deadlines</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Declan Sheehy-Moss</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Wish I Could</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bridal Party</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pool</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bridal Party</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cool Down</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">AIR APPARENT</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dance</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">AIR APPARENT ft. GESS</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bad for Me</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Vinaigrette</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cliche</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Vinaigrette</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kirsten Dunst</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Parannoul</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We Shine at Night</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Parannoul</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Imagination</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shamir</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Stability</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shamir</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Marriage</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ANGEL_TECH</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">whats up with u??</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ANGEL_TECH</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">BLUESCREEN</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Metagirl</span></td>
<td class="tg-0lax">GIVE AND TAKE AND WITCHCRAFT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Metagirl</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ANTIBODIES</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Namasenda</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Black Ops</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Namasenda feat. Hannah Diamond</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Steel</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kenneka Cook</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Kids Don't Stand a Chance</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kenneka Cook</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bang Bang</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ff00ff</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">power cycle</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Laura Wolf</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Paravene</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sunstoney</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">RIDE</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fearful Earful</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dark Aftermaths</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Boy Jr.</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ur Loveable</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Boy Jr.</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A Hit Pop Song from 2016</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">CZARINA</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Wonderland</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Critterthing</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sundial</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Heartracer</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ice on the Streets</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ROOKES</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">PBB</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ROOKES</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Versailles</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Felt Out</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Wake</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Felt Out</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Motioncure</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Felt Out</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Closer</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">girlpuppy</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Destroyer</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">KALANDRA</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Brave New World</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">KALANDRA</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">On the Run</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hiro Tadomatsu</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fahrenheit</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hiro Tadomatsu</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pink Light District</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Palace/Goldenfang Records</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fall Deep in Love</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yo Kinky</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Someone I used to know</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-56396e1a-7fff-37e0-b774-4371fc145083" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-56396e1a-7fff-37e0-b774-4371fc145083" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-77282309129569333762023-02-19T21:26:00.007-08:002023-02-19T21:28:24.057-08:00Tinykin and Recontextualizing the Familiar<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAe_kI4zUWPxBXORQYIGUaEGWEwTuBQwHngEesrWBJSPy0QKknUu4Pl2NLoWpHzinzmo0LnjMiI6KR_OzfT29Ec0RH3JzI_cDkp19xmbaIfMJQ7BCpEgF5D5bZk6Z_Kh_KjPgxy92suKol4OEqMqKBqaWo-x7TrCZ45GNHXWNKzdU_xwtmsXP0H_F/s1640/Tinykin_Keyart_2_original.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1640" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAe_kI4zUWPxBXORQYIGUaEGWEwTuBQwHngEesrWBJSPy0QKknUu4Pl2NLoWpHzinzmo0LnjMiI6KR_OzfT29Ec0RH3JzI_cDkp19xmbaIfMJQ7BCpEgF5D5bZk6Z_Kh_KjPgxy92suKol4OEqMqKBqaWo-x7TrCZ45GNHXWNKzdU_xwtmsXP0H_F/w640-h280/Tinykin_Keyart_2_original.png" width="640" /></a> <br /></p><p>Towards the end of 2022, I was trying to think of any games that I had wanted to write about, but just hadn’t gotten around to. It felt like things got a little backed up in my games writing last year, between some personal life delays, writers block on <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/12/neon-white-review-recommendation-2022.html">the <i>Neon White</i> article</a>, and my non-games writing (like baseball and playlists) just taking up more time than anticipated. I might still end up writing a little more about games that I played last year (especially if playing them bled into this year), but at the start of 2023, when I thought about everything I played over the last twelve months and any lingering thoughts I had on them, there was one game that I kept returning to. <br /><br />For a while, though, I wasn’t actually sure exactly what I wanted to say about <i>Tinykin</i>. I really enjoyed it, but there are only so many ways that you can say variations of “it’s good” and “I like it” before a review becomes boring, and I was a little busy sorting through other thoughts to pull together more than that. But over time I kept thinking about it, and I eventually realized that I did have a little bit more to say than just basic praise!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhHEYHebzlURk7r6cnpC-rlpN_4JORejzgkUwccAX6Svfr19uVva_iYbBFUDMEr3VHzqPJ-97AJ64Ebsg8r7_rNZV4npbD2q3nTnZw8RJmKMUTB24fO3QYIz2-6Qqvxp9acvSWZYWQvGqZxpy2EUIcuaXHiUgPNlL5rzytWj4AVnzoMPKdnzV7e1M/s5332/Tinykin_Screenshot1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="5332" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhHEYHebzlURk7r6cnpC-rlpN_4JORejzgkUwccAX6Svfr19uVva_iYbBFUDMEr3VHzqPJ-97AJ64Ebsg8r7_rNZV4npbD2q3nTnZw8RJmKMUTB24fO3QYIz2-6Qqvxp9acvSWZYWQvGqZxpy2EUIcuaXHiUgPNlL5rzytWj4AVnzoMPKdnzV7e1M/w640-h360/Tinykin_Screenshot1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>So, let’s start at the top: <a href="https://www.tinykingame.com/"><i>Tinykin </i>is a 2022 3D platformer from developers Splashteam</a>. It comes with a pretty simple pitch: what if Pikmin was a collect-a-thon platformer instead of a real-time strategy game? As far as basic crossover pitches go for a game idea, that one feels like it has a lot of promise; and it turns out, that’s pretty much dead-on! Of course, like any good cross-pollination of ideas, there are a lot of things that can’t be carried over one-to-one, and I think that <i>Tinykin </i>nails those elements in a way that gives it a lot of its own character and makes it even better than its simplistic idea sounds.</p><p> </p><p><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-fd5145c0b2-{0%,80%,100%{-webkit-transform:scale(0);-ms-transform:scale(0);transform:scale(0);}40%{-webkit-transform:scale(1);-ms-transform:scale(1);transform:scale(1);}}@keyframes formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-fd5145c0b2-{0%,80%,100%{-webkit-transform:scale(0);-ms-transform:scale(0);transform:scale(0);}40%{-webkit-transform:scale(1);-ms-transform:scale(1);transform:scale(1);}}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] blockquote{padding:10px 20px;margin:0 0 20px;border-left:5px solid #e1e1e1;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .seva-custom-content{padding:15px;font-size:16px;color:#fff;mix-blend-mode:difference;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-modal.guard{max-width:420px;width:100%;} .formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"]{max-width:700px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] [data-style="clean"]{width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-fields{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:0 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 0 15px 0;-webkit-flex:1 0 100%;-ms-flex:1 0 100%;flex:1 0 100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-powered-by-convertkit-container{margin:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"] .formkit-submit{position:static;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] [data-style="clean"],.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] [data-style="clean"]{padding:10px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"],.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"]{margin-left:-5px;margin-right:-5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="700"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid="fd5145c0b2"][min-width~="800"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br />It starts at the beginning, really; protagonist Milo is a small person who finds himself stuck on an Earth that’s much too big for him. Unlike the protagonists of Pikmin, though, Milo is a scientist, searching for the origins of his people and planet. And his search strands him not outdoors, but in a house that looks stuck sometime in the 1990s, with VHS tapes and dated appliances everywhere. And inside, he finds these small creatures, the titular Tinykin, who are drawn to him; as you might have guessed from the Pikmin comparison, each variation has special abilities that he can make use of.<br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <br />Oh, and like Pikmin, there are also bugs, distinct from your little helpers. Except <i>Tinykin </i>decides to frame itself entirely around exploring rather than keep any combat, so rather than being large monsters for you to take down, they’re all the same size as Milo. Also, they’ve built an advanced society that sprawls across the House, complete with agriculture, amusement parks, music, religion, parties, and fermented nectar drinks (which get described in terms that we’d expect for wines or craft beers). It really is an entire world you get to explore here, even if the building blocks are mostly just household items. <br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOj2I6YzIUwSdYZjO4UZg-0iORW_15w57FkqWBmEJLc-qBB0a1bIBufDDRgTXme0xhqwMp3Et49o3S7xPT_NWxawogVYFz5W5BszHjV0junEerLvixF7uLAhwoBlOsk5eq4KX4pl62JaPavkRcoYeoafCLsPRNn2blTIwV675cz1p_FIftu4rtGVl/s5332/Tinykin_Screenshot5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="5332" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOj2I6YzIUwSdYZjO4UZg-0iORW_15w57FkqWBmEJLc-qBB0a1bIBufDDRgTXme0xhqwMp3Et49o3S7xPT_NWxawogVYFz5W5BszHjV0junEerLvixF7uLAhwoBlOsk5eq4KX4pl62JaPavkRcoYeoafCLsPRNn2blTIwV675cz1p_FIftu4rtGVl/w640-h360/Tinykin_Screenshot5.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><br />And not only that, but it’s a very cute and creative world you get to explore! Like, the big idea of “a society built by bugs” is already pretty great, but Splashteam’s execution here is just phenomenal! Everything, from the character sprites (everyone is an animated flat image with depth, similar to <i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/03/Demon-Turf-3D-platformer-review-recommendation.html">Demon Turf</a></i> or <i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/10/heavens-vault-review-recommendation.html">Heaven’s Vault</a></i>) to the everyday objects lying around these vibrant, cartoon-y landscapes looks are just so appealing to look at. <br /><br />And sure, Splashteam is hardly the first group to design a video game world around the idea of “being small in a regularly-sized world”, but they put so much detail and effort in that it stands out. Every object is very immediately visually clear and distinct in both what its platforming purpose is, and what it originally was before being repurposed by the insects as architecture. There’s detail in the designs, wear and use around the edges, a sense of grandeur upon seeing large furniture as it looms over the scene… It really is just the perfect execution of this trope, especially given the game’s clean, colorful, animated art style.<br /><br />It also helps that the ideas within the levels are a lot of fun! There’s always some small story built into the center of them, which gets you exploring around most of the level, usually something around resolving a dispute within bug society so they’ll entrust you with that level’s Big Collectible. <br /><br />The first few levels are pretty stock settings for this type of story: a living room that’s been transformed into a town square (complete with a cardboard cathedral in the center) and a greenhouse that’s become a little overgrown. From there, they actually get more interesting, a nice twist compared to the number of modern games that put all their best ideas up front. <br /><br />There’s a pair of connected bathroom resorts, one of which needs to restart their constant party, which is a funny bit. You get a second trip through the tutorial level, opening up what’s available with your new abilities; I always <i>love </i>when games include backtracking to very early levels in a way that completely recontextualizes them. And then there are the two best levels to close things out, the kitchen (which has been transformed into the house’s farmlands, with the local farming village in disarray) and the bedroom amusement park, both of which overload you with things to see and do. It also helps that it’s a short and sweet game of highly-polished moments, something you can take in over the course of a week’s evenings or a long weekend. <br /></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliY_W3SepsG_inVBXMWkAwEn45P9R6CwZ6ExEQpkDRgDW21ubql-ubrr0QjzOdI_eovvZjwzTPA2ZoUhamTdD9xEoDH83o3E35kmjrgtjQ9Af5RS4GsfyY34pwLGYaQw5BKC0Xm2wLGB90wUBhA9pQJjYxF2g6Xh8Op_hOKJAJj52IvVCPuIjhvVz/s6448/Tinykin_Screenshot13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="6448" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliY_W3SepsG_inVBXMWkAwEn45P9R6CwZ6ExEQpkDRgDW21ubql-ubrr0QjzOdI_eovvZjwzTPA2ZoUhamTdD9xEoDH83o3E35kmjrgtjQ9Af5RS4GsfyY34pwLGYaQw5BKC0Xm2wLGB90wUBhA9pQJjYxF2g6Xh8Op_hOKJAJj52IvVCPuIjhvVz/w640-h360/Tinykin_Screenshot13.png" width="640" /></a></p><p><br />The design side of the equation is all rock-solid, so it helps that the gameplay side of things matches it to take the experience to the next level. As it turns out, a lot of Pikmin’s ideas translate very well to the 3D collectathon format with the right adjustments, and in cool ways that build upon themselves. <br /><br />Each new room of the house that you explore will introduce you to a new color of Tinykin, each with its own abilities that will allow you to overcome more of the room’s obstacles. Their ability will in some way scale, meaning that the more Tinykin that you find, the more of the level that opens up to you, making the Tinykin both your new ability and one of the level’s collectables. It gives the game worlds this wonderful unfolding feeling, seeing areas early on that you could reach if only you had a few more Tinykin under your command, then returning later to open them up. <br /><br />And of course, in traditional 3D Platformer Collectathon fashion, none of the central challenges of the level will <i>require </i>that you find every little creature. But you’ll need a healthy percent of them to beat the level anyway, and exploring the levels is usually fun enough on its own. So once you finish up the main quests, you’ll probably be close enough to to finding them all and curious enough about what you might be missing that you might as well look for the final stragglers. Like I said, it’s a well-worn standard of the genre, but I think <i>Tinykin </i>has polished this part of the game design pretty thoroughly!<br /><br />Also, rather critically, most of the abilities that the Tinykin grant you <i>aren’t </i>movement abilities, which kind of surprised me going in; most of them are related to interacting with things in the level, like destroying obstacles or moving large items. That means the game can instead reward you with most of the movement options right away, which ends up making the game all that much smoother. Instead of plodding around until you get a higher jump or a fast-move option or something, you get it right out of the gate, meaning you can start zipping around and climbing things more or less from the beginning. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifA_mNd38dwDuQpASPBSU0AravGehhCJ_svT9CtgLSpzrRlOikjcnl_47_dxrIc2saA_mzyCZjdjIJw5oWoIyJVQ8xpvJ4hMrqriuTpx0RbCfKuWZRVkms-F4Rr-WyLQSQmQAMxRhiIXC3HKO9mKyZGFDfm3NmczfF5gQbrsa8MESCVk88W4S_Gocq/s6448/Tinykin_Screenshot11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="6448" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifA_mNd38dwDuQpASPBSU0AravGehhCJ_svT9CtgLSpzrRlOikjcnl_47_dxrIc2saA_mzyCZjdjIJw5oWoIyJVQ8xpvJ4hMrqriuTpx0RbCfKuWZRVkms-F4Rr-WyLQSQmQAMxRhiIXC3HKO9mKyZGFDfm3NmczfF5gQbrsa8MESCVk88W4S_Gocq/w640-h360/Tinykin_Screenshot11.png" width="640" /></a> <br /></p><p>That in turn really helps to emphasize how tight and smooth <i>Tinykin</i>’s mechanics are. Your biggest movement ability is a soapbar surfboard that you’re given early in the game; it’s already pretty intuitive to pick up, but with a little trial-and-error, you’ll be able to build and keep momentum like a pro. That knowledge, plus a working idea of the levels’ layouts, will have you zipping around in short order, which means that backtracking to deal with something that you found earlier across the map is basically never an issue. Once you know the map, you’re never more than a few rapid slides and jumps away from things.<br /><br />If there’s a downside to their approach to abilities and navigation, it’s that each level is pretty self-contained. Each world limits you to just the Tinykin that you find in a level, with the only ability that you carry with you being the soapboard and the bubbles you can use to float across gaps (each bubble granting you longer air time). You might be returning to each room to search for the last few collectables, but outside of a small number of things aided by a longer hover, you can come pretty close to 100%-ing each world as you reach it. <br /><br />I’m kind of split on this decision, or at least, I was for a little while. Like, on the one hand, unlocking more things after going to later levels sounds interesting if you can think of the right puzzles and obstacles to insert. And the game already has shades of this idea, with how levels unfurl as you find Tinykin, or getting to return to the tutorial level and explore it fully later. </p><p><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><br />On the other hand, it’s a nice idea in the abstract that can be a difficult thing to balance well in practice. What if a later ability completely invalidates an earlier challenge, making it trivial to overcome? Or if you make each ability completely distinct, what use is an obstacle or puzzle if it just sits there staring at you for three levels, just waiting for you to get the right Tinykin later and come back? Given all of that… I’m pretty happy appreciating how well <i>Tinykin </i>turned out. Maybe they can revisit the more complicated ideas in a sequel, now that they have a whole game under their belt? <br /><br />Granted, if they want to move on to something else next, I’d also be okay with that! Really, <i>Tinykin </i>is kind of a perfect little game, a cute and fun 3D platformer to explore, without any real weak spot. If they want to build on that in some way next time, I’d be thrilled. But even if they decide to move on and try something else, I’d be excited to try that as well; watching them translate well-worn ideas and mechanics into completely new contexts this successfully gives me confidence in whatever direction they decide to go next.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFAN_DuiEdxVecRZTYmvl6j2TGkTTrQVVf6ZENJBrcqDCm6v1KI9Vqq91vzLYXtLmkU90rXAfMChHUNMc6Ihw8RKdsVZvAd1YRxI7cExPWI7Wkfahd1AYos8Sv8mIbvL6E7zzuP0t8fmxyhYk7eMSDuIAkDNrNi9am7uAKbn_bGJml8Dw_WdFc1Px/s3712/Tinykin_Screenshot18.jpg.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2088" data-original-width="3712" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFAN_DuiEdxVecRZTYmvl6j2TGkTTrQVVf6ZENJBrcqDCm6v1KI9Vqq91vzLYXtLmkU90rXAfMChHUNMc6Ihw8RKdsVZvAd1YRxI7cExPWI7Wkfahd1AYos8Sv8mIbvL6E7zzuP0t8fmxyhYk7eMSDuIAkDNrNi9am7uAKbn_bGJml8Dw_WdFc1Px/w640-h360/Tinykin_Screenshot18.jpg.png" width="640" /></a> <br /></p><br /><br />Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-17214115143460388592023-01-16T17:42:00.006-08:002023-05-29T16:20:32.157-07:00Music Monday: End of 2022 Playlist2023 Has finally arrived, but before we get too far along into the new year, I’d like to close out 2022 with some music. That’s right, it’s time for my third annual End of the Year Playlist and accompanying article! I’ve had a fun time finding new music and writing about it the last few months, and honestly, this size feels much more manageable for what I’m trying to do with this series. I might even split my normal Summer Playlist into two smaller ones since it’s been getting more and more unwieldy, we’ll see. <br /><br />Once again, I’ve assembled the playlist in both Youtube and Spotify so that you can follow along. <br />
<br /><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7c4d9sEd3yYOQwM0RetxXf?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLNAum9ttHLJVNJSTyeqvDtWjU8ZAmWnW5" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br /><i>Notes: The YouTube playlist is more complete than the Spotify one, missing 5 songs to 13. Of those five, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db1sHkj3J4k">Under the Sun</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbWkWGuZ08I">Milk & Moon</a>” can be found on full albums on YouTube. I couldn’t find much of 7mai on either service, so here are Soundcloud links to the full EP releases of the two songs of theirs that I reference: “<a href="https://soundcloud.com/7mai/m32022-colorful-palette-red-xfd">Strawberry Mousse</a>”, “<a href="https://soundcloud.com/7mai/m32021-colorful-palette-blue-xfd">Celestial</a>”. The only place that I can find “<a href="https://sirbabygirl.bandcamp.com/track/spring-cleaning">Spring Cleaning</a>” is on Sir Babygirl’s Bandcamp page.<br /></i><br /><br />With all of that out of the way, onto the article:<br />
<br /><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>My Favorite Albums of the Playlist:</u></h3><u><b>-St. Lucia</b></u><br />St. Lucia dropped a lot of their new album, <b><i>Utopia</i></b>, early as pre-release singles in the run-up to the full release, and I’m always a little mixed about that strategy. I understand that constantly dripping out new material is a good way to stay at the forefront of people’s minds, which is becoming increasingly important in music. But it does feel like it can sometimes dull the impact of the full album; finding new surprises to enjoy on your first or second listen of a full record is one of the things that I like most, and knowing most of the songs early undercuts it.<br /><br />But it didn’t seem to matter here, thankfully. On the one hand, <i>Utopia </i>is great, and no amount of pre-release familiarity was going to dull its impact. I still stand by “Touch” being maybe my favorite track of theirs (<a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/09/music-monday-summer-2022-playlist.html">which I said when it made my last playlist article</a>), and it’s backed up by a ton of other strong tracks, like “Take Me Away”, “Another Lifetime”, “Rockets on My Feet”, and so on. Few other artists have as good an ear for big soundscapes and ringing, triumphant choruses that you can shout along to, in my opinion. <br /><br />But on the other hand… maybe it’s just too good of an album for surprise to totally wear it down? The group has a strong track record, and I love all four of their albums. But maybe I’d be saying <i>Utopia </i>easily stands above the others if I heard it mostly at once with only one or two singles, as I did their first three (<i>When the Night</i>, <i>Matter</i>, and <i>Hyperion</i>). I guess all I can do at this point is keep re-listening over time and see if my opinion on it grows as much over time as it has for the others.<br /><br /><br /><b><u>-Fickle Friends<br /></u></b>Every now and again, maybe once or twice a year, I’ll stumble upon a new album from an artist that I haven’t heard of or don’t really follow, and fall in love with it, leading me to go back through their older work and discover that 1) there’s a decent amount of stuff to listen to, and 2) I love it as well. At that point, I just end up kind of stuck on that artist for a few weeks, maybe trying some other stuff but always circling back to them. And that is why there’s so much Fickle Friends on my End of 2022 Playlist. <br /><br />I saw their new album from earlier in 2022, <b><i>Are We Gonna Be Alright?</i></b>, while browsing for something I hadn’t heard before, and immediately latched on. It wound up being one of my favorite albums of the year, just 40 minutes and a dozen songs of tight, bouncy, catchy synthpop. I had it on loop for days, dancing and singing along to songs like “Glow”, “Pretty Great”, “IRL”, “Love You to Death”... there something about it that all works perfectly, the hooks are so memorable and tight, and the lyrics stick in my mind simply capturing moments of love and relationships and loneliness.<br /><br />And from there, I went back through their back-catalog. Their debut album <i>You Are Someone Else</i> was a little less polished, but still displayed all of their talent beautifully. Their two <i>Weird Years</i> EPs served as a perfect pandemic-era bridge between the two. All of the B-sides and early EPs were similarly fun, all the way back to their first one in 2014. I can’t believe I missed them for this long, they really are straight up my alley! And I spent a lot of the end of 2022 just getting caught up on them, so they end up making a lot of this playlist. <br /><br />In the past, I’ve tried to limit my picks from a single artist somewhat, but… these lists are at least partly for me to revisit, too, so I’d like it to reflect what I was listening to at the time. And I honestly was just listening to Fickle Friends for a while this year!<br /><br /><br /><u><b>-Carly Rae Jepsen<br /></b></u>I was a little worried about <i><b>The Loneliest Time</b></i>; following up two absolute classic albums like <i>Emotion </i>and <i>Dedicated </i>seems like it would be a tall order. Thankfully, <i>The Loneliest Time</i> lived up to it; it helps that it moved into its own sort of territory, separate from those two albums, lower key while still somehow full of big, emotional moments. But like those two, it's just a bunch of top-notch bangers throughout, with a few 11/10 songs (“Shooting Star” and the title track duet with Rufus Wainwright) highlighting the experience. And now, we can once again return to anxiously awaiting the arrival of <i>The Loneliest Time B Sides</i>. <br /><br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>Honorable Mentions</u></h3><b><u>-Gryff<br /></u></b>I stumbled upon <b><i>Calypso Drip FM</i></b>, a 2020 release that I totally missed, while browsing Bandcamp, and was instantly intrigued; it sounds like the platonic ideal of synthwave*, with big synths and saxophones solos and all of that. But it grew on me substantially over multiple listens, in a way that a lot of things in that style do not. I’m not sure what it is, it might just be that singles like “Jessie” or “New Religion” or “Do You Feel Like This” are just SO memorable, or maybe the instrumentals are extra type, or maybe it has a strong grasp of its aesthetics. Something takes it to the next level, though. I will say that the album is loosely themed around driving around L.A. around sunset on a Friday, and I got a chance to do that a few weeks ago using this album as the soundtrack… Damn, does it ever nail that vibe perfectly!<br /><br /><i>*Honestly, I might be using this wrong since it’s one of the subgenres that I’ve learned about almost entirely from browsing Bandcamp, but my impression of synthwave is “stuff that sounds like ‘80s synth music, but the cinematic version of it”, if that makes sense? <br /></i><br /><br /><b><u>-Damn the Witch Siren<br /></u></b>This Columbus duo is another one I was introduced to this year, when I stumbled upon their new release <b><i>Gold Magic</i></b>. This one is just a lot of high-energy, goofy, Glam Rock fun from the drop, opening with the frenetic horn energy of “Claire Danes” (which ends on alto sax solo just going to town on the upper register of the instrument, mad respect there). The album is just full of these big, fun moments, with the horns returning on “Boys Don’t Cry”, the dark grime of “Rich Man”, the belting vocals and wailing synths on the chorus of “Vulture Culture”... Definitely a lot of fun. <br /><br />I also went back and listened to their earlier albums, <i>White Magic</i> and <i>Red Magic</i>, and while none of them coalesces quite as well as <i>Gold</i>, there’s still a lot of good songs and moments, and I’ve included a few of them on the playlist as well. I’m a big fan of “Love Song in D Major” in particular, with stand-outs like its two big instrumental drops, or every instrument dropping out under the vocals to emphasize the line “My heart, heart skips a beat”. <br /><br /><br /><b><u>-Short Fictions</u></b><br />There’s something about <b><i>Every Moment of Every Day</i></b> that just perfectly hits my sweetspot, that exact mix of “really sad and thoughtful but sounds fun”. Short Fictions is a Midwest Emo* band that delves occasionally into symphonic touches like horn solos here, for a really grand and intricate sound that I dig. And there’s something about the lyrics on songs like “You Will Never Be the Best at Anything You Try (Surely Not)” and “Don’t Start a Band” that just speaks to a lot of my sadder sensibilities and deeper anxieties. There’s something about this record that just perfectly lines up with my memories of living in Pittsburgh (their hometown).<br /><br /><i>*I think? Again, a lot of my knowledge of subgenres is usually just trying to infer things, so there’s always a chance that I’m just off-base. And I’ve seen enough music discussions online to know that some people get very angry when you mess certain ones up.<br /></i><br /><br /><b><u>-Lilac<br /></u></b>There’s <b><i>Someone Else in My Skin</i></b> is the debut album of dream pop/shoegaze quartet Lilac, and I enjoyed it very much. Just nine catchy tracks of reverb-laden guitars and floating baritone vocals; it’s very easy to just throw on and lose yourself letting it wash over you.<br /><br /><br /><u><b>-Sir Babygirl</b></u><br />This is another one where I went back in the artist’s discography; the one that drew me and impressed me the most was her debut album (or extended EP? I have no idea), <i><b>Crush on Me</b></i> (specifically, the remastered <i>BICONIC Edition</i>). It’s a bunch of just very strong electro bubblegum pop, with Sir Babygirl showing off strong pop songwriting skills; memorable choruses, impressive vocal performances, fun lyrics, musical leitmotifs and reprises, the whole nine years. The chorus of “Pink Lite” is one of my favorite choruses of the year, a big build to an emotional scream, just great stuff all around. I also checked out her <i>Golden Bday Mixtape</i>, which has good original songs and cover performances, but since it’s just a Mixtape, I missed the cohesiveness of <i>Crush on Me</i>. <br /><br /><br /><b><u>-Soul Push<br /></u></b>One of the weird things about finding music now is how atemporal it is. I found Soul Push’s <b><i>Neon Jungle</i></b> <b>EP </b>by landing on their Bandcamp page somehow, and really enjoyed it! It’s listed there as a late 2016 release (although searching on Spotify, it looks like it’s been re-released since then, as two separate four-song EPs?), and it feels like it. It has the same sort of sound as a lot of the small, indie/alternative acts that I would go and see in small venues while I was in college or right after. I don’t know how exactly to describe it, but with more distance and as music as an industry has kind of moved away from that as a default, I feel more and more like that era and sound has a distinctive feel. Maybe I’ll get better at putting it into words over time with more thought, but needless to say, it hit my nostalgia pretty squarely. Their newer stuff is also pretty good, but they’ve also kind of moved in a direction away from that. That’s very understandable, it’s been years since then, but it does mean that they’ve kind of moved away from that very specific feel that drew me into <i>Neon Jungle</i>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Good Albums-Callbacks:</u></h3><b>Megan McDuffee and ALEX</b>: I had this pair’s most recent collaboration, “Villain”, on my last playlist (a filthy synth track with some industrial, drums’n’bass vibes), as well as several songs from Megan’s most recent solo effort, the dark and moody album <i>Inner Demons</i>. So I went back to check out their 2018 album <b><i>Hero </i></b>expecting something like akin to either of those, and was kind of surprised? It feels much more akin to CHVRCHES’s debut album <i>The Bones of What You Believe</i>, with sparser arrangements and a much more definitely electronic, artificial feel to the synth lines. Megan’s influence from video games also shines through as well. And the songs themselves are also a lot more upbeat. All in all, I liked it quite a bit!<br /><br /><br /><b>The 1975</b>: I’m not going to lie, I was a little hesitant to check out The 1975’s newest album, <i><b>Being Funny in a Foreign Language</b></i>. I’ve enjoyed their previous albums to varying degrees, and there are always some tracks that I love, but I found their continuously increasing lengths kind of bloated and uninteresting on the whole. I was just going to check out the best songs, but then I saw that 1) Jack Antonoff was co-producing it; and 2) it was their shortest album yet. So I gave the whole thing a try, and wound up being very pleased! The 1975 still have plenty of good songs (the first half of the album is loaded with bops), and they don’t get bogged down by their normal 60+ minute runtimes, making this probably my favorite album of theirs since their self-titled debut (which was their shortest album to date until this one released, perhaps not coincidentally). Not sure how much of that was Antonoff’s idea or the band’s, but I think it paid off! <br /><br /><br /><b>Betty Who</b>: I am now realizing I haven’t actually written about Betty Who here before? Her last album came out in 2019, before I was regularly doing these regular seasonal playlists, so it’s just been a smattering of songs since then. I really liked her first two albums and both wound up in my regular rotation for a while, but I was a lot more indifferent to the third one, for reasons I haven’t fully sorted out. Maybe for the best it landed in 2019, then. Anyway, much like with The 1975, it made me more hesitant about <b><i>BIG!</i></b>, but I ended up liking it a lot more than the last one. It’s a lot more anthemic, for sure, which might be what I thought the third album was missing? So yeah, call this one another bounce-back record for me.<br /><br /><br /><b>Oh Wonder</b>: I shouted out <i>22 Break</i> on last year’s year-end list, which felt very raw as the band dealt with their near-divorce (they’re a married couple outside of music), and now we get the companion piece, <i><b>22 Make</b></i>, celebrating their renewed love. That’s… honestly not as good of a topic for a single throughline, so this album doesn’t cohere into a single “thing” as well, sadly. But Oh Wonder do feel like they have a renewed energy from working through their issues at least, so the songs are still a lot of fun!<br /><br /><br /><b>Jamie Paige</b>: She had another new single back in November, “<b>🤼♀️ (:women_wrestling:)</b>”*, and it’s another synthy, vocaloid bop. I also added a few songs from her second-newest album, <i>Autumn Every Day</i>; I was listening to her back catalog at lot last time, but was still trying to adhere to the “not too many songs from one artist” thing and her newer album, <i>Bittersweet</i>, overshadowed it (it’s still one of my favorites on the year). Since I don’t care as much about that artificial cap now, I’ll throw them on here (including her cover of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle”, which is great). Besides, it’s not like I totally stop listening to stuff after I put it on a list. <br /><br /><i>*I gotta admit, I’m a sucker for the novelty of a song with an emoji for a song title, even if it brings up a lot of logistics issues. Like how weird it looks putting it in quotations, or the necessity of the subtitle given that every OS has different emojis and it might not display properly everywhere.<br /></i><br /><br /><b>Foxes</b>: As promised, I went back to check out <i><b>All I Need</b></i> after naming <i>The Kick</i> my favorite album on my Summer Playlist. <i>All I Need</i> isn’t quite as good, but I feel like I have a better understanding of how she got to <i>The Kick </i>(my favorite album from my Summer Playlist). This one drags a little bit at times (the bonus version is nearly 20 minutes longer than the kick, and the lower points are definitely slower), and there are <i>fewer </i>standout singles. But Foxes still has a way with her songwriting and pumps out a few classics, too; I am for example compelled to stop what I’m doing and belt out “OOOOHHH (oooh!), and let your body talk!” when the chorus of “Body Talk” hits. “Amazing”, “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now”, and “Better Love” are some other good ones.<br /><br /><br /><b>Two Door Cinema Club</b>: Like clockwork at this point, Two Door Cinema Club has returned after a three-year break to release a fun alternative pop-rock album, this time titled <b><i>Keep on Smiling</i></b>. They do a few things different here, with the most notable being singer Alex Trimble playing around with his vocal style more, but it’s still recognizably their sound. I don’t know that I have a lot to add here, other than I really enjoyed it, something that I think I can say about all five of their albums. I’m not sure that I can say that any one of them has ever been in my running for Album of the Year when it comes out, but they’re always solid things to throw on when I need something fun and reliable. <br /><br /><br /><b>Rina Sawayama</b>: I really liked her last album, which got high honors in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/09/music-monday-summer-2021-playlist.html">my Summer 2021 Playlist</a>, but… I don’t know, I was kind of underwhelmed by <b><i>Hold The Girl</i></b>? It’s a perfectly fine pop album, though! It’s just that… it kind of pales in comparison to the last one, which careened wildly from nu-metal to new jack swing to electronic, exploring a ton of influences and styles. Hold The Girl in comparison is more or less <i>just </i>pop music; some of it darn good pop music, mind you, like “Frankenstein”, “This Hell”, “Catch Me In The Air” (that one was on my Summer 2022 list)... but it still doesn’t quite hit the same way. As long as you go in expecting that, though, it’s probably less of an issue. <br /><br /><br /><b>chloe moriondo</b>: This one is almost the opposite case. In my End of 2022 list, I called out moriondo’s <i>Blood Bunny</i> as one of my favorite albums of the set. If you want more of that bedroom pop and indie rock feel, the EP <i><b>puppy luv</b></i> from April fills that niche. But for her actual album <b><i>SUCKERPUNCH</i></b>, which came out in October, she took a hard turn into hyperpop. It’s a bold move, given the sonic distance from her earlier work and the strong chance of alienating fans, and one clearly done from the artist’s interest in the style. I think her writing is still strong enough that it works, but it feels like some more experience would have helped? The more traditional pop songs are fine (and it’s what I drew from for my two picks), and there are interesting bits in the more extreme hyperpop numbers, but… I don’t know, maybe the production team needed to be someone more familiar with the genre? For instance, underscores (Hey, remember her, from my last two playlists? She’s pretty darn good at this hyperpop thing!) did a good remix of “Cdbaby<3”, and it just made me wish for a full collaboration between those two, or underscores working with chloe on the original production, or something. I don’t know, we’ll see what happens next here, I guess.<br /><br /><br /><b>Paper Idol</b>: I called out Paper Idol’s EP <i>Mania Days</i> back on the Summer 2021 list, and he finally followed it up with his debut album <i><b>The Playground</b></i>. It’s some more solid electronic alternative, and I’m not sure any song measures up to the all-time classic that is “James Bond” from the last one, but “Young Hearts” sure tries its best!<br /><br /><br /><b>Panic Division</b>: Another returning one from the Summer list where I liked my first exposure (the 2019 album <i>Touch</i>) so much that I went back to check what I had missed in their earlier work. 2015’s <b><i>Aero Nautical</i></b> was more of the same, and surprise, I also enjoyed it! I think I ultimately prefer <i>Touch </i>for having stronger hooks and singles, but honestly, that preference might also just be personal bias because I listened to it first. <br /><br /><br /><b>Client Liaison</b>: Same goes for Client Liaison. <i><b>Diplomatic Immunity</b></i> followed up their self-titled EP with eleven more tracks of funky synths and fun danceable pop. Not sure how much more you can ask for. <br /><br /><br /><b>gloss</b>: Meanwhile, gloss’ debut EP <i><b>Entwined </b></i>was a little less polished than <i>Are You Okay?</i>, but it’s still some strong jazz fusion/pop music.<br /><br /><br /><b>White Hinterlands</b>: And continuing the theme even further, I listened to <i><b>Baby </b></i>by White Hinterland (the name Casey Dienel recorded under prior to <i>Imitation of a Woman to Love</i>, which I really enjoyed on the last playlist). It wasn’t bad, I liked a few of the songs (“Ring the Bell” was my standout track) and I felt a lot of the connections between the two albums, but ultimately I just didn’t connect with this one as well. Maybe because it was a little too soft and atmospheric for my tastes? But it could be worth checking out for you if that sounds appealing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Good Albums-New Stuff:</u></h3><b>The Happy Fits</b>: I realize that I have a tendency to go pretty heavy on the synths in my music, due to personal preferences (especially lately, since browsing genres has been a big way in how I use Bandcamp to find new things). But I promise, I do listen to other things! For example, I really enjoyed The Happy Fits, a three-piece alternative rock act who I found through their newest album <b><i>Under the Shade of Green</i></b>. They advertised their use of a cello in place of a traditional bass guitar, which I kind of thought might be a gimmick, but no, I actually do like what it does with their sound! They have more traditional rock numbers like “Around and Around”, but I think songs like “Little One” show off some of the more unique things they can do as well, with its big, singing cello lines. I also added a few songs from their previous album, <i>What Could Be Better</i>, which I checked out after liking <i>Under the Shade of Green</i> (although I do think the newer album is the better one here, if you’d like a starting point).<br /><br /><br /><b>Sobs</b>: In other less synthy things, we have Sobs, a three-piece power/jangle pop act. Their (album? EP?) <b><i>Air Guitar</i></b> is a short-and-sweet set of to-the-point pop-rock songs that will get stuck in your head; I especially liked the lead-off title track. Their previous album (2018’s <i>Telltale Signs</i>) was also not bad.<br /><br /><br /><b>Indigo</b>: My delves into Synthwave produced a lot of results besides Gryff, and some of them kind of blend together, but <b>Indigo’s self-titled debut</b> was another stand-out entry! Big, dramatic, haunting, atmospheric… really, everything you could want out of that sound. <br /><br /><br /><b>Korine</b>: Korine’s <b><i>The Night We Raise</i></b> was another fun one. I described synthwave earlier as a more cinematic-style of ‘80s synth music, but Korine’s style is probably closer to <i>actual </i>‘80s synth music, with a darker, post-punk sound, and colder synths. It also helps that the singer has a deeper voice and belting delivery, which reminds me of… some singer from an ‘80s band that I’ve been trying and failing to think of for months now, it’s kind of bugging me… maybe Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears? Honestly, that doesn’t sound like the worst comparison for the band on the whole. Either way, check them out; I’m excited to try their new album in a few months as well! <br /><br /><br /><b>Sylvan Esso</b>: I had been meaning to give Sylvan Esso a listen for a while now; I’ve seen a lot of praise for them, and they seemed up my alley. Well, I finally got around to trying their 2017 album <b><i>What Now</i></b>, and I liked it a lot! It’s some good dark, electronica pop music to jam to on a dark night. <br /><br /><br /><b>Kitten</b>: I tried an album and EP from them (<i><b>Personal Hotspots</b></i> and <b><i>Goodbye Honeymoon Phase</i></b>), and had a good time. They’re… kind of a new wave-y pop-rock act that experiments with a lot of different styles? Not quite as drastic as the genre roulette of <i>Sawayama</i>, but they had some of the energy that I was missing on <i>Hold the Girl</i>. Kind of short, and I sometimes can’t tell how much of their writing is sarcasm versus just being goofy, but I still enjoyed it!<br /><br /><br /><b>Hermes Trismegistus</b>: I’m not sure how big the overlap is between “fans of electronic dance music” and “fans of Arthurian Legend” is, but I know that I am certainly within the subset. So it was maybe not a surprise that I enjoyed <b><i>Neon Grail</i></b> by Hermes Trismegistus, which is a concept album generally themed around the Quest for the Holy Grail, complete with a 12-minute finale suite titled “Long Journey to the Grail Temple”. If you’re the type of person that finds this description exciting, I think it’s definitely worth checking out!<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><u>Other things I enjoyed, but don’t have a lot to say about:<br /></u></b><br />-<i>Yacht World</i>, Engelwood<br />-<i>Heroes</i>, The Midnight<br />-<i>Angels Never Die</i>, Mouse<br />-<i>Melonday</i>, Tomo Nakayama<br />-<i>8</i>, Maryze<br />-<i>lotus deluxe</i>, LANNDS<br />-<i>What Happens After</i>, Laveda<br />-<i>Stray Fantasies</i>, Mint Julep<br />-<i>Somewhere Nowhere</i>, Friday Night Firefights<br />-<i>Cenotaphs</i>-Cherax Destructor/marumaru<br /><br /><br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Quick Hits:</u></h3><b>Bad Suns</b>: I didn’t really call out the Bad Suns’ new album, <i>Apocalypse Whenever</i>, in my last playlist, but it was solid! I’ve liked all four of the post-punk group’s albums to date, and I feel like I don’t reflect on that enough? It’s kind of like what I said about Two Door Cinema Club. Anyway, they released a Deluxe Edition of <i>Apocalypse Whenever</i> with three new tracks, including a collaboration with PVRIS called “Maybe You Saved Me”. If you missed that one, now’s a good chance to go back and give it a spin!<br /><br /><br /><b>Magdalena Bay</b>: Speaking of bonus albums, they released a deluxe edition of one of my favorite albums from last year, <i>Mercurial World</i>. It’s still good, although I think the normal, shorter version flows a little better. Especially since the bonus stuff is interwoven into the normal track listing, rather than added at the end. I respect the added effort though, and some of the new tracks are fun on their own, too!<br /><br /><br /><b>Lake Street Dive</b>: I’ve mentioned before that I like listening to covers, and Lake Street Dive is one of my favorites to look up. They always have creative takes that sound great, and they released another cover EP (<i>Fun Machine: The Sequel</i>) showing off this skill. All of it’s great (and I’m including two songs as a result), but I want to call out their version of the Cranberries’ “Linger”. I love the original, and was highly skeptical of their fairly major re-arrangement on the opening notes, but wow, does it ever hold its own!<br /><br /><br /><b>YSSY</b>: Another one I found browsing Bandcamp. Their EP <i>The Way It Was</i> is some solid indie pop, with leadoff track “At Least We Know” being a standout banger. <br /><br /><br /><b>7mai & DDRKirby(ISQ)</b>: I found 7mai on Bandcamp as well, while DDRKirby(ISQ) was a recommendation from my brother. Both artists practice the sort of high-energy electronica (“Pico pop”? “Kawaii future bass”? Still unsure of the exact name) that usually finds its way onto this playlist, often in the form of artists like Snail’s House or iZme. Oh, speaking of, there are a few more iZme tracks here as well, from my continued dive into their catalog.<br /><br /><br /><b>Caroline Polachek</b>: I’m hyped for her next album dropping in February. “Welcome to My Island” is incredible, full of big moments and sweeping choruses, “Sunsets” is also great (and<a href="https://twitter.com/carolineplz/status/1583844495023800327?lang=en"> she also released a great shitpost featuring it mashed up with Zelda music</a>), all around it’s just exciting things going on.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>The Full Playlist:</u></h3><div><u><br /></u>
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="tg-j6zm" style="text-align: left;">Song</th>
<th class="tg-j6zm" style="text-align: left;">Artist</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Strawberry Mousse</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Celestial</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">7mai</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Quest</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ALEX & Megan McDuffee</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Power Up</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ALEX & Megan McDuffee</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Arcane Life</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ALEX & Megan McDuffee</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Can't Go </td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All the Damn Vampires (feat Mint Simon & Sunglasses Kid)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Strange World </td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All the Damn Vampires (feat. U DYE)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Maybe You Saved Me</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bad Suns & PVRIS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">WEEKEND</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Betty Who</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I CAN BE YOUR MAN</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Betty Who</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ONE OF US</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Betty Who</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Talking to Yourself</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Carly Rae Jepsen</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Shooting Star</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Carly Rae Jepsen</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Loneliest Time </td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Carly Rae Jepsen (feat. Rufus Wainwright)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Welcome to My Island</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Caroline Polachek</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sunset</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Caroline Polachek</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hymn of the Haunted Hunter</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cherax Destructor/marumaru</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Operation Start!!</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cherax Destructor/marumaru</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fruity</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">chloe moriondo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Celebrity</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">chloe moriondo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">nice pup</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">chloe moriondo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">cdbaby<3 underscores remix</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">chloe moriondo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Wild Life</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Client Liaison</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Off White Limousine</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Client Liaison</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">A Foreign Affair</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Client Liaison (feat. Tina Arena)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Claire Danes</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Damn the Witch Siren</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Vulture Culture</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Damn the Witch Siren</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Boys Don't Cry</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Damn the Witch Siren</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Love Song in D Major</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Damn the Witch Siren</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">XXX Me</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Damn the Witch Siren</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sex U Up</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Damn the Witch Siren</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Don't Wanna Say I'm Sorry</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Damn the Witch Siren</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Love Everlasting [Lonely Rolling Star]</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DDRKirby(ISQ)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Starlight Festival</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DDRKirby(ISQ)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sky Spirit Jig</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DDRKirby(ISQ)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Eject</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">DDRKirby(ISQ) & A-zu-ra</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Immaculate Taste</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Engelwood</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Crystal Dolphin</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Engelwood</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Love You to Death</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Glow</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pretty Great</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Glue</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lovesick</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Rotation</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Million</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cosmic Coming of Age</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">San Francisco</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Shake Her</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fickle Friends</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Body Talk</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Foxes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Feet Don't Fail Me Now</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Foxes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Amazing</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Foxes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Overthinking</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Friday Night Firefight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Die Hard</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Friday Night Firefight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Play Myself Again</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">gloss</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mariposa</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">gloss</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tarot Card</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Goth Lipstick</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">New Religion</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gryff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jessie</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gryff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Do You Feel Like This?</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Gryff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Black Sun</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hermes Trismegistus</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Under the Sun</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hermes Trismegistus</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ride</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Indigo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Falling Apart</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Indigo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Stay</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Indigo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Meteor Shower</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">iZme</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Time Traveler (2022 remake)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">iZme</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">:women_wrestling:</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jamie Paige</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Honor Majesty</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jamie Paige</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bizarre Love Triangle </td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jamie Paige (feat. Natbird)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I Got a Girl</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Jukebox the Ghost</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Memphis</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kitten</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Goodbye Honeymoon Phase</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kitten</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">My Block</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kitten</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">American Football</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kitten</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">For Sure</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Korine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Fate</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Korine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Automatic</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lake Street Dive</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Linger</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lake Street Dive</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">ninety four</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LANNDS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">not in a good way</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">LANNDS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ghost</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Laveda</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Rager</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Laveda</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Surprise</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Laveda</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">I'm Not Laughing Anymore</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Left at London</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">SHH! </td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Left at London (feat. COOKIE.)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Crystalline</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lilac</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Wither</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lilac</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">No Sleep</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Lilac</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chelsea's Coming Over</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Little Hurt</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Unconditional</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Magdalena Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Chaeri (Danny L Harle Remix)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Magdalena Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hot Air</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Maple & Beech</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Broken Blood Vessels</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Maple & Beech</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Unofficial</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Maryze</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Too Late</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Maryze</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blinded</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mint Julip</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Stray Fantasies</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mint Julip</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Wrongside</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Misterwives</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Ending</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Modern Original</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Unladylike</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mouse</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Love Me Like You're Gonna Lose Me</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Mouse</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">22 Make</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oh Wonder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">True Romance</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oh Wonder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sweet Disaster</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oh Wonder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Spinning Around the Wheel</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Panic Division</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Love Me Right</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Panic Division</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sidewalk</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Paper Idol</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Young Hearts</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Paper Idol</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Milk & Moon</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pearl Crush</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dance Forever</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Primo the Alien</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Frankenstein</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Rina Sawayama</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">This Hell</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Rina Sawayama</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">You Will Never Be the Best at Anything You Try (Surely Not)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Short Fictions</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Don't Start a Band</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Short Fictions</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Heather</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Short Fictions</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Flirting with Her</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sir Babygirl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Cheerleader</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sir Babygirl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Pink Lite</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sir Babygirl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Bed</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sir Babygirl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Spring Cleaning</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sir Babygirl</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">All Poison</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sobs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sundae</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sobs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Air Guitar</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sobs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Friday Night</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sobs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">World Implode</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sobs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Hunt</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Soul Push</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Youngblood</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Soul Push</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Backseat</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Soul Push</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Your Touch</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Soul Push</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Diamonds</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Soul Push</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Separate World</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">St. Lucia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Take Me Away</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">St. Lucia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Another Lifetime</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">St. Lucia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Anita</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Strawberry Station</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">You Are Valid</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Strawberry Station</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Everything I Had</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sub-Radio</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Radio</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sylvan Esso</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kick Jump Twist</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Sylvan Esso</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Happiness</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The 1975</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Looking for Somebody (To Love)</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The 1975</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Oh Caroline</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The 1975</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Good Time</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Aces</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Around and Around</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Happy Fits</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">In the Lobby</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Happy Fits</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Little One</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Happy Fits</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">No Instructions</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Happy Fits</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Hold Me Down</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Happy Fits</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Brooklyn. Friday. Love.</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Midnight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Heroes</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Midnight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Glass Heart</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tomo Nakayama</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Frozen Love</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Tomo Nakayama</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Blue Light</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Two Door Cinema Club</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Feeling Strange</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Two Door Cinema Club</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">OHMYGOD</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">We Are the Union</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Dry Mind</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">White Hinterland</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Ring the Bell</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">White Hinterland</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl">At Least We Know</td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">YSSY</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-12498836314211821302022-12-26T23:07:00.004-08:002022-12-26T23:09:39.542-08:00Running and Gunning thru Heaven with Neon White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9UN9XIdZF93rwYd65UkT32r6TReIdeJgBnhnJ6FBP8qkjgWL0EhHfhH1kalbps-I422J1XIxByGLig7rmIOsQQK1xXiNF7R90SY6tn7xSXt0mjWfyvI7PCVb3zTdLDMwpPHtI7Dh3n6c-EtNANNMwg3Dm9NMcrjtotn0KVwkxCRmtsb6VQ5X9Byk/s1920/Neon%20White%20Title.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9UN9XIdZF93rwYd65UkT32r6TReIdeJgBnhnJ6FBP8qkjgWL0EhHfhH1kalbps-I422J1XIxByGLig7rmIOsQQK1xXiNF7R90SY6tn7xSXt0mjWfyvI7PCVb3zTdLDMwpPHtI7Dh3n6c-EtNANNMwg3Dm9NMcrjtotn0KVwkxCRmtsb6VQ5X9Byk/w640-h360/Neon%20White%20Title.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Before I get into the article proper, I’d like to repeat my previous housekeeping announcement: Blogger’s email update feature has broken, so I took the opportunity to start a new mailing list for Out of Left Field! This will probably be the single best way to follow updates here; my plan is to only send out something when I have a new article to post. Hopefully, I’ll get to test it out again soon, as I have both an End-of-the-Year Playlist and another Indie Game article in the works. You can sign up in the box below or in the bar at the top (and if you’d like similar updates for my baseball articles, go check out <a href="https://www.hotcornerharbor.com/2022/11/new-hot-corner-harbor-mailing-list-and.html">Hot Corner Harbor</a> for that list!<br /><br /><script src="https://f.convertkit.com/ckjs/ck.5.js"></script>
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.formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="f85f0ad96c"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><br />Ever since I finished this game a few months ago, I’ve been working on this article in fits and starts, alternating between bursts of inspiration where I had so many ideas I wanted to discuss and roadblocks both from writer's block and just personal life scheduling. After a while, I wasn’t even sure if it was worth finishing this anymore, as so many other writers found ways to talk it up. But in the end, I think there are just so many good things in this game that get overshadowed, since <i>so much</i> of it is fantastic, and now seemed like as good a time as any to finish it off, since it’s almost certainly my Game of the Year!<br /><br />There aren’t many games that I’ve been looking forward to over the last few years more than <i>Neon White</i>. Way back in 2019, I played a fun little puzzle-and-comedy game called <a href="http://www.donutcounty.com/"><i>Donut County</i></a>; if you’ve been reading my stuff for a while, you might even remember me mentioning it back then in my <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/03/2019-game-recommendation-round-up.html">Year-End Roundup</a>. If not, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er2DMi6NUwE">it was a fun little game</a> with a cute, cartoon-y art style about moving a hole around, and watching as it grew with each object that fell in. There’s more to it than that on the story side (it was pretty funny, as you might guess from the silly premise), but gameplay-wise, it was mostly just that rewarding little loop: move hole, swallow objects, get bigger, swallow bigger things, repeat until everything in the level is gone.<br /><br />I loved the experience, and as I do when I like an indie game, I decided to follow the game’s developer, Ben Esposito. Sometime after doing so, he announced his follow-up project: a stylish-as-hell, fast-paced first person shooter about a colorful cast of assassins being allowed into Heaven as part of a demon-exterminating competition, developed by his new studio Angel Matrix. A bit of a shift in styles maybe (to put it mildly), but I had only good experiences so far, and it looked extremely up-my-alley, so I was all aboard the hype train from that point. <br /><br />And holy shit, did <a href="https://neonwhite.rip/"><i>Neon White</i></a> live up to my hopes and dreams. <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fDD17TfIn7Y" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />For those who need a little bit more of a description, Neon White is one part First Person Shooter, and one part fast-paced 3D Parkour Platformer; you try to complete every level as fast as you can, while shooting every single demon along the way. The main gameplay mechanic is an ingenious combination of the two sides: the guns in-game are represented by magical cards that you pick up as you find them in the level, sometimes dropped by defeated enemies, sometimes just laying about. <br /><br />Each one works like a standard gun, with a set amount of ammo… but you can also choose to “discard” the weapon. That loses you a demon-slaying option, but gives you some sort of bonus movement in compensation, depending on what type of gun you’re throwing out. So, to provide a basic example, if you can take out all of the demons with five of the six bullets in a pistol, you can discard what remains of it for an extra jump, which you can then use to find shortcuts and improve on your level times.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaUuS4SQwme2_1Is3f42Exhi3V7ie7u5_ptVLarJhnl6yeKVTcceK5FxbQi4DSJomkjznsHzkuABwEGb2Esu12PLBibS-tVVdjnNTPJZvclNh-BDSs1iemydjxkyuJ9iN0n_of7yus7aLrOuQms0zaoi3x8hYUaY5cEF788fO__0PQid_3HPXB37N/s1920/platforming1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaUuS4SQwme2_1Is3f42Exhi3V7ie7u5_ptVLarJhnl6yeKVTcceK5FxbQi4DSJomkjznsHzkuABwEGb2Esu12PLBibS-tVVdjnNTPJZvclNh-BDSs1iemydjxkyuJ9iN0n_of7yus7aLrOuQms0zaoi3x8hYUaY5cEF788fO__0PQid_3HPXB37N/w640-h360/platforming1.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />From there, the game builds up its library of tools and obstacles, which become easy to learn and master over the course of a playthrough. You immediately pick up what each type of gun each card is, how much damage it does, how it fires, and what special movement it grants you. And you get a stable of demons to go with it, learning how they’ll attack you, how much damage they take, and the best way to dispatch them and move forward. <br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />In actuality, there’s not a ton of either, with a half dozen or so weapons to pick up and maybe a dozen types of enemies; enough to allow for variation without getting too overwhelming. What lets <i>Neon White</i> keep things so interesting is their commitment to finding new scenarios for these options, aggressively mixing and matching their options, and then placing them into new contexts.<br /><br />The level design here really is incredible, some of the best in any game that I’ve played. Even now, months after I beat the game, I’ll periodically just boot it up and run through some levels again; even when it’s been a while since I last played, it only takes me a few seconds to go, “Oh right, this one!” <br /><br />All of them are tightly structured, almost like a narrative, with a clear throughline that you follow the first time. But each of them is loaded with shortcuts, some of which you see your first time as you’re running and working on your efficiency, and then more which only become clear as you begin to see the level as a 3D space. Understanding how the different parts fit together gets you a whole array of newer, better short cuts, which you can use to better your time even more.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE37_TOxR6jZmIOqlXL6tdJOi_WKLzWgN9TkEO-ODwOxq04y3ZmHmbxzR5opbVaxNtralZI8GauzDea4niJl8H5SXjFSuMb7SU6PiqbOAa8Sp1woH54Os4fwpjq-j-fU62S5iKyDdEqprgy3T62yFo0nPZPb558YRI5HCIneha3LQaDmTqIz2OK2sl/s1920/platforming3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE37_TOxR6jZmIOqlXL6tdJOi_WKLzWgN9TkEO-ODwOxq04y3ZmHmbxzR5opbVaxNtralZI8GauzDea4niJl8H5SXjFSuMb7SU6PiqbOAa8Sp1woH54Os4fwpjq-j-fU62S5iKyDdEqprgy3T62yFo0nPZPb558YRI5HCIneha3LQaDmTqIz2OK2sl/w640-h360/platforming3.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And a lot of it works like a puzzle, too. For example, to build off of that earlier example I gave, maybe your best option isn’t to take out the demons with five shotgun bullets and then use the gun for a jump, but instead, to use the discard-jump right away to take a bigger shortcut and then take out the demons with a longer-range weapon you find later in the level. It’s the kind of thing you get a feel with as you try out the level and understand how it’s built.<br /><br />And like the best 3D platformers, there’s an in-game system to encourage playing the levels multiple times and learning these aspects. You start with collectibles that unlock on your first finish, pushing you to poke around the edges and corners of the world and look at the level a little deeper. Then if you can hit certain benchmarks on your time, you’ll get a hint at the level’s biggest secret, some sort of marker that draws your eyes in a certain direction and gets you thinking about the trick shots and jumps you can land to cut off chunks of your route.<br /><br />There’s also something about the aesthetic of the levels that sticks with you as you progress through the various districts of Heaven, running and jumping across floating stages of marble temples overlooking glass oceans, modernist skyscrapers tops far above the ground, or overgrown ruins above the clouds. Adding to it is the game’s soundtrack (provided by Machine Girl), a pulsing, glitchy drums-n-bass soundscape that urges you forward while sounding perfectly unnatural. It’s all so pretty to look at and listen to, majestic skylines and sunsets with an unrelenting unease of surrealness beneath it all.<br /><br />All in all, Neon White has a vice-like grip on the aesthetics on the platforming side of things, like the most stylish of action movies, popping off your screen and drawing you in. You get to play as a highly-stylized, sharp-dressed assassin, part of an elite unit of color-themed gunmen, practicing running through the bizarre-but-beautiful worlds of heaven taking down demons through trick shots and flying leaps until you look as practiced doing it as the real characters would.<br /><br />But this is only part of the game! Angel Matrix didn’t spend all of that time coming up with the premise just for the purpose of a unique setting, oh no, there’s an actual story here too! In between sets of stages, you get returned to the central hub of Heaven to learn a little more about the world with your player character, the titular Neon White (“Neon” being the title used for the sinners tapped as Heaven’s new Demon-busters), via voice-acted visual-novel-style conversations with the rest of the cast. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZmFxYtAueVSb8lGhmkSMDxaz_vhx18iU2GO9IxUcLaYGZgQuiEko1mKoZQwRR8gM1I1W1qC0aBUW_IOsBJFAFA07jMkQykueibHPAY__6Llcah2Qy2bI2nFA6Sa3WAnyyO-16YcBPQFxs0A-NjSzNYztT4BIxyv_zYxqK80ryxLnl-gS_tlrEnC4/s1920/vn2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1920" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZmFxYtAueVSb8lGhmkSMDxaz_vhx18iU2GO9IxUcLaYGZgQuiEko1mKoZQwRR8gM1I1W1qC0aBUW_IOsBJFAFA07jMkQykueibHPAY__6Llcah2Qy2bI2nFA6Sa3WAnyyO-16YcBPQFxs0A-NjSzNYztT4BIxyv_zYxqK80ryxLnl-gS_tlrEnC4/w640-h338/vn2.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Upon waking up at the game’s start, White finds himself lacking most of his memories, and is immediately taken in by a group of other Neons who claim to be his friends and teammates during his life, all of whom help fill him in on what’s going on. Once a year, the demons of hell get a little too rowdy and break into the afterlife. The Believers in Heaven have decided they need some assistance to handle the dangerous dirty work, leading them to pull together the various killers and assassins from where they reside to form the Neons. And to encourage their demon-killing performance, the Neons are set up in a competition: whoever kills the most demons over the course of a week gets a one-year “Get Out of Hell” card.<br /><br />It’s an intriguing premise, with a lot of potential directions to explore, but it’s also the area of the game that I’ve seen people be the most dismissive of. I think this is extremely wrong-headed, although I kind of understand it. After all, with everything I’ve said so far, it definitely gives you a very specific, carefully-constructed aesthetic, doesn’t it? Incredibly elegant, masked badasses, taking care of supernatural horrors with <i>Matrix</i>-style <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_fu">gun-fu</a> fights? What type of discussions could they have as they unravel the mysteries of the afterlife?<br /><br />And the answer is… they are all absolutely massive dorks. Yellow calls everyone “Bro” and loves comparing himself to anime protagonists, Violet is a young woman who feels like she still hasn’t moved past her teenage “Hot Topic” goth phase, Red’s “femme fatale” image is belied by her love of dumb jokes and Minions merchandise (or rather, the copyright-safe equivalent). Even White is totally out of his depth and does goofy things like get into arguments about how cool katanas are with the cigar-chomping angel who assigns him missions. <br /><br />(And don’t worry, this isn’t set-up to some sort of cop-out ending where they’re all wrongly here and they aren’t actually killers and thieves; in fact, every member of the crew seems to have met a violent end stemming from their line of work. They’re all just both sinners <b>and</b> dweebs, and I love them even more as characters for that.)<br /><br />You earn all of your story in these segments in the form of conversations or flashbacks, triggered via giving the other characters the various collectables you find in the stages. Occasionally, they’ll also give side quests in the form of new stages, each one tailored to their personalities: straight-forward “gun down demons and reach the goal” stages for Yellow, levels that focus on mastery of the different jumps and movement mechanics for Red, and brutal death traps loaded with spikes and other instant-kill obstacles for Violet.*<br /><br /><i>*I’m fairly certain this was the intent, but if not, it’s still definitely cool thinking about them as bits of characterization for your teammates. “Explaining characters via their level designs” is one of those elements that I particularly enjoy when it pops up because of how unique it is to video games, and I think it’s pretty well-used here! Also, I won’t spoil it, but one of Violet’s stages had one of my favorite, funniest jokes from a game this year.<br /></i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfs0UKeYg_d0hpP9oPN5lRm4IMAo3b2jkhZfcWkoFqca145_9ZFulbVdubIkGphxMbpy08e3-vm-hYgK8uCrMPGGdDQRxXHbz0Sc6VzbHf9ETrEvnJpJX0pBFGXElGgAZK58HcEoOpnZqGeQytb7YFpkQr-LfTholhE7GYk4N4nxSHlT-I2nJNnVSW/s1920/vn1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfs0UKeYg_d0hpP9oPN5lRm4IMAo3b2jkhZfcWkoFqca145_9ZFulbVdubIkGphxMbpy08e3-vm-hYgK8uCrMPGGdDQRxXHbz0Sc6VzbHf9ETrEvnJpJX0pBFGXElGgAZK58HcEoOpnZqGeQytb7YFpkQr-LfTholhE7GYk4N4nxSHlT-I2nJNnVSW/w640-h360/vn1.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This side of the game is the one that I see criticized most regularly, usually in the form of people saying the game is fun action levels and embarrassing story segments to carry you to the next set of great levels. But I disagree with this take on so many levels. First of all, even if you find the characters a bit embarrassing, I think there’s a lot of interesting things going on in the story as well, with you working to uncover a few central mysteries driving the plot, like what happened to White’s crew or why everything in Heaven seems so… off. <br /><br />But more over… I can’t help but feel like that take is completely misguided. First off, this very clearly wasn’t a case of the writers trying to be cool and missing the mark or anything; the characters are written as losers, it’s part of their charm. As Jacob Geller says in his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY8XlXr8t2k">Top Ten Games of 2022 video</a> (adapted from <a href="https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23185130/neon-white-review-speedrun-fps-deck-builder-pc-switch">his review at Polygon</a>), “The characters of Neon White aren’t supposed to be cool — they’re posturing, insecure dorks, and the joy of the story is helping them gradually drop the mask.”<br /><br />And… yeah, that kind of nails the main mark that I wanted to convey. All of these weird touches make the Neons really endearing; they’re all kind of shabby, barely-holding-it-together losers trying as best as they can. It’s kind of a common trope when dealing with morally dark characters (you know, like the game’s main cast) to make them more endearing by humanizing them, showing that they aren’t just violent bundles of rage or something, but it’s a common trope because it <i>goddamn works</i>. <br /><br />It’s such a fun variety of personalities to work with, and the voice cast (including legendary voice actor Steve Blum as Neon White) do such a wonderful job bringing them to life, showing all of them at their best and worst moments and making them feel even more like living, breathing people. I can’t think of any way to scrub them of their charm than making all of them slick, stoic, quipping badasses. Even gaining one of those types would feel like a big trade-off from what we have; especially because the main antagonist of the game (Neon Green) kind of covers a lot of that territory already, a silent wall of muscle and rage that starts the game feeling like a force of nature and slowly shows himself to be much worse than that as you push further into the story.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTfYW6vmmLbH2mL9H2nT0sESRZmxCUv1GmoJ6ClUYyEKQ9UgOUlWvd23-EZr2a2VmYnpm877-cnkxtKBj_JQ290TGAYB0FKljqJA12ZgK2PnYONc_GVClV--EdlNuosWeLLbezH8vY2Kc7cnvQ208erJlNBreodLf2VHdPyUddPdTG2OuW2p_Tk9W/s1920/vn3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTfYW6vmmLbH2mL9H2nT0sESRZmxCUv1GmoJ6ClUYyEKQ9UgOUlWvd23-EZr2a2VmYnpm877-cnkxtKBj_JQ290TGAYB0FKljqJA12ZgK2PnYONc_GVClV--EdlNuosWeLLbezH8vY2Kc7cnvQ208erJlNBreodLf2VHdPyUddPdTG2OuW2p_Tk9W/w640-h360/vn3.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And moreover, I just think the story here is really good! Even aside from the functional decisions, like their endearing weirdness and the mitigation of harsher elements, most of the other character flaws allow for good and relatable arcs that made me root for the characters! Red and White in particular are some of the most fun I’ve had coming to understand characters in a while, just learning what brought them here, what makes them tick, and watching them grow as people. Which is kind of a big deal narratively as well, since forgiveness and repentance are some of the main themes here; maybe that’s not a big shocker for a game set in Heaven, but like, there is very obviously more going on here than the developers just saying “wouldn’t it be badass to have a game about slaying demons in Heaven?”*<br /><br /><i>*I think that also goes for the world design, actually; I’m not well-versed enough in Biblical canon to cite a lot of them, but there were plenty of details in the various parts of Heaven that I recognized as some sort of allusion to less-referenced bits of the Old Testament.)<br /></i><br />And I think they got those themes across pretty well! For one example, you’re given a choice at the end of the game that gives you one of two endings, with no indication which one is the “better” one other than, you know, paying attention to the story. And every time I check, from when I beat the game months ago to now, the better ending has a higher completion rate, even in spite of the fact that a player might not have actually unlocked that choice when they reach it.*<br /><br /><i>*For any completionists, don’t worry; you can just replay the level to see the other ending, and the requirements for unlocking the “good” option aren’t overwhelming. I just think it’s interesting that most people who only get one of them know which one to pick, and I wouldn’t be shocked if more people who got both started with the good ending before checking out the other one out of curiosity’s sake (which is what I did).<br /></i><br /><br /><b><u>—some brief thematic spoilers, skip to the end if you’d like to avoid—<br /></u></b><br />It’s maybe not a surprise that a game about sinners in Heaven has forgiveness and repentance on its mind. Specifically, it’s mostly thinking about forgiveness as something that allows the one doing the forgiving to heal, using the mechanics of Heaven to cut through any ambiguities. Forgiveness is something that universally moves the forgiver towards… whatever comes after this weird, demon-fighting purgatory is. If a character says they worry that their choices were immoral, it’s clear that they mean it, it’s not just them being a good person and second-guessing their choices on the outcomes. If there wasn’t some merit to that feeling, they wouldn’t be here.<br /><br />Neon White is a fascinating character to watch grow and learn and change as a person as he finds all of these things out, but as much as I like him, I think Neon Red is my favorite encapsulation of the game’s themes. White is great to follow around and hear from, but Red might just be one of my favorite video game characters period, a savvy badass and unapologetic dork simultaneously, with infinite patience for those around her, the catalyst who sets everything in motion and who’s character arc marks the beginning of the game’s finale. Yet at the same time, for all that she seems the mature adult in the room (possibly even too mature and understanding) you can tell that it took a lifetime of hurt to get there, and that she’s still learning and growing as she goes. In a stacked voice cast, Alicyn Packard brings Red’s depth to life, and her interplay with Blum’s White is just so good. <br /><br />Really, just putting together the world’s narrative mechanics and all the pieces on its metaphorical gameboard and their various interactions is a treat, and it’s part of what I love. As you go, you get to understand where they’re coming from, what’s driving them, what they’ll do… and yet, the writers still give them a few surprising but understandable twists. Watching them all come to grips with the pain they’ve caused and suffered and how it changed them really drives it all home.<br /><br /><b><u>—end of spoilers—<br /></u></b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPF7cp-xyUX7_k2bD6Mgp_2Y3GD2dtYuy6JXG0fY1iaVhOMoQwM3FqSpC4-IQT_6_wK8wwoEW35xcbTaxnPp5EJBksY7tiyMXMDSFF48UR70jk6UcgPj2XDadzwBvMrCfehVfIZ1GHkS99Qqr4Tsjd6_-SDXxwmD1pB4N0OHhB6gjbcY9lFCjL9Xyb/s1920/platforming2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPF7cp-xyUX7_k2bD6Mgp_2Y3GD2dtYuy6JXG0fY1iaVhOMoQwM3FqSpC4-IQT_6_wK8wwoEW35xcbTaxnPp5EJBksY7tiyMXMDSFF48UR70jk6UcgPj2XDadzwBvMrCfehVfIZ1GHkS99Qqr4Tsjd6_-SDXxwmD1pB4N0OHhB6gjbcY9lFCjL9Xyb/w640-h360/platforming2.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>In just about every way, <i>Neon White</i> is my favorite game of the year. We can speak at length at how fun and smooth it is to play, at how unique and innovative its gameplay is, at how fine-tuned the level design and mechanics are, at how stylish everything in the game is. I’m hardly the first to note all of these things, because all of the praise is well-deserved. But I do think the story, the beating heart at the center of the game, is also worth celebrating despite also getting overlooked. Its earnestness pulls it all together, and adds an interesting narrative and characters to push you through; I constantly found myself desperate for the rest of the story during the levels, and excited to see the upcoming levels during the story sections, and that sort of “each part is as good as the rest” is a truly rare thing to see.</div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-83727596035191446162022-11-29T16:24:00.004-08:002022-11-29T16:24:58.306-08:00New Out of Left Field Mailing List!I have <a href="http://www.hotcornerharbor.com/2022/11/new-hot-corner-harbor-mailing-list-and.html">a new post over at Hot Corner Harbor about this</a> that goes more in-depth on this, and go check that out if you want more information, but in short: Blogger is no longer maintaining their site’s email service, which sent automated emails every time a new post went up on one of their sites. That service has finally broken and is no longer sending out new posts, so I went ahead and started a new mailing list over at ConvertKit. <br /><br />I’ll probably be including sign-ups for this new list after posts or something, at least for a little while as it starts up. But as I said on the HCH post: for anyone concerned, I have no intention to make it paid or anything; this is just a replacement for the free Blogger email service.<br /><br />My posting schedule here is fairly erratic, since this is just something I do on the side when I have an idea and time to write, so updates like this are probably the best way to see new things when I post them. And that’s especially so lately, since social media is looking rather precarious on the whole these days (not that my social media presence was anything major to begin with). 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.formkit-fields{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:25px auto 0 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"] .formkit-field{min-width:220px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 0 15px 0;-webkit-flex:1 0 100%;-ms-flex:1 0 100%;flex:1 0 100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"][min-width~="600"] [data-style="minimal"]{padding:40px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"]{margin-left:-5px;margin-right:-5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="74ac9bdeff"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} </style></form><br /><br /><br />Thank you for indulging this momentary programming notice; hopefully, I’ll have another longer video game article and my normal year-end playlist in the coming weeks (and I’ll notify the list when either goes out!).<br />Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-23461132299891861782022-09-21T20:37:00.001-07:002022-09-21T20:37:30.626-07:00Summer 2022 Playlist Update: YouTube Playlist Now Available!I have a short update on <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/09/music-monday-summer-2022-playlist.html">last week’s Summer Playlist post</a>. For those who don’t use Spotify, I now have a YouTube playlist version available!<br /><br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLNAum9ttHLJV5d3cK3Sf2jIz3xkYGopjL" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Just like with the Spotify playlist, there were a few songs that I could find official versions of (and I’d like to stick to those when possible, both to help those artists when possible and to minimize the chance of videos being taken down and affecting the overall list). 147 out of 153 songs on my list had something available. For the other six:<br /><br />-Polite Fiction: “<a href="https://soundcloud.com/polite-fiction/arrow">Arrow</a>” and “<a href="https://soundcloud.com/polite-fiction/suzerainty">Suzerainty</a>” have SoundCloud uploads by the artist. The newer song, “Drive”, has an official upload though. <br /><br />-Witch Cafe: The same situation as the last time. “<a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-celica/pumpkin-prince-album-version">Pumpkin Prince</a>” and “<a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-celica/purikura">Purikura</a>” are on SoundCloud, although “Cauldron Bay” is still only on the artist’s Bandcamp page, as far as I can tell.<br /><br />-gloss: “Secondhand Beauty Queen” has been uploaded to the band’s YouTube page, however nothing else from that EP (including “Daydreamin’”, which made my playlist) has been. I believe their Bandcamp page is still the only place that has any of those songs?<div><br />I’m not going to re-post the full text of last time, since it got a little long; if you want to read any of my thoughts while you listen, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/09/music-monday-summer-2022-playlist.html">go check out the original article</a>!</div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-23791345513832236142022-09-20T21:59:00.003-07:002022-09-20T21:59:56.813-07:00A Pair of Petite Platformer Recs: Transiruby and Flynn: Son of CrimsonI have an idea for another fairly-large article in the works. However, the writing on it has been going slowly (in addition to some real-life delays), and I wanted to do something in the meantime. It’s been a while since I did my last round-up of smaller recommendations (my two-parter on 3D Platformers way back in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/11/Tasomachi-Here-Comes-Niko-review-3d-platformer.html">November</a> and <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/12/Blue-Fire-Toree-3d-platformer-review.html">December</a>… wow, it does <i>not </i>feel like those were that long ago…), so why not another one of those? <br /><br />Once again, I’m looking at platformers, but today we will be remaining firmly in the realm of two dimensions and red-themed names, with Metroidvania title <i>Transiruby </i>and kinda-sorta-Metroidvania-like <i>Flynn: Son of Crimson</i>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr95hO7sbig2qf61zR1UbEoz5DfPkFypXhJ-edS5vGyni-ysbWS1AMUvhw1gXJziufwuzf2TPXV523BPD6x9lcgBq73LL16B31Sv1Bl36ft0F2nEBV0rQ7-UqZH6pAILEeoKloEpJyRJofy8U6HyndMy2ZvFr4TJpf26Irk3l6Gv4_mRDNeoNBT6i2/s1280/Transiruby1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr95hO7sbig2qf61zR1UbEoz5DfPkFypXhJ-edS5vGyni-ysbWS1AMUvhw1gXJziufwuzf2TPXV523BPD6x9lcgBq73LL16B31Sv1Bl36ft0F2nEBV0rQ7-UqZH6pAILEeoKloEpJyRJofy8U6HyndMy2ZvFr4TJpf26Irk3l6Gv4_mRDNeoNBT6i2/w640-h360/Transiruby1.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>Transiruby (SKIPMORE)</b><br /><br />I’ve said in the past that the Nintendo Switch is a great platform for indie games, but this was even more true early in the console’s life. It was much easier for a small but well-made game to stand out in the eShop back when there just wasn’t as much on the console. One of the big beneficiaries of this was <i>Kamiko </i>(which you may recognize from <i>waaaay </i>back in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/01/my-favorite-indie-games-of-2017.html">my 2017 year-end round-up</a>), a title by solo Japanese developer SKIPMORE that was released about a month and a half after the console launched. I had heard basically nothing about it when I saw it while browsing the eShop for new games to try. There weren't a ton of bigger games overshadowing it yet, it wasn’t expensive, and it looked solid, so I gave it a shot and enjoyed myself. <br /><br />I hadn’t thought much about it lately, until I was browsing upcoming games and saw <i>Transiruby</i>. Once again, it looked like a cute little 8-bit Metroidvania. Of course, given the current crowd of the eShop, that wasn’t enough to just give it a try on a whim; so I looked into it a little more, at which point I went “Oh shoot, this is the <i>Kamiko </i>guy!”, which was enough to convince me (although for those who don’t have that past experience, there is also a Steam demo you can give a whirl to see if it’s your thing). <br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />And what I found was… basically an experience a lot like a more-developed, more-polished <i>Kamiko</i>: a fun little game with solid fundamentals and visuals that get the most out of their simplified 8-bit aesthetics, with clean sprites on vibrant and colorful backgrounds.* Maybe that’s a little surprising, but as I’ve noted in the past, there’s a lot of similarities in the core design of Metroidvanias and Top-Down A-A games, and SKIPMORE understands what each one needs specifically to build on those basics. And there’s a definite shared identity between the two games as well, from a lot of reused sprites and visual stylings, to a similar basic health and energy mechanic gameplay loop, to a playable character from the earlier game reappearing as a major character in <i>Transiruby</i>.<br /><br /><i>*I’m actually shocked how much of an improvement the visuals are; not that either game is bad, I just kind of assumed there was a ceiling on good 8-bit pixel art. But after going back to try </i>Kamiko <i>for this, and there’s noticeably more polish and detail, especially in those backdrops. They still aren’t overly complex or anything, but it does stand out, I think. <br /></i><br /><br />But let’s go back to the basic question; what makes <i>Transiruby </i>good? Well, perhaps the most crucial thing for this style of game, the movement feels really good. It’s all very fluid, you move at a good speed for the size of the world, player character Siruby* is responsive to sharp turns and jumps and other sudden moves if you want to maneuver around obstacles, your attacks are reliable and predictable… It’s all of that stuff that really stands out when it’s wrong, but which can go unnoticed when it works. But I had, for instance, zero problems with running across large chunks of the map to explore for secrets of my own volition; just wandering around felt smooth and fun. This was actually something I liked about <i>Kamiko </i>too, I realized while going back to it for this piece, so it’s nice to see that focus came back.<br /><br /><i>*The playable character, as seen on the game’s title screen, is a red android girl, so I <b>assumed </b>her name would be Ruby; that feels like a fairly common name for a female character, and would be reasonably fitting as a red-colored robot. But no, it’s Siruby. I suppose it’s still a combination of “Transport” and her name either way, so it’s not a huge shock, but I still found it funny how much the small twist caught me off-guard.<br /></i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblwykrQngOlsPhGY9FEKBK0I09klVzQsCytevjoWHYUDLhmuYg-oIn4iRWfPGA2hz0h9JlOM3xv7eM4j2YTS2UZPmxXgWjOlLDCVVPIpz04Fzra54S5TA7dM3XSdKYB6Z4NCnOMxaDbouJZ2-5zZiLQ8w-KAHLJr2M8TltGIfVpDJso9m9kaAGVUS/s1280/Transiruby2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblwykrQngOlsPhGY9FEKBK0I09klVzQsCytevjoWHYUDLhmuYg-oIn4iRWfPGA2hz0h9JlOM3xv7eM4j2YTS2UZPmxXgWjOlLDCVVPIpz04Fzra54S5TA7dM3XSdKYB6Z4NCnOMxaDbouJZ2-5zZiLQ8w-KAHLJr2M8TltGIfVpDJso9m9kaAGVUS/w640-h360/Transiruby2.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><i>Transiruby </i>makes it really easy to move and do basic platformer inputs with consistent intentionality, which is maybe the most important thing a game like this can do. You might find something that you can’t do, but it never feels like something you <i>should </i>be able to. For example, Siruby’s basic attacks are mostly tied to the four cardinal directions, but there was never a moment where I felt like I needed more than that. There are times when I failed a jump, but it was usually very clear when I did that I had either misjudged something in my movement, or that I wasn’t supposed to be going that way. <br /><br />It also helps that the world’s map is well-designed. Again, it’s clear when you aren’t “supposed” to be going a specific way (either through some sort of block or dead end), but it’s also usually designed in such a way that it is very clear when there will be a reason to return later (usually either a shortcut or backtrack, although sometimes more). The world mostly reveals itself in chunks, with the collectables you need to progress marked on a map in your newly-accessed region. And even when you’re kind of lost at where to go, there are markings telling you if you’re in the right sector, making the challenge a puzzle of how to get to somewhere rather than wandering all over creation (although there are secret, more spread-out special collectibles for those with good memories). <br /><br />And going back to the movement, it helps that all of the upgrades fit <i>Transiruby</i>’s core design, feeling smooth and easy-to-use, and having functionality as moves or attacks outside of unlocking progression. The Metroidvania-standard double jump feels good to unlock thanks to both how good the basic jump feels and how many paths the second one opens up. The speed-up mechanic is a lot of fun to use. Improvements to the gun gradually make it so much more usable, from a niche tool to something you can use as much as your standard sword attack. Even the final world drops a surprising-yet-fun final movement option on you.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc1u1_Vft8Y05wUoRyXDLsVSPr8hRC99OEMwcatPoFiPEqrr31iMyccrgBXBJB1eqidArcvuru15PuniOqVubdaaV1JcDEX90B_Z3t-qjtRjzinAVK3zEfLLQBuaP8_Se-Ng_-S4GWjTywdnGHCdQ-FEU7DpgriLvcNsRTCmQOXw1jTjcB9OQL292/s1280/Transiruby3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc1u1_Vft8Y05wUoRyXDLsVSPr8hRC99OEMwcatPoFiPEqrr31iMyccrgBXBJB1eqidArcvuru15PuniOqVubdaaV1JcDEX90B_Z3t-qjtRjzinAVK3zEfLLQBuaP8_Se-Ng_-S4GWjTywdnGHCdQ-FEU7DpgriLvcNsRTCmQOXw1jTjcB9OQL292/w640-h360/Transiruby3.jpeg" width="640" /></a> <br /><br />In all, <i>Transiruby </i>is rather straightforward, but so well-made in its simplicity and so fun to play that its dozen or so hours of playtime sped by; I don’t at all regret picking it up. In fact, I enjoyed it enough that I went back and made a second file to attempt speedrunning it, using my carried-over knowledge. I don’t do a ton of replays, and almost never back-to-back like that, so it’s definitely high praise in my books. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecwT9aMYHp49dUJKqst0Fib1_5XyR6qg_h_r_cRX9NQuFypf4MujdAXw5tfjw1j8oQPINkMCkKO4ZoiWweLT5xrefU4MVUeooA99EDMTJlNMXZaeeQ9Ao88XxeO4qrVa6dcyRg1Zksn2QdYF-dhrbp1ZyJvJRflk8q8-m4i3QrQrkvcNvPp3qalGr/s2559/Flynn1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2559" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecwT9aMYHp49dUJKqst0Fib1_5XyR6qg_h_r_cRX9NQuFypf4MujdAXw5tfjw1j8oQPINkMCkKO4ZoiWweLT5xrefU4MVUeooA99EDMTJlNMXZaeeQ9Ao88XxeO4qrVa6dcyRg1Zksn2QdYF-dhrbp1ZyJvJRflk8q8-m4i3QrQrkvcNvPp3qalGr/w640-h360/Flynn1.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b>Flynn: Son of Crimson (Studio Thunderhorse)<br /></b><br />I don’t really have any sort of extended backstory with how I came across <i>Flynn: Son of Crimson</i>, like I do with <i>Transiruby</i>; some developers I follow on Twitter tweeted about its Kickstarter campaign a few years ago, I was impressed with what I saw, so I backed it. And last year, after four-plus years of development, it finally released. <br /><br />And a lot of what makes it work so well is the same thing that sold me on the Kickstarter back then, and will probably come across even through <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3yRZzEC178">the release trailer</a>. The game is gorgeous as hell, with some of the lushest pixel art scenery and highly-animated character sprites you’re going to find in a game. It’s also just as smooth and fluid to play as it looks, with every movement option straightforward and easy to use, and full range of attacks to unlock, all balanced and each with their own clear purpose. It’s simply everything you could want out of an hack-and-slash-y action-platformer.<br /><br />As I alluded to back in the intro, <i>Flynn </i>isn’t <i>really </i>a Metroidvania. Subgenre classifications are always a little fuzzy, and I think you could argue that it has all the requisite elements to classify as one (albeit remixed into slightly different forms), but it’s certainly not an argument that would appease purists. At its core, it’s still a bunch of levels served up in a world map, just as you’ll see in a whole host of 2D platformers. But <i>Flynn </i>drew me in much more than most of those thanks to a design choice: making the world map a branching affair, thanks to levels with multiple exits.<br /><br />This is something that I’ve always appreciated in platformers (especially growing up on <i>Super Mario World</i>, which is maybe the most notable use of it?); it’s a simple but neat little bonus element that adds a lot of fun options to your level design. A lot of them, like hunting for secrets or noticing how new abilities can open up new paths in old levels, scratch the same sorts of itches as Metroidvanias, but with less backtracking and need for total map connectivity and everything else that comes with making a full-on Metroidvania. <br /><br />It’s also weirdly rare? Like, I don’t know if it’s uncommon enough to count it as a fully <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/Orphaned%20Mechanics">Orphaned Mechanic</a> (my term for gameplay choices that have gone underutilized since their introduction, by their originators or otherwise). And yet… despite being a fairly basic mechanic and having a solid history, it feels like there should be an absolute plethora of recent examples of it.<br /><br />Seriously, how many games can you think of that have used it? For as much as platformers dominated the indie game scene for years, it seems like most of them either stuck to making puzzle-platformers, or went the route of a true Metroidvania. I feel like I should be able to think of at least three or four examples outside of <i>Flynn </i>that have played with their level design this way in that time, and I’m mostly drawing a big blank. The only one that I can think of is the Mario series itself, which would eventually circle back around to the idea in 2012 with <i>New Super Mario Bros U</i>, a full 21 years after its most recent appearance back in World and four games into the New subseries of Mario games (although some of the early titles flirted with overly-simplified variations of the idea). But that’s basically it, and even that example is a decade old at this point!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJpg5DiEKOZh0CW4T66tblvF6Dz56GFGAFcfBi8mwK29l8OZ7NevWcI17cwDthFiHCDOcXfeuCb7b60jr4oDk2b59LUazG2onv2s-cnHMaIFev1_XRDa7dowgQXAKYS22yFSyb9XG8LXPoZNI1Tssgli5ytnyPi4wJYt7yljOmkF8Rge2BD8RO6o8/s2559/Flynn2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2559" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJpg5DiEKOZh0CW4T66tblvF6Dz56GFGAFcfBi8mwK29l8OZ7NevWcI17cwDthFiHCDOcXfeuCb7b60jr4oDk2b59LUazG2onv2s-cnHMaIFev1_XRDa7dowgQXAKYS22yFSyb9XG8LXPoZNI1Tssgli5ytnyPi4wJYt7yljOmkF8Rge2BD8RO6o8/w640-h360/Flynn2.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />But <i>Flynn: Son of Crimson</i> is finally another entry in the canon, and it does things with its own style. Much like <i>SMW</i>, there’s a pattern to the overworld, showing you which levels to focus your searches on even while not explicitly telling you that. There’s a mix of extra exits, too; some are secrets leading to bonus challenges and areas, incentivizing exploring around the level’s edges. Others are clearly telegraphed, telling you at the beginning to come back later once you have a specific upgrade, giving you access to another path (this is the spirit that makes me most willing to consider it at least Metroidvania-inspired) and often another chapter to the game’s story.<br /><br />I know the big thing about Metroidvania for a lot of people is the elements of discovery and exploration, and if that’s your favorite part of them, then you might not be as big a fan here; there are some secret to hunt for, but it’s nowhere near what you’d find in even smaller full-on Metroidvania titles (like, say, <i>Transiruby</i>). <i>Flynn </i>does have some of that, but only enough to break things up every now and then; the story keeps moving forward at a decent pace, otherwise. But I think that interconnection of the game world can serve other purposes, and <i>Son of Crimson </i>does a lot in exemplifying those uses. <br /><br />It makes the whole world feel more complete, like a real place. Levels’ settings and backgrounds progress naturally, like gradually procession from a forest, past the coastline, then up a mountain, before coming to a fork that can lead you in multiple directions (and when you return later to take an alternate path, the developers get to reuse at least some of their art, since they generally made entirely new backgrounds between levels; it’s actually really impressive how much unique art there is here). <br /><br />And you get the fun moments of foreshadowing, where a path will obviously be blocked of by something, and you get to build anticipation at what gear will help you traverse it later, or where it might lead to, plus all of the satisfaction of returning once you know you have what you need to move on. I’ve come to appreciate that as a sort of storytelling that is specific to video games, and I think Studio Thunderhorse has a good grasp of it, in a way that helps make <i>Flynn: Son of Crimson</i> feel extra cinematic.<div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg306J7ypzwe-cRTtwX8BPmxDBbP_ji2qhBX1SQAsDjMuXF-8qc7uov98zz4bmYRvnYwyTjDH80pD6g9aYGaNYgWn0v5BglCLkKLyMgusCMi60Oi1RN2XTXEPdq-XUb-SNReDQXWGni3w9NG6BkgTylujB4yOVhMZ1iXwMaAlkhDTYPKGEE0MReV8cB/s2560/Flynn3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg306J7ypzwe-cRTtwX8BPmxDBbP_ji2qhBX1SQAsDjMuXF-8qc7uov98zz4bmYRvnYwyTjDH80pD6g9aYGaNYgWn0v5BglCLkKLyMgusCMi60Oi1RN2XTXEPdq-XUb-SNReDQXWGni3w9NG6BkgTylujB4yOVhMZ1iXwMaAlkhDTYPKGEE0MReV8cB/w640-h360/Flynn3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div> <br />In the end, I don’t think Flynn is a new and revolutionary concept in most senses. But, I do think it is an incredibly well-polished 2D platformer with smooth, fun-to-perform actions and attacks, beautiful sound and art production, and enough good design sense and interesting ideas pulled from different sources to make things still feel special.</div></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-54507337821861084152022-09-12T22:00:00.005-07:002022-09-21T20:43:08.398-07:00Music Monday: Summer 2022 PlaylistIt is once again that time of year, the point late in the summer where I decide “yeah, that’s a good enough cut-off” and <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/Playlist">build a loosely-defined playlist of what I’ve been listening to lately</a>. There’s a lot to cover in this year’s version; I feel like I spent a lot of time browsing new music the past few months, and I had a lot of thoughts to write out about some of it, so let’s dive right into things.<div><br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3b2Q2qaFW7lSptzCB3UTY5?utm_source=generator" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br />(As a note: not every song I included here is on Spotify. The iZme songs can be found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpHvOIR4oMU">here</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-G2sBvVbrc">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkkjKVdW24M">here</a>. Meanwhile, two of the Witch Café songs can be found <a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-celica/purikura">here</a> and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-celica/pumpkin-prince-album-version">here</a>; however, I think “Cauldron Bay” may only be publicly posted on the artist’s Bandcamp page?).<br /><br />9/21 Update: There's now also a YouTube Playlist version, for those who would prefer that:</div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLNAum9ttHLJV5d3cK3Sf2jIz3xkYGopjL" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>It's still missing the Witch Café songs, as well as one of the gloss songs and two Polite Fiction songs (although those can be found <a href="https://soundcloud.com/polite-fiction/arrow">here</a> and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/polite-fiction/suzerainty">here</a>).</div><div><br />Let’s start with the big guns: my pick for Album of the Summer is <i>The Kick</i>, by Foxes. I listened to her debut album <i>Glorious </i>back in 2014, and it was fine. I didn’t revisit it a ton, so there’s a lot of it that kind of faded from my memory, but there were definitely stand-out parts, like the dramatic timpani rolls and stuttered vocals of “Youth” and the layered, Florence + the Machine-like vocals on the chorus of “Holding onto Heaven”. But I ended up missing out on her 2016 follow-up, and probably would have missed out on <i>The Kick</i> had my brother not sent it to me.<br /><br />I kind of really regret not checking out <i>All I Need</i>, though, because I really did not see her swing into Carly Rae Jepsen-style dance-y synthpop on <i>The Kick</i> coming, let alone her skill at the style. This really is exactly what I want out of a summer album, just non-stop sing-along choruses and sparkling synth hooks for days. <br /><br />Every one of these could be a standout single on a normal album, and it makes the 40-minute album breeze along. I could run on a loop without getting tired of it (and I suppose I have, to some extent), and I could pick any combination of three songs for it (my unofficial limit on a single album’s representation for these lists) and not feel bad (although it was difficult to ignore the pulsing excitement of opener “Sister Ray” or the absolutely cathartic drop in the bridge of “Potential”). With Carly pushing her next album into October, I am so glad this was here to pick up the slack as my soundtrack of the summer. And in the meantime, I definitely need to go back in her discography and see what I missed.</div><div> <br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />A strong runner-up in the “Best Album” category was MUNA, with their self-titled third album. I’ve been a regular fan of theirs, naming their debut <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/01/music-monday-best-music-of-2017.html">one of my favorite albums of 2017</a> (and while I forgot to make a 2019 Playlist, <i>Saves the World</i> was absolutely on my shortlist for that year). <i>MUNA </i>keeps up that streak, with their shortest and smallest-scale record yet. The band still has their ability to write big, sprawling melodies over layers of synth textures, but it feels like the subjects are much more smaller-scale than some of their past records. <br /><br /></div><div>Tracks like “Silk Chiffon” (<a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/02/music-monday-end-of-2021-playlist.html">on my previous playlist, as a single</a>) or “Solid” are applied to more straight-forward love songs, and even the more reflective pieces like “Home By Now” keep the type of introspective thoughts like those on their past records to more specific moments. There are some times I wished it had gone a little bigger (“Solid” especially; it feels packed with more musical ideas than its brief 2:21 runtime can hold), but better to leave you wanting than overstaying its welcome, I suppose. <br /><br /><br />There are a lot of reasons that I make these playlists and write these articles for them. I really enjoy sharing the music I enjoy with other people; and I find that they make for fun snapshots into periods of my life, which makes them good mementos to return to. But another reason I do them is that, while writing them, I force myself to return to a lot of music, and in that revisiting, sometimes I’ll gain a new appreciation for something that I bounced off of the first time. That wound up being the case with Bastille’s new album, <i>Give Me the Future</i>.<br /><br />I don’t think that I’ve really gotten a chance to talk about it here, but I like Bastille a lot, but I didn’t latch onto their third album <i>Doom Days</i> as strongly as their first two albums or a lot of their side projects. I’m still not as sure why, really; for a while, I thought it was that the album was a little shorter and smaller in scope, but in retrospect, even the extended <i>This Got Out of Hand</i> double album version didn’t do much to move my opinion (which, again, hadn’t really been the case with the first two’s extended editions). <br /><br /><i>Give Me the Future</i> was again on the shorter side, and I feel like I had something else going on around its release, so I gave it a listen or two. But re-listening to it, I actually liked it a lot. I think the clear sci-fi concept works well, especially since the shorter length helps keep it focused and from getting too excessive. I know that big, spiraling, melodramatic grandeur is kind of their thing (and it’s a big reason why I love them as artists!), but the big theming helps cancel out any losses from a shortened length. I also think re-viewing it as a whole rather than a bunch of singles helped, since the pre-release songs were strong (and I still think the best song on the whole is “Thelma + Louise”, which appeared on my playlist last summer). But there’s still a lot to love in deep cuts like “Shut Off the Lights” and “Back to the Future”. <br /><br />I’ve also really liked some of the songs on the extended <i>Dreams of the Past</i> version, which was released the final week of August, although I might need some more time seeing how it holds up as a whole. It’s a full-on <b>triple </b>album that makes the runtime nearly two and a half times its original length, and that’s just… a lot to digest at once. <br /><br /><br />Jukebox the Ghost also returns with another strong effort. It’s been a few years since their last full album, 2018’s <i>Off to the Races</i> (likely due to their heavy focus on touring, which is hard to do during a pandemic; but I’d absolutely recommend their live show, for anyone who hasn't seen them yet). And in that time, their brand of theatrical, piano-driven power pop has been sorely missed, which is why it’s great that <i>Cheers </i>sees them at their best. I’ve already featured a few of the album’s early tracks in my last playlist (namely the title track and “Ramona”), but there are a lot of strong points here. Opener “Hey Maude” has the kind of frantic energy and piano runs that make it such an exciting opener (and remind me of “Schizophrenia” from <i>Everything Under the Sun</i>, which is one of my favorite songs of theirs, so that’s always good). The big brass hits in the chorus of “Brass Band” are such a fun moment, and “Move Along” is such a tight little pop number that shows off how good they are at writing catchy hooks and building up songs. There are just so many good moments here, and it’s going to be fun to revisit it going forward.<br /><br /><br />I highlighted Witch Café last year for her debut EP, and she returns this year with full album <i>Witchpop Volume Two.</i> It’s exactly what you’d expect, a bunch of high-energy chiptune songs. Absolutely worth checking out if you also found her stuff last summer interesting.<br /><br /><br />I’m really late to this one, but I first heard “Ablaze” by School of Seven Bells and instantly fell in love. It’s just a blast of dreamy synths and breezy vocals that feels ethereal, and it’s an all-timer of a song. And learning about the tragic backstory of its album, 2016’s <i>SVIIB </i>(lead singer Alejandra Deheza finished it following the death of her bandmate Benjamin Curtis to leukemia), just makes it all the more beautiful and haunting.<br /><br /><br />It’s not nearly as tragic, but the story behind Casey Dienel’s 2017 album <i>Imitation Of A Woman To Love</i> definitely has its own bittersweet side. I had heard of Casey’s prior project, White Hinterland, but not much more than that, and I completely missed <i>Imitation </i>on its initial release, but I was drawn in when I listened. Casey has an interesting, practiced voice, the kind that calls to mind the haunting, airy belting of Florence Welch. But the arrangements here are the exact opposite of Florence + the Machine; sparse, dark, electronic, and often tinged with a weary bitterness. The combination of simple, addictive synth lines and evocative lyrics, like in “Sincerely Insincerely”, just wedged themselves into my mind; you’ll get a bleeping keyboard loop that feels like it’s echoing in a large room under swelling vocals about ominous visions among mundane suburbia, only for the orchestration to gradually build in fullness to walls of sound to accompany the dramatic singing. It really is something to behold over the course of a song. <br /><br />And then, while searching for more information about the album’s story, I found <a href="https://medium.com/@whitehinterland_90955/why-i-quit-my-dream-job-abaa4b8bfa61">this 2019 post from Dienel herself, “Why I Quit My Dream Job In The Music Industry”</a>, discussing how the album served as a sort of soft retirement: the end of over a decade of trying relentlessly to make a dream, a lifestyle, and ultimately a job, just work out, and all of the challenges along the way. It’s a really good article that I would highly recommend, the story of slowly coming to hard understandings about both yourself and your dreams; and it just adds so much depth to <i>Imitation</i>, keeping it alive in the back of mind. But even then, there’s the kernel of hope there, for reinvention and being more than the limiting ways we often define ourselves. <br /><br /><br />I wasn’t as big a fan of the sophomore album of Pale Waves, so I’m happy to say that I found their third album <i>Unwanted </i>much closer to their stellar debut. The group has moved much more firmly in a pop-punk direction, and that decision has allowed their natural skill at hooks and sing-along choruses to shine through; any of the baker’s dozen songs here could be a single, and they’re all a good time. The songwriting on <i>Who Am I?</i> seemed a lot less certain (in retrospect, it was perhaps aptly named), but with an album of hindsight, it makes sense as a midpoint between this and the more new wave-inspired debut <i>My Mind Makes Noises</i>. I think for personal preferences, I’ll prefer the latter (and the highs of that one were maybe a tad higher), but I think they absolutely hit the mark here.<br /><br /><br />Speaking of semi-bounceback albums, I think Joywave’s <i>Cleanse </i>is my favorite album of theirs since their 2015 debut <i>How Do You Feel Now?</i> Their usual sarcasm feels so sharp and focused, and “Buy American” especially is definitely one of my favorite songs in their repertoire.<br /><br /><br />After numerous delays (the longest being waiting until they could tour to support its release), The Family Crest finally released <i>The War: Act II</i>. I have yet to listen to it back-to-back with 2018’s <i>Act I</i>, but I think it holds its own. I’m a sucker for the opening sax of “Hearts on Fire”, and “Pride” stands out even more as the centerpiece, two years after it was released to tease the eventual full album. If you’re a fan of the lush arrangements of orchestral pop, it’s hard to go wrong with The Family Crest.<br /><br /><br />If you prefer your complex arrangements delivered in a more traditional, rock music style, definitely check out Gang of Youths. I wound up checking out their new album <i>angel in realtime</i> and its 2017 predecessor <i>Go Farther in Lightness</i> after hearing some good reviews, and I wound up loving both of them. The band’s songwriting has this natural storyteller vibe, putting you in the moment of their story, and singer David Le’aupepe can wring so much emotion out of his voice, alternating between his baritone growl and shouted exclamations and everything else with great precision (maybe it’s cliche of me, but it makes me think of singers like Bruce Springsteen or Craig Finn, although I think David has a smoother voice than either of them). And the band knows how to go big and grand; I love things like the dramatic string line undergirding the 7-minute “Achilles Come Down” like a constant heartbeat, or the combined 9-minute suite that is “Le Symbolique” and “Let Me Down Easy”, which can just tear your heart out at a moment’s notice several times over with a dramatic instrumental swell or line reflecting on the end of a doomed romance. If there’s a downside here, it’s that their excess can take a toll; both albums fall in the 70 to 80 minute range, and can sometimes drag (even on <i>angel in realtime.</i>, which does a slightly better job of reigning it in). But if you don’t mind that, there’s a lot to love on both of them.<br /><br /><br />I don’t know that <i>Beam Me Up</i> reaches the highs of past Mystery Skulls albums, but it’s a solid 35 minutes of electro-funk. He basically has it down to a science at this point, cranking out another extremely-listenable, danceable album of synth-rock roughly every 18 months.<br /><br /><br />I usually try to keep the songs from video game soundtracks that I listen to a lot at least a little separate from these playlists; most of the time, I just listen to them straight-through, and I don’t know that they make for good entries on playlists anyway. But “4:42 Still Free” by Danger absolutely slaps, so it gets a pass; for those who didn’t see my past writing on it, check out <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/05/Haven-review-recommendation-the-game-bakers.html">my review of The Game Bakers’ <i>Haven</i></a>! And if you’re interested in other fun game soundtracks, I’ve been listening to <i>Guilty Gear -Strive-</i> after finally getting into that game, as well as Machine Girl’s <i>Neon White</i> soundtrack (more to come on the latter!). <br /><br /><br />Speaking of video game soundtracks, I’ve mentioned <i>River City Girls</i> a few times (most prominently as part of my <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/03/2019-game-recommendation-round-up.html">2019 Year-End Round-Up</a>), including how it has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M4wUpSNXzE">great</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA0yE1hlMRE">music</a>. Well, I finally checked out the independent work of the composer behind that, Megan McDuffee. Her most recent album, <i>Inner Demons</i>, is some great dark, moody synthwave, perfect for vibing on a dark night or rainy day. And she recently released a single titled “Villain”, which is filled with some deliciously filthy, bass-y synth work (it’s a collaboration with ALEX apparently meant to contrast with an earlier project of theirs titled <i>Hero</i>, but I still need to check that one out). And to tie it back, I think “Villain” is also a nice companion piece to some of the <i>Neon White</i> soundtrack that I was just mentioning. <br /><br /><br />If you prefer your moody, contemplative albums to be more on the rock side of things, I also enjoyed The Greeting Committee’s <i>Dandelion</i>. It’s a little less tightly tied to that tone, though, so you’ll also get the occasional fun song, like “Make Out”. And if you want something lighter and more dream-pop for setting the atmosphere, Soft Velvet Lounge’s debut <i>Life of the Party</i> is solid, with “Polaroid Girl” as a standout track.<br /><br /><br />I also have a few follow-ups on some artists I covered in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2022/02/music-monday-end-of-2021-playlist.html">my End of 2021 Playlist</a>. After loving <i>Mercurial World</i>, I spent a lot of time listening to their pre-album backlog; turns out, I loved a lot of that, too! I went with breadth, picking “Head Over Heels” (a Tears for Fears cover), “Move Slow”, and “Kill Shot”; that’s one representative each from prior EPs <i>Day/Pop</i>, <i>Night/Pop</i>, and <i>A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling</i> (which, at 8 songs, maybe strains the distinction between “EP” and “album”, but whatever), but basically everything I listened to was great. And they’re soon releasing a Deluxe Version of <i>Mercurial World</i>, so there’s a lot to look forward to (I’m usually more indifferent to remixes, but I really liked Danny L Harle’s hyperpop take of “Chaeri”, which served as the lead single).<br /><br />Speaking of hyperpop-ish follow-ups, there’s underscores’s successor to <i>fishmonger</i>, an EP titled <i>boneyard aka fearmonger</i>. I’m not sure if it’s an entirely separate thing, B-sides from fishmonger, or something else, but I think I liked it even more than its predecessor. The hooks on songs like “Girls and boys” and “Saltfields” are just etched into my brain now, and I found myself wishing it went on longer than it’s 18-ish minute runtime. <br /><br />And of course, there’s new 100 gecs single “Doritos & Fritos”, which (and I mean this with the utmost appreciation) sounds like it came off the soundtrack for a Splatoon game. In non-hyperpop updates, if you’re in the mood for more fun covers, Alex Lahey returns with a fun cover of Faith Hill’s “This Kiss” that brings her characteristic rock edge to the classic. Also, I haven’t written about them since their last album back in 2020, but while I’m talking covers by artists I’ve talked about repeatedly, Misterwives released a cover of the Cranberries’ “Dreams” among their recent singles, and they do such a great performance of an all-time classic.<br /><br />I continue to be dumbfounded at <i>League of Legends</i>’ successes in non-games spaces. Their music curation, for one, has been weirdly strong. I don’t know how they got Porter Robinson (who I guess I featured on the Summer 2021 list rather than Year-End, but whatever) to do a song for them, but it's a good one, so it’s included here. And playlist regular Snail’s House also did a few solid songs for them, although I wound up including some of his non-<i>LoL</i> recent output. I’m still going to try the game, though. <br /><br />And Left at London’s <i>T.I.A.P.F.Y.H.</i> follow-up single “Bloodlust” is solid, and saw play in my rotation in the first half of the year. It also led me to discover (while writing this) that she released an EP back in June. Honestly, I’ve already gone over some of the bigger reasons I do these playlists, but a small part of me also does it because I have no idea how to keep track of music releases, and sometimes I’ll find out things like this while doing research on an artist. <br /><br /><br />Speaking of “being late to the party on news”, I also learned a few months ago that The Mowgli’s split up… 2 years ago? I liked them for a long time, and if you weren’t familiar with their work, maybe check out their album <i>Waiting for the Dawn</i> (or its big single, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RZqPq1-1Tw">San Francisco</a>”). However, I also learned that they basically just split into two projects, with lead singer Colin Dieden going solo under the name Little Hurt, and the rest of the band continuing as Modern Original. So I included a little of both.<br /><br />“Borders” by Milk & Bone and “Hollow” by End of the World and DNCE are some perfect pop songs. I don’t have much else to add, but I would be remiss to let them go unremarked.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>For the next section,</b> I might go a little quicker. I’ve been finding and trying out more smaller artists lately, mostly by browsing Bandcamp on their Bandcamp Fridays (for those unfamiliar, those are mostly-monthly days where the site waives their cut of each sale and instead gives to the artist; if you’re also interested, <a href="https://isitbandcampfriday.com/">the next one is October 7th</a>). Some of them might not have their work posted on every single music service, but at the very least, you should be able to find them on their individual Bandcamp pages. This is also the section where some of the releases might be the oldest (especially since in some cases, I dug through their back catalog a little bit), but since the artists aren’t big names, I feel substantially less guilty than I normally do about including older songs. <br /><br /><u>The rundown:</u><br /><br />Jamie Paige: If you like synth pop or vocaloid stuff, definitely check Jamie out. Her late 2021 album <i>Bittersweet </i>has been one of my favorites to listen to this year, and the three songs she’s released since then have been similarly stand-out. I also enjoyed digging through her back catalog, including a realization that I had actually heard her before (she was a featured vocalist on <a href="https://youtu.be/sWbD5q769Ms">Moe Shop’s “Love Taste”</a>, which I could have sworn I put on a past playlist, but I guess not).<br /><br />Panic Division: Their 2019 album <i>Touch </i>was another highlight, just a delight of atmospheric pop-rock coated in glistening synths and guitar hooks. I wish the closing was a little stronger, but the highlights are catchy, and putting it on just lightens the mood.<br /><br />Dresage: This is another one where I had a lot of fun digging through their work; it’s a lot of fun indie-pop from someone who’s well-practiced at songwriting. “Dinners at Home” in particular is standout stuff. Dresage is the solo project for singer/songwriter Keeley Bumford, and while she hasn’t broken out in a mainstream way, she seems to pop up in a lot of places while I was looking for more music, with soundtrack work, songs being licensed for TV shows, guest appearances on music Youtube shows like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQi2hlCKjs8">Andrew Huang’s “4 Producers 1 Sample”</a>... Like, breaking out in the music industry is difficult (see above: the blurb on Casey Dienel), but she’s certainly getting her name out.<br /><br />iZme: I’m not positive of the specific name for whatever genre Snail’s House is (I’ve seen some good names, though, like “kawaii pop”, “pico pop”, and “kawaii future bass”), but if you vibe with his stuff, definitely take a look at iZme/U Kitazawa (like Snail’s House, a few songs are credited under a different moniker). I’ve loved every EP I’ve listened to so far. <br /><br />HOLIDAE: This is a fun little electropop band with a pair of EPs under the belt. Their best songs are absolute earworms; “Magic” is just a perfect pop song, and the chorus of “Burnin’ Up” has established permanent residence in a corner of my brain. <br /><br />Polite Fiction: This self-titled EP was from 2013, and it fit in perfectly with the best indie pop-rock of the era. I kept getting flashes of Franz Ferdinand, Two Door Cinema Club, early Panic at the Disco… And most exciting, he released a new single, “Drive”, last month, his first release (on Bandcamp at least) in nine years, and it’s a fantastic continuation. <br /><br />gloss: I found their 2022 EP <i>Are You Okay?</i> (which, as a side note, <a href="https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3113458608_10.jpg">has some of my favorite cover art</a> of the year), and you can tell this is a really tight ensemble. If you like any sort of jazz-pop fusion stuff, check them out.<br /><br />Client Liaison: Their self-titled EP is a bunch of funky, electro dance-pop numbers, and a lot of fun.<br /><br />Tokyo Wanderer: I started with their 2019 album <i>Incubus</i>, which is a moodier, electronic piece, only to find out most of their output was more traditional future funk fare. It’s not a huge shift, I suppose, but it did surprise me at the time. Either way, it’s all solid stuff. <br /><br />Cheem: A short album of pop-punk and hyperpop (in the vein of Rina Sawayama’s “throw in every disparate musical idea you feel like” excess), with some solid pop hooks supporting it.<br /><br />Sister Species: Their EP <i>Light Exchanges</i> is a pleasant little chamber pop record. Opener “Heat Death (Hold Me Here)” and the title track are standouts. <br /><br />Primo the Alien: For anyone who likes more theatrical pop-rock, a la early Lady Gaga or the glam rock she was drawing from, Primo’s <i>Heart on the Run</i> is a solid choice. <br /><br />Candy Apple Blue: If you prefer you theatricality in the form of over-the-top ‘80s synth rock, I had a good time with this duo’s album <i>Second Sight</i>. <br /><br />Friday Night Firefight: I’m a little iffier on this, but it’s the sort of ‘80s synth wave that’s in vogue in some circles, except with a definite more modern-twist that I can’ really define that sets them apart from some of the crowd.<br /><br />unit.0: His EP <i>comms.array</i> is some solid, guitar-instrumental math rock. <br /><br /><br /><br /><b>And now,</b> the section where I talk about the albums that are on the horizon (and a few of the early singles from them):<br /><br />I ended up agonizing over whether to include two songs each from Carly Rae Jepsen, St. Lucia, and Rina Sawayama. All of them have albums coming in the next few months, and will almost certainly be contenders for my favorite albums of the back-half of the year. Would popping up that much be bad? What if the best songs are all the pre-release singles, and I run out of good picks (especially for St. Lucia’s <i>Utopia</i>, which I think has already released half of its tracklist)? But ultimately, I’m confident I’ll find good songs to use, and these lists are as much time capsules for me to refer back to, and I’m definitely listening to these songs a lot. <br /><br />(Also, while I’m talking about them, “Touch” is in the running for my favorite St. Lucia song, which is saying a ton. That build to the chorus is just fantastic, and I love trying to belt along to that high note it lands on.)<br /><br /><br />If there’s anything that gives me pause on that ruling, it’s probably the Knock’s <i>HISTORY</i>. Which is… fine, but definitely the most underwhelming of their albums. The hits are good (it’s especially fun seeing them collaborate with Dragonette on “Slow Song”, which I’ve put on the playlist), but I’ve featured a number of them over the course of my last three playlists, and the album deep cuts are a little underwhelming. But it’s also a little weird that not every early single made the final tracklist? It might not have made the album feel any fresher (although for what it’s worth, some of the songs on the final album are older than some of the excluded singles), but I feel like a dance album succeeds in part on how many bangers it has, and including things like “Sound the Alarm”, “Bedroom Eyes”, “Exit Sign”, or “Fireworks” (among others) would have certainly made for a deeper lineup.<br /><br /><br />And the rapid-fire section:<br /><br />I’m also excited for <i>22 Make</i>, Oh Wonder’s sequel to last year’s <i>22 Break</i> (which featured heavily on my End of the Year playlist), but I only included one song here; I feel like their tracks are going to play better as part of a full album. <br /><br />Speaking of Dragonette, they have an album coming out soon. It should be interesting, as it’s their first album in six years, as well as the first one since the group became a solo project for lead singer Martina Sorbara (again, I learn so much researching these); but the early songs (including that feature with the Knocks) have been promising, so we shall see.<br /><br />I don’t know if they’re building up to a full album, but I’ve loved The Chain Gang of 1974’s recent releases (“Wanting This” and a two-song EP with Olivver the Kid), and am excited to find out if there’s more in the pipeline. <br /><br />I also suspect Great Good Fine Ok is building to another of their solid EPs with their releases, but those tend to happen on their own schedule, so who knows how imminent that is. <br /><br />And I’m curious how The Midnight’s new album turns out, as “Change Your Heart or Die” feels like a bit of a shift in sound for them, including a lot more guitar, but it fell after the cutoff I was using for writing this, so that will probably come up on the next playlist.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
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<tr>
<th class="tg-1wig"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">Song</span></th>
<th class="tg-1wig"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">Artist</span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Girls Make Me Wanna Die</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Aces</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">This Kiss</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Alex Lahey</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">How It Is</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Amethysts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Stones</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Amethysts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Giving In to the Love</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">AURORA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Innocent</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">AURORA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Moscow</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Autoheart</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Sailor Song</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Autoheart</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Summer Lightning</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bad Suns</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Silently Screaming</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bad Suns</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Back to the Future</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bastille</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Shut Off the Lights</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bastille</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Run Into Trouble</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bastille & Alok</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Blow Out My Candle</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Betty Who</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Crying My Eyes Out (Matt Pop Remix)</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Candy Apple Blue ft. Nick Bramlett</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dance Again</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Candy Apple Blue</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Beach House</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Carly Rae Jepsen</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Western Wind</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Carly Rae Jepsen</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Billions</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Caroline Polachek</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Nancy</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Casey Dienel</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Sincerely Insincerely</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Casey Dienel</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Thrasher</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Casey Dienel</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Wanting This</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Chain Gang of 1974</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Beg for You</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Charli XCX feat. Rina Sawayama</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Snag</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Cheem</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Mango</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Cheem</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Feed the Rhyhtm</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Client Liaison</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Pretty Lovers</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Client Liaison</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Cutie</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">COIN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">04:42 Still Free</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Danger</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">New Suit</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dragonette</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Gallery</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dresage</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dinners at Home</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dresage</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Shame</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dresage & Misty Boyce</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Hollow</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">End of the World feat. DNCE</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Hearts on Fire</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Family Crest</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Her Song</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Family Crest</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Sister Ray</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Foxes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Potential</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Foxes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Two Kinds of Silence</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Foxes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">You Only Like Me When You're Eight Drinks Down</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Friday Night Firefight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Silhouettes</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Friday Night Firefight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Achilles Come Down</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Gang of Youths</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Le symbolique/Let Me Down Easy</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Gang of Youths</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">in the wake of your leave</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Gang of Youths</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">the angel of 8th ave.</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Gang of Youths</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Slow Love</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Gigamesh feat. Caroline Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Daydreamin'</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">gloss</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Secondhand Beauty Queen</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">gloss</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Paradise</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Great Good Fine Ok & Before You Exit</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Someone to You</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Great Good Fine Ok</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Can I Leave Me Too?</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Greeting Committee</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Float Away</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Greeting Committee</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Make Out</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Greeting Committee</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Party</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">hex gf</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Another Life</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">HOLIDAE</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Magic</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">HOLIDAE</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Burnin' Up</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">HOLIDAE</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Cream Soda</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">iZme</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Majestic Stranger</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">iZme</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Geck</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">iZme</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Gentle Heart</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jamie Paige</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Paisley Patterns</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jamie Paige</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Encore</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jamie Paige</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">People Posture Play Pretend</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jamie Paige</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">I'd Go Anywhere (Do Anything)</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jay Pray</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Buy American</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Joywave</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Cyn City 2000</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Joywave</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Hey Maude</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jukebox the Ghost</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Brass Band</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jukebox the Ghost</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Move Along</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jukebox the Ghost</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Slow Song</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Knocks with Dragonette</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dancing Feet</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Kygo feat. DNCE</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">june 14th</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Lauren Auder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">meek</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Lauren Auder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bloodlust</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Left at London</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Prodigal Daughter</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Lights</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Jaws</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Lights</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Alaska</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Little Hurt</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">It's Ok Not to Be Ok</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Little Hurt</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">About Damn Time</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Lizzo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Love You Back</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Madeon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Killshot</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Magdalena Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Head Over Heels</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Magdalena Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Move Slow</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Magdalena Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Under Your Knife</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Megan McDuffee feat. Michael Garrett Steele</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Wicked Thing</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Megan McDuffee</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Villain</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Megan McDuffee & ALEX</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Change Your Heart or Die</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Midnight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Borders</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Milk & Bone</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Where Do We Go From Here?</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">MisterWives</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dreams</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">MisterWives</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Turn It Around</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Modern Original</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">What I Want</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">MUNA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Home By Now</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">MUNA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Solid</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">MUNA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Pleasure</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Mystery Skulls</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Beam Me Up</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Mystery Skulls</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Easy to Breathe</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Neon Capital & Clara Sofie</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">New Beginning</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Neon Capital & Kinck</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Walls</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Neon Capital</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Bitter Water</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Oh Hellos</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Soldier, Poet, King</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Oh Hellos</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Fuck It I Love You</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Oh Wonder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Psychodrama</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Olivver the Kid & The Chain Gang of 1974</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Teeth</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Onlychild</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Crimson Red</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Onlychild</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Unwanted</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Pale Waves</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Clean</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Pale Waves</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Reasons to Live</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Pale Waves</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Graveyards</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Panic Division</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Sugar High</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Panic Division</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Arrow</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Polite Fiction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Suzerainty</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Polite Fiction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Drive</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Polite Fiction</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Everything Goes On</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Porter Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Do It Again</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Primo the Alien</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">K.W.I.W.</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Primo the Alien</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Scared of Love</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Primo the Alien & Jordan F</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Hold the Girl</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Rina Sawayama</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Catch Me in the Air</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Rina Sawayama</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Salvage</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">ROOKES</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Ablaze</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">School of Seven Bells</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Signals</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">School of Seven Bells</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Heat Death (Hold Me Here)</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Sister Species</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Light Exchanges</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Sister Species</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Cameras & Coastlines</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Smallpools</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Subspace Drive</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Snail's House</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">SUPERGIRL</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Snail's House</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Dreamy Beach</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Snail's House & dark cat</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Polaroid Girl</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Soft Velvet Lounge</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Mind Reader</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Soft Velvet Lounge</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Touch</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">St. Lucia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Rocket on My Feet</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">St. Lucia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">1990something</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Sub-Radio</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">No-Disco</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Tokyo Wanderer feat. PHAUN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Transistor</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Tokyo Wanderer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Loveless</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Tokyo Wanderer ft. Lavera</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Blue Flowers</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Transviolet & Little Hurt</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Drugs in California</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Transviolet</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Girls and boys</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">underscores</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Saltfields (There's nothing we can do!)</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">underscores</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">satellites</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">unit.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">signals</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">unit.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Pumpkin Prince</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Witch Café</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Purikura</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Witch Café</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Cauldron Bay</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Witch Café</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Flip Me Upside Down</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Wombats</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Everything I Love Is Going to Die</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">The Wombats</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Night Call</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Years & Years</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Make It Out Alive</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">Years & Years</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-0lax">Doritos & Fritos</td>
<td class="tg-0lax">100 gecs</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-54981293617607996122022-06-24T00:12:00.025-07:002022-06-24T00:19:54.216-07:00Nobody Saves the World Is Another Notch in Drinkbox Studios' Belt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhEgIjxUQr5XV57iWQJqP-JRNkE4esDkh4bG2LvbfZbK6pl88K_ngQweimpgvXWYAbxOQxRg1_AmRgIbwypvM3-pUFyO6_kBzmyOAlSStbQtkIkyUDGnvArayacn_YBlkub1p-q3XWIjXV5ALuk6Tmh0kterhPRDxJCY6GdyoTLVVeftpYgt7YX8Z/s1920/NSTW_KeyArt_1920x1080.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhEgIjxUQr5XV57iWQJqP-JRNkE4esDkh4bG2LvbfZbK6pl88K_ngQweimpgvXWYAbxOQxRg1_AmRgIbwypvM3-pUFyO6_kBzmyOAlSStbQtkIkyUDGnvArayacn_YBlkub1p-q3XWIjXV5ALuk6Tmh0kterhPRDxJCY6GdyoTLVVeftpYgt7YX8Z/w640-h360/NSTW_KeyArt_1920x1080.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I’ve wanted to write something about <a href="https://www.drinkboxstudios.com/">Drinkbox Studios</a> for a bit now. I played their <i>Guacamelee </i>and <i>Guacamelee 2</i> back-to-back a few years ago, and genuinely enjoyed both of them quite a bit! But I never really got a handle on what I wanted to say about them. <br /><br />They were both good games, solid Metroidvanias with well-designed maps and strong beat-em-up mechanics for combat. Maybe they weren’t the <i>best </i>entries in either genre, and there wasn’t really anything revolutionary about anything they did with either system. But they did genuinely do two things really well, which is no small task! I considered making another <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/Genre%20Mash-Ups">Genre Mash-up</a> <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2019/07/Indie-Video-Game-Genre-Mashup-Messenger-Yokus-Island-Express-Battle-Chef-Brigade.html">article</a>, but never quite gathered enough other material, so I settled for praising them in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/03/2019-game-recommendation-round-up.html">my year-end review instead</a>.<br /><br />Maybe I couldn’t think of what to write then, but I knew I wanted to check out whatever they did next. Which happened to be this year’s new release, <i>Nobody Saves the World</i>, their first title since <i>Guacamelee 2</i> four years ago. <i>Nobody </i>is <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/07/naming-2d-zelda-genre.html">a Top Down A-A</a> game, with the notable new mechanic being that the titular Nobody is a shapeshifter who can jump between over a dozen forms. Each of those comes with its own handful of abilities to learn, and about a third of the way through the game, you get the ability to mix and match them across forms. <br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />Despite being a different genre than the Guacamelee games, <i>Nobody </i>actually winds up having a lot in common with them, as a more combat-focused take on a genre that’s usually more about exploration. The more I thought about it, the more that I realized that in top-down Zelda games (and its many followers), fighting monsters is usually a major part of the gameplay, but also… not really an <i>active </i>part of it. <br /><br />Like, you need to know how to fight and dodge against new enemies, but once you’ve got a grasp of their weakness and attacks, there’s not really more you need to do. Just execute the same things you learned (or just go around them, if you’re in a hurry). And most of the time, the patterns and weaknesses aren’t even that big of a deal to begin with; sword slashes of various amounts will do it probably upwards of 90% of the time, but of course so will most weapons that do damage if you prefer something else, and there will usually even be some mid-game long range weapon that will let you preemptively stun monsters or take them out entirely without even needing to get in close. <br /><br />And on the one hand: if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? If you want to focus the game more on exploration and puzzle-solving, maybe you don’t need anything bigger. But at the same time, there’s also nothing really saying you <i>can’t </i>do more with it. And wasn’t that ultimately the same impetus behind <i>Guacamelee</i>? Like, there are enemies in a lot of Metroidvanias so that it’s not just a walk in the park, but the way to dispatch them was usually kind of straightforward. But why not add in the sort of complex fighting and combo mechanics you would find in a traditional <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%27em_up">beat-’em-up</a>?<div> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTFOD14cYX42kIp-jsYaC8C0ulpjyT9lgRmtrCBlIBOb_FulPln5oSNn8PNoY0vfguPTT-D5dy_Vbq_NCE5JaBGLdf8X-ekdQEVQjIph2Al5U-Hk3x88MWLZMUy5beCSOEiGX4S6IznID21WYiEsrl5_gVul9EHGdmEZnRZ4jPdHkKY7-2iBVyM03/s3840/NSTW_Overworld_scenery.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTFOD14cYX42kIp-jsYaC8C0ulpjyT9lgRmtrCBlIBOb_FulPln5oSNn8PNoY0vfguPTT-D5dy_Vbq_NCE5JaBGLdf8X-ekdQEVQjIph2Al5U-Hk3x88MWLZMUy5beCSOEiGX4S6IznID21WYiEsrl5_gVul9EHGdmEZnRZ4jPdHkKY7-2iBVyM03/w640-h360/NSTW_Overworld_scenery.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />So <i>Nobody </i>is really in that same vein, as a top-down Zelda-style action-adventure game with combat more in line with a traditional hack-and-slash game. I feel confident saying that they can’t be the first game to do this, but after spending a decent amount of time considering the question and talking to friends about it, the field definitely seems thinner than it should be? Especially given how obvious that combination seems, it feels like half a dozen examples should immediately spring to mind. <br /><br />In my experience, though, most hack-and-slashes tend focus on the combat almost exclusively and build worlds that are rather straightforward, often just linear dungeons; meanwhile, games that want to build a fully-fleshed 2D Zelda-style world, with exploration and backtracking and secrets and such, tend to follow Zelda’s lead on combat as well.<br /><br />And as it would turn out, when you actually want the combat to be a focus in your game, there are some interesting things that you can do with it! As mentioned earlier, <i>Nobody </i>gives you a bunch of different forms to swap between, each with a few unique moves that you’ll unlock as you use them more, complete more quests, and level up. These abilities get a wide variety of ways they work as attacks (with a variety of ranges, attack patterns, strengths, cooldowns, etc.), plus four types of damage that can go with each attack (and enemies or obstacles requiring a specific damage type will be color-coded), although usually each form will have one or two aspects it specializes on.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Khi0iSa08U1H8liswZ_t89jZNJ9vyfaG1MNfkL6iV0pgKrQg4x_HTNyH3VR21qJvMT88pMOXmQfC6NBX_quvHcJvkbFbulT2vbt9NbyZKKB7irTDw8PXBB2IGLU269RgTo4ArDT3Nopn7KvEgGn4KvuV2U5abyXcIdeQyUT2goa-DTAR-cZDLvhp/s3840/NSTW_Overworld_Action_Shot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Khi0iSa08U1H8liswZ_t89jZNJ9vyfaG1MNfkL6iV0pgKrQg4x_HTNyH3VR21qJvMT88pMOXmQfC6NBX_quvHcJvkbFbulT2vbt9NbyZKKB7irTDw8PXBB2IGLU269RgTo4ArDT3Nopn7KvEgGn4KvuV2U5abyXcIdeQyUT2goa-DTAR-cZDLvhp/w640-h360/NSTW_Overworld_Action_Shot.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />The game’s standard hordes of enemies that swarm you eventually start to be less terrifying, at which point they increase the difficulty by giving specifications on how to take them out, most often with barriers that can only be broken with specific kinds of damage (much like <i>Guacamelee </i>used). And of course, a lot of your sidequests will ask that you use specific attacks, or perform them in specific ways. Nothing forces you to do these sidequests, but completing more of them improves your stats noticeably and unlocks more abilities, and there are a ton of quests to get through, so you start trying to strategize the most efficient way to clear them as you roam the game’s world. And if nothing else, they’re a good way to incentivize players to explore the full extent of each new ability that they unlock.</div><div><br /></div><div>And as alluded to earlier, the other big element that pops up is the ability to gradually customize what abilities each form can access. They all start with their own unique attacks that they’re uniquely well-suited for, but eventually you can swap out more and more of them, whether it’s to fulfill a new mission, or because you only like some of one form’s abilities, or to provide coverage for multiple types of damage. This all culminates in some of the later dungeons, which start putting even more restrictions on what you can do.</div><div> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy1OjT7_H-8tLbf-gVD1o6iVRtDS1rDgEQ8e-HzlEm0G3rHA7wJ_jAxFV-BfnZH6OtqTLtvUBXb5qQU1eIRXpStNHkcP3EDECCUYvUs3m738jSpetL-jJFFr5nB-h3nc3tXJg4UMAjuGDu7LFmJsozQbjZS1Bu4pcxTBLM1j6gRuBRtiX87Nts3Jd/s3840/NSTW_NPC_Converation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy1OjT7_H-8tLbf-gVD1o6iVRtDS1rDgEQ8e-HzlEm0G3rHA7wJ_jAxFV-BfnZH6OtqTLtvUBXb5qQU1eIRXpStNHkcP3EDECCUYvUs3m738jSpetL-jJFFr5nB-h3nc3tXJg4UMAjuGDu7LFmJsozQbjZS1Bu4pcxTBLM1j6gRuBRtiX87Nts3Jd/w640-h360/NSTW_NPC_Converation.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />Actually, some of the later dungeons make building a skill set for the dungeon into a puzzle of its own; do things wrong and you’ll make no progress, as enemies shrug off attacks and you slowly get overrun by mobs of monsters. And of course, you still have those sidequests to complete all the while. Really, it’s a fun thought exercise to work through, as you try and maximize every aspect! The punishments aren’t devastating (you just restart at the dungeons, none of which is super long), which helps to encourage this experimentation; and you’ll generally know if you overreached with a questionable build very quickly (sometimes with humorous results, especially if you’re trying to learn an unfamiliar skill). And if you stick it out until the New Game+ after beating things the first time, you get to keep everything from your first playthrough and face a full gauntlet of these battle-puzzle dungeons, with their own new, specific requirements. <br /><br />Outside of the gameplay, the art direction is probably the second stand-out aspect of <i>Nobody Saves the World</i>, which is again right in line with the <i>Guacamelee </i>games. The world of those games had a very distinct and memorable visual style, with its bold, unreal color palettes and cartoony shapes, not to mention the overall thematic cohesion centered around Mexican luchador wrestling (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g_9tUz0Xa4">some visual</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNbkYO7ZPtA">references</a>, for those who never played them). <br /><br /><i>Nobody </i>has a similar appeal, while also setting itself apart to some degree. There’s the same use of bold, vibrant color palettes, that distorted cartoonishness, that semi-grotesque style of weird thorny plants and landforms, and so many different elements that make this feel like a coherent world. But the world of Nobody is still definitely its own thing even with all of those overlaps, with an art style all its own. Like, I think it’s not difficult to connect that these elements are all from one studio, but if Juan from Guacamelee were to cross-over here (as he is wont to do), he would stick out pretty badly without some subtle design changes.<div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmF-jHEMBU0DItvmGjKaE6DphuRMYDcF_X77q05plmQQ_UewkTKt1jvK387qADbRxO9hymMCvt_lQ7HCkuy3ZBZFQQsNGr6Op8Kaal8EQAGwQKshfUPyUYJyxGj03o1QEzlCqz2VfECWRJaP_-d4NXtLIFfrN0OAvHZioMsBXO0cnD9FmlFwFIsZSr/s3840/NSTW_interior_Octavia_house.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmF-jHEMBU0DItvmGjKaE6DphuRMYDcF_X77q05plmQQ_UewkTKt1jvK387qADbRxO9hymMCvt_lQ7HCkuy3ZBZFQQsNGr6Op8Kaal8EQAGwQKshfUPyUYJyxGj03o1QEzlCqz2VfECWRJaP_-d4NXtLIFfrN0OAvHZioMsBXO0cnD9FmlFwFIsZSr/w640-h360/NSTW_interior_Octavia_house.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />I will repeat my common sentiment and note that I am not an art critic, but there are definite differences. The art style is even more cartoony, losing Guacamelee’s sharp lines and defined shapes for characters that are allowed to be a little blob-ier and lumpier (it weirdly reminds me of the humans in <a href="https://www.thefarside.com/"><i>The Far Side</i></a>, for some reason? Possibly for making lumpy humans characters somehow still look normal and even a little appealing). And the grotesque designs move on from alien-looking plants and monsters, giving that weirdness to a lot of character animations in a way that reminds me of ‘90s cartoons. And they definitely lean into that aspect as well, with locales like mutant towns near nuclear leaks and towns full of cursed witches that let them get even weirder with designs. I hope I’m giving a fair description of all of this. Either way, I’m not sure that it’ll be everybody’s cup of tea, but even if it isn’t for you, I think it’s extremely easy to see how much work went into all of the art and direction.<br /><br />Most other elements of the game are fine, if not as standout. The writing is fine, with a solid character arc at its center, a reasonable mystery to pull you through the story, and some goofy dialogue for NPCs (although with a lot less references to memes and internet jokes, in what I’m sure will be a relief for those who were more put off by that aspect of the <i>Guacamelee </i>games). None of the music really sticks in my mind, but I also don’t remember ever getting irritated by it either, despite how long I dithered in some areas. But even if these elements don’t stand out a ton, I don’t think any of it is bad either, and there’s a lot to be said for that.<div><br />Overall, I’d definitely call <i>Nobody Saves the World</i> a solid win, and yet another strong game from Drinkbox Studios. If you at all enjoyed the <i>Guacamelee </i>games or a fan of the Top Down A-A games, definitely consider giving it a look (and, conversely, if you haven’t tried the <i>Guacamelee </i>games and find you like <i>Nobody</i>, consider giving them a glance as well). I’m pretty well invested in whatever the team makes next, as they seem to have a solid grasp on how to put their own interesting and unique, yet surprisingly simple, twists on established formulas, especially with strong visual identities, and that’s always a solid base to build a game idea off of.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxEPaZSKiCXUQaZM_YRcnyugJnI2QVwTioEcP7izMN7-Nr7kDRjWRYMo62cm2bNfu4jS_X07EIqCQT_-J8AQ3zXYzzjWzDxZgLkVygy20NfaBsKmfvdhLY5Oz6WPcprXIAc9Tl4RaslaxKF_YK8s6VAW9YxRIhe2lzixxK1fhoUJuCGxy-DYaiI1Y/s3840/NSTW_Dragon_dungeon_entrance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxEPaZSKiCXUQaZM_YRcnyugJnI2QVwTioEcP7izMN7-Nr7kDRjWRYMo62cm2bNfu4jS_X07EIqCQT_-J8AQ3zXYzzjWzDxZgLkVygy20NfaBsKmfvdhLY5Oz6WPcprXIAc9Tl4RaslaxKF_YK8s6VAW9YxRIhe2lzixxK1fhoUJuCGxy-DYaiI1Y/w640-h360/NSTW_Dragon_dungeon_entrance.png" width="640" /></a></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-70331614781195910482022-05-12T23:53:00.008-07:002022-05-13T00:05:00.721-07:00Haven: Love on the Run Beyond the Stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQiMrDwhWIdVOZBXiEcw31_OJRAdcleRpw3JUOZ2ua7MUyjNiZurbXSYDPdGurXVLSiE6NubWaQ9wH1Oj_coOs-A1ratMQJhEYAVcIpepaQ5WHWNk9NeSANf9UsX4FD6GYoX-FZUjo8nIDH7uJDtSqQti7ntHF0V4dHnMvn82J2SCL3GV5wzxCzk9/s3000/Havenlogo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1323" data-original-width="3000" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQiMrDwhWIdVOZBXiEcw31_OJRAdcleRpw3JUOZ2ua7MUyjNiZurbXSYDPdGurXVLSiE6NubWaQ9wH1Oj_coOs-A1ratMQJhEYAVcIpepaQ5WHWNk9NeSANf9UsX4FD6GYoX-FZUjo8nIDH7uJDtSqQti7ntHF0V4dHnMvn82J2SCL3GV5wzxCzk9/w640-h282/Havenlogo.png" width="640" /></a></div><div></div>There are a lot of indie games that I’ve been meaning to try and just putting on the backburner; there are just so many titles out there nowadays, and stuff will slip through the cracks, but I do make an effort to circle back around to things on occasion. Such was the case with <a href="http://www.thegamebakers.com/haven/">The Game Bakers’ late 2020 release <i>Haven</i></a>; I had been curious about their previous game (2016’s <i>Furi</i>, a boss rush game) before deciding it wasn’t for me, and after seeing a lot of praise for <i>Haven</i>, decided it sounded more up my alley. <br /><br />But I sort of forgot about it after that, until a few weeks ago when I was itching for something new to try, and it popped up in my feed thanks to a recent update. That seemed like as good an onboarding point as any, so I gave it a shot. And after that, I was so enthralled that I basically ended up shotgunning the game in under a week.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFLt3fJoKA6eS1Kx2mZNWLkasOP-EQaZ5e366E4zpaFUOz6bfnWOVLE1zpGQvEUWZhFXytG2rUEXfRmJRBxZ9EJ0gL1py59ylXd8SxqN0q3w48JlkvDGkyOx6-6Xc24f9pWoVz_D_rUnIcoz2ko72Y90bL79aswmBJG_OMQuN2OUVZocwKCGaeqgT/s1920/Nest2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFLt3fJoKA6eS1Kx2mZNWLkasOP-EQaZ5e366E4zpaFUOz6bfnWOVLE1zpGQvEUWZhFXytG2rUEXfRmJRBxZ9EJ0gL1py59ylXd8SxqN0q3w48JlkvDGkyOx6-6Xc24f9pWoVz_D_rUnIcoz2ko72Y90bL79aswmBJG_OMQuN2OUVZocwKCGaeqgT/w640-h360/Nest2.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><i>Haven </i>is also a weird game, because it feels simultaneously very difficult and very easy to describe. On the one hand, at its core, it’s one of the oldest story archetypes in existence: that of the star-crossed lovers, just set in a far-off sci-fi world. Yu and Kay are the main pair here, young adults from some sort of interplanetary empire known as The Apiary, fleeing their arranged marriages to live together. The game opens with them having recently settled on Source, a far-off shattered world hopefully outside of The Apirary’s purview, following a daring escape from home. <br /><br />While deciding what to do next, their new home, an RV-esque spaceship Yu fixed up called the Nest, sustains heavy damage from an earthquake, stranding them in place. And so begins the game proper; you guide Yu and Kay around the fragments of Source, searching for replacement parts, foraging for food, fending off wildlife, and dodging The Apiary’s search efforts. There’s constantly stuff to do to keep this loving couple up and functioning, and it gives the game’s story an almost episodic, cliffhanger-heavy approach that is well-executed and addicting.<br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />And that long list of things to do is a part of the reason that it’s a little harder to describe Haven’s gameplay. Almost every one of them has a different set of mechanics that correspond to them. And while none of them is especially complex on their own, and all of them are competently implemented, and they range from “non-intrusive to perform” to “actively fun”, and they’re introduced at a rate that keeps them from overwhelming the player… still, it can still feel like a lot of <b>stuff </b>when it’s all laid out in a description. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCpF56mVZMmMOM4xcrmvQrd4vlPP3z8H2eUrJ1k4-1gGUq_xHLkjoMzhVqI9lU2SbDRuXu3EwBXMUfX_w6vB1AGZU4C-0rzJyptrEHKFx4HmRLLCt1s3pf6PXlsLuMOkL9MyzA9xvrQZdFtOcUB_oJGkGeIKRleb0UdUrSawpuRXUVrExcVLsoHwjz" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCpF56mVZMmMOM4xcrmvQrd4vlPP3z8H2eUrJ1k4-1gGUq_xHLkjoMzhVqI9lU2SbDRuXu3EwBXMUfX_w6vB1AGZU4C-0rzJyptrEHKFx4HmRLLCt1s3pf6PXlsLuMOkL9MyzA9xvrQZdFtOcUB_oJGkGeIKRleb0UdUrSawpuRXUVrExcVLsoHwjz=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />There’s a main air-skating mechanic for navigating the world, with Yu and Kay flying around Source on hover skates to find resources and clean up a mysterious pollutant coating the planet. This is probably the “main” mechanic, as the one that you’ll be doing the most (although it also doesn’t feel like an overwhelming percentage of the game). There’s also some crafting mechanics for making meals and medicine with the plants you find, plus you have to manage their health, hunger, sleep schedules, etc. And you’ve got a JRPG-esque battle system for handling conflicts.<br /><br />To frame it with an analogy, some games have a tight core of mechanics that all feed into each other, creating a very specific, meticulously-presented gameplay loop that eschews excess, in the way that a musical group might make use of the exact notes and negative spaces and highly-polished tones to create a specific mood. <i>Haven </i>is the opposite of that, the band that pours its heart into every song, filling up all the space, always asks what else can be added; and maybe sometimes you wind up with an arrangement that’s a little crowded, or maybe some of those higher notes don’t quite hit right if they strain to hard. But when they’re on their game and everything clicks, <i><b>wow</b></i>. The big swings for the fences, the excess, it all makes sense if it can create moments like this. <br /><br />In short, it’s a very maximalist approach to game design, and I think it works here at least in part because what you are doing in-game <b><i>is </i></b>Yu and Kay’s entire life now. These are lovers on the run, doing everything they can just to survive, and you are here with them every step of the way. It’s a game of big emotions, so that design style just fits.<div> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib3D3nziMNHMxIipA1HLMf0o8M-r0-Lz8-ibUd8q5PwB7peSkt2G5nKz4xEDQjYdcYpnRpnct8J53aeh_IZeg3jogPDn1NG0nx677I5vmGyh9pLv9jc7gDVbNGUo4TFQrJO5UujlGskzyjbiRnhVdmZ5eni8ua0niE-lZUt5ryb9jDpoiegRxkrQLI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib3D3nziMNHMxIipA1HLMf0o8M-r0-Lz8-ibUd8q5PwB7peSkt2G5nKz4xEDQjYdcYpnRpnct8J53aeh_IZeg3jogPDn1NG0nx677I5vmGyh9pLv9jc7gDVbNGUo4TFQrJO5UujlGskzyjbiRnhVdmZ5eni8ua0niE-lZUt5ryb9jDpoiegRxkrQLI=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><div>But ultimately, if you asked me what “genre” <i>Haven </i>is mostly… I’d probably say that it’s a visual novel? The game is extremely dialogue-heavy, and in fact, The Game Bakers used <a href="https://www.inklewriter.com/">inklewriter</a> (the free software made by <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/10/heavens-vault-review-recommendation.html"><i>Heaven’s Vault</i> devs Inkle Studios</a>) to make large sections of the game. There’s not really major branching story options or puzzles to solve or anything here, though. <br /><br />Instead, you’re mostly getting to enjoy the relationship of Yu and Kay as it plays out on this alien world. They’re an extremely fleshed out pair of characters, flawed but loveable, struggling against the stiffest of odds to fend off the forces of both nature and The Apiary, but ultimately taking solace in their love for each other. And for as loving a pair as they are, it never crosses into saccharine; it’s a very adult relationship, with its ups and downs, their serious moments and goofy ones. You get to see Kay consoling Yu when repairing the ship seems impossible, or Yu indulging Kay’s whims when they find a complex board game and try it out, or the couple recalling their courtship over homemade (shipmade?) moonshine, or the duo getting intimate to celebrate their successes. <br /><br />It’s never terribly hard to see that they love each other through all their differences and conflicts, nor is it ever hard to see why they do so. It also helps that the voice actors bringing the characters to life are so good, and have such chemistry. What’s most interesting, though, is that each character has both a male and a female voice; at launch, Janine Harouni and Chris Lew Kum Hoi voiced Yu and Kay, respectively. The Game Bakers did a great job casting for their lead duo and making sure their energy came through in the performances. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2WsUOtDmqVeIJexcWsyqAqfqHH6oRe9GlKyFzJMbQnEC9eQGuG1cucTFP7GeInoXq3wCMdBfak6gr9naZLE2hBnGVsyx1iL3O5B5Mx-FaatfNWTX22c8X5zcP3i68mXM0_XR1ycnqKZsi6GBXpjgnIeYR1R6ppii1oKnAWkiaQ4gW-36oX4uhn_Rj" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2WsUOtDmqVeIJexcWsyqAqfqHH6oRe9GlKyFzJMbQnEC9eQGuG1cucTFP7GeInoXq3wCMdBfak6gr9naZLE2hBnGVsyx1iL3O5B5Mx-FaatfNWTX22c8X5zcP3i68mXM0_XR1ycnqKZsi6GBXpjgnIeYR1R6ppii1oKnAWkiaQ4gW-36oX4uhn_Rj=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />What’s maybe even more interesting is how well they preserved that feeling as the game grew. A later update to the game allows players to play as a same-sex couple of either gender, which meant an entirely new set of voice actors in a very dialog-heavy game. Ryan Highly and Lexie Kendrick stepped in as the new alternate voices for Yu and Kay, and honestly, I think they killed it. I’m not sure how they managed it, but both new voices sound just as well-matched as the original duo. <br /><br />It’s kind of interesting how close they are to the original performances, while still being distinct, something the game designers also managed with the new character designs. These “new” versions are still fundamentally the same people, just different genders, and it’s neat to see how that gets expressed. Honestly, props all around for this effort, it sounds almost like redoing the game from the start again, and it’s a lot of work to put into a post-launch update.*<br /><br /><i>*It’s also interesting to note that, while I was editing this piece, the devs </i><a href="https://twitter.com/TheGameBakers/status/1521475772636094466"><i>announced new DLC (including a new playable character) for their previous game, </i>Furi</a><i>, a full six years after its release. </i><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKP2OVM6ZKH5TDeYUspLDaRmzzGSox31xQyEI1VLSEEti2ACcN0RXNDmydALK3yiT4ISl99xlJHkcaQMxf2vw0dRrmPwzk1Hq25_e7UCZOM5zMqrQkQrsH51rE7aYfaW9tMEkv0Dlc1Z0hvHmBkjTNVlLrNHuWpW_dc31ebv7Ks_c2FIxJwP9Dp9e/s1920/mfcouple.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKP2OVM6ZKH5TDeYUspLDaRmzzGSox31xQyEI1VLSEEti2ACcN0RXNDmydALK3yiT4ISl99xlJHkcaQMxf2vw0dRrmPwzk1Hq25_e7UCZOM5zMqrQkQrsH51rE7aYfaW9tMEkv0Dlc1Z0hvHmBkjTNVlLrNHuWpW_dc31ebv7Ks_c2FIxJwP9Dp9e/w640-h360/mfcouple.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, getting to experience all of these interactions, the fun writing and the performances that bring it to life, is something you unlock by… basically just “doing things”. Any time you explore a new islet of the planet, or find a new item for The Nest, or cook a new meal, or find a new story beat, or really do anything, there’s usually some interaction between Yu and Kay to mark the occasion. You might learn more about Source, or find out more about Yu and Kay’s history, or maybe just see them have a funny reaction to something. Whatever it is, it’s generally just a delight to see them interact,* so you end up scouring every stop to find as much as you can and flesh out the story just a little bit more. It also helps because most of these interactions give experience points, and leveling up the characters helps with some things like battles… but the level cap is pretty low, so there’s way more exp than you need. The real draw is just to discover more and spend more time with the characters. <br /><br /><i>*One of the more interesting notes on this: there’s an alternate version of the credits where Yu and Kay will read off the names of the crew and explain each of their roles, which is great because it’s an informative primer on game development, and it adds a little extra banter between the characters for when you finish the game and want just a little bit more time with them. <br /></i><br />And speaking of that discovery, it’s not just the “finding of new dialogue” that’s fun; generally traversing Source is a whole adventure. That main movement mechanic I mentioned, the hover skates, are really fun once you get the hang of it. Being able to zoom around is an exhilarating experience, and once you get the hang of turns, drifting, and stuff like that, you can keep your momentum up, which makes the experience even better. <br /><br />It also helps that Source is just a generally great world to explore. Maybe it’s my general soft spot for alien landscapes with colorful, vibrant designs and striking landforms, but I still think Source is a visual treat to roam around and take in. It’s hard not to be romantic about space while Yu and Kay are sitting outside under the stars, chatting and taking in full scope of the universe after a dramatic sunset. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NA982sSnXJem4w1FOFFJa6DxrboJ-qzVaMkDBLEsxRCErb9tg-vaROAn1BgTTXthDuCuX8M7kbZsfFUkHlUocSrDnTEh5gAcxqNFSoENUUHP7dfZMaf0Vh-MUdRdkpXoecGiX6veyQSpHqk0HOTlsqY1q2-O6su4HI25y8ElrVG6Y_zoixL0qEn2/s1920/sunset.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NA982sSnXJem4w1FOFFJa6DxrboJ-qzVaMkDBLEsxRCErb9tg-vaROAn1BgTTXthDuCuX8M7kbZsfFUkHlUocSrDnTEh5gAcxqNFSoENUUHP7dfZMaf0Vh-MUdRdkpXoecGiX6veyQSpHqk0HOTlsqY1q2-O6su4HI25y8ElrVG6Y_zoixL0qEn2/w640-h360/sunset.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The world’s design really drives home the dual scope of the challenges the couple faces, alternating between these sweeping, desolate islets filled only with wildlife, and the areas with impressive ruins of past colonies reminding them of the life that they left behind and its desperate attempts to catch up to them.* And it makes for a nice contrast with The Nest, which really brings out the cozy hominess of your base of operations. There’s never an overwhelming to-do list there, but there’s always a few things you can take care of or check on, and you really come to feel the connection Yu and Kay have to their new home.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><i>*If I have any major criticisms of the game, it’s probably that the Switch version has pretty noticeable loading screens when you move from one islet to another. It’s not debilitating, and it’s usually pretty easy to minimize the impact of these breaks during the standard flow of gameplay, thanks to helpful maps and late-game fast-travel options to help you cross a lot of ground at once, but it is still a little frustrating in-the-moment. I’ve heard that the situation is less frustrating on other systems, though. <br /></i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge1LscukzD-H1JMSO6jII-8xG86WYztyWCG7e8iOwfu0B7_NLMKNkVIfIYLYbylntJ1mAcSj_sBpXNa2bldAVVgGsvLz_4eSWFuYRFGvTZ4lJNGQItZGJxZW46pXqW3Ge-D-coq_SR8AcAJ5xjH-fnSl97PBYfNVrNhbV1wrCroIHPWbrfsnWQCcs-" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge1LscukzD-H1JMSO6jII-8xG86WYztyWCG7e8iOwfu0B7_NLMKNkVIfIYLYbylntJ1mAcSj_sBpXNa2bldAVVgGsvLz_4eSWFuYRFGvTZ4lJNGQItZGJxZW46pXqW3Ge-D-coq_SR8AcAJ5xjH-fnSl97PBYfNVrNhbV1wrCroIHPWbrfsnWQCcs-=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And if I’m talking about the world the game builds, I would be remiss not to mention the soundscape. The game’s soundtrack was provided by French electronic musician Danger, and he did a fantastic job of it. I wasn’t familiar with his work prior to playing it, but going back and listening to some of his previous music, I 1000% understand why The Game Bakers chose to work with him. He has this sound that <i>feels </i>like it belongs in some futuristic alien world, and he can nail the undercurrent of anxious tension that the scenario needs. But he also does a great job of scoring the less tense, more intimate scenes, like around The Nest. And more importantly, he just has a good sense for musical hooks; I never got tired of any track, no matter how much time I spent in an area hearing it on loop. And since finishing the game, I’ve found the soundtrack is generally just a good one to play in the day-to-day while I go about things (which… is kind of how it’s used in-game, so I guess it makes sense). <br /><br />And the soundtrack is a big part of how I was hooked so quickly, too. Before you even reach the title screen, you get to experience <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIhi9FP97Ys">a beautiful, watercolor-style animation of Yu and Kay set to the album’s leadoff track, “4:42 Still Free”</a>, and it’s just <b><i>so perfect</i></b>. Like, maybe it’s not a replacement for a demo or something, but I still felt like the moment I first saw this intro, I already knew I would love this game. Something about the wailing synths and driving beats over abstract colors and shapes whizzing by, the two leads reaching out to each other as they fly past… It’s all just the perfect mood-setter for the game as a whole, matching its all-out, emotional style, and it was always a treat to sit through it whenever I started the game up. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i9hpysvjnU">The full version of that song</a> is my favorite one on the entire soundtrack, and it still gives me chills listening to it again.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bIhi9FP97Ys" width="320" youtube-src-id="bIhi9FP97Ys"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>There’s just so much about <i>Haven</i> that I love. Maybe no one system goes super deep, but I think they all work well at what they’re going for, and I think that variety is ultimately a plus. But more importantly, the story, writing, sounds, and visuals are all just top-notch, especially if you’re looking for any type of love story. It’s all just a master class in emotional storytelling, and I’ll be anxiously awaiting whatever The Game Bakers do next.<br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzAb5JK06SYS-Srk_xSQH7B4rtzb4LvT_8VggGaFKBM90V75gdpkQoPSyGylguxlzZ9Ji1neW_5dpXGLEu0KY3k5YXAqAovGsFLksDiMZLlwOr1miizc7OEcAkyqQwEO2lkIq2CbakNlgn2RtdV4lIntUTs2ymTUiTtZKJcrwZ7hveZVSGGeQmYf86" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzAb5JK06SYS-Srk_xSQH7B4rtzb4LvT_8VggGaFKBM90V75gdpkQoPSyGylguxlzZ9Ji1neW_5dpXGLEu0KY3k5YXAqAovGsFLksDiMZLlwOr1miizc7OEcAkyqQwEO2lkIq2CbakNlgn2RtdV4lIntUTs2ymTUiTtZKJcrwZ7hveZVSGGeQmYf86=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-22937201472593734132022-04-18T22:22:00.004-07:002022-05-13T00:05:43.330-07:00Climbing the Open-World Heights of Sable<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwS1OXHP8jCBfbTzlzAmOX3OlUKh0osgey6oMKx9SadtDhSl8diQOmUi6dWbbNSrlehKO4CXrJKTCl4vpZ_TN36RiaLHIMQYmoJ42yBriXMsAXr0CAaUzDe2DSjP5r7Ep3FY8mtin1w-n5k-62YLChXAkKgSwlv2VF0Ev8pLhcPX5SUUH7kfeAIgf/s3840/Sable%200.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwS1OXHP8jCBfbTzlzAmOX3OlUKh0osgey6oMKx9SadtDhSl8diQOmUi6dWbbNSrlehKO4CXrJKTCl4vpZ_TN36RiaLHIMQYmoJ42yBriXMsAXr0CAaUzDe2DSjP5r7Ep3FY8mtin1w-n5k-62YLChXAkKgSwlv2VF0Ev8pLhcPX5SUUH7kfeAIgf/w640-h360/Sable%200.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve been playing a lot of cool games lately, and they’ve given me quite a few things to talk about. However, my last few games articles have gotten a little on the long side, both in word count and writing time, which can be a little daunting even when I don’t have a bit of a backlog to work through. So, I’m going to try and keep these a little shorter; maybe I’ll slip up a bit and one of them will grow in length, but keeping two out of three manageable isn’t bad.</div><br />And so, today I’ll be talking about <a href="https://www.shed-works.co.uk/sable"><i>Sable</i></a>, the debut game of two-person studio Shedworks. I had seen and heard some good things about it prior to release, which got me interested. But one unusual thing that I noticed was that some of the previews I saw called it a 3D platformer (<a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/3D%20Platformer">always a hot topic here</a>), but that didn’t seem to be the case universally. “Open World”, “Adventure”, and “Exploration” showed up more frequently as genres/descriptors. And… yeah, it probably is those first and foremost, but I also don’t think I would dispute calling it a 3D platformer; it’s certainly not a traditional one, but it’s definitely more in line with that sort of level design and play style than most open world games. <br /><br />But first, the general backstory: Sable takes place on an alien desert planet, beautifully rendered in a vibrant, rotoscoped* artstyle, where people live in much smaller-scale villages and societies (many even taking on nomadic lifestyles). You play as Sable, a young girl from a herding tribe known as the Ibexii, who is about to experience a coming-of-age ceremony, then set off into the world on a hoverbike to find her place in the world and decide what she’s going to do in life. <br /><br /><i>*Art criticism is not my forte, but I think that’s the term/technique I’m going for, at the very least for the animation? It looks like drawings over real figures, to give it a distinct mostly-realistic style with a few embellishments here and there, and usually colored in ways that are more striking, unique, or vibrant than real life? Either way, it makes for some amazing scenic landscape shots, and driving your bike over these dunes makes you feel like a master cinematographer with how easy it is to get beautiful and striking images of the world as you frame the in-game camera. <br /></i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRosvGTDR8KlFQX-HH4TKzlY_ZIhoHYYxRgDrsLVQW5U5fVrtZkkinl65c4n4mPvpV80wnmgc59awzI-qq8nRku_-FK0mlZoPnZ6MKzIj7Cfr9PL5vzRqGXx7h800gONil-VN0IndZ-Ne9Gzq91dIA2RLQYeemhX2OqVkHM1j_H_gPizY36PeW87-M/s1920/Sable%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRosvGTDR8KlFQX-HH4TKzlY_ZIhoHYYxRgDrsLVQW5U5fVrtZkkinl65c4n4mPvpV80wnmgc59awzI-qq8nRku_-FK0mlZoPnZ6MKzIj7Cfr9PL5vzRqGXx7h800gONil-VN0IndZ-Ne9Gzq91dIA2RLQYeemhX2OqVkHM1j_H_gPizY36PeW87-M/w640-h360/Sable%202.jpg" width="640" /></a><div><br />It’s a pretty basic story, but one that Sable sets up beautifully. You get dropped in pretty cold and build up an understanding of what’s going on naturally, talking to the rest of Sable’s clan as they mentally prepare both her and themselves for the coming separation of her going out into the world. It’s extremely relatable and well-done, and that natural discovery for the player, leading into the ceremony itself, is a huge emotional swell.</div><div><br /></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />You then get a few last minute tasks around the Ibexii’s home valley to acquaint you with the controls and missions you’ll be dealing with, plus some instructions from the local elders about how you’ll be picking a mask during your adventures (everyone in this world wears masks for environmental protection from the harsh desert, with the mask also serving a dual cultural purpose of tying into the individual’s profession or role in society). And then, they announce they’ll be heading out to follow their herd’s migration, and you’re on your own until the end of your ceremony. <br /><br />And so, you set out on your adventure, driving your new hoverbike out of your home valley and across the desert dunes, surveying the seemingly-endless landscape around you, deciding where to even start… and then the soundtrack kicks in, and you get the opening credits. It’s all incredibly cinematic, and definitely one of the more memorable moments I’ve had playing video games. Also, did I mention the entire soundtrack was written and performed by Japanese Breakfast?* It’s not as flashy as the type of video game soundtracks I usually fall in love with, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej5-CHAGr34">there’s a lot of great stuff here</a>, and it really sets the mood.<br /><br /><i>*Michelle Zauner had one hell of a 2021, between her work on </i>Sable<i>, winning awards for Japanese Breakfast’s third album </i>Jubilee<i>, penning <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying_in_H_Mart">a best-selling memoir</a>, and of course <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/09/music-monday-summer-2021-playlist.html">being featured in my Summer Playlist article</a>. <br /></i><br />And then… well, you can kind of go wherever. The game gives you a suggestion to go to a nearby settlement, but there’s nothing really forcing you to do that. And really, even if you do want to follow their advice, that settlement is still a pretty central point on the map, and you’re given a few leads in multiple different directions. Or you can just ignore all of them and do your own thing, make your own place in this world. <br /><br />And it feels a little weird to pitch Sable like this, since there are so many open world games that rely on this idea, but it feels <i>different </i>here. There’s something about how open the world is, with you on your own riding a hoverbike over sand dunes, chasing after the large formation on the horizon or following vague “it’s roughly southwest of here” instructions. There really isn’t any “preferred order” or path the game nudges you along, either, as some others do; you get the opening in the valley and a general suggestion for a first stop after that, but there’s really nothing stopping you from just skipping it to see what else you find instead. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyd6pl3B6GHhxFyDhCdegMA8y7RhrnMSETHUM2Escg1Na2k6z_jvpgFd_QjWCvmGG9zdfxLjYU3sGI7VikTZVBnxd4aCp4HLJDxIGZ_4XT91KSt5Wb4jpO7z_pD9CY6gR6ZGRhXpTpwYXA8xTUWL0XyM23hVwwWA-_DZ2jSSNG1KEp5hOpFZ7MXqz/s1920/Sable%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyd6pl3B6GHhxFyDhCdegMA8y7RhrnMSETHUM2Escg1Na2k6z_jvpgFd_QjWCvmGG9zdfxLjYU3sGI7VikTZVBnxd4aCp4HLJDxIGZ_4XT91KSt5Wb4jpO7z_pD9CY6gR6ZGRhXpTpwYXA8xTUWL0XyM23hVwwWA-_DZ2jSSNG1KEp5hOpFZ7MXqz/w640-h360/Sable%204.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />You have all of the tools you’ll use through the game by that point, and from there, the missions can be done in any order, with nothing really locked behind anything else.* And even if you do follow the game’s gesture and go to that recommended first outpost, you get a befittingly sparse guidance. Chasing after these ideas of what to do basically involves you guiding a young adult to these actual adults and bugging them, “What are you doing? Do you need any help? What can I do?”, the whole time knowing that you’re really trying to figure out what you want Sable to do with her future. It kind of does feel true to life in that way. <br /><br /><i>*In fact, it is not difficult to accidentally complete a quest before finding the character who tells you about it!<br /></i><br />And from there, we get the ways that <i>Sable </i>is a more traditional 3D platformer. Most of the tasks are actual collecting missions, whether it’s “find these badges and you’ll become a member of our guild” to “run these errands or pick things up for me and I’ll let you be an apprentice”. There are other things as well, although you’ll need to find them as you go. <br /><br />Or maybe you won’t. That’s part of the game’s freedom, too; you can choose to finish the game’s story whenever. As soon as you’ve done enough things to earn a mask, you can just decide to trigger the ending. I would personally recommend seeing more things, because I think it’s an interesting game world, and there will certainly be characters who tell you the same. But a few others disagree with them, finding their calling early on. Of course, I also thought that finding and talking to the inhabitants to get these bits was its own joy, and the game definitely comes down on that side… but again, no one can force you to do anything.<br /><br />For the missions themselves, to do the collecting, it usually involves a lot of more traditional platforming bits, climbing to the top of buildings, landforms, ruins, and anything else. And just like with the rest of the game, it’s often a lot more freeform and self-guided than other 3D platformers; you’ll usually need to do a little scoping out of your target, deciding the optimal point to start from, looking for places to rest on the way up for tall targets, looking for other adjacent surfaces that can serve as such if you don’t see any, measuring your jumps to reach nearby things, deciding if you have the stamina to make it now or need to improve and return later, and so on. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSJhTIfUnGEpHkG6xee6jJdDRQrCI8W62dQN2xUOZ9o9YfXpddiERH9dObciPd3RABPswiWILGIEH8VttMV3wA3zC_GeSnb92w9z3ueBYD-c_1nYlQgHfnjlHLQG4Rye__g_EVWQhgio3T-AD-WyTcVq-eaksX7EXVICGL0ukW7g3cTEqWOskbo57/s1920/Sable%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSJhTIfUnGEpHkG6xee6jJdDRQrCI8W62dQN2xUOZ9o9YfXpddiERH9dObciPd3RABPswiWILGIEH8VttMV3wA3zC_GeSnb92w9z3ueBYD-c_1nYlQgHfnjlHLQG4Rye__g_EVWQhgio3T-AD-WyTcVq-eaksX7EXVICGL0ukW7g3cTEqWOskbo57/w640-h360/Sable%201.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />It’s almost like a puzzle at times (although there are much more traditional platforming puzzles as well), and sometimes you even get to feel a little cheeky when you find a way to game your way to the top of something taller than you “should” be able to handle with clever planning. It can be a little tedious sometimes, like a lot of climbing mechanics, but I think the routing adds a level of activeness that mitigates it a little. And sometimes the controls or physics get a little weird; it’s not the smoothest of platformers (although that can also cut both ways, like when you work it to your favor and climb higher structures through understanding those oddities). But any jankiness is nothing that will permanently stop you, and making it to the top of impressive points after long treks, seeing what’s up there, and surveying the surrounding views of the world is just all fantastic, and will definitely help you forget most frustrations. <br /><br />I don’t want to spoil the game’s story too much (to the extent that it’s possible), so I’ll keep discussion on that end a little light on specifics. But I will say that there’s something about the ending; I initially was a little hesitant after reaching it, but it’s kind of grown on me. It’s understated and a little open-ended, which I think helps it match the theme it’s going for. And it might seem a little weird at first how it doesn’t match the opening's big, cinematic statement… but that kind of feels true to life for these sorts of coming of age journeys, with big moments eventually petering out into just becoming the normal routines of your new life. There’s this wistful sentiment, the sense that none of this can last and there’s more to come that you don’t even fully understand yet, and on the whole, that mood just really sticks with you. <br /><br />I don’t know that <i>Sable </i>is for everyone? There are probably some who will find the openness and lack of direction or missions off-putting, or bounce off the story’s light touch. Most of the pleasure in the game comes from the journey itself, and if you want a little more direct narrative to things, it’s going to be largely subtextual here. The game is not all just the vast, sweeping grandeur of its world, there’s a lot of understatement paired with that. If you can appreciate all of those things, there’s a lot of beauty here to enjoy.</div><div> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWl8lZXdkmZaaSaITaTvEOzYZbreCKcwtCXfQNV_U42MnfaSh5liiYZn0r8e80aY9dVjUVQbQe6kDMqU-ZeI-2jQiPJ8mO01igRYPpQ0dBgVl9pj2YyqSBt-LPKDxPpBXM9NfmXwM7XrIj0wDg6lBHmCOC0tNs7oupC0vV51uUeDgEufZALQPKh4r/s1920/Sable%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWl8lZXdkmZaaSaITaTvEOzYZbreCKcwtCXfQNV_U42MnfaSh5liiYZn0r8e80aY9dVjUVQbQe6kDMqU-ZeI-2jQiPJ8mO01igRYPpQ0dBgVl9pj2YyqSBt-LPKDxPpBXM9NfmXwM7XrIj0wDg6lBHmCOC0tNs7oupC0vV51uUeDgEufZALQPKh4r/w640-h360/Sable%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-16623678385319108602022-03-16T22:46:00.000-07:002022-03-16T22:46:27.446-07:00Demon Turf is a Great 3D Platformer that Gets Extra Mileage from a Different Approach<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRX5rbeOwoIsuX6C1koU1ungJQLDnvWfyGTf4iConbsp62gifgDUS6HttnyW05BXkhHb047wyWgQW0k3Deviy-ijEfmlaq83d_cKwgXvjW6hoAJO-jxutU9-3xU_uEp5iwZV8f3x8GkiROsuNJhU1dsE_r7B5khuJGGMrYY5ajJJ4h8_jFBwUxv1nN=s2834" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="2834" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRX5rbeOwoIsuX6C1koU1ungJQLDnvWfyGTf4iConbsp62gifgDUS6HttnyW05BXkhHb047wyWgQW0k3Deviy-ijEfmlaq83d_cKwgXvjW6hoAJO-jxutU9-3xU_uEp5iwZV8f3x8GkiROsuNJhU1dsE_r7B5khuJGGMrYY5ajJJ4h8_jFBwUxv1nN=w640-h258" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I managed to cover a lot of different games in 2021 (and even <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/p/indie-game-reviews.html">launched a page</a> to collect all of my indie game reviews!), and consequently, don’t feel the need to write any sort of loose-ends wrap-up piece like I have in years past; I’m not sure there would be enough games or ideas to fill it out. However, there’s still one big game I played last year that I want to cover, a late release that I played towards the end of the year and wound up being one of my favorite games of the year: Fabraz’s <i>Demon Turf</i>.<div><br /><i>Demon Turf</i> is a game that I had been excited about for a while. I hadn’t followed any of Fabraz’s earlier games, but I’m always on the lookout for<a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/3D%20Platformer"> new and upcoming 3D Platformers</a> to try, which is where I first came across it. My excitement only grew upon trying the early demo when it came out on Steam, and then even further after it came out early last year that Playtonic (<a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/08/3d-platformer-hat-in-time-yooka-laylee.html">makers of <i>Yooka-Laylee</i></a>, among other projects) would be picking it up as one of the first three games in their Playtonic Friends publishing division. Both of those pointed to good things, which got me a little worried that I might be overhyping it.<br /><br />As it turns out, my concerns were totally unfounded! <i>Demon Turf</i> wound up being my favorite 3D platformer since… probably <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/01/a-hat-in-time-level-design-3d-platformers.html"><i> A Hat in Time</i></a>? In just every way it’s delightful, but it also manages to squeeze a lot out of its indie game scale; and along the way, it tries a bunch of interesting twists on genre formulas that make the entire thing feel that much fresher.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_K0180xMHM26ltkT6mr5GOdBiqDXiN9Zs18PGBPkuGAF7rRHbLkVPFRG9f6RaUC1694fsh1jLnpGXsNSutAaGDgWKx3VoGAUgItjGAUpFu6JuSPvi4QSgaqgAkwIvE_GEUqLH8VDGVH0P2EOYj8jAlNkSriV5y1RJOeWI-s3c69n1K62ttGylmZT6=s1920" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_K0180xMHM26ltkT6mr5GOdBiqDXiN9Zs18PGBPkuGAF7rRHbLkVPFRG9f6RaUC1694fsh1jLnpGXsNSutAaGDgWKx3VoGAUgItjGAUpFu6JuSPvi4QSgaqgAkwIvE_GEUqLH8VDGVH0P2EOYj8jAlNkSriV5y1RJOeWI-s3c69n1K62ttGylmZT6=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />So let’s start with the basic set-up: <i>Demon Turf</i> is about a young demon girl named Beebz, who’s a bit of an outcast in the underworld and plans to rectify that by taking on the Demon King. But to challenge him for the throne, she’ll need to first take over the territories of four other demon gang leaders who serve under the King, which you do by beating all of a world’s levels and then challenging them to boss battles.<br /><br />It’s a pretty standard 3D platformer set-up at its most basic level. Each level gives you a major, end-of-level collectable, <i>a la</i> Mario’s power stars or Sonic’s emblems (here, it’s batteries), and there are a variety of optional secondary collectables that can get you a variety of unlocks (in this case, sweets). You start in the main hub world, Beebz’s home of Forktown, and from there, travel to one of four smaller world hubs, each of which has seven levels leading off of them like spokes; one easy level lets you into the world’s main square, from which you can tackle the remaining six levels in any order. Collect the battery at the end of every level and you open the boss door. <br /><br />It’s all pretty standard stuff for this type of game, but <i>Demon Turf</i> pulls it all off well. And really, that extends to the other fundamental mechanics. A lot of work has clearly gone into refining the movement in this game, and it all really shows, as Beebz controls incredibly smoothly. <br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />You get a fairly wide variety of movement options, which each have their clear and consistent uses and tradeoffs. Those new abilities overcome apparent obstacles by giving you a new way to navigate the space and open up new areas, rather than just unlock gates. There are clear visual indicators to call attention to what you’re using and limits like how many jumps you have remaining. The camera (an ever-lingering problem in 3D platformers) is responsive and easy to adjust, and there are a variety of ways to pay attention to and subtly adjust your placement in the space of the world, even mid-jump. It’s a lot of hard work in game design that becomes immediately obvious the second it isn’t working, and it can be easy to lose sight of all of that effort when it’s all this well done. <br /><br />The big new thing mechanically that stands out is <i>Demon Turf</i>’s checkpoint system. Instead of a fixed set of checkpoints set by the developers, Beebz gets three checkpoints of her own at the start of the level, which she can set down at any point and return to (on death, or using a “return to last checkpoint” option if you just need to backtrack). Independently of anything else, it’s a small but interesting little twist. Worried about one section of the level? Just drop a flag there, no worries if the developers expected that to be the hard part or not.</div><div> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjupDuB9-1uJDsVJPYTcDGqBZMS0I26xaQl5B7xH72bR_ZxsOcWqRdjyBUo7WR4mA8lxpZvgyiz9upTcJ4Pej6ZzeTjBaszLXEH7U-ODQ4OhE0uUIhBsPDW3bXzthvc92DN9BtWZ9kE4qUBedxAa1MZLFnt9erVdFb9RxiIEhuDQ2jhsS0NeZRPzO9t=s2560" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjupDuB9-1uJDsVJPYTcDGqBZMS0I26xaQl5B7xH72bR_ZxsOcWqRdjyBUo7WR4mA8lxpZvgyiz9upTcJ4Pej6ZzeTjBaszLXEH7U-ODQ4OhE0uUIhBsPDW3bXzthvc92DN9BtWZ9kE4qUBedxAa1MZLFnt9erVdFb9RxiIEhuDQ2jhsS0NeZRPzO9t=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />It might not sound like much, but it really is its own system that you come to understand better, as you get a feel for how long levels are and where might be the best points to return to. And while it intersects with some of the game’s other systems in fun ways (more on that later), even on its own, it presents a lot of compelling choices for the player. Do you place a flag just because an upcoming section looks difficult, or do you give it a try and risk being sent further back? If that section is legitimately difficult, do you drop a flag right before it, so you can immediately jump back into it and try again when you fall in a pit? Or do you wait until after you complete it, leaving yourself to redo the whole stretch leading up to it every time you die, but meaning you only need one successful run to progress. You could also save yourself the choice and just do both, but that leaves you with just one checkpoint to cover the entire rest of the level, and what if there’s another, harder part later? But maybe you’ve been having a good run up until now and haven’t needed to place any flags, so you can spare it. Or maybe you’ve gotten a feel for the game’s level design, and have a feeling that there won’t be much left after this part, so it’s a risk you’re willing to take. On the whole, it’s a lot of fun as you learn to game it out!<br /><br />If there’s any mechanical weak spot, it’s probably the combat? Beebz gets a giant, magical hand attack that she can use to shove enemies around. Enemies hit by this move slide around like they’re on ice, and will die from any of the things that will kill the player (falling in pits, hitting spikes, etc.). Of course, “weak spot” is a relative term; I feel like I’ve tried other games with a similar combat mechanic, and this is the least it’s ever bothered me. The attacks are fairly easy to grasp, usually work as expected, and the few times it doesn’t, are easy enough to work around. In the end, I was more than happy to finish all of the combat-related side quests, I just preferred using all of the other platforming moves a lot more (which is honestly probably what you’d want out of a platformer anyway). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKqEazZ37orHjaZlRtBdhIP-rWeBlRQQjD0xmLciTNFAtArswQiO4KUdcyOHQLg-PkXJa3SX0aWWhJuZppTGIIKyDpOZYYCJbn3t8J3v23Siyt1sz1nKL4r-_BS38RQ7yn8HNXWmno9mHy97ZEnZcL4ZoRHexJP6nb-x2RCOMWLra4jINyKDUbgTJG=s1920" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKqEazZ37orHjaZlRtBdhIP-rWeBlRQQjD0xmLciTNFAtArswQiO4KUdcyOHQLg-PkXJa3SX0aWWhJuZppTGIIKyDpOZYYCJbn3t8J3v23Siyt1sz1nKL4r-_BS38RQ7yn8HNXWmno9mHy97ZEnZcL4ZoRHexJP6nb-x2RCOMWLra4jINyKDUbgTJG=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Aside from gameplay, <i>Demon Turf</i> has a fun and unique visual style all its own, with a colorful, cartoonish version of the underworld and its inhabitants. It actually uses a “2D-models in 3D-worlds” approach, similar to what <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/10/heavens-vault-review-recommendation.html"><i>Heaven’s Vault</i></a>* did, giving them the ability to take advantage of more expressive, traditionally-animated sprites (which can look great even with a less complex style) for their characters and effects while also looking natural in the more basic 3D shapes of their environment. I was worried that style might not translate to a genre that more heavily depends upon things like positioning and spatial awareness, but again, they offered a lot of visual cues to make it feel natural.<br /><br /><i>*Which kind of makes for a funny contrast, given how otherwise completely different these two games are visually and tonally.<br /></i><br />A smooth and fluid movement system and a strong visual style is a rock-solid foundation for a 3D platformer. The level design is similarly strong, but it’s also an area where the game does things a little differently than most similar titles in the genre, and in a way that makes things interesting. In particular, <i>Demon Turf</i> has an approach that feels especially economical; I imagine some of that was born out of a desire to stretch the work of a small dev team, which can’t dump endless time and money into their efforts like big budget titles. But the way it was done feels particularly unique, and makes the end result feel even more enjoyable.<br /><br />First, there’s the physical build of the individual levels. Back in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/01/a-hat-in-time-level-design-3d-platformers.html">that piece I wrote about <i>A Hat in Time</i></a> and in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/08/3d-platformer-hat-in-time-yooka-laylee.html">the follow-up I did for the DLC worlds</a>, I broke down the basic different approaches to levels 3D platformer games can take in their design. Towards the end of the piece, I mentioned that those styles are more basic building blocks than fundamental opposites, and that there’s nothing stopping a designer from combining styles (indeed, some of the styles share some notable similarities). <br /><br /><i>Demon Turf</i> mostly uses linear platforming-based levels for its 28 standard levels, with a starting point and a series of challenges to overcome to reach the goal. But it also provides a number of shortcuts and side rooms to the main route, giving you a little room to explore. And to incentivize that meandering, more exploratory approach, the game litters in the aforementioned collectable sweets, with 3 cakes in each level. They’re reasonably well-hidden*, which provides some challenge while also never really slowing you down too much, and the cakes themselves can be exchanged for useful things like new moves and movement perks. It also means that you get to take in the whole level a little more on your first run, poking through nooks and crannies<br /><br /><i>*The game also gives you an in-game compass to help find them, which I worried would make these searches too easy, but it was generally fine. You have to check it with a button press, so it’s up to the player to deploy rather than a constantly-up radar or something, and it’s vague enough to not give everything away immediately. Honestly, it’s best use might be as a general sanity check to make sure you haven’t blindly wandered past something when you go through an extended stretch without finding anything. And in the event that you <b>have </b>missed one of them, your placement of checkpoint flags can make it easier to double back and search certain areas. <br /></i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjD8AonadOcgkXVFLFkARq9OYntHQcfCg4lP4pNNqi5lYoba81Qs6nGWghhzRONZre7I236Pw28ZYsdUcM3bEUpR8r9uBmjcvqb-o6U-EHUbfzI_syu2gz3oI-AtoJ-ZPpEnChNpU17OIFugRNJxifr-aAxii5_pVHztJJXBXPo23HcWKdj6Dr69MUV=s1920" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjD8AonadOcgkXVFLFkARq9OYntHQcfCg4lP4pNNqi5lYoba81Qs6nGWghhzRONZre7I236Pw28ZYsdUcM3bEUpR8r9uBmjcvqb-o6U-EHUbfzI_syu2gz3oI-AtoJ-ZPpEnChNpU17OIFugRNJxifr-aAxii5_pVHztJJXBXPo23HcWKdj6Dr69MUV=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Of course, the game also rewards you for completing each level in a certain amount of time. And so in exploring for sweets and learning the level, you get a lot of practice on its challenges and ideas for shortcuts. So, when you finally finish the level, you see a trophy with a time challenge that’s pretty reasonable, usually low enough that you can get it if you don’t dawdle and keep your deaths to a minimum.*<br /><br /><i>*This is one of those areas I mentioned earlier, where strategic checkpoint placement is important! See, placing each flag requires you to stand still for a few seconds, which is obviously bad for speedrunning. But if you’re only going for a trophy rather than a world record, none of these time limits are so tight that stopping for a moment will ruin you. But what can really mess up your efforts is dying in the middle of the level and being sent all the way back to the start. <br /></i><br /><i>So, if you know from your first playthrough the one or two obstacles that will give you trouble, you can place your flags optimally, so that even if you die a few times, you aren’t rerunning much of the level. And maybe you can even waste that second flag immediately after for safety, if you have the time and aren’t as worried about other sections. No time limit is high enough to let you keep retrying a part indefinitely, but it does mean that you don’t need to have a completely flawless run to get the trophy on every single level, and you can even personalize it to your own ability a little bit. It adds a nice level of challenge to the game, and it also means that going for 100% completion isn’t an act of masochism.<br /></i><br />So right when you finish that first run, and you know this level as well as anything, and the game gives you the option to immediately retry and score a best time… I mean, why not? These are fun levels to play, after all, and speedrunning them feels different enough from the first playthrough. If you prefer, you can almost think of it like the second star in a <i>Super Mario 64</i> level or something. And for those that want their challenges to be even harder, there’s a worldwide leaderboard that shows up on each level completion, so you can see how you stack up and push for even better times (if that’s your thing).<br /><br />Once you’ve cleared out all seven of a world’s levels and open up its boss fight, <i>Demon Turf</i> drops its next big switch-up from the standard formula on you. Each of those four world bosses opens up by giving you a new movement power-up and making you do a brief bit of platforming with it to get to the actual arena for the battle, at which point the new move serves a key role in helping you win the fight. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifcQyrSZZhY-QEK2JlDi6c8fu3AD2ekqzFuCKIDuxSsTfYwZTD42cL6aD_BThz9xVRP3JkrauVZ3AMDay0o4OEP82yqW7bi9bi6j1zmW3kT06uEym0k6b8NWivSN95yx8TO_zyKZfuioE4sDMDjbfGfwcHKcPhjG23hlKUQfcjda8u1KoNjlxSwZU-=s1920" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifcQyrSZZhY-QEK2JlDi6c8fu3AD2ekqzFuCKIDuxSsTfYwZTD42cL6aD_BThz9xVRP3JkrauVZ3AMDay0o4OEP82yqW7bi9bi6j1zmW3kT06uEym0k6b8NWivSN95yx8TO_zyKZfuioE4sDMDjbfGfwcHKcPhjG23hlKUQfcjda8u1KoNjlxSwZU-=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />There’s a couple things I like here. First, it’s a definite change from the usual video game formula of “use the boss fight as a way to test mastery of a new mechanic that you’ve been training with for the entire world” (you know, the type of thing you might see in a Zelda dungeon or something), which makes it stick out in a way that kind of took me by surprise when I realized it. And it allows Fabraz to also include time trophies for boss fights and keep a similar dynamic to the main levels; you probably won’t set any speed records your first time, but returning later when you have a better grasp on the new move will make the trophy much more attainable. <br /><br />But I think it also generally serves a good gameplay purpose; as I mentioned earlier, the combat in <i>Demon Turf </i>is fine for a 3D platformer, but the game’s real focus is, you know, on the platforming. Introducing the new abilities for the new boss lets them keep that focus. The developers don’t really need to make the actual boss combat super challenging or keep thinking of new twists they can add to make each encounter tough and fresh. Instead, the biggest difficulty of the fights usually comes from learning and applying your new skill (which you will then get to apply in subsequent levels), and the actual, still relatively basic combat portion can be the reward for navigating everything else.*<br /><br /><i>*This isn’t to say they make the combat parts <b>easy</b>, necessarily; there’s a wide range of difficulties to the combat encounters you see across the regular levels of the game, and the bosses usually line up with the higher end of it. Just that it’s not a huge step up in difficulty or uniqueness from what you would find in the normal levels; the new abilities are instead what provides the bosses with that special extra touch.<br /></i><br />The other big benefit to getting the ability is that the boss fight is technically not the end of the world, just the middle. See, you need 50 batteries to start your confrontation with the Demon King, and four worlds with seven levels still leaves you 22 short. Instead, each boss opens up “return trips” for each level; the entire world gets a slight shift in its aesthetics, and the individual levels completely reroute, often making use of the new move that you unlocked during the boss fight. <br /><br />That last shift is the game changer, for me. Rerouting through an existing level isn’t normally something new, but locking it behind a new movement option gives designers a lot more room to work with, and makes it a lot easier to ensure an interesting return trip that won’t bore players. Some of the levels get truly radical re-imaginings, but even the smallest changes still end up making heavy use of your new skills. And while it’s not enough to make it feel like a completely different level, at the very least it absolutely feels like a new and distinct version of the level, the type of thing you might get in the different missions of your traditional Mario games. I’ve found that to be a difficult task to pull off when dealing with the more linear level design like this, which makes it all the more impressive that <i>Demon Turf</i> pulls it off so well. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0Y_1jb8YL3BfQiK-giYAr4buYK_EGRwaj-xGXh8mALOQ1-ua6p8J17n6rgeHuwfmxO9HnQLYE6rZJ6vBMSA75y-Y0N9kJgpRVeTfV2T9q6mboLD5gWJGUc7xCQd2PQseLHWhCjx1D3a04ltStLq2LkF969P0Id3yQ35K-ndW_LlSr59daRrnTI9jT=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0Y_1jb8YL3BfQiK-giYAr4buYK_EGRwaj-xGXh8mALOQ1-ua6p8J17n6rgeHuwfmxO9HnQLYE6rZJ6vBMSA75y-Y0N9kJgpRVeTfV2T9q6mboLD5gWJGUc7xCQd2PQseLHWhCjx1D3a04ltStLq2LkF969P0Id3yQ35K-ndW_LlSr59daRrnTI9jT=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Of course, the levels are generally at least a little recognizable, so Fabraz throws another twist in to keep players on their toes: the return trips drop the three cakes in favor of fifty lollipops. These sweets can be spent on different things than the cakes, usually cosmetics rather than movement-related things (so missing out on them is less of a big deal). Despite the far larger number, they’re usually not that much harder to find than the cakes, given that you usually have a pretty decent grasp of the level by now and there are a few other design choices to help the player along (they’re usually in clusters, so they stand out a little more; plus you still have your sweets compass to find any stragglers). <br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And of course, every return trip level has its own speedrunning trophy, so all of the dynamics from the first time (i.e. “you already know the level well”) hold through. It’s all enough of a difference that you can move on to the next world and then backtrack to the last world’s return levels (and use the first run as a refresher for the speedrun), or just clear out both versions of each level before moving on (since each time through is different enough that you don’t really get tired of them until you’re done). On the whole, it gives the player a lot more to do than it might appear at first blush.</div><br />It also helps that there are a ton of sidequests to do in and around Forktown. Some of it also involves knowing the other environments well (you get a quest to take in-game photos of certain things in each of the four worlds, which you can largely hit on the return trips). But a lot of it is just straight-up new stages that don’t quite fit the format of the 28 base levels. There’s an arcade where you can unlock stages inspired by other famous 3D platformer levels, each with their own twist. There’s a wide variety of challenge runs built around exploring the different mechanics even more. You even get a number of levels built around combat and “demon golf” (a special event that shows up in some worlds where, just as it sounds, you need to use your attacks to maneuver a large ball into a hole). <br /><br />None of these bonus levels are quite as long or repeatable as the main levels, but they’re all generally a good time to play through. Particularly the challenge and homage stages; you get the sense that they were set apart not due to a lack of quality, but mostly because they didn’t fit the specific style of design that the team ended up going with for the 28 main levels. The other stuff is different enough that I can see non-completionists maybe ignoring it (I liked them all enough to do anyway, I don’t really think there’s a downside to them other than not being as platforming focused as the main content), but those other two types of bonus levels are definitely worth seeking out if you’re enjoying the main gameplay.<br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgPiEZH1VCIUHd0xJX_LgjF1y8YVxOjKHXHsSQJnpThQUhVb1HNNSXb5-OZxrgDEUHXDTkHDf78M2vcnTq_hK9WWd-GP66rDZdrWW-Q0AXJ8YUJulvhi48Dkx1jYMWTAoZGwc29PCUOXedZtns5K8plkQ7nqwTwKe7dSNULYuhvDoeWxD0PpnebWhQ=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgPiEZH1VCIUHd0xJX_LgjF1y8YVxOjKHXHsSQJnpThQUhVb1HNNSXb5-OZxrgDEUHXDTkHDf78M2vcnTq_hK9WWd-GP66rDZdrWW-Q0AXJ8YUJulvhi48Dkx1jYMWTAoZGwc29PCUOXedZtns5K8plkQ7nqwTwKe7dSNULYuhvDoeWxD0PpnebWhQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">(Also, our </span><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/11/Tasomachi-Here-Comes-Niko-review-3d-platformer.html" style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">old friend Niko</a><span style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"> makes a cameo!)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">In all, I really enjoyed my time with the game, and it made for an enjoyable case study to examine the things that make it both fun yet different from everything else. If you’re a big fan of 3D platformers, </span><i>Demon Turf</i> is absolutely a must-play, but even if you’re only sort of interested in the genre, I would say it’s one of the ones worth checking out. The fundamental gameplay and level design are just too solid to pass up. And while it isn’t too radical in any one design element and is more focused on refining those core tenets to perfection, just the simple reordering of those basic elements leads to a dynamic that feels fresh and unique, and certainly informs the rest of the game’s design in ways that are worth checking out.</div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-61405546332416264322022-02-09T23:16:00.002-08:002022-02-09T23:16:25.163-08:00Nexomon: Extinction Offers an Interesting Story and Some Fun Twists on the Monster Collecting Genre<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjExvvoLQ9KRYemJBIijeudFQs2bOOoQ51OM6phuggZc6ImkoB8qAuUDPZk9QHkoNFMD3JMY-ysmjA8FXcZKYXSNl2RPRi2sUxmCr_sEebsNApLXn6R49BpOkWAc8k-DVYUuBQR6YTUnoJYx1Jdj-8Qo6DMAlaIDGoepEq8_OOPnTEuFd0_P_HlYywc=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjExvvoLQ9KRYemJBIijeudFQs2bOOoQ51OM6phuggZc6ImkoB8qAuUDPZk9QHkoNFMD3JMY-ysmjA8FXcZKYXSNl2RPRi2sUxmCr_sEebsNApLXn6R49BpOkWAc8k-DVYUuBQR6YTUnoJYx1Jdj-8Qo6DMAlaIDGoepEq8_OOPnTEuFd0_P_HlYywc=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve still been thinking about <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/Monster%20Taming%20Games">the Monster Taming genre</a> a lot as of late. Which makes sense; as I’ve said in the past, it’s a game style that means a lot to me. I loved it growing up, and as someone who’s gotten more and more into the indie game sphere, I’m thrilled with the number of small projects tackling the style. New ideas and directions from new talent is really what helps an idea grow.<br /><br />I got some of my thoughts about this out in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/11/an-appreciation-of-pokemon-for-series.html">my Pokémon 25th Anniversary piece from late last year</a>, which makes sense. Pokémon’s dominance within the genre is undeniable; it’s far and away both the best-selling and most prolific series in the style, both of which make it most people’s introduction and formative experiences with the genre. This also means that a lot of people have opinions on what Pokémon as a series should be, though, especially compared to what it actually is.<br /><br />My take on it from last year can more or less be summarized as “The mainline series is trying to be the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Eastern_role-playing_video_games"> JRPG</a> version of something like Animal Crossing, and most of their changes have either been to enhance that side of the game, or to make the surprisingly-deep competitive side more accessible for those who want the challenge.” And I also think all of that is good, even if it is not yet perfect or to everybody’s taste. It’s a fun vision on the whole.<br /><br />Of course, that’s also why the growing number of other Monster Taming games is good; no one vision of the genre can sate everyone, and it’s good to have alternatives. Which is why today I’d like to talk up VEWO Interactive’s <i><a href="https://pqube.co.uk/nexomon-extinction/">Nexomon: Extinction</a></i>, another new entry into the genre, and a very worthwhile one in my estimation.<br /><br />It’s one of the more directly Pokémon-inspired games I’ve seen, and never quite escapes being “Pokémon, but…”. But I also don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing; Pokémon at its core is a lot of fun, while also having a ton of variables and decisions that can be adjusted in a number of ways. And I enjoy seeing other people’s potential divergent evolutions of what the series could be, in tweaking these things.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3yL1os26Idqj83VJhqKRCIkMhd16ugNanyC30xzAxDefWBMxlpBIzuXp9AEoEiZz5gxJ3C32FulxLgHCC3Bro1tgpn_0eWLBGE5S7pXVu9EKQ06ZNO7gKjq1rL9TmuiwTUDy8IRLlSwsBv8RlSi9OTpozAuctnyndKRxlcY9zr1tCEID_EYGn6I0F=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3yL1os26Idqj83VJhqKRCIkMhd16ugNanyC30xzAxDefWBMxlpBIzuXp9AEoEiZz5gxJ3C32FulxLgHCC3Bro1tgpn_0eWLBGE5S7pXVu9EKQ06ZNO7gKjq1rL9TmuiwTUDy8IRLlSwsBv8RlSi9OTpozAuctnyndKRxlcY9zr1tCEID_EYGn6I0F=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>And despite having a fraction of the budget or manpower* of Game Freak, <i>Nexomon: Extinction</i> still provides its own unique voice and polished experience. It’s not going to be for everyone, because again, I don’t know that anything can truly be that, but I do think there’s something here for both people who still enjoy Pokémon and want more new experiences like that, and people who have found the interests drift from the main series but still find themselves missing some aspects of it and wondering what could be.<br /><br /><i>*Counting the credits, I saw 1 designer/programmer, 1 producer, 6 music credits, and 19 artists and animators.<br /></i><br />Unlike with <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/06/monster-sanctuary-indie-game-review.html"><i>Monster Sanctuary</i></a>, there really isn’t really a big twist on the base-level Pokémon formula in <i>Nexomon: Extinction</i>. The gameplay still alternates between top-down overworld segments where you explore the game’s world, and turn-based RPG battles where your team of up to six elementally-themed monsters with up to four attacks each takes on either a solo wild Nexomon or opposing trainer teams.</div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br />Of course, there are still ways to change up this formula, even beyond the original creatures or the pyramid-shaped/definitely-not-Pokéball monster traps. At the most basic level of the battles, Nexomon completely does away with the special attack and defense of Pokémon, but adds a stamina stat (which can be recharged by resting for a turn). In exchange, though, attacks add complexity; the individual PP cost of a move in Pokémon becomes a stamina cost that pulls from said stamina stat, and individual moves have their own speed and critical hit ratings, in addition to the power and accuracy ratings used in Pokémon. <br /><br />There are other changes all around; nothing that fundamentally changes the gameflow, but each of which has big implications on how you play it. The type chart has been radically simplified, with only nine types and no dual-typing. Catching Nexomon is a much more active process, with the game walking you through its calculation of of catch rate (and how you can improve it in-battle) and giving you a set of quicktime buttons to press to increase your odds (so yes, the <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/13/16472402/pokemon-superstitions-friday-the-13th">longtime urban legend of pushing a button to help you catch a ‘Mon</a> is now real). Hold items are different, too; rather than one item, Nexomon can hold up to four cores that you can craft, which modify stats in a number of ways (mostly stat buffs or increasing your rewards from each battle). And in battles against opposing trainers, they’ll just switch in their new monster when their old one faints, rather than Pokémon’s default of asking if you would like to also switch (Pokémon technically also has an option to use this method, but you need to change to it in your settings). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiopxaIA2bBNpgA7XGQIUIxCeJz2-VfZDeBO0MGI7jS8I-Akr0g9YYnkk-egk9TKh2u7puWDyODxG3XnjiQPZTwDRd5PeDCtx5Ones_LkMZ2EKQBwdZEbKlQ2c8qzlYM56X8omedBep_YqisqMa6QAPvAPV9jjEFIU50HzElu_1VJ1lyMUqOsT5X8a1=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiopxaIA2bBNpgA7XGQIUIxCeJz2-VfZDeBO0MGI7jS8I-Akr0g9YYnkk-egk9TKh2u7puWDyODxG3XnjiQPZTwDRd5PeDCtx5Ones_LkMZ2EKQBwdZEbKlQ2c8qzlYM56X8omedBep_YqisqMa6QAPvAPV9jjEFIU50HzElu_1VJ1lyMUqOsT5X8a1=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />That’s most of the big changes that I remember, although I’m sure there are a few other smaller ones. All in all, it’s a mixed bag that mostly leans positive, plus I think there’s generally a lot of value in trying new things like this. The forced switching adds a lot of strategy and difficulty, and the stamina system and new attack stats give the game a distinct feel.<br /><br />Additionally, the simplified type chart and new hold item system are both fine; maybe less complex than Pokémon’s system, but I don’t think a smaller-scale game loses all that much from the cuts (and given that I still need to reference Pokémon’s type chart, it might even count as an advantage in some regards). The lack of dual type Nexomon is the only one that feels like a real missed opportunity, for a few reasons (but more on that in a second).<br /><br />The game design decisions outside of battle are similar, in my opinion: a bunch of new things tried, with a good number of positives and few things that don’t work as well. The two biggest areas to look at here are probably going to be the design of the creatures, and the design of the game’s world. Extinction features nearly 400 monsters (381 currently,<a href="https://twitter.com/NexomonGame/status/1444502383459930113?s=20"> with DLC containing more on the way</a>) a vast majority of them new for this game*, and on the whole, they’re… fine. <br /><br /><i>*At this point, it’s probably worth mentioning that </i>Extinction <i>is the sequel to the original </i><a href="https://pqube.co.uk/nexomon-original/">Nexomon</a><i>, which debuted 3 years earlier as a mobile game and has since been released as a microtransaction-free complete game on most platforms. For any curious people who are getting a little worried now, I will say that it’s not necessary to play the first game to appreciate </i>Extinction<i>, and in fact, I think the sequel is an improvement in just about every way (at the basic level, even with the microtransactions removed, the core of the first game still retains some of the feeling of grind that often pops up in mobile design). </i>Extinction<i> makes sure it’s story stands on its own (everything you need to know from the first game shows up in the opening cutscene), and they even used an almost entirely-new roster of creatures, with only a handful of the original game’s monsters returning (which, again, I think is largely to the second game’s benefit; the designs have improved!).<br /></i><br /><i>That said, there are a number of interesting callbacks to the first game in </i>Extinction<i>’s story, and gameplay-wise, it can make for an interesting case study in how a series develops. Plus, it already regularly goes on sale for $5 on Steam. I wouldn’t highly recommend it like I do </i>Nexomon: Extinction<i>, but if you really like the genre, have the time, and don’t mind a little jankiness in your games, you might find it worth checking out the original.<br /></i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQTcMh84Jisx6JnqLUGonyewofCsrQB86PBaU-5Us1llEs980QqkDEyQZjoyszSpiFBRMPmbwNFshzpFyRG3wXQ-yqWROJ3jCT5b1dTL6yhzXYUn4bFhCgviFrru01eVfXkxu9uzKnoSwmcwPyZZuGr2dspHEt5eW3sKpvIIB4ErIAd1qAnpW0APPp=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQTcMh84Jisx6JnqLUGonyewofCsrQB86PBaU-5Us1llEs980QqkDEyQZjoyszSpiFBRMPmbwNFshzpFyRG3wXQ-yqWROJ3jCT5b1dTL6yhzXYUn4bFhCgviFrru01eVfXkxu9uzKnoSwmcwPyZZuGr2dspHEt5eW3sKpvIIB4ErIAd1qAnpW0APPp=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Not every creature design is a winner, but there are more than enough strong designs to fill out a team. And while I don’t necessarily love every Nexomon, their large total does a lot to help populate the world; every screen is given its own little ecosystem, and in general the world feels more fleshed out as a result. Plus, it keeps the fun and challenge of finding and hunting for rare ‘Mons without having to overpopulate the world with one or two mundane creatures that become overbearing (or, in other words: there’s no Nexomon equivalent to Zubat/Tentacool that you run into everywhere, because they have a handful of common creatures* to bear that burden, which makes every part of this process better). <br /><br /><i>*The game even has a rarity system, which notifies you how common each thing you face is as you face it. It’s a little helpful, although there’s some weirdness here; the biggest issue being that this used to directly correlate to strength in the first game (since it started as a mobile title), but generally doesn’t now, although it can appear that way to new players and unwittingly guide them towards certain monsters. The other weirdness is that you run into weird edge cases, where a creature might be “common” in specific areas but on the whole uncommon because it’s limited to just a few areas, or vice versa. On the whole… maybe explaining the rarities in-game more was the answer?<br /></i><br />If there’s a downside, it’s that the creative side of team building is a little flatter than it is in Pokémon. As mentioned, there are no dual types, and most monsters only learn moves from their own type plus a handful of normal-type moves (conversely, normal types usually get one non-normal type they learn a few moves from). So the move progressions for a lot of monsters feel pretty standardized (some regular mix of “strong slow move-weaker fast move-status effect move”), and a lot of the more unusual attacks that change things up a little occupy extremely small niches.<br /><br />And the ideal team comp is “six uniquely-typed Nexomon, possibly with the other three types represented in your reserves to rotate in”. Having two ‘Mons of one type is pretty excessive; type weaknesses are a big deal, and rare are the trainers that double-dip on one type. Three or more from one type is almost unheard of, and they’ll rarely if ever signal ahead of time that they do so anyway (in fact, the game will sometimes fake you out in this regard, which is mildly irritating in-game but kinda funny in retrospect). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNmaPMW4DXD_8camFo3CnzVxMchMxfVcLigUM5mQNDiwF9pT0srBDGc2-SHEL6pi9-YUjGLler0Zka7VeZ0nzGx8XoQCcS9ooqqazNgfIsqrl6JkQ50s_F01kc-3IVbKyFZF89to4RjT60oNB8L_PEdTrM3qNZW3sbOInrmW7nLTTHJq1H8QiId2nf=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNmaPMW4DXD_8camFo3CnzVxMchMxfVcLigUM5mQNDiwF9pT0srBDGc2-SHEL6pi9-YUjGLler0Zka7VeZ0nzGx8XoQCcS9ooqqazNgfIsqrl6JkQ50s_F01kc-3IVbKyFZF89to4RjT60oNB8L_PEdTrM3qNZW3sbOInrmW7nLTTHJq1H8QiId2nf=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This all has some interesting effects in battle; switching into type advantages is a big part of battle, as is cutting off the opponent’s opportunities to do so (in some extreme cases, you will even occasionally have fights with a few consecutive turns of you and your opponent swapping and trying to get the upper hand). And that means that having a wide variety of options at most times is key, so there’s little incentive to even train two Fire/Plant/Ghost/whatever types, let alone keep both of them on your team at once and double up on strengths and weaknesses.<br /><br />It’s funny, though, because for as rigid as it can feel at times in team-building, the other aspects of <i>Extinction </i>feel that much more open. The game opens by giving you a choice of nine starters, one for each type available, and basically never locks you out of any using any Nexomon (legendary monsters are mostly all post-game, but other than that, even the other eight starters are up for grabs if you search hard enough). And none of this is even getting into the wealth of options you have if you start a custom game file, ranging from adjusting levels and rewards, to randomizing the distribution of Nexomon, to <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Nuzlocke_Challenge">imposing Nuzlocke rules</a>, and even more.<br /><br />The world loops around into itself a few times, and there are a few blocked areas, but a large chunk of the map is open whenever you feel like going to it, and usually via any route you can manage. Level scaling is done across the entire game world (usually based off of the level of your party, with a few boosts after you complete some bosses), so there are neither areas completely pushing you away with threatening enemies, nor early areas that become too easy once you hit a high enough level. You might not have activated the story quest in a location, but you’re generally more than welcome to stumble there ahead of time and see what it looks like, or what monsters are in the area, or if there are any side quests available. It’s not a full open world game or anything, but especially as far as JRPGs go, it’s very fluid.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvkZb9Zf1HTUPuLybJ6x4Zbxa77YTRdd7HRZwdSTVermgsMN3chYBvjjL6FmdOSapujBbY2MjvIyTUCq7yxSSZqQz7lODToLZAH0LVzgA9pykg43jp5uK8X3TCrIvWPCLs0owDsaadtiKR5tHc0m6WFebQcIy8QB5fcodjWzre88-x-x-7FTThTfPL=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvkZb9Zf1HTUPuLybJ6x4Zbxa77YTRdd7HRZwdSTVermgsMN3chYBvjjL6FmdOSapujBbY2MjvIyTUCq7yxSSZqQz7lODToLZAH0LVzgA9pykg43jp5uK8X3TCrIvWPCLs0owDsaadtiKR5tHc0m6WFebQcIy8QB5fcodjWzre88-x-x-7FTThTfPL=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />I should also mention that, aside from anything else, the game looks gorgeous. Everything is animated in a vibrant and detailed manner, giving it a distinctive visual style and bringing a lot of appeal. Environments are beautiful to look at, with a good variety in designs that add a nice personal touch to the stock video game settings, and with the occasional impressive set piece that will get you to stop and admire things for a minute (and maybe inform you a little more about the game's world). A ton of characters get a variety of portraits to accompany their text boxes, with a good number of fun human designs to boot. You get occasional splash images of big moments during cutscenes, which are always a delight to encounter. And each of the monsters looks great, even the designs I’m less drawn towards. There was a lot of effort that went into all of the visuals, and it does a lot to give Nexomon an identity distinct from Pokémon, even with the obvious inspiration and similarities.<br /><br />That just about covers the big divergences on gameplay. But the differences in the story might be the area that surprised me the most. Pokémon stories generally top out around “competent but unambitious”, but <i>Nexomon: Extinction</i> aims much higher than that. In fact, I might say that the story is the strongest point of the game, for a variety of reasons; at the very least, its decision to tell a complete, twisting narrative sets it apart from most entries in the genre.<br /><br />The game takes place a millennium into an ongoing conflict (which people who played the original <i>Nexomon </i>will recognize was kicked off by the defeat of the final boss of the first game; again, it’s not necessary to know this to fully appreciate <i>Extinction</i>’s plot, as all of the relevant details are told via the opening cutscene, but I do enjoy stories where the conflict is the outgrowth of the previous installment’s resolution). Since the overthrow of Omnicron, the original ruler of the Nexomon, a variety of super-powerful monsters called Tyrants have been locked in a series of cataclysmic battles to claim his vacant throne, with humanity caught in the middle.<br /><br />In response, humanity has launched a number of solutions to fight back; most notably, a guild of Nexomon trainers has arisen to protect human society. And that’s where you get involved: you are a prospective Nexomon trainer, who has finally come of age and is looking to set out on your journey to become a Guild Trainer. <br /><br />Conceptually, it’s a very easy way to set themselves apart from the big name in the genre, a dystopia story to Pokémon’s usual utopia. But it’s not just that; things might seem hopeless from that description, but upon exploring the world more, you realize that it’s not <i>really </i>a full dystopia. Life still goes on, people cluster in cities and go about their lives, the understaffed Guild tries its best to save the world, other areas sit unaffected thanks to geographic advantages, the people and their governments squabble on how best to handle this never-ending threat. Sure, it contrasts with the utopian world of Pokémon, but on further exploration, the world of Nexomon just feels… maybe like a “real world” take on a Monster Taming game, albeit one going through some tough times that falls a little more on the cynical side of things?<br /><br />It helps too that the tone is just a little bit too comedic to make the proceedings too oppressively dour. The game’s writers take basically every opportunity they can to include jokes, a sort of “throw everything at the wall” approach. Some of the jokes might be a little bland (especially if you’re familiar with common jokes about the tropes of Pokémon games), but given the density of them, it’s genuinely not too long until the next one. And some of the humor is pretty funny, especially thanks to a willingness to get silly for the sake of a joke.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq4Iz8PUG8-go_7un9adfvleEBrMj4nt2S-Dk0yxaOCkjoZriMQ9eEVYh_FBsAr1b4DsTwiBuwu7Oxn87fOJkTjWHmo5SLPV3xnIeX9q7d-sQLWVHKxwM4Y9ZuJVeVvewQROd7OCM86sfCecL99TezI2L6SNdGD0K2lstIAplCC-JDue3TPv_NU30o=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq4Iz8PUG8-go_7un9adfvleEBrMj4nt2S-Dk0yxaOCkjoZriMQ9eEVYh_FBsAr1b4DsTwiBuwu7Oxn87fOJkTjWHmo5SLPV3xnIeX9q7d-sQLWVHKxwM4Y9ZuJVeVvewQROd7OCM86sfCecL99TezI2L6SNdGD0K2lstIAplCC-JDue3TPv_NU30o=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And it feels like the quality of the writing extends to the serious stuff, in a good way. The game is pretty constantly throwing narrative twists at you, but never solely for shock value. It makes the entire story feel almost like a mystery plot, where most of the turns are either things that were (in retrospect, rather clearly) foreshadowed, or make you feel like you should have anticipated something was up. There are a lot of good, pulpy double crosses too, which adds an air of uncertainty and tension to things, and pretty much all of these double crosses and realignments are pretty firmly rooted in the characters. None of them feel unearned, they’re mostly just people growing or responding to new information in ways that make sense.<br /><br />And some of those twists actually overlap with the gameplay in a fun way; I lost track of the number of times where I saw some numbered element that I was <i>just positive</i> was going to become an analogue to gym leaders or badges, only to have the story turn in some interesting new direction that I hadn’t foreseen and keep me on my toes. And that part I mentioned earlier about the importance of building a balanced team? There were multiple times I was also <i>just positive</i> I was going to be marching into a section that demanded mostly one or two types, only to be caught off-guard by the variety of monsters. On the whole, it feels like a textbook example of the storytelling advice of “play your cards, because it forces you to come up with new cards”, and it can even add some challenge to the proceedings. <br /><br />That’s about as much as I want to say without getting into spoilers, so if that at all sounds interesting, I’d definitely encourage you to give it a try! Just… maybe skip the end of this article, or come back when you’re done, since there are a few spoiler-heavy story discussions I still want to go through. The first section will be general spoilers about the state of the game world, and the second will include big, story-specific information.<br /><br /><br /><b>–MILD SPOILERS–<br /></b><br /><br />There’s something to <i>Nexomon: Extinction</i>’s approach to worldbuilding and conflict that I just really appreciated. And for the most part, none of it is huge stuff. Some of it is just finding out how normal things seem in some areas, even as you learn that the world has undergone a series of disastrous events. There are people going about their daily lives, kids playing games, local festivals, etc. Even towns that are currently undergoing some form of major crisis have some people just sort of gutting it out and doing their normal routine. <br /><br />And yeah, some of it is just meant as jokes (in that “throw everything at the wall” approach to humor that I mentioned, some of them play up the clash in behavior and environment), but at the same time, having spent the last few years living through hurricanes, wildfires, pandemics… I would be lying if I said there weren’t a few instances like that that also made me chuckle in agreement or recognition. <br /><br />And those smaller moments have other benefits, too. In some games, it feels like flavor text from interactions with random side characters is just filler, with no-name townspeople giving non-sequiturs or expounding a singular viewpoint the creator wants to emphasize. <i>Extinction</i>’s approach is much more rooted in fleshing out the game world, and it gives the major conflicts of the game an extra depth and verisimilitude. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2IVZQF0WxXB3KfImg4dclhuk9M0WthzOOJy2wRTqLmA39dn96fQqLXBvpEDXXGd-J8Tua--a9ObCmGE1RfccKnvLzH642xV8KGsoiSKZJwbdRijl-fPd3C4Fluy20aXo6_thQEs1Qjqk6nvEtt5nX-tgjb7EcIuEBdF3eP64xhvuMNXPR0h4HWG3Y=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2IVZQF0WxXB3KfImg4dclhuk9M0WthzOOJy2wRTqLmA39dn96fQqLXBvpEDXXGd-J8Tua--a9ObCmGE1RfccKnvLzH642xV8KGsoiSKZJwbdRijl-fPd3C4Fluy20aXo6_thQEs1Qjqk6nvEtt5nX-tgjb7EcIuEBdF3eP64xhvuMNXPR0h4HWG3Y=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />So you get to join the ranks of the Nexomon Trainer Guild, and learn how beloved they are in their hometown and the nearby areas. You of course get allusions to other groups that don’t like them, but things are generally secure in Parum. And then you venture out and learn that the guild is actually spread pretty thin; why <i>else </i>did you think they let your teenage player character join their ranks? (This is one of those instances where the joke based on genre tropes actually leads to some interesting twists.) <br /><br />And over the rest of the world, you encounter basically every other conceivable opinion. You see people in the surrounding area who are generally happy with the Guild, people who think they’ve focused too much on the capital and not enough on other areas (maybe), people who seem to think the Guild has endless reserves of trainers they’re hoarding in the capital (they don’t), people who are confident those Guild heroes will always be there to help save them any day (less certain), people who mostly just want to ignore their rules and bureaucracy and do what they want, people who want to bring back the big boss of the first game because that seems like the easiest way to end the Tyrant War… It’s a lot to take in, and it generally made me interested in chatting with various NPCs just to see what else would come up.<br /><br />You also learn about the Guild’s clashes with other parties. There’s their feud with Lateria, an authoritarian state of mercenaries. And of course, citizens have plenty of thoughts on the latter’s military efficiency, versus the Guild’s more egalitarian and less profit-driven approach. You have multiple areas that have largely managed to remain unaffected, and their variety of thoughts on whether they can keep it up forever, whether they should join with the Guild to help out or just generally avoid being next, if they can or should stay out of conflict entirely, and so on. You also have a variety of cities under the Guild’s authority in various states of crisis at all times, and a few thoughts about how their problems should be prioritized. <br /><br />It’s all pretty well thought-out, and very believable. The conflicts feel a lot more real than a lot of other works that try to introduce moral complexity into their stories, and there isn’t some obvious right answer to it all. It’s just a bunch of people trying to determine the best way through an unbelievably tough scenario that affects everyone, with no clear answers and a shortage of resources, and considering how a conflict of that sort would play out across a wide spread of viewpoints.<br /><br /><br /><b>–MAJOR SPOILERS–<br /></b><br /><br />And then, there’s the major characters driving the story, and how your character works with them. That core ethos, of wanting to draw up a complex series of choices, extends well beyond the general worldbuilding to basically every major character involved in the plot, with a significant chunk of them getting a sympathetic counter-portrayal, if not a full-on shot at redemption. Some of them are a little quicker, but <i>Extinction </i>also uses its narrative to get this across pretty easily. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfYPqsdaBsFFfOH0bBqBW_bVVCeA6AP7kBu7JnxUA_Ipl9w_Ss_8rdeVWEuNByMVmQoavdHnbjjd6Terw0u3TVWhQa6ufJa5eSUXNJ_XDuJnTJOeNWetvHvaFviNsbqSHsZUcWy22tkKJKQuUR4trlYswbF0si3CWvLKLAWfzjdjONTp5WxxIVQSQV=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfYPqsdaBsFFfOH0bBqBW_bVVCeA6AP7kBu7JnxUA_Ipl9w_Ss_8rdeVWEuNByMVmQoavdHnbjjd6Terw0u3TVWhQa6ufJa5eSUXNJ_XDuJnTJOeNWetvHvaFviNsbqSHsZUcWy22tkKJKQuUR4trlYswbF0si3CWvLKLAWfzjdjONTp5WxxIVQSQV=w640-h360" width="640" /></a><br /><br />You have your pretty standard set-up at the opening of the game, with the guild as the obvious good guys bringing you onboard to aid in their fight against the Renegade trainers and their Tyrants. You get to experience this, complete with the sense of overwhelming odds that come from the guild being stretched thin, the power of the Renegades, and the general contentious relations between potential allies who could aid the Guild but don’t.<br /><br />And then, the game presents the standard twist: there’s an all-powerful MacGuffin that might put an end to things, if you activate it properly. Pretty normal stuff for a video game. Except you’re supposed to keep this secret from the guild, because it turns out, this super item is actually an egg that will hatch into some sort of Super Tyrant, which will be able to defeat the other baddies and end the fighting. And of course, in your quest to do this unnoticed, you learn a bunch about how many of the Renegade trainers started out similarly, and how the Guild has done some shady things of their own to end things in the past. <br /><br />I don’t want to completely spoil everything here (those twists will take you well into the game, but again, it always has more up its sleeve), but it felt like a constant reminder of the big themes. “This all is complicated, and everyone thinks they have the right ideas, but there are no easy answers.” <i>Extinction</i>’s plot was kickstarted by the power-vacuum left in the first game, and every antagonist since thought they were doing the thing that would end problems without considering every angle. But it’s never as easy as “Just fix everything”.<br /><br />Of course, this type of thing can be extremely hard to pull off in a video game. After all, “Beat the Big Bad and Save the World” is… kind of the most common video game plot. And all of that made me a little anxious to see how <i>Nexomon: Extinction</i> would conclude. After all, “fixing the world is harder than just beating the boss” is a good theme for a game, right up until you actually need to make a conclusion for your game, at which point it can easily become a choice between offering players catharsis for their triumph, or rendering their success moot by reiterating that central point. There were hundreds of different moments during the game when I foresaw some conflicting mess sitting at the conclusion, and I was almost worried to see if there was some wild way out that I just wasn’t seeing.<br /><br />And the answer is… they sort of have their cake and eat it, too, but in a way that at least didn’t undermine the story. It sort of builds up to a big, climactic final boss fight like you’d expect in a JRPG, but goes with a more cinematic-type confrontation once you’ve beaten the actual challenging portion of the fight. Your character gets to demonstrate their growth and lessons from their journey to end that section, and then the game gives an epilogue that basically declares that fight was only the start of the long-process of fixing everything. Which…is fair, I suppose. It’s still a commitment to those major themes; and on further reflection, I don’t know that they need to lay out the exact multi-step solutions the heroes take, so long as they emphasize that there was no “one easy trick” to it all.<br /><br />And there’s a few post-game things to do too, most of which are tying up loose ends or directly tied into the cinematic end of the final fight, so you at least get the gameplay agreeing with that sentiment. Really, I’m not sure that there was a more direct way to conclude this story that isn’t just delivering a completely new game in a totally different format (which isn’t really something I’d want to sit through after a full JRPG experience anyway). So in the end, yeah, I think <i>Nexomon: Extinction</i> sticks the landing in the most satisfying way possible, and given the complex ideas they were going for, that is good enough for me. That’s not really something I was expecting out of a Pokémon-like game, and it makes me all the more pleased that it exists.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikOhVK-Hlq4bo5yt8zcjLLp6jSXe98F6Y8zQ2vWXcDGq9O838QEtmFDU_au-0desRURea9wkNcaC3FGU17tE5MdDnPyPNe8_3eA8Sl39W_TmufApWU5oNYPAiVe124MVA1RyEnBtPbE80dkg9RbQzPZuNOOhwkQY2JPOv2pELON_bQuvGwvy-k5VA7=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikOhVK-Hlq4bo5yt8zcjLLp6jSXe98F6Y8zQ2vWXcDGq9O838QEtmFDU_au-0desRURea9wkNcaC3FGU17tE5MdDnPyPNe8_3eA8Sl39W_TmufApWU5oNYPAiVe124MVA1RyEnBtPbE80dkg9RbQzPZuNOOhwkQY2JPOv2pELON_bQuvGwvy-k5VA7=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-3085294512770583662022-02-06T22:09:00.000-08:002022-02-06T22:09:12.755-08:00Music Monday: End of 2021 PlaylistLast year, I did an “end of the year” <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/03/end-of-2020-playlist.html">supplemental playlist</a> to go with my <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/music-monday-summer-2020-playlist.html">normal summer playlist</a> (which usually ends up covering the first two-thirds of the year anyway), and I kind of liked doing that. So it’s making a return this year to follow up <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/09/music-monday-summer-2021-playlist.html">my Summer 2021 list</a>, especially since there’s a lot of good stuff I’ve been listening to since then. Like normal, I’m including a playlist link up top, followed by some stray thoughts on various entries on the list, and then a full text listing at the end. And as per usual, it’s mostly 2021 stuff, but I’m also only one person doing this on the side, so sometimes it takes me a while to get around to trying things. <br /><br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLNAum9ttHLJXYWADX8Kji15-4WFVsWrei" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><br />To start: last time, I called CHVRCHES <i>Screen Violence</i> my album of the summer, and if I had one complaint, it was that it felt a little shorter than their last few albums. Well, they released a bonus version in late October that included three new songs, all of which are stellar. Especially “Killer”, which might be my favorite song on the album now? “How Not to Drown” is hard to top, though.<br /><br />Moving on from my favorite album on the last list, to my favorite album on this list: it’s <i>Mercurial World</i> by Magdalena Bay, which has been living in my brain for the past month or two. Every song is just great, layers upon layers of hooks and melodies and interesting things. It’s almost hard for me to pick three songs off of it, but “Hysterical Us” is probably my favorite track (I absolutely love that main piano riff). And “Secrets (Your Fire)” feels like the perfect introductory single to the album (I think it was the first track of theirs that I heard, although I’m not positive), plus it’s such a smooth jam. A third pick from the album was difficult, since there are so many good songs. Just by how much I enjoy the songs, I’d probably go with album closer “The Beginning”, but I think part of what I like about it is how it works as a final track, so I left it as a surprise. After that, it was a tough call between the title track, “Chaeri”, “You Lose!”... but I ended up going with “Dawning of the Season”.<div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />There was some strong competition for the title of my favorite album from this cycle, though. First of the runners-up, we have <i>T.I.A.P.F.Y.H.</i>, the first full album by artist Left at London aka Nat Puff. It’s an incredibly strong, seven-track experience, led off with the 10-minute epic “Pills & Good Advice”. Every minute of that track is fantastic, just a non-stop journey of high-points that never feels like it drags. However, I felt like it was better to let it stand on its own as a part of the album, so I picked the fourth-through-sixth songs on the album, it’s own stretch of indie pop greatness between the album’s two title tracks. Writing about good music is difficult, and I feel like I’m just throwing around synonyms for “great”, so for more a concrete note: Puff’s writing, from instrumental riffs to words, is incredibly polished and deliberate, and there are so many lines that immediately stuck in my mind in a way that most music does not. For one example, the opening lines of the chorus to “It Could Be Better” hit a sort type of anxiety that I’ve felt but never been able to put to words (“And I wanna know the future/Don’t tell me how it ends though”), and stuck in my mind for days after I first heard it.<br /><br />I’ve included Oh Wonder on several of my playlists, but I don’t know that I’ve ever written about them for a full piece? Their first two albums in particular (their 2015 self-titled debut and 2017’s <i>Ultralife</i>) were regular rainy day soundtracks for me for a while, hitting a nice, cool, sort of dark and chilled out vibe. But <i>22 Break</i> brings that energy, plus an added fire to the album. The band is a real-life couple, and wrote the album in part to work through marriage problems that nearly led to a divorce, and like… I don’t want to say that going through extremely rough circumstances automatically makes for good music or anything, but Oh Wonder at least has figured out how to channel that energy in productive ways. The sort of smooth moodiness from their earlier stuff is there, but with a more melancholic tinge given the subject matter, and with bursts of emotion that really stand out in contrast, especially in the crescendo of the finale, “Twenty Fourteen”. And yeah, that maybe breaks the image of laid-back coolness I attributed to their earlier stuff, but then again, they also still have the time for sax solos and other fun stuff too. <br /><br />And third and finally among my album runners-up, we have Chloe Moriondo with <i>Blood Bunny</i>. A lot of the time with younger artists, I feel a little bit of disconnect with their songwriting; it’s not always a quality thing, just that I’m far enough outside of high school and being a teenager that lyrics that are too wrapped up in that experience can feel alienating at times. But there’s something else in Chloe’s writing, this maturity or wisdom or something, where it feels more universal; and when she does more explicitly use her younger frame of reference, it’s more likely to take me back to where I was mentally at that age instead of put me off. Other times, when the lyrics are less explicitly about youth, you’ll get something fun and weird; for example, “I Eat Boys”, a bedroom pop song with darkly funny lyrics to clash with the music, a mix that I just adore. And on the whole, she has this great command of emotional build in her songs, with so many songs that build to these big, shoutable, fist-pumping crescendos (including my other two inclusions, “I Want To Be With You” and “Strawberry Blonde”, but also “Manta Rays” and closing track “What If It Doesn’t End Well”).<br /><br />I liked Walk the Moon’s <i>HEIGHTS</i>, but after how much I liked their previous two records (<i>What If Nothing</i> even made <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/01/music-monday-best-music-of-2017.html">the best albums section of 2017 playlist</a>, and <i>Talking Is Hard</i> almost certainly would have made my list if I were doing these articles back in 2014) and how much I enjoyed the pre-release singles… I don’t know. There’s nothing on it that was bad or anything, it just didn’t feel like it cohered into anything better than “some great singles, plus some other good but less remarkable songs”, and I’m not really sure I have an explanation for why I feel that way. There are a few moments sonically where it seemed closer to their self-titled not-quite-debut album, and that might be about where I’d rate the album as a whole? But maybe I’ll come back to it later and it’ll all click. But yeah, the first half of the record (which is loaded with most of those early singles) is strong, so picking a few songs from it to be on this playlist was easy (even removing the two I included on the summer playlist from consideration).<br /><br />One of my favorite bands in the middle of the 2010s was Magic Man, but I haven’t had the opportunity to mention them as much here because they broke up a few years ago after not releasing anything new for a while (although if you haven’t heard them before, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWWMgaAKW-o">definitely check</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMsKkNK00k">them out</a>!). However, two members of that band (Sam Vanderhoop Lee and Justine Bowe) recently decided to form a new project, hex gf, and I’ve loved their first single “Knife”. I’m hoping for more good things from them in the future!<br /><br />As a follow-up to something<a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/09/music-monday-summer-2021-playlist.html"> from my last playlist article</a>: during this time, I did finally get around to playing the 3D platformer game that Snail’s House provided the music for, <i>Tasomachi: Beyond the Twilight</i>. In case you missed it, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/11/Tasomachi-Here-Comes-Niko-review-3d-platformer.html">I even wrote a recommendation for it here</a>. I do really like the soundtrack for that game and will occasionally throw it on, but I ultimately went with some other recent Snail’s House songs here because they’re a little more suited to a playlist. <br /><br />Although, while we’re on the subject of “Video Games with Music by Artists I’ve Mentioned Here Before”, Michelle Zauzner of Japanese Breakfast provided the score for <a href="https://www.shed-works.co.uk/sable"><i>Sable</i></a>, a 3D Platformer/Adventure game that I’ve been enjoying recently. I might write a full thing on it someday, although I won’t be adding any tracks here, as most of the soundtrack doesn’t work as well on a playlist.* But either way, starting that game was a fun excuse to go back and listen to “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZfcZEIo6Bw">Be Sweet</a>” a few more times.<br /><br /><i>*And while I’m mentioning video game soundtracks, Toby Fox has again done great work with the music for </i>Deltarune Chapter 2<i>, as well as the game as a whole being great. It’s much less clear if any writing on that will be coming here, though, especially in the near future. Maybe upon the full game release? <br /></i><br />I wasn’t really in the mood for a hyperpop Christmas song when it released in 2020, but I finally checked out 100 Gecs’ “sympathy 4 the grinch” back in December, and yeah, it works much better than I expected! Of course it’s goofy and funny on top of being just a solid pop song, that’s kind of their schtick, but it’s also goofy in a way that doesn’t feel trite or sarcastic or dismissive like I was worried it might. Like, it could (and should) easily replace “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” in the Christmas canon, and the world would be instantly better for it. On a related note, their more recent songs are also great, especially the verse in “mememe” where Laura Les drops their signature vocal effects, which is… probably the only swerve that I wouldn’t have expected from the group at this point, but still sounds both good and distinctly “them”.<br /><br />I kind of spent a few weeks in a deep “The Decemberists + The New Pornographers” hole, just relistening to both of their catalogs. I don’t know what it is, I like both bands, but I listen to them less “as part of a regular rotation” and more “just putting them on loop for a solid stretch of time every so often” (although usually they’re two separate detours, not one leading into the other). Anyway, it was in that stretch that I realized I hadn’t really given their newest albums (<i>I’ll Be Your Girl</i> and <i>In the Morse Code of Break Lights</i>, respectively) much attention, so I went back and listened to those for a while, and what do you know, they’re both solid records! <br /><br />Sungazer is a musical group that includes Adam Neely, who makes some great videos on YouTube explaining interesting music and music theory topics. Of a similar vein, the band’s album <i>Perihelion </i>is a project built around complex and unusual rhythms and time signatures, but generally presented in a way that feels a little more pop-ish than what you’d normally get with such a niche topic. It’s a fun listen, and if you want some more info on it, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACA-i8BOr9Q">Adam’s video on it is great, too</a>.<br /><br />As a longtime fan of Coldplay (dating all the way back to being a kid taking piano lessons in the 2000s and latching on to any musicians on the radio who prominently used it), I’ll always check out their new releases. Their later stuff doesn’t quite hit the highs of their initial run of albums, but there’s usually at least some interesting things. I was especially happy to see their newest record, <i>Music of the Spheres</i>, harken back to 2011’s <i>Mylo Xyloto</i> in multiple ways (I know that one was less well-received at the time, but I really connected with it and personally rank it up there with <i>A Rush of Blood to the Head</i> or <i>Viva La Vida</i> as their best). <i>Spheres </i>doesn’t quite reach that level, which isn’t terribly surprising; it’s a follow-up to a project that was a decade old, and a lot has changed since then. But they show that they can still make fun, ambitious pop music.<br /><br />I picked up some used CDs on a trip to a small, nearby record store back in October, which is where the older Maïa Vidal, Drowners, and the Dum Dum Girls records come from (also I guess it also started that Decemberists detour, since I also picked up their live album <i>We All Raise Our Voices to the Air</i> there). It was a fun excuse to branch out a little and catch up on some things that I missed the first time around. Vidal’s <i>You’re the Waves</i> probably wound up being my favorite of the three.<br /><br />Aurora’s music isn’t nearly as old, but a friend got me into it recently too, so I went through some of her back catalog and listened to that for a bit. I picked “The Seed” and “Dance on the Moon” to represent those, but there are a lot of other solid songs there. I also went with “Cure for Me”, which was a lead single for her 2022 album <i>The Gods We Can Touch</i>; I haven’t got a chance to listen to that as of this writing, but once I do, it seems like a decent shot to get another song on my next playlist. <br /><br />Other albums that I enjoyed and which are represented here include: Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s side project <i>An Evening with Silk Sonic</i> and Gavin Turek’s <i>MADAME GOLD</i>, both of which are solid soul throwback projects. Blog-favorites Smallpools finally released their second album, <i>Life in a Simulation</i>, after six years, and I'm glad to have them back as well! And if you want hyperpop with a little bit more pop-punk influence, there’s <i>fishmonger </i>by underscores. I wasn’t as crazy about the albums they were on, but “transparent soul” and “Meet Me At Our Spot” are shockingly good pop songs, which is not something I ever expected to say about Willow Smith. <br /><br />Outside of that, there are several 2022 releases featured here, but I left it to just songs that I was listening to prior to December 31. Bastille, the Wombats, and Aurora have already had albums come out in the new year, and will probably be back on my next list. There have been a few other early releases that I’ve enjoyed already as well, plus some older things that I’ve dug into since January started and really loved (see: Magdalena Bay’s back catalog). And of course, there’s sure to be more. I’m excited to see if Muna’s “Silk Chiffon” is a pre-release track or just a one-off collaboration, because I’m a big fan of it (along with most of their stuff). Jukebox the Ghost has been teasing a new album forever. While researching this piece, I noticed that Left at London already has an upcoming album listed for this year on Wikipedia (although who knows how reliable that is). So yeah, there’s already a lot to look forward to!</div><div><br />
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<th class="tg-0thz" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Song</u></span></th>
<th class="tg-0thz" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Artist</u></span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Spike the Punch</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Alex Lahey</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">I'm in Control (Throttle Remix)</td>
<td class="tg-za14">AlunaGeorge</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Meet Me at Our Spot</td>
<td class="tg-za14">the Anxiety</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Cure for Me</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Aurora</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">The Seed</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Aurora</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Dance on the Moon</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Aurora</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Peachy</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Bad Suns</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">No Bad Days</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Bastille</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">New Shapes</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Charli XCX feat. Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Ghost Stories</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Cheat Codes with All Time Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">I Eat Boys</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Chloe Moriondo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">I Want to Be With You</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Chloe Moriondo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Strawberry Blonde</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Chloe Moriondo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Give Me the Highs</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Chloe Tang</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Killer</td>
<td class="tg-za14">CHVRCHES</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Screaming</td>
<td class="tg-za14">CHVRCHES</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Chapstick</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Coin</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">People of the Pride</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Coldplay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">My Universe</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Coldplay & BTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Once in My Life</td>
<td class="tg-za14">the Decemberists</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Everything Is Awful</td>
<td class="tg-za14">the Decemberists</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Luv, Hold Me Down</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Drowners</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Pure Pleasure</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Drowners</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">In the Wake of You</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Dum Dum Girls</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Little Minx</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Dum Dum Girls</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">SugarCrash!</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">ElyOtto feat. Kim Petras & Curtis Waters</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">So What</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Gavin Turek</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Pressure</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Gavin Turek</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Knife</td>
<td class="tg-za14">hex gf</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Cheers</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Jukebox the Ghost</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Ramona</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Jukebox the Ghost</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Future Starts Now</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Kim Petras</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">River</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">the Knocks feat Parson James</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Out of My Mind</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Left at London</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">It Could Be Better</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Left at London</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Kudzu</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Left at London</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Dawning of the Season</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Magdalena Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Secrets (Your Fire)</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Magdalena Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Hysterical Us</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Magdalena Bay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Bones</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Maïa Vidal</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Mama (Told Me So)</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Maïa Vidal</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Everyone Sucks But You</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Matt & Kim and K.Flay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Tell It to My Heart</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Meduza feat. Hozier</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Silk Chiffon</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">MUNA feat. Phoebe Bridgers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-jkyp">19</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">New Dialogue feat Little Hurt</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">the New Pornographers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Colossus of Rhodes</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">the New Pornographers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">22 Break</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Oh Wonder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Love Me Now</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Oh Wonder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Twenty Fourteen</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Oh Wonder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">One Right Now</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Post Malone & The Weeknd</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Believe In Me</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Robin Knaak</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Fly As Me</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Silk Sonic</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Smokin Out the Window</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Silk Sonic</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">life of the party</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Smallpools</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Ancient History</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Smallpools</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Strawberry</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Snail's House</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Rainbow Float</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Snail's House</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Macchina</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Sungazer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">All These People</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Sungazer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Kinko's field trip 2006</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Underscores</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Spoiled Little Brat</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Underscores</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">I'm Good</td>
<td class="tg-za14">Walk the Moon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Fire in Your House</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">Walk the Moon feat Johnny Clegg & Jesse Clegg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">WILLOW feat. Travis Barker</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">If You Ever Leave I’m Coming With You</td>
<td class="tg-za14">the Wombats</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Lonely Machines</td>
<td class="tg-0pky">3OH!3 &100 gecs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">mememe</td>
<td class="tg-za14">100 gecs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-za14">Sympathy 4 the Grinch</td>
<td class="tg-za14">100 gecs</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-30157793140378992182021-12-03T01:12:00.002-08:002021-12-03T01:12:25.666-08:00Some More Indie 3D Platformer Recommendations, Part 2: Blue Fire and ToreeToday brings the second part of my round-up of indie 3D platformers, in order to keep both halves more manageable in length. If you missed the first part earlier this week, where I looked at <i>Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight</i> and <i>Here Comes Niko!</i>, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/11/Tasomachi-Here-Comes-Niko-review-3d-platformer.html">check it out here</a>. Once you’ve read that, we can jump right into the second half:<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Blue Fire</i> (Robi Studios)</b><div><b><br /></b><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6ss9KEOLtiIagYXYwWnK92IUs8Nr1GuzVQ9Kit6aX5kCJYcLy312IZk2TEnpAhALO-d13Le9QSTFEhUkoXQ6fTFh985B7RI_Jift4h_B4vV3RsGrAAhTs2-FjOh0S32fRzUgtKp5L40/s1732/BlueFire+01.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1732" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6ss9KEOLtiIagYXYwWnK92IUs8Nr1GuzVQ9Kit6aX5kCJYcLy312IZk2TEnpAhALO-d13Le9QSTFEhUkoXQ6fTFh985B7RI_Jift4h_B4vV3RsGrAAhTs2-FjOh0S32fRzUgtKp5L40/w640-h362/BlueFire+01.JPG" width="640" /></a><b><br /></b>Of all of the games I’m covering in this two-parter, <i>Blue Fire</i> might be the one I went into with the least idea of what to expect? I wasn’t too familiar with anyone involved, I just saw a trailer and decided that it looked interesting. And in that regard, I was pretty pleasantly surprised! <br /><br />Blue Fire is the debut work of <a href="https://www.robistudios.com/">Robi Studios</a>, and it’s a pretty strong opening statement. It’s by far the one here with the deepest lore, so that’s another plus (although it’s also the type of game that gives out said lore via exploration, so don’t expect a big explanation right off the bat). To not give too much away, you play as Umbra, a mysterious figure who wakes up in a ruined lab deep underground. Upon a little exploring, you learn that you are in the depths of a floating castle called Penumbra, built to protect the remnants of the world from an encroaching mass of shadows that long ago engulfed the earth below and now tries to infect the castle. You guide Umbra to learn the causes of these shadows, and to see if they can be stopped. <br /><br />I’ve seen some compare the game’s world and story to Dark Souls, and I can’t really comment on that, as I haven’t played them. The other comparison I’ve seen is The Legend of Zelda series, and that one I have experience with, and can definitely see. The darker, 3D games stand out as influences, particularly <i>Majora’s Mask</i>* and <i>Twilight Princess</i>; if you played them and dug their surreal melancholy, supernatural gloominess, and generally off-kilter eldritch vibes, <i>Blue Fire</i> has got you covered.</div><div> <br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><i>*Also, Umbra’s design seems to echo Deku Link’s, with the small body and large, round head. This is likely because it is peak character design. </i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33Iq4_QzhChdGPy-z-w6GrW0aiFPrZ_wEss1GIyCfnzedzJrHEqMtfD2fAuGaB1_ZdVc0QeCNnnoppX3byXzS_n5Uz8lCHzH9ee4fVJgWrwC_InSKBU40fYJ-siFbu8tv_shRziEFVpI/s284/Umbra1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="From the Blue Fire Wiki" border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="284" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33Iq4_QzhChdGPy-z-w6GrW0aiFPrZ_wEss1GIyCfnzedzJrHEqMtfD2fAuGaB1_ZdVc0QeCNnnoppX3byXzS_n5Uz8lCHzH9ee4fVJgWrwC_InSKBU40fYJ-siFbu8tv_shRziEFVpI/w200-h185/Umbra1.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgZ3vZv61bS2zknywMuzBbSlEtFJi3PntYguD1TqzLsaXw9cwlm7IIPUCJ_cA1HxZIKLGw7Re-BqxJ93stUey6TfLrJKn5WwyMC_3X_d2emCHCNEgUdYrwNWeR6NIaP1N_QezRkZ97PE/s320/Deku_Link_3D.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="From the Zelda Wiki" border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="230" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgZ3vZv61bS2zknywMuzBbSlEtFJi3PntYguD1TqzLsaXw9cwlm7IIPUCJ_cA1HxZIKLGw7Re-BqxJ93stUey6TfLrJKn5WwyMC_3X_d2emCHCNEgUdYrwNWeR6NIaP1N_QezRkZ97PE/w144-h200/Deku_Link_3D.png" width="144" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><i><br /></i><br />It makes for a stark contrast with the tones of <i>Tasomachi </i>and <i>Here Comes Niko!</i>, but it is a rather overwhelming and immersive sense of place all the same, so I figured it made for a nice comparison on those grounds, for those who like the idea of 3D platformer worlds with strong identities, but want something a little different. Of course, there are a few other stark differences in how these games are structured as well.<br /><br />Most notably, <i>Blue Fire</i> does away with the levels of the other two, in favor of a much larger, interconnected map, sort of Metroidvania-style. New paths open up with new abilities, shortcuts appear, backtracking to find items become important, the whole shebang. There still aren’t too many 3D Metroidvanias, despite the genre’s overwhelming presence in the 2D scene, so it’s nice to see a game that pulls it off well.<br /><br />And as you might have guessed from “upgrades”, there are a whole lot of things to do. It definitely has the widest array of movement options of the games I’m covering today, with your standard plot-required upgrades that are needed to explore the whole map, as well as a ton of collectables tucked away in nooks and crannies that get you bonus perks. Kind of standard business for a good Metroidvania, and again, Blue Fire does a nice job of making these bonuses worth the exploration.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL71iY-75Y1g_iyRHVZzmT1Ke6H1StCXukfxYW_sT4F8GjIwuFKggwhxTn3ri2GNpfFilm1nHojwe64wPvISbeVzk7qFToodRYKybty_Sp-CwU2m0Sg0PV_V_281yHloU5kn1zvZj-1I/s1729/BlueFire+02.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1729" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL71iY-75Y1g_iyRHVZzmT1Ke6H1StCXukfxYW_sT4F8GjIwuFKggwhxTn3ri2GNpfFilm1nHojwe64wPvISbeVzk7qFToodRYKybty_Sp-CwU2m0Sg0PV_V_281yHloU5kn1zvZj-1I/w640-h362/BlueFire+02.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>It also means the widest variety of movement options, of course. Again, a lot of them are required for reaching the final boss, but the optional ones sometimes give you fun and crazy things like an extra jump or added height, which in turn opens up exploration to areas that don’t at first seem reachable. It’s a little like <i>Mario Odyssey</i> in that way, where there are nice rewards tucked away in high spots, so you start trying to reach more hard-to-reach spots partly for the challenge and partly to see if there’s a prize. Once you have a few things unlocked, you get access to some crazy moves, which you can chain together in fun ways and use to really comb every corner of the world.<br /><br />Some of those highest spots, plus some of the challenge levels (platforming gauntlets in a void dimension, which really have weirdly become a staple of the genre since <i>Mario Sunshine</i>, and here provide heart containers) will really test your skills. You can beat the game without doing the hardest of them of course, and even for those who want to see everything, some of the stronger abilities you’ll find can help mitigate the difficulty somewhat.<br /><br />But the game will push you in its hardest spots, and you might start to see the seams of the experience a little bit as a result; like, a complex string of moves will need exact execution or go to waste and force you to start over, or you might pull off a really smooth set of jumps to try and reach an area only to discover it’s out of bounds or that your character interacted in a weird way with the surface. It’s really the basic trade-off of this kind; it’s far tougher and more punishing than the first two games I’ve mentioned, but those games also never become power fantasies at their best moments, where you zip across the screen in a series of five jumps that carry you over an entire room-sized chasm. For players, it mostly comes down to a personal question of which style is more your speed.<br /><br />Combat is kind of similar (another big difference, given the other two are combat-free). It mostly relies on learning parries and looking for openings. Enemies can be punishing, especially in the early game (and towards the end, you might want to just zip by opponents when you can just to keep things moving fast), but it largely works. And again, searching for upgrades can open up some fun and exhilarating scenarios (I think I beat a later boss while almost never touching the ground? Just alternating jumps and slashes and dash attacks?)</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYbvFOzkNcOykCSHFtojMiJE0RMgWlFUfuAx34yJd3WloPqVsgvDg0qv9HDxs8MxAm-xHsFBaJWYjSj-XPLBRAYyxv4o2bY3YkspPLsn0XJDwUI4_sNL9BeorKC5d2MiYug_GEajsECo/s1733/BlueFire+03.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1733" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYbvFOzkNcOykCSHFtojMiJE0RMgWlFUfuAx34yJd3WloPqVsgvDg0qv9HDxs8MxAm-xHsFBaJWYjSj-XPLBRAYyxv4o2bY3YkspPLsn0XJDwUI4_sNL9BeorKC5d2MiYug_GEajsECo/w640-h360/BlueFire+03.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>There are a few other things worth mentioning, that are all varying degrees of “neither here nor there”. The game uses a minimal soundtrack, which really accentuates the lonely, gloomy atmosphere. But it did lead to me noticing that there was a pretty constant white noise going on in the background? I think it was an intentional sound mixing choice, although I’m not positive, and it did bug me a little (enough to stand out, at least). On the positive side of things, if you do decide to play <i>Blue Fire</i>, the developers have made a full, official-looking strategy guide (<a href="https://www.graffitigames.com/blue-fire">currently hosted over on their publisher Graffiti Games' site</a>). As someone who grew up with them, it’s a really cool bit of nostalgia.*<br /><br /><i>*Do they still publish these? They certainly seem less common than they were back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to the abundance of free online resources for this type of thing, but I don’t believe they’ve vanished entirely. But the most common modern versions that come up in searches seem very different from the kind I remember from my youth.<br /></i><br />And as another note, it’s worth noting that the developers are still actively working on the game! In fact, it’s seen an update or two since I finished playing, with more on the way, all as updates to the base game rather than new additions that you need to pay for. My understanding is that the base game is still more or less the same (and you actually need to beat the final boss to see at least some of the new things), so my analysis should hold up there. I obviously can’t offer up analysis of the new parts at the moment, other than to say Robi Studios did a good job and I am curious to go back and see what all they have added when I have time in my backlog.<br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHrJOOS1jao5iE7OcYTVkDJg2EPrYwLCT31NUumtKvp6_xqcVM-whn0fwZ-_BrpWiQWahC87dQw3XZMipnEv7z2JHbbWIUYacNOpeXHjVMwf9HMFYom8pkxleXxqHdQFMAOk-XIyHNc4/s1731/BlueFire+04.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1731" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHrJOOS1jao5iE7OcYTVkDJg2EPrYwLCT31NUumtKvp6_xqcVM-whn0fwZ-_BrpWiQWahC87dQw3XZMipnEv7z2JHbbWIUYacNOpeXHjVMwf9HMFYom8pkxleXxqHdQFMAOk-XIyHNc4/w640-h362/BlueFire+04.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><b><i>Toree 3D</i> & <i>Toree 2</i></b> (Siactro)</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPonF6wY7LddMWD4eyB0YS8J_hyr8kXe3sIpUqRDLOdcKXn1h5ko4tZgZX0B4xOUEx7lZCSSoxMe7jOyFLLCSxiL_bEOw8117lS4ZqZHP2Q5cF0_kMQ7Rhg4aVB4aL2FITbIt3ATSPF7k/s1733/Toree+01.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1733" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPonF6wY7LddMWD4eyB0YS8J_hyr8kXe3sIpUqRDLOdcKXn1h5ko4tZgZX0B4xOUEx7lZCSSoxMe7jOyFLLCSxiL_bEOw8117lS4ZqZHP2Q5cF0_kMQ7Rhg4aVB4aL2FITbIt3ATSPF7k/w640-h362/Toree+01.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>These ones are a little different than the last few. I’ve mentioned “the vibes” for each of them, what it’s like to just exist in their little worlds for a while. The Toree games feel a little less like immersive little worlds; instead, they feel more like throwbacks to the quirky little 3D platformers you might see in the heyday of the Playstation 1/Dreamcast/Nintendo 64. If you have some nostalgia for that era, check them out, and even if you don’t, they’re both only a dollar, so it’s still worth checking out!<br /><br />From Siactro, a solo developer <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/05/indie-3d-platformer-roundup.html">who I covered the last time I did a 3D platformer round-up</a>, the Toree series represent a bit of a shift in gameplay since their last release. While <i>MacBat 64</i> was more about exploring, the Toree games are platformers in the truest sense, with you guiding the titular bird across obstacle courses built on floating islands, rooftops, temple ruins, the tops of cars on congested highways… anything involving the traversal of gaps. Plot is fairly minimal, although the story that does exist carries its own sense of humor and bizarre weirdness (particularly with series antagonist Glitchy).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy44KWJL4u0dA_0jXY-yn3obEJnVrca13B9q-RgsQn3fgUaiP0e9moVj6Hlq7JYki-2fER81y_EXPU6oHrqyH9uLvfIEj4arocDLkzmtDOi8Y2oCNuK1ftkOn0ZWwu0L2rOFa0SAPJx5E/s1731/Toree+03.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1731" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy44KWJL4u0dA_0jXY-yn3obEJnVrca13B9q-RgsQn3fgUaiP0e9moVj6Hlq7JYki-2fER81y_EXPU6oHrqyH9uLvfIEj4arocDLkzmtDOi8Y2oCNuK1ftkOn0ZWwu0L2rOFa0SAPJx5E/w640-h362/Toree+03.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />And while there are things to collect (including a fun cameo in both games for picking up every star on every course), the bigger focus is on speed, with the game awarding letter ranks based on how fast you complete each level (like the Sonic Adventure games, if you need a point of comparison). And for those who want to pursue an A-rank in every course, they’re actually pretty tricky to get!<br /><br />The second game does what you would want out of a sequel, with improvements in most ways: a wider design of levels, a few more mechanics, a new set of world designs, and even a final boss to cap it all off. Plus, like with <i>Blue Fire</i>, there is <a href="https://twitter.com/SIACTRO/status/1457045117102133250?s=20">still more in the works here</a> (the first game already received a few new bonus levels, too; I missed their release, but discovered them when I went back to play it while researching this).<br /><br />Neither game is terribly long or deep or anything, but at the same time, they both cost a dollar. Shoot, if you get the Switch version of either, you might already have that much built up in rewards from past eShop purchases. If they seem at all interesting to you, they’re definitely worth checking out!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4a2tpDoI4gaeAiYrfDPJ46oMsc2qBGhpbq2v9n3O14rUEIvFW-PVymeMEOiAUswSeZACIh4f-MH4hqglRH4DV_-gLv0-NNnH0c6QzheWIAVg0ZKTtiQ5XL2PFQSIuEvWYJT0CtVbsufE/s1731/Toree+04.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="1731" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4a2tpDoI4gaeAiYrfDPJ46oMsc2qBGhpbq2v9n3O14rUEIvFW-PVymeMEOiAUswSeZACIh4f-MH4hqglRH4DV_-gLv0-NNnH0c6QzheWIAVg0ZKTtiQ5XL2PFQSIuEvWYJT0CtVbsufE/w640-h360/Toree+04.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-69642473739474953872021-11-30T21:27:00.002-08:002022-05-13T00:05:51.966-07:00Some More Indie 3D Platformer Recommendations, Part 1: Tasomachi and Here Comes Niko!I’ve mentioned it here repeatedly in the past, but I am <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/search/label/3D%20Platformer">a pretty big fan of 3D platformers</a>, and I’m willing to give a decent variety of games a try just to see how they are. A few months ago, I did <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/05/indie-3d-platformer-roundup.html">a round-up of smaller 3D platformers</a> that I had found through this willingness to try new things, and it was a lot of fun! I didn’t necessarily have a ton of deep design insights or anything, but it is fun to recommend smaller titles.<br /><br />And since I’ve found a few more fun 3D platformers in the interim, why not run another small game round-up? Technically, all of them are games I’ve briefly mentioned here in the past, but usually in passing on another article (two of them in the last round-up, and one in my most recent playlist). I’ve enjoyed all of them a ton, so I figure it’s time to give them their own full highlights!<br /><br />One big difference from the last time I did a round-up, though: the last time, I was as much trying to break down the different components of the genre, and looking at games that did some things well and other things maybe less good. This time, though, there’s a lot more polish to the games I’m mentioning. If you’re also a big fan of 3D platformers and always on the lookout for more, honestly I don’t think you can’t go wrong with any of these. If it’s more a genre you occasionally dig into, though, you still might find something that’s your speed, and hopefully breaking down what I like about these games can help you make a decision.<br /><br />This was intended to be a bit of a shorter piece, but things wound up spiraling a little out of control, length-wise. And so, today will be the first of two parts; look for the follow-up sometime in the next week or so!<br /><br /><br /><b><i>Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight</i> (Orbital Express)<br /></b><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LUL67n1goBu11vs6navylzaFaG-E3pri80WBVjuKQZyDkzRRNkPwcRm5t_FXYTnhBiUcw7t1Dzeoo4lHcKGNLURXcbJoROfy4TdB8unGASyy8Jg_6Pa4nKWBIVE75RWzqqt0ILJzwMs/s1920/Tasomachi+01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LUL67n1goBu11vs6navylzaFaG-E3pri80WBVjuKQZyDkzRRNkPwcRm5t_FXYTnhBiUcw7t1Dzeoo4lHcKGNLURXcbJoROfy4TdB8unGASyy8Jg_6Pa4nKWBIVE75RWzqqt0ILJzwMs/w640-h360/Tasomachi+01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Like all of the games here, I’ve mentioned <i>Tasomachi </i>here before as something I was looking forward to. Unlike the other entries here, though, it didn’t come in a video game article; rather, it came during<a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/09/music-monday-summer-2021-playlist.html"> my Summer 2021 playlist</a>. Snail’s House, an artist who’s now a regular feature in my Playlist articles, provided the soundtrack here (albeit under his other pseudonym, Ujico*), which is part of what made me first take notice of it. And sure enough, as expected, I really did like the soundtrack. But the game it’s attached to is also pretty good!<br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span> <br />And that game in question is a collectathon 3D platformer made primarily by one person, <a href="https://nocras666.tumblr.com/">nocras</a>. You play as Yukumo, a young girl who swoops onto the scene piloting her airship through canyons and across seas. Shortly after that majestic opening, your ship begins experiencing technical difficulties, leading her to set it down in a particularly misty valley. You learn that this fog is a curse that has frozen the area, and driven out most of the people, leaving only a handful of cat-like creatures to explain various things about the area to you. As it turns out, collecting the many lantern-like Sources of Earth scattered about the area should be able to both restore your ship and chase out the perpetual fog.</div><div> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEapYWdYCfrWIsTtMuwEwHMJsHNRPEsR6RKxnjczERZnHIorUB4OWbEXAknL_UyVGzd72y57Y0BuGDi2tXu3zmfHX0RIZpiKxf7wXK6ytAsSxMBlplXyPjvKNi9KRpVob4bFyo1QxsC0/s1920/Tasomachi+03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEapYWdYCfrWIsTtMuwEwHMJsHNRPEsR6RKxnjczERZnHIorUB4OWbEXAknL_UyVGzd72y57Y0BuGDi2tXu3zmfHX0RIZpiKxf7wXK6ytAsSxMBlplXyPjvKNi9KRpVob4bFyo1QxsC0/w640-h360/Tasomachi+03.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>It’s a pretty standard video game plot, especially for a 3D platformer. But it does also help to set the game’s vibe extremely well, a feeling which is both incredibly well-constructed and maybe the strongest selling point here. The world of <i>Tasomachi </i>is primarily made up of three different levels (plus a few other side areas), each of which is a different port city along the valley that has fallen under the twilight fog. They all come stocked with several dozen Sources of Earth, which can be collected by searching the area, doing tasks, and completing platforming challenges in local shrines; that, in turn, lifts the fog and reveals even more challenges to complete, and once you have enough, you can travel to the next area. You know, the usual stuff for this type of game.<br /><br />What sets these worlds apart is that they’re just so darn pretty! Each one is a lovingly rendered, intricate town, full of different buildings to climb, alleys to explore, majestic vistas to sightsee, skies to sail (once your airship is fixed)... After exploring for so long, you start to wonder if they’re just recreations of real areas rather than custom creations (or at least, I did). There’s even a day-and-night cycle to contribute to the sense of verisimilitude. Walking around them almost feels like exploring a historic location tucked away in a fjord by the sea and taking in the sights on a pleasant fall day.</div><div> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgUvniAg-siJFByuxFCu51AFcPztGrJzNF5djiWgMd8qXn3mDDSEm1kUDYcBrxATNPiHoIwY6418rQHApySmMZeg8WkRixbk2S2pgK7D2TmaK_emBKRscY9T17tciGz-maiFV71jNYI8/s1920/Tasomachi+02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgUvniAg-siJFByuxFCu51AFcPztGrJzNF5djiWgMd8qXn3mDDSEm1kUDYcBrxATNPiHoIwY6418rQHApySmMZeg8WkRixbk2S2pgK7D2TmaK_emBKRscY9T17tciGz-maiFV71jNYI8/w640-h360/Tasomachi+02.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>And add in Ujico*’s soundtrack, which shifts between mysterious, tense, and laidback earworms for each world as the situation demands, and it’s incredibly easy to get lost just wandering around, enjoying yourself and soaking it all in. And to the extent that it breaks from the “almost the real world” style, it’s to add small touches of the supernatural, like the cat-like Nezo around the world, or the airship, or the mystical fog, all of which only give it more of a dream-like or even fairy tale vibe. It’s a beautiful world to just… exist in for a while. <br /><br />There are some points that… aren’t issues, per se; I certainly found things to enjoy about them. But things that might make the game come off differently to different players. The locations in the game are kind of devoid of crowds (presumably as a trade-off for the other things the dev invested time in). There’s a handful of living things still, and the story largely leans into the lack of people of course, with the tale of the cursed fog chasing away most people, and the promise that they’ll return soon now that it’s over (individuals could read a variety of interpretations into this, I suppose, ranging from “healing will take time” to “life here will never fully recover”, depending on your outlook). <br /><br />I can see why the lack of bustle in towns could grate on a player? It adds to the “trapped in amber” effect of the mists for sure, at least, but that’s only part of the game. But after those are gone and a few more Nezo return, it was enough for me. I got a sort of wistful melancholy from it, personally, like visiting a normally-crowded place but at the wrong time (say, a college town in the summer, or a vacation spot in the off-season), and it only fed into the mood I was feeling while playing.</div><div> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UAfJ62Zt152vRPqrLTYvTishRIkLWNixU9XC8EYqB4BmL9KldzonMmB-UnIosUbcnXzwTqY62zIiNqW4kI_iTTxKmEIY3w5nOppW0fDI3bsYCNsB6ZkC4qdSBgH5I0nl67itERRcHMw/s1920/Tasomachi+04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UAfJ62Zt152vRPqrLTYvTishRIkLWNixU9XC8EYqB4BmL9KldzonMmB-UnIosUbcnXzwTqY62zIiNqW4kI_iTTxKmEIY3w5nOppW0fDI3bsYCNsB6ZkC4qdSBgH5I0nl67itERRcHMw/w640-h360/Tasomachi+04.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>Similarly, one might take issue with the Sources of Earth (the main collectables, like Mario 64’s Stars). I saw some criticisms around <i>Super Mario Odyssey</i> and the sheer quantity of missions to do, and how some felt small and insignificant as a result. If you were bugged by that, this might not be the game for you. There are over 240 collectables here, including 60 in each of the three towns, and the game thrives on you noticing small patterns you can interact with across areas, or on similar missions being numbered to give you an idea of what to look for, and more generally turning over every nook and cranny of the city, to help fill out its list. There is a sort of main progression in the form of the six shrines and the gradual de-fogging, but people who get their joy from storylines rather than exploring might be at a loss. <br /><br />The one actual-complaint I would have is probably the controls. They aren’t bad, but of the games I’m covering in this two-parter, it’s definitely the least-tight. Things can feel a little floaty and imprecise, although the game rarely asks you to perform overly-exacting feats of platforming either, so moving around rarely feels bad, just less good than in other places. It definitely wasn’t enough to ruin my playthrough, at least. <br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6S9giAhbI1_ihF8vY2i8Nna1Su44ReUP7r1pXsynRsT39EE_Dru3KchtV88HrDgJo8u4WH-O8dTcq0dIeo5vPR8xO8S25YzdNZD92g8oBt39iXcgBNgcKoIxKqgnwbE9WtLfZdg5SAE/s1920/Tasomachi+05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6S9giAhbI1_ihF8vY2i8Nna1Su44ReUP7r1pXsynRsT39EE_Dru3KchtV88HrDgJo8u4WH-O8dTcq0dIeo5vPR8xO8S25YzdNZD92g8oBt39iXcgBNgcKoIxKqgnwbE9WtLfZdg5SAE/w640-h360/Tasomachi+05.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>Here Comes Niko!</i> (Frog Vibes)<br /></b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXOTQx2So6JfzQ2GXyPIGOnErfbHKn4RarbIIQiI4kNBxCZr7A8_kSvJMBJUdsYb6zjd_fqADYdVf6ogtaoreBZ6frTyLg69C8TFEJj0xK3kbDiFfqRw8ArOIxpk6MtoZZJZ-kv0k2iE/s2048/Niko+01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXOTQx2So6JfzQ2GXyPIGOnErfbHKn4RarbIIQiI4kNBxCZr7A8_kSvJMBJUdsYb6zjd_fqADYdVf6ogtaoreBZ6frTyLg69C8TFEJj0xK3kbDiFfqRw8ArOIxpk6MtoZZJZ-kv0k2iE/w640-h360/Niko+01.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>In 2021, Gears for Breakfast, developers of <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/01/a-hat-in-time-level-design-3d-platformers.html">the wonderful <i>A Hat in Time</i></a>, moved into the publishing sphere, starting with <a href="https://herecomesniko.com/"><i>Here Comes Niko!</i>, a 3D platformer from Frog Vibes</a>. The game sees you play as Niko, a human who has recently (and somewhat suddenly) moved to a chain of islands populated by talking animals, and is looking for a job and some stability. The most promising option appears to be a company of frogs looking to hire the apparent hot, new thing for their world: Professional Friends, a role that mostly entails doing the sorts of tasks common in this genre (explore worlds, meet people, help them with their problems, collect things, etc.)<br /><br />The game is marketed as “the cozy 3D platformer for tired people”, and that largely tracks, for me. It’s by far the most relaxing and easy-going of the games that I’m covering in this set, for a variety of reasons. Despite being a game that’s technically about auditioning for a job, the overall feeling it instills is much more “lazy afternoon on a summer vacation”, as you explore inviting locales and talking to friendly people mostly just enjoying their day.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjah8-0-Z9HbkLN_NoDGmrEiRvLcIJoLi9K_uEsc2jH22M-mrnfVCYZjrMvDZVK2mrrA_OPFUxuHplkYEb-7mdVV5WoQ4eLsqagccHAycCGy2oJT63ROMY3lomHIH_qBy2IuhknNM4XY/s2048/Niko+02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjah8-0-Z9HbkLN_NoDGmrEiRvLcIJoLi9K_uEsc2jH22M-mrnfVCYZjrMvDZVK2mrrA_OPFUxuHplkYEb-7mdVV5WoQ4eLsqagccHAycCGy2oJT63ROMY3lomHIH_qBy2IuhknNM4XY/w640-h360/Niko+02.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>The game uses a cartoony art style, with 2D character sprites moving through a 3D world (much like<a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/10/heavens-vault-review-recommendation.html"> <i>Heaven’s Vault</i></a>, although to an extremely different effect) of bright pastels and vacation-y spots. The characters are generally fun to look at and fairly varied in design within their style, even if most of them are sort of one-note personality-wise. As far as the settings, it almost reminds me of a much more chilled out <i>Super Mario Sunshine</i>; these levels feel like places people would come to visit and get away from it all, although <i>Niko!</i> uses a variety of smaller getaway spots (a local pool, a hot spring, a mountain forest…) rather than singling in on a tropical island.<br /><br />Of all the games I’m covering in this article and the next, <i>Niko!</i> might have the best movement, which is always key for a 3D platformer. Or rather, I think it has a lower learning curve and polished results; <i>Blue Fire</i> (to be covered next time) has a wider variety of movement options, and you can pull off cooler things if you practice and get good, but <i>Niko!</i> will probably have you feeling like an expert just by playing around and exploring the levels like normal, as you learn all the tricks of traversal. I’m by no means a master, but by the end of the game, even I was thinking, “Dang, this feels really smooth, I might even be able to learn a speedrun for this or something”.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LQwPePKXvCJXFaO91W07Qx1JqNwyFcSSx4KcCVjyzZpnZQeU5zXvZemqlK38Kpm9WF78zft3fZGY-ltGSaE8m6FesEpTV0wBZg1ujpzQKeh4TUwxK2u8PB3YI2oramkfBVsCHkOpGFQ/s2048/Niko+03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LQwPePKXvCJXFaO91W07Qx1JqNwyFcSSx4KcCVjyzZpnZQeU5zXvZemqlK38Kpm9WF78zft3fZGY-ltGSaE8m6FesEpTV0wBZg1ujpzQKeh4TUwxK2u8PB3YI2oramkfBVsCHkOpGFQ/w640-h360/Niko+03.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>Again, I’m not sure if this game is going to be for everyone. It’s on the shorter side of what I’m covering in this set, with less to it than <i>Tasomachi </i>and <i>Blue Fire</i> (the <i>Toree </i>games are shorter still, but also priced lower). It’s also the easiest to complete, and probably the most forgiving of failures, which might make some people lose interest. There really aren’t any difficult platforming chunks or tricky discoveries to pull off, it’s mostly just “here’s a level, thoroughly explore it and have fun”.<br /><br />And if you’re the person that needs a story to really push you along, this might not be for you. That’s not to say there’s no story or stakes; you get little reminders of the life Niko is trying to leave behind on the train rides between levels. In fact, this… might be the best character arc in any of these games today, and these reminders of a life left behind probably reinforce that “summer vacation” vibe I mentioned earlier, reminding you that there is also a “real world”, not just hot springs where you befriend axolotls or whatever.<br /><br /> And it’s certainly the most direct story told, as both <i>Tasomachi </i>and <i>Blue Fire</i> have a tendency to drip feed lore and exposition after challenges. But <i>Here Comes Niko!</i> is ultimately just a story about one person, trying to make it on their own and get a job (rather than lifting a curse or saving the world). And the game doesn’t even really try to play that up for drama; Niko the character certainly worries about getting hired in-story, but the game itself generally indicates that this will happen. This is probably to its overall benefit, since it is going for that “relaxing” feel and that’s not how most people view a job hunt, but it does mean that you’re largely propelled forward by enjoying the game and wanting to see the rest of it. That was more than enough for me, though.</div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-8e075de9-7fff-8d59-bc83-7175997f0f89"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EDIT: </span><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/12/Blue-Fire-Toree-3d-platformer-review.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The follow-up to this piece has now been published, and can be found here.</span></a></span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFcd63kNOaQOa-NsxR3T-gGMgRb_C8DW65CwLBUShCGKfrIPjG0pynGz-aeyKPLVmNVCLgHGL7oFIsoxLPKCiDYtqLDX7WzOH-KezSkOb8QmZDoLfY7DsI_ooxaK3ynYLBsU9UkV-uPQ/s2048/Niko+04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFcd63kNOaQOa-NsxR3T-gGMgRb_C8DW65CwLBUShCGKfrIPjG0pynGz-aeyKPLVmNVCLgHGL7oFIsoxLPKCiDYtqLDX7WzOH-KezSkOb8QmZDoLfY7DsI_ooxaK3ynYLBsU9UkV-uPQ/w640-h360/Niko+04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-45036994069329746422021-11-18T21:59:00.004-08:002022-01-07T16:11:21.843-08:00An Appreciation of Pokémon, for the Series' 25th AnniversaryBack in January, in <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/01/2020-indie-video-game-review-roundup.html">my 2020 Video Game Round-Up</a>, I made a brief, non-indie game digression to talk about Pokémon, specifically the expansion content for <i>Sword & Shield</i> versions. I was a pretty big fan of both the <i>Isle of Armor</i> and <i>Crown Tundra</i> DLCs, but then again, I am also a much bigger fan of Generation VIII than most people. So, with new Pokémon games on the horizon (both the Generation IV remakes <i>Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl</i> later this month, and <i>Pokémon Legends: Arceus</i> in early 2022), plus the added context of a few other games I’ve been playing lately, I figured I would expand a little more on what I like about Gen VIII* and the series as a whole.<br /><br /><i>*I have no idea what the breakdown of the readership of Out of Left Field looks like, so for anyone who needs a quick primer on which years and games each generation refers to, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_(video_game_series)">the series’ Wikipedia page</a> breaks it down in several ways.<br /></i><br />It’s come up a few times here (most recently in that 2020 Round-Up, and as background <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/lennas-inception-is-one-of-best-games.html">for my review of the wonderful <i>Lenna’s Inception</i></a>*), but I am a huge fan of Pokémon, going all the way back to the days of <i>Red and Blue</i>. I started right when the Gen I games came to America, and have played every generation of games since then, as well as a number of spinoffs. And as you may have picked up from my discussion of glitch-hunting and such from the <i>Lenna’s Inception</i> article, I was reading different fan sites and forums about the series for a lot of that time as well. <br /><i><br /></i><div><i>*Speaking of, some good news on that front: Bytten Studio’s follow-up, the monster taming RPG </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0zv4r-DTPg">Cassette Beasts</a><i>, was picked up by </i><a href="https://rawfury.com/" style="font-style: italic;">publisher Raw Fury</a><i> (they’ve published some solid titles; I believe I’ve mentioned </i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/03/2019-game-recommendation-round-up.html">Dandara</a> <i>and </i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/01/2020-indie-video-game-review-roundup.html">Townscaper</a> <i>here in the past) and will be coming to consoles as well as PC. I’m still super excited for this one! </i><br /><br />I say all of that not as any sort of brag, but 1) to emphasize that the series means a lot to me; and 2) because I know my opinion on <i>Sword & Shield</i> is not at all common among fans, although it is partially the result of that long relationship with the games. There are a lot of changes Gen VIII brought that elicited fan ire, but one thing that stood out to me as I read a lot of it was how familiar it all seemed, usually in stark contrast with how it was presented. <br /><br />Most of the things in Generation VIII that often got cited as “franchise ruining” felt a lot like reiterations of past changes and disagreements within the fanbase. Complaints about an incomplete Pokédex? Gen III received criticism at its launch when there was no ability to transfer your Pokémon from Gen II, and Gen V received similar criticism when it tried to focus on an entirely new set of monsters. Complaints about the graphics? Possibly even more common, from long standing complaints about the games remaining in an overhead, 2D spirited style, to complaints any time the games introduced-then-removed motion in battle sprites, to complaints the moment they switched to a 3D style, with an understated resurgence in opinions that they should just return to a 2D style (although I’ve even seen disagreements there on whether such a switch should be back to pixel art or to animations).*<br /><br /><i>*My own, long-held opinion on graphics in video games (in general, not just Pokémon) is that the industry as whole is way too concerned on graphical performance and “realism”, especially at the highest level, and that we have long passed the tipping point at which the effort and money still being dumped into achieving these things are not worth the marginally better visuals that result (especially given how many other aspects of the game could use that extra focus). The Pokémon games could do better here, of course, but their greatest constraint at this point is probably more related to short turnaround times for the developers, rather than any sort of commitment to a house art style or graphical engine on Game Freak’s part.<br /></i><br />I could go on about the variety of complaints, but my larger point is that each of these complaints has existed before, usually across multiple generations, and it hasn’t stopped people from determining different entries are their personal favorite. Any belief that Gen VIII will break from this pattern strikes me as unlikely. And as long as the series remains committed to its aggressive release schedule (of new Generations every three years, with remakes and third versions or DLC in the intervening years), each new generation is going to be more iterative, with its own new flaws, failed experiments, and successes.<br /><br />As a result, in my opinion, the different entries are all fairly equal in quality, and your opinion of each entry will heavily come down on how much you liked or disliked the tweaks and fixes it brought in that specific iteration (as well as some degree of personal nostalgia). So, with that said, what personally do I look for in my own rankings? Generally, a decent number of new Pokémon, with preferably not too heavy a focus on legendaries.* A well-thought-out, engaging region to explore. Some interesting new features and quality of life improvements. An installment that mostly stands on its own, without leaning too hard on past games. A lot of these are kind of vague, but it’s really kind of a “know it when I see it” situation, rather than a hard-and-fast rubric, and I’m fine deviating from it to give extra credit for other aspects that each game does well.</div><div> <br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><i>*I’m not totally opposed to legendary </i><i>Pokémon</i><i>, but since they are mostly one-offs and tend to be gated behind story events, it can make the new creations feel a little too sparse within the region. I like it when the newest Pokémon get the majority of the focus within the games and aren’t overwhelmed by old standbys throughout the games (which is also why I really liked Gen V’s bold initial call to not include any older monsters in Unova and bypass this pitfall). And in the worst cases, too many legendary Pokémon can also lead to a sense of bloat, where <b>every single</b> monster feels like it’s super-special and powerful (although Gen VII dealt with this a little better than some past ones with their Ultra Beast storyline). You need some sense of balance here.</i></div><div><br />By all of those standards, Gen VIII is up there with Gen V, in strong contention for the title of “best installment of the series”. The 89 monsters introduced is not the most the series has ever brought in at once, but it is the largest batch since <i>Black & White</i>, and it has a much less overwhelming focus on legendaries when compared to <i>Sun & Moon</i> (not to mention that it has some of my personal favorite designs in a while). The quality of life improvements were vast and, in retrospect, long-needed. New mechanics from the last two Gens that I had been sort of indifferent upon their introduction, like Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, and regional variants, got refined (in the form of Dynamaxing, for the first two) or applied in much better ways (the new Galarian forms basically did everything I wished the Alolan forms had done in the first place). The Wild Area was a great new introduction, and it was much more interesting to roam and explore than past routes (especially the two new Wild Areas released in the DLC). And between the Wild Areas, the strong theming (Pokémon arenas as soccer stadiums was an especially brilliant stroke), and even-better-than-normal character design, the Galar Region stood out to me. <br /><br />And thinking about all of those things that made <i>Sword & Shield</i> stand out within the series got me thinking more about the series as a whole. Well, that and a few other things; more specifically, the growing number of indie games in the Monster Taming genre (I’ve already reviewed <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/06/monster-sanctuary-indie-game-review.html"><i>Monster Sanctuary</i></a>, and I hope to have a review on another take at the genre up before the end of the year), and a few good pieces I’ve seen looking at the series (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMmP9h3NBmg">HeavyEyed’s video essay</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_apnhXb9YrV73lQgXzeEx71Yo_hwnzjZ">KingK’s Pokémon Retrospective series</a> being the most notable ones). <br /><br />One of the big realizations is appreciating the scope of what Pokémon manages as a series. Some of that is obviously the result of their longevity, as they celebrate their 25th Anniversary this year and eight-plus iterations of their main series; there are a lot of things you can learn when you’ve been at something for that long (granted, the games are widespread enough that most of their modern competitors have also had the time and opportunity to learn from them over that time as well). But at the same time, a lot of the things they did right were even apparent in the earliest games, as unfinished as <i>Red & Blue</i> could feel at times. <br /><br />And one of the biggest elements of that nature is the monster designs themselves; I’m hardly the first person to observe this, but every Pokémon is unique, memorable, and appealing enough that it could be somebody’s favorite (and almost certainly is, given the series’ large fanbase). And this goes back all the way to the earliest days of the series; some of the most popular Pokémon are from the first games. Sure, some of that is nostalgia for what came first, but even as someone who has tried to look at it objectively and decided that I like a lot of later Generations’ designs more, there’s still a lot of solid entries in Generation I.<br /><br />I wish I had a better vocabulary for determining just what makes Game Freak so good at this. I suppose I’ve tried for years, all the way back to my earliest days as a fan, looking at other fans’ creations, and I still am not positive I could verbally capture everything that makes Pokémon look like Pokémon. One thing that I’ve seen others suggest is that their designers do a good job giving everything both a clear and fairly unique look, and also some sort of niche to occupy or archetype to fulfill. I don’t know that this explanation covers every case, and I’m sure I could think of some counterexamples from among the nearly 900 creations, but it’s a pretty good starting point that generally holds up to scrutiny. <br /><br />Some of it stems from the game’s greater complexity, too, I think. Even in their earliest days, Game Freak had more ideas for the series than they could fit on the cartridge, and they’ve only multiplied since then. They started with fifteen types, and have grown to eighteen in the intervening years. Monsters can have one or two types, evolve at different levels or in a host of different ways, learn their own unique set of moves that can span multiple types, and have their own unique spread of stats influenced by everything from their species to their personalities to their unique individual values. <br /><br />That’s a lot to handle, but it also helps to flesh out each new creation. And not only that, but a lot of those are apparent even at a basic level. For example, I’ve played games that try and simplify typing, so that monsters can only have one type from a list of seven or eight. Knowing that a monster is “Fire Type” from a short list of options is… useful for strategy when playing the game, but that’s about it. A lot of things can be “fire type” in a video game, it’s a common descriptor. <br /><br />Comparatively, that’s barely a starting point for Pokémon; a “Fire/Rock” type immediately conjures a bunch of ideas of what it might be, versus a “Fire/Bug” or “Fire/Flying” or “Fire/Dark” Pokémon. There’s still never been a “Fire/Grass” type after 25 years, and just hearing that, I immediately get so many ideas of what the first monster with that typing might be; it’s such an evocative combo. And by having so many options, just making a pure-Fire type carries its own sort of meaning apart from all of that. <br /><br />It’s a lot to manage, and I can understand why so many other games forgo it. And on top of that, I can see complaints for it, too. It’s <b>a lot</b> to deal with; there are still type interactions that surprise me, because they come up so infrequently. And this isn’t getting into weirder, less-standardized things that are used to define Pokémon, like some of the very-specific evolution methods that the average player would never stumble upon. Ultimately, though, I think this approach allows for a lot of creativity in designs that can stick in your mind, and in the worst cases, there’s no problem in looking things up when you’re just completely lost. <br /><br />And I think that creativity overlaps with and expands into other areas of the game as well. For instance, I think their character design for human characters is generally fairly strong. Like with the monsters, I have found there are at least some fans for just about every key character of the series (from the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members, to the player characters and rivals, to even the professors and evil team members). It also helps that said designs can be reinforced by the strong and unique Pokémon designs, so filling out a team for a character can even be a thing that expands upon their character. <br /><br />That’s a factor that expands to the generic trainers, as well, which is probably part of the reason that you’ll even find fans for those stock characters on occasion. It probably also helps how much the Pokémon games try to build out their world and draw parallels to our own. So when you see a Fisherman with six Magikarps, or a Rich Lady with a pet-like monsters like Snubbull and Furfrou, or an Ace Trainer with a team of sleek creatures like Dragonair and Pidgeot, it connects to real world character types and helps you mentally fill in your picture of them a bit more, so they no longer feel like <i>just </i>a generic trainer on the side of the road. <br /><br />Thinking about it a bit more, I’ve seen a few people point to the idea that Pokémon designs are supposed to exist in “the real world” or “a version of the real world” or something like that (it comes up in HeavyEyed’s video, but it’s by no means the first time I’ve seen that claim). Honestly, I don’t know if this is actually the case (since that claim might well be apocryphal), but that might be a key difference in their monster creation versus others. Sure, all of them look cool in battle, but for most of them, you can also imagine what sort of role they would fill in a real world, how they might function out in the wild, or why people would want them as a pet and how they would function as such. <br /><br />Honestly, though, I would expand this world-building element beyond just the monster design. The maps of the Pokémon games have always stood out to me, and I could probably do a decent job of drawing maps of each main-game region by memory, even the ones I cared less for and didn’t play as much. And they all have a certain completeness to them? Maybe it’s just from the different ways all of the cities and routes tie together once you’ve explored more. I don’t know that any of them felt like actual real places, or rates among the best video game worlds ever designed, but “a memorable and pleasant place to exist in” is always nice for a game, in my opinion. Much like with creature design, whatever Game Freak’s guiding principles are here, they just work well.<br /><br />But really, I think the biggest thing that I’ve come to appreciate about the series is how the games allow the player to express themselves. This is an idea that I had been obliquely approaching for a while, after talking about <a href="https://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/08/chicory-colorful-tale-is-stellar-follow.html">how <i>Chicory</i> allowed players to get creative with their art within the game</a>, and thinking about it in other contexts. Playing some more difficult monster collecting games only made the game sink in a little more; it does feel a little rough seeing so many cool monster designs laid out before you, and then finding out that some of them are just… not great options, strategically, and might leave you stuck in the middle of the game. That’s what happens when you need to balance hundreds of character options: some are going to be worse than others. <br /><br />One of the complaints that I see come up repeatedly is that Pokémon isn’t more difficult, and after 25 years, they probably aren’t going to change that formula. And on the one hand, I can understand why that’s frustrating. But in comparison with the more difficult games, that allows for a lot of other approaches in how you play Pokémon games. You don’t have to stick to just the strategic creatures, you can stick with the ones that are appealing to you, or fit your style, or help build your story, or anything else. <br /><br />For difficulty, there are still options. You can get more involved in the competitive scene, which requires actual strategies and training (as well as actually knowing which ‘mons are good), and can be super interesting if you get to understand it more (it was also one of the things greatly streamlined in Generation VIII). Or you could self-impose challenges. Fans have come up with plenty; the HeavyEyed video gets into Nuzlocke runs, Single-type challenges are also fun, speedruns of the series <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLo4BxDWH4Y">can be</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PupgZtt_KEw">pretty</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDeTY2MX_YU">entertaining</a>, I’ve spent the last few generations taking advantage of EXP sharing items to just train up dozens of creatures across the game and really feel like a Pokémon Master, picking out specific teams from my larger ranks as needed. Really, the sky is kind of the limit here, especially once you get into fan creations and ROM hacks. And maybe a new, official, in-game Hard Mode option wouldn’t be the worst idea either, but I also don’t know that it’s the most pressing need for the series (and it’s impossible to guess how Game Freak would go about prioritizing or implementing it anyway; they march to their own beat a lot of the time).<br /><br />The potential for creativity, the ability to do things your way and create narratives, is kind of intrinsic to Pokémon as a series. It’s kind of a reflection of what the series is about, and I absolutely believe that was the designers’ intent going in. And I think that being a series that is so opposed to having a “right way” to get through it is part of what drew me to it as a kid. There are definitely ways you could improve things (although, again, as a series that’s constantly in development and on tight timelines, no individual entry is going to be perfect, even as they are constantly tinkering with it), and there are probably more ways they could allow customization. But as is, I definitely appreciate the games, and in a way that few of their alternatives in the industry have matched. <br /></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-59889354601295949582021-10-31T22:51:00.001-07:002021-10-31T22:51:11.613-07:00Heaven's Vault: Exploring the Universe and Unlocking Its Mysteries via Word Puzzles<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQv9EvVnRpVXN5va2Y7lrzVygHunnXyNH0JrNegEqCzKYEppU4wPM-Depeo5yDUm66gs6p9xyfapN1cKc7yMwQYjxlTM-ORWUp1pkrWcyTYRyw351tolgevd76SoapZVk31TILLhgX29M/s3009/keyart-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="3009" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQv9EvVnRpVXN5va2Y7lrzVygHunnXyNH0JrNegEqCzKYEppU4wPM-Depeo5yDUm66gs6p9xyfapN1cKc7yMwQYjxlTM-ORWUp1pkrWcyTYRyw351tolgevd76SoapZVk31TILLhgX29M/w640-h222/keyart-logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I feel like I’ve been focused lately, in addition to basics like the story or the gameplay, is how it feels to play a game, the experiences it instills in a player, sometimes even just random secondary connections to other things my mind draws. Like, <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/06/Ikenfell-video-game-recommendation-review.html"><i>Ikenfell </i>was a fun fantasy RPG, but also a diorama</a>, an intricately-constructed place and a complex portrayal of the residents. <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/08/chicory-colorful-tale-is-stellar-follow.html"><i>Chicory </i>was an advanced coloring book</a>, asking you to express yourself creatively in response to the story it was telling, but also a conversation about artistic creation. <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/10/monster-prom-monster-camp-review-recommendation.html"><i>Monster Prom</i> was a user-generated sitcom</a>, somehow both comforting and unexpected. So the question then is: what is <i>Heaven’s Vault</i>? The obvious answer is something like a puzzle box, but that almost feels like it sells the game short; there’s so much more going on here, almost like a mini-history lesson or research session. And perhaps more interestingly for a video game (at least mechanically), for the main puzzle box comparison, it’s specifically a word puzzle that’s guarding the treasure within.<br /><br />So let’s take it from the top: <a href="https://www.inklestudios.com/heavensvault/"><i>Heaven’s Vault</i></a> is a game from developers Inkle Studios. Story-wise, it very fittingly combines the past and the present, as a game about doing archaeology across a federation of planets out in some galaxy far, far away (possibly also a long time ago, but we’ll get into that shortly). You play as Eliya Alasra, a historian at the University of Iox who is sent out by a shady administrator to search for a colleague who recently went missing while researching historical sites. The absentee researcher believed he found evidence of some sort of past disaster that could be returning to the Nebula soon, but also didn’t fill in the administration on what exactly he was doing or finding. All you have to go off of is original destination and his out-of-the-loop, former robotic assistant, Six. <br /><br />It’s a great cold set-up, almost like a noir detective story crossed with an Indiana Jones film and set in space, one that immediately gives you narrative hooks and mysteries and strong characters to latch onto without giving away too much. And the ensuing game provides a lush backstory for both the characters and the world. The writers at Inkle have done a great job digging into all of it, and since the game is very open-ended and player-directed, you very likely will miss some of their hard work on your first playthrough; I certainly did. Thankfully, <i>Heaven’s Vault</i> allows you to carry through all your translation work into repeat playthroughs, and even gives you more complex and detailed writings to translate. You can get a pretty wide range of story beats depending on what all you know, what you can decipher, where you go, who you talk to, and whose trust you earn. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCZHi3Cw9Q9030Fa4m0cJaEzlg5RvNv7S0yAAjWucZITNVTRPBEPDUxOts1-PFDww3GF5jFLP0i48fdbO_E_AL8YLgxRHNhO4I6u-Q2Z0kEc7KgTXI-luTtN69uSST8S2gjxXh2Ux-QU/s2048/climbing_4k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCZHi3Cw9Q9030Fa4m0cJaEzlg5RvNv7S0yAAjWucZITNVTRPBEPDUxOts1-PFDww3GF5jFLP0i48fdbO_E_AL8YLgxRHNhO4I6u-Q2Z0kEc7KgTXI-luTtN69uSST8S2gjxXh2Ux-QU/w640-h360/climbing_4k.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />So that’s what we’re dealing with story-wise, but what about the gameplay? It’s an adventure game*, but it makes some key changes from the classics of the genre. First, the worlds in it are traversable, 3D-spaces, rather than 2D screens. You walk around these worlds talking to other people and looking for items, specifically archaeological artifacts.<br /><br /><i><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>*I guess the proper label is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_game#Graphic_adventure">graphic adventure game</a>, as opposed to a text adventure game? I don’t hear that modifier nearly as much as “text adventure”, but it makes sense at least.<br /></i><br />I know that this move technically doesn’t change the gameplay all that much fundamentally, but it still does feel like a big jump from the classics of the genre. These are some impressive landscapes to wander around, with nice scenic shots of bustling markets or alien horizons or ancient structures. And I think that seeing these locales as 3D spaces rather than backgrounds really does contribute to the sense of awe this game can inspire, in a way that even the nicest animations or pixel art couldn’t quite duplicate.*<br /><br /><i>*Although this game does use 2D animation for characters, rendering them as flat sprites in the world. It probably saved a lot of work on 3D modeling, and the close ups on the faces are nicely detailed for acting out scenes and on the whole well done. I’ve noticed a few games trying similar things, and honestly, I’m digging this growing trend of 2D art in 3D environments. It looks really nice when done well, and not at all as jarring as I was worried the contrast might be. <br /></i><br />The other big change is the puzzle mechanic; the big question isn’t what you do with the items you pick up. Instead, you find them scattered across the environments via exploration (they are, to at least some extent, randomly placed) and translate the written language of the ancients (a fictitious language constructed for the game, complete with grammatical rules and consistent symbols) that most things are inscribed with. The game then shows you a few potential words that could slot into each string and sets you lose.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXN-mfwYiH7LAyEY9FwYkyayoOr8aqtZ0-IpEC9E75cNwkRs6n9WW1yZStC4t-myDE46HZ3uqgkqbRRQRA-jE2x7Bj0Rf-EtoLgJ0XmQcphoJdJUGSvExVsyQT27upXv6PqRqkYGHSXrc/s1280/switch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXN-mfwYiH7LAyEY9FwYkyayoOr8aqtZ0-IpEC9E75cNwkRs6n9WW1yZStC4t-myDE46HZ3uqgkqbRRQRA-jE2x7Bj0Rf-EtoLgJ0XmQcphoJdJUGSvExVsyQT27upXv6PqRqkYGHSXrc/w640-h360/switch2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Learning to understand these writings is key to figuring out where to go or what to do next. And because this is a valid constructed language, there are multiple ways you can attack this problem, all of which can get you to the right place. It’s a lot less overwhelming than it might at first sound.<br /><br />Once you’ve translated each bit, you get several things. First, like with real archaeological work, the findings will often help you determine what type of place you’re dealing with, since the locations are appropriately ancient and inscrutable. For instance, is the statue with an inscription on its base a warning, an invocation of the gods, a welcoming sign, a memorial, or something else entirely? Sometimes, they’ll also contain information about the ancient empire and the challenges they faced, which can be helpful in determining your next course of action. And finally, once you’ve found enough artifacts, Eliya and Six will be able to piece together new potential dig sites for you to seek out and explore.<br /><br />Whether you’re searching for new planets to visit or returning to old ones to check in with characters, you reach new corners of the Nebula by sailing around in cosmic streams on a literal ship, since this game takes a more fantastical approach to its science fiction. It looks cool as hell, and it certainly works aesthetically, with the galaxy of <i>Heaven’s Vault</i> feeling ancient and worn down. Things have existed for millennia, empires have come and gone, and even the advanced tech has existed so long that most people don’t remember how it works. It certainly feels like a world that could be coming to its end after a long lifecycle, but maybe there’s also the chance for a new beginning breaking through.<br /><br />From a gameplay standpoint, I know from looking around that the sailing was a point of contention for some players, especially prior to a patch that made it a little smoother. But honestly? I thoroughly enjoyed this part of <i>Heaven’s Vault</i>. Sailing around multi-colored spacescapes over a string section and lilting, siren-like vocals is A Mood. It can be a little dicey at first, trying to navigate the complex networks of paths with a mostly-obscured map. The game nudges you in the right direction mostly, although sometimes it gives you strange routes or doesn’t realize you’re intentionally exploring a little bit off the route.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JN2dZppx7s5aK5SOk3v9pzr91_PNqxvfdUdACvZh1nEEHCSRkfdWnAVEh7Il4ff3IC9E0bvHxhcBUsFD-AGs2Zun1uhnomNDCPFpWPneP8Fo4TA2es73f1RL5urgAXb5Wku-NGGJvNg/s2048/nebula_river_fork_4k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JN2dZppx7s5aK5SOk3v9pzr91_PNqxvfdUdACvZh1nEEHCSRkfdWnAVEh7Il4ff3IC9E0bvHxhcBUsFD-AGs2Zun1uhnomNDCPFpWPneP8Fo4TA2es73f1RL5urgAXb5Wku-NGGJvNg/w640-h360/nebula_river_fork_4k.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />But once you have your bearings and have plotted out some common paths to hubs, this section provides for nice opportunities to chat with Six about recent plot developments, find bonus artifacts, and just generally reflect on your leads. I get that it’s not going to be that pleasant for everyone, but I probably just did 95% of my sailing manually. <br /><br />The last major gameplay mechanic is the branching narrative and the mechanics around that, which means we can move into the story. I won’t be discussing anything too spoiler intensive this time, though; partly because I think experiencing the story of <i>Heaven’s Vault</i> first-hand is at least a little important, but also because the game is… kind of hard to spoil?<br /><br />There’s a lot going on here, and the large quantity of moving parts means that there are a lot of potential variations of the story that you can wander into (especially for your first time through), where a spoiler might just not happen, or story beats can go in a completely different order, or things might even go the opposite direction. As I alluded to earlier, my first playthrough actually wound up with me missing two or three planets entirely, but also finding one or two hard to access areas and storylines, just because of the specific way that I played it. And this isn’t even getting into how much your knowledge affects your understanding of things; starting my second playthrough immediately revealed interesting details that I missed at the start of my first time due to my lean dictionary and lack of context for the world.<br /><br />There are only so many of those moving parts, so you’ll never go totally off-course, but the writers at Inkle planned for a good number of possible player reactions within those spaces. You have a very wide latitude in what order you tackle things, which can affect what you might see. Character interactions are even more notable for determining your path: each one allows you to direct the conversation and ask questions, and things keep a pretty natural flow. But that also means that a choice you make might also move the conversation past a point that you wanted to ask about. It’ll rarely be a completely missed opportunity, as each branch has at least some information to glean, but you also need to approach each decision with a sense of what you need to prioritize discussing. <br /><br />The strong cast of characters and their function in this story is another strongpoint. Each one has information to offer you, a pretty clear angle to play, and things they’re holding back. And you may very well need to pick sides and help one in a way that moves another out of your influence. It’s a nice added dimension to finding the right path through those conversations. On top of that, you’re also “playing” Eliya, who comes into the story with her own distinct personality, a harsh, snarky loner who’s shaped by feeling out of place in both her old hometown slums and her newer, more-upscale academic setting, with a perpetual uncertainty about who she can totally trust. You can learn to manage that tense discomfort and bond with others, or you can play it up and make your own way, but it does require getting a sense for how she’ll deliver and direct the lines you pick for her in the branching conversations<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWD4ePmb1UMVm4VdW5ULlQXL4dLQm0pQQkht3kdVjrLY5vS0nOSk89y1gYwW3KKnAxQjz3RWfB6cpH91EjNANe9YhgRFKxJ4-5273MVs56AyIl1zOh15FVQyqcwF-5EbbFMh7_Q6UQcUU/s1280/switch5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWD4ePmb1UMVm4VdW5ULlQXL4dLQm0pQQkht3kdVjrLY5vS0nOSk89y1gYwW3KKnAxQjz3RWfB6cpH91EjNANe9YhgRFKxJ4-5273MVs56AyIl1zOh15FVQyqcwF-5EbbFMh7_Q6UQcUU/w640-h360/switch5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Another aspect of the writing that particularly shines through, perhaps more than anything else, is the world the developers have built for this cast. And sure, some of that is the 3D worlds I mentioned earlier; the game’s locations do a pretty good job of telling a story. But there’s an entire history here, delivered via your investigations. The Nebula in <i>Heaven’s Vault</i> has lost a lot of its history for a variety of reasons, and Eliya’s digs turn up a lot of things that are even discoveries to an expert like her. She discusses these findings with other characters, marveling at each new discovery and trying to work through the implications for her world and how they got to this point.<br /><br />But there is a very interesting approach to how Inkle has written and delivered the history for this universe. Naturally, it’s largely delivered in non-chronological chunks, as you would expect from a story told by exploring historical sites in a “random” order. But that does allow them to gesture at bigger themes, learning of similar events that you later find out are separated by centuries, and playing into a theme of cycles and the infinite. Or seeing cause-and-effect play out in reverse, and getting the sense that nothing ever really ends, it just leads into the next thing. It really feels like a historian’s approach to teaching or learning history, which is a nice touch narratively and thematically. <br /><br />Overall, there’s a really full history here that’s been totally mapped out, complete with an ever-expanding timeline on your pause screen to accommodate your discoveries. It’s almost like a second map, and it’s just as exciting to play through the game to fill it out and learn what happened next back in the day. So in a way, it’s another solid way to connect the player to the main character via her passions.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeeCbSX1_ZX2XzLgVhS00V6T4iozV43fWF-hv7EEpLibnzhrYeJDPXjXPmzRSB7z-xV5ZfkEdJF60uziRfpmUNqWB2Q4PnEkIgG8X2vX3_uGqDyNyr9F3J7na1aGHTrdRV7r-7OSCyaw/s2048/the_nebula_4k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeeCbSX1_ZX2XzLgVhS00V6T4iozV43fWF-hv7EEpLibnzhrYeJDPXjXPmzRSB7z-xV5ZfkEdJF60uziRfpmUNqWB2Q4PnEkIgG8X2vX3_uGqDyNyr9F3J7na1aGHTrdRV7r-7OSCyaw/w640-h360/the_nebula_4k.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> There’s just something about <i>Heaven’s Vault’s</i> approach to language and puzzles and history and exploration and the infinite that is just so interesting and unique and singular, and it really pulled me in. It was another one of those rare games where I immediately started my second playthrough upon completing my first one, and even with my attention span wanting to do something different, I was considering a third playthrough right after that to try a new combination of events (it still might happen someday!). If any of that sounds appealing to you, I cannot recommend this game enough.Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-75193175639880070442021-10-12T23:16:00.002-07:002021-10-12T23:16:29.827-07:00Monster Prom and Monster Camp: Trying Something New & Offering October-Appropriate Wackiness Today, we’ll be looking at some October-appropriate content: reviews of a video game series about monsters. Not, like, a spooky game about monsters though; I’m too much of a horror-wuss for that. Instead, it will be one about going on wild dates with them. But first, some set-up:<br /><br />I need to be in the right mindset to tackle denser games, but those times don’t always correspond to the moments when I actually have the free time to play or write about video games. So I’ll usually keep something a little lighter in progress, a game that I can pop into and out of on the days where I’m not in the mood for the heavier stuff, or for when I’ve finished something big and am reflecting on the experience while deciding what to do next. I was looking for something to bridge the gap between <i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/08/chicory-colorful-tale-is-stellar-follow.html">Chicory</a> </i>and whatever the next big experience would be*, when I landed on <i>Monster Prom</i>.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VEqUI5652Pwo9gx0nzOocG28F15najvuaEzw10cWhBX_wtoviNG6pOsDpe8HUb33PnPRzkc4_FSeznfxYwd6T1s8Tdq0ExsEE4nwnD3pvfpr3vdSQWhze47vY6M-m5SFWK8-1D6Zwlk/s1500/Prom+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1500" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VEqUI5652Pwo9gx0nzOocG28F15najvuaEzw10cWhBX_wtoviNG6pOsDpe8HUb33PnPRzkc4_FSeznfxYwd6T1s8Tdq0ExsEE4nwnD3pvfpr3vdSQWhze47vY6M-m5SFWK8-1D6Zwlk/s320/Prom+logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><i>*"The Next Big Experience" wound up being </i>Heaven’s Vault<i>, and there’s a reasonable chance something on that will be coming, if I ever get my thoughts in order.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a href="http://monsterprom.pizza/"><i>Monster Prom</i></a>, for the unfamiliar, is a visual novel from a few years ago by developer Beautiful Glitch. Late last year it got a follow-up, <i>Monster Camp</i>, which uses the same base set-up for a whole bunch of new scenarios with different characters. And a big part of what makes the game unique, as it even markets, is that it’s a competitive <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dating_sim">dating sim</a>; you can compete against your friends, both going about your life as a monster student talking to potential romantic interests while trying to block your friends from getting the stats or interactions they need to succeed.*<br /><br /><i>*Although you can also both win, if you play your cards right; but you’ll likely get in each other’s way at least once, even if you’re pursuing different partners. Also, you can also absolutely play it as a single player, taking a Solitaire-style “beat the game” approach. It’s surprisingly difficult, in this regard! I failed at least as often as I succeeded, and you definitely need to strategize to pull off a successful run (particularly in the sequel, which feels even tougher).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXJ9cu9joC_wmjP9cY-K6SyHWxrH5uQn8tG6JS3o-J_3yeIOqT2YyyDpIZRv3Z9aU0aQlXrxuOftVIVTnncSynlZNS1QjZlUdxKLu-_kEyLtS_T6XrguI4zdAOG4-oPN2YyjOaklrUB8/s1208/Monster+Prom+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="1208" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXJ9cu9joC_wmjP9cY-K6SyHWxrH5uQn8tG6JS3o-J_3yeIOqT2YyyDpIZRv3Z9aU0aQlXrxuOftVIVTnncSynlZNS1QjZlUdxKLu-_kEyLtS_T6XrguI4zdAOG4-oPN2YyjOaklrUB8/w400-h225/Monster+Prom+2.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div></i>As you might guess by that set up, it’s a game that prioritizes replayability even more highly than most other dating sims, with a focus on shorter run times and tons of potential routes and events within each route. If you wanted to slam even more buzzword genres onto it, I suppose you could even call it a roguelike dating sim. I’ve stated before that it’s hard to tell whether a video game’s idea is totally unique, as so much of making a game is iteration and mutating other interesting ideas, and there’s hardly any sort of online compendium tracking the introduction and evolution of every different mechanic and story element (even before getting into how fuzzy those distinctions can get). Even still, my efforts to find other multiplayer or roguelike visual novels and dating sims mostly came up empty (I got a small few for the latter, but most of them seemed very different from the <i>Monster </i>series at best).<br /><br />It also helps that the game itself is a lot of fun to play, even over dozens of replays. <i>Monster Prom</i> has a madcap, manic approach to its writing; dozens of recognizable school set-ups are distorted through the monster world, which is governed by an “everything can and will go awry in the most disastrous fashion” logic. Skipping class somehow leads to forming a crime ring, sneaking in to change a grade leads to a coup plot on the Water Polo team, the party after school leads to summoning demons to spice things up, stuff like that (and the game is more than happy to get dark in its craziness; they are all monsters, after all). <i>Monster Camp</i> draws things out a little bit, keeping the absurdity but wrapping it in more long-form scenarios that often start in ridiculousness and spiral from there. It’s not a huge difference, but it is noticeable enough to give them each their own distinct energies even as they both run headfirst into outright silliness.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDO5D_rGeUTvjFX46i_Ge_vqnmZsErrBypbTnCr784T0AkW4ie8PfmNqLVybkLFfRBccwPLpqbiqM-LhlGoY7r4qMbVMRSO7T3VFShkn0IxLUoSyW3KOWvcnM6rTTlxSHnnjcWF0EvNxQ/s1207/Monster+Prom+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1207" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDO5D_rGeUTvjFX46i_Ge_vqnmZsErrBypbTnCr784T0AkW4ie8PfmNqLVybkLFfRBccwPLpqbiqM-LhlGoY7r4qMbVMRSO7T3VFShkn0IxLUoSyW3KOWvcnM6rTTlxSHnnjcWF0EvNxQ/w400-h225/Monster+Prom+3.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />Accompanying your player character on these shenanigans is a cast of six (or eight, in <i>Prom</i>’s free DLC) other monsters for you to date, as well as an assorted supporting cast (many of whom have their own secret routes, if you poke around enough). All of the designs are a lot of fun visually, and the game’s overall sense of style (courtesy of artist Arthur Tien) is a big selling point of the game. The characters mostly draw from fairly common stock character types, and while they generally don’t get any major character arcs, they do at least get some extra depth from the different sides of them that you can see over each game’s thousand-plus potential scenarios, keeping them interesting to deal with. Plus, I feel like some of the newer characters and scenarios (from <i>Prom</i>’s Second Semester DLC and <i>Camp </i>especially) have gotten even better, as the writing team has had to think of more interesting ideas beyond the original character’s basic stereotypes.</div><div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK2ZofQbTZOZaXGG6AzCZO7UOj1_eEwb-L4vjGNO9APmhLfQalw-stBOuKZLHO_uciusree5S5gZax75Yzab7r7Yo5skECxN7RmqBwixRDyRLyoDRu6Tn8cWjjBPT2PDeVev7x2mrk5o/s1920/Monster+Camp+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK2ZofQbTZOZaXGG6AzCZO7UOj1_eEwb-L4vjGNO9APmhLfQalw-stBOuKZLHO_uciusree5S5gZax75Yzab7r7Yo5skECxN7RmqBwixRDyRLyoDRu6Tn8cWjjBPT2PDeVev7x2mrk5o/w400-h225/Monster+Camp+1.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Honestly, more than anything it reminds me of a sitcom, right down to the similar comforting effect from going through one or two episodes or playthroughs a night.* It’s just that, thanks to <i>Monster Prom</i>’s game format, there’s a much more active element in play; you need to actually learn the game’s rhythms and think your choices through to ensure you see new situations or happy endings. And it even structures itself somewhat like a sitcom, with end credits and bonus pictures set over a theme song at the end of each playthrough.**<br /><br /><i>*Especially if you get the Switch version; I often found myself playing from bed to wind down. Sadly, </i>Monster Camp<i> is not on consoles yet, just PC, so you’re limited to the first game here, but that’s generally enough.<br /></i><br /><i>**It’s skippable if you’re short on time, but it can serve as a nice capstone to a run where you finally pull off a secret ending or something. And it really helps that the designers have a great ear for songs to use; </i>Monster Camp<i> especially knocks it out of the park with its selection of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcyVi1Kspzc">“Champions of Red Wine” by The New Pornographers</a> over the ending.<br /></i><br />But outside of more superficial stuff like that, they share a lot of fundamentals. Like a lot of sitcoms, the <i>Monster Prom</i> games are built off of a cast of strong and likeable characters getting to interact and bounce off of each other. There’s the strong use of humor, especially leaning on the interactions of those cast members, as well as wacky scenarios they get into. Like a lot of especially cartoon-y or slapstick shows, <i>Monster Prom</i> can lean into a sense of negative continuity, allowing the scenarios to get extreme and then be ignored both for the sake of a joke, and for continuing the story the next time around (even the basic ending of each run is “and then we graduated”, which is clearly ignored in subsequent playthroughs, even in the runs when it does make for a sweet little wrap-up). <br /><br />But relatedly, the individual playthroughs and their resets don’t really let the characters go through a ton of unique character arcs, so that (like many sitcom characters) they can stay their broad, iconic selves from “episode to episode”. If there is a larger character arc to the game, it’s in your player character gradually learning the quirks of the world and the love interests over multiple iterations; like I said, you very well might need multiple playthroughs just to woo a single character, let alone find any secret story branches. And in some way, that can kind of mirror the long-running “will they or won’t they” subplots of a lot of sitcoms. <br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9UyYdWqy9GhYxOMIUjJzn1BMaodKOxB-tHdKjG3CGXOiZQrh8z24buzPrimywjab1W__xWl2CgUsl64D2Jk16qz2PMkuMbUSR_9G5fqzOPom_1lSD_oxnsj_BP0r1b3tafJ6GmB-y3Y/s1208/Monster+Prom+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="1208" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9UyYdWqy9GhYxOMIUjJzn1BMaodKOxB-tHdKjG3CGXOiZQrh8z24buzPrimywjab1W__xWl2CgUsl64D2Jk16qz2PMkuMbUSR_9G5fqzOPom_1lSD_oxnsj_BP0r1b3tafJ6GmB-y3Y/w400-h225/Monster+Prom+1.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On the whole, it’s an extremely familiar and welcome experience narratively (there’s a reason good sitcoms remain eternally popular, even while borrowing from broad tropes). But it also makes <i>Monster Prom</i> and <i>Camp </i>incredibly unique in the medium they use to deliver that beloved experience; even setting aside all the gameplay things making them unique and opening up the search to very different types of games with just similar tones, I can’t think of another game that has quite matched this one. <br /><br />There are other parts of the game’s story that I find interesting, of course; with thousands of potential paths and outcomes, that’s almost a given. But I think I’ll leave those for players to discover. Really, I think the overall effect of the total game is interesting enough on its own to serve as my focus here, as I’m already going on a little longer than intended. The upshot is, I would definitely recommend checking out the games yourself and finding some of these stories, if it sounds at all interesting. And if nothing else, exploring a world of monsters is especially appropriate fun for the Halloween season.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-31581114467691995002021-09-05T21:24:00.005-07:002022-09-06T15:10:03.617-07:00Music Monday: Summer 2021 PlaylistLabor Day weekend traditionally marks the end of summer, and since I’m on top of things this year, it means that I actually planned ahead and got my annual Summer Playlist of the Year ready for it. Like in years past, I tried to keep it to more recent releases, although since I don’t hear everything the minute that it comes out, there are a few songs from 2020 or earlier as well, but it is generally stuff that I listened to this summer specifically. In addition to the playlist, I’ve also included a few stray thoughts about some of the songs and albums I included. The full listing in text is also at the end of the list. <br /><br />[<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4uSKf5rPqyUDu5WWHfVDGX?si=Ig0-HB5zRDqz8VuuiceQDA">Spotify Link</a>]<br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />Chvrches outright wins my "Album of the Summer" title with their recent release <i>Screen Violence</i>. They might be my favorite active artists (although that's a tough call), and I've loved every one of their albums, to the point where it's genuinely difficult for me to rank them. I will say that this one felt both darker and more dramatic in tone while also being pop-ish in actual sound, which is an interesting balance to hit. As far as specific songs go, I think the first seven are all pretty stellar, with the final three only being a minor slowdown, but "How To Not Drown" is now one of my favorite songs in their discography. The big ringing piano chords, the building tension, the soaring vocals on the chorus, every part of it is just incredible, and Robert Smith provides the perfect guest vocals in a match made in heaven. I knew that one would have to be on the playlist, but it was genuinely difficult to pick two other songs to go with it, though, the rest of them are just so strong.<br /><br /><br />My runners-up for album of the summer: <i>SAWAYAMA </i>by Rina Sawayama is pop that dabbles in a bunch of different styles and goes super hard in each experiment, and it’s a joy to listen to as a result; it’s genuinely difficult to pick songs to represent it, because it covers such a wide range of sounds. We Are the Union’s <i>Ordinary Life</i> is a ska-pop punk bit that never drags, and hits nice heights with songs like “Make It Easy” and “Morbid Obsessions”. And Porter Robinson’s long-awaited second album <i>Nurture </i>is a little on the long side, but I think avoids getting too dragged down by its length, with top tracks “Mirror” and “Something Comforting” (they were singles, so they made my 2020 list) swooping in to provide a big climax. <br /><br /><br />I don't know what to make of Bleachers' new album, <i>Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night</i>. My immediate reaction was disappointment, but I was already up to a positive reaction after one re-listen. I think part of that was my favorite songs were the ones that were released ahead of time, which made the full album release a little underwhelming. But I also don't think that I liked the high points as much as I did the high points on <i>Terrible Thrills</i> or <i>Gone Now</i>, both of which were in the running for my favorite album of the year when they were released. Of course, going back and re-reading my thoughts on <i>Gone Now</i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/01/music-monday-best-music-of-2017.html"> reveals</a> that I took a bit to warm up to it as well, which I had forgotten. In the end, I still like <i>TTSOOSN</i>, but I don't think this one will wind up on my Best of 2021 lists... but then again, there's still a chance I come around to it even more. <br /><br /><br />As for EP’s that I listened to a lot, we have: Paper Idols with <i>Mania Days</i>, Beach Bunny with <i>Blame Game</i>, Witch Cafe with <i>Witchpop Volume One</i>, and Sub-Radio with <i>Thoughts Lights Colors Sounds</i>.<br /><br /><br />Speaking of Sub-Radio, I actually only learned of them this year, but I liked their earlier EPs too. And Thoughts Lights Colors Sounds was a 2020 release, but they’ve released a few more good singles this year, like “What You Want to Hear” or “King of My Heart”.<br /><br /><br />I don’t know which list to put Great Good Fine Ok’s <i>Great Good Five Ok</i>, or KennyHoopla and Travis Barker’s <i>SURVIVORS GUILT: THE MIXTAPE//</i>, the EPs one or albums one. Both were eight songs and a little under 30 minutes, which feels like it rides the line? I liked them both quite a bit, though; they would have probably merited honorable mentions on the albums side, and they might take the EP category outright. <br /><br /><br />Japanese Breakfast’s <i>Jubilee </i>was also good, although I didn’t connect with it as well as some other things I listened to; it might be someone else’s jam, though. And at the very least, look into “Be Sweet”, which might ultimately be my song of the summer. “Posing in Bondage” is also really good. <br /><br /><br />Learning of Japanese Breakfast also led me to mastermind Michelle Zauner’s 2020 side project BUMPER, which was another short but sweet EP. And that in turn led to me learning of the band Crying (Ryan Galloway is in both projects), which was also a lot of fun to discover. <br /><br /><br />After dozens of listens, I still don't really know what exactly Caroline Polachek's "Bunny Is a Rider" is about, but it's absolutely a spacey summer jam and I love it so much. It would have made any full release a contender within its category, but alas, it was just a single. Looking forward to what follows, though.<br /><br /><br />Last year, I was not as big on The Aces' sophomore album, <i>Under My Influence</i>. But they've continued releasing songs since then, including a similarly-title EP, and I think all of them have been pretty good? Like, "upper-half-of-the-album" good? I should give it a re-listen now as one complete thing, to see if that improves my opinions of it. On the one hand, more good songs is always a plus. On the other hand, I'd have to give it some thought where to place them, plus I remember feeling at the time that it was a little long, at 14 tracks? It still wasn't quite a problem yet, but adding even more to it might finally push it too far. No way to know for sure unless I try, I guess.<br /><br /><br />On that note, I guess Pale Waves follows in their footsteps from last time. I didn’t like their sophomore effort <i>Who Am I?</i> quite as much as their debut <i>My Mind Makes Noises</i>, but there were still some good songs, and I’m still excited to see what’s next. <br /><br /><br />And speaking of newer artists who I’m excited to see more from, I enjoyed Girl In Red’s debut album <i>If I Could Make It Go Quiet</i>. I guess she and Paper Idols take this year’s “Promising Newcomer” awards?<br /><br /><br />I wasn't particularly expecting <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2020/09/music-monday-summer-2020-playlist.html">Summer 2020</a> surprise Daði Freyr to show up again, but "10 Years" was another jam, and the video was once again a lot of goofy fun.<br /><br /><br />Smallpools has been releasing a lot of songs in anticipation of a new album. One of them was a duet with New Dialogue, who I hadn’t heard of. They have some good songs, but I especially like their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”.<br /><br /><br />The Midnight also place a cover on this list, with their stellar rendition of “Because the Night”. That and “Neon Medusa” were standouts on their new EP, although it feels a little shorter and one-note than most of their other releases. <br /><br /><br />Also, the Weeknd’s new song, “Take My Breath” reminds me of The Midnight in a lot of ways. I dig it. <br /><br /><br />I liked Lake Street Dive's new album <i>Obviously</i>, but I'm not sure I'll revisit it as often as their last few albums. Maybe it will surprise me, though. At the very least though, "Hypotheticals" is great, and "Same Old News" is a lower-key jam. <br /><br /><br />I also finally got around to San Fermin’s newest album, <i>The Cormorant I & II</i>. Not quite as good as <i>Jackrabbit </i>(which I revisit all the time), but there’s still a lot of good stuff there. Also, the bari sax in “Swamp Song” makes me think of “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6EuhylVHaw">The Woods</a>”, which is always good. <br /><br /><br />Man, why did no one tell me about Miami Horror? I only just found their 2015 album <i>All Possible Futures</i> a few months ago, and y'all were holding out on me. I listened to it a ton. On the whole, it's also a little long, but stuff like "Real Slow" and (especially) "Cellophane (So Cruel)" are more perfect summer jams that I can't believe I missed out on for years. <br /><br /><br />If you were a fan of my digression into Snail’s House last year, you should check out In Love With a Ghost (who I finally got around to listening to) and Moe Shop (who I’ve listened to in the past, but I’m not sure I’ve mentioned here? Either way, I focused on their newer songs). Also included: some more, more-recent Snail’s House stuff (although I still haven’t gotten around to trying <i>Tasomachi</i>, the 3D platformer that released earlier this year with a full soundtrack from Snail’s House).<br /><br /><br />Speaking of video games and music, I’m familiar with The New Pornographers, but I don’t know all of their songs by heart or anything. One of the gaps in my knowledge was their 2014 song “Champions of Red Wine”, which showed up in the finale of a game I was playing earlier this year. It’s an absolutely perfect use of an incredible song, and it immediately stuck with me. Look for more on that game, possibly coming soon depending on whether I can organize my thoughts on it into something coherent. <br /><br /><br />I was tempted to include all three songs from Walk the Moon’s recent release, since I also really liked all of them. But I decided to hold back, since there will be a full album later in the year, and they will probably be making more appearances here. It’s been a while since 2017’s <i>What If Nothing</i>, but I really liked that album, so I’m excited. <br /><br /><br />Some other ones to watch going forward, who might show up again soon: Jukebox the Ghost (who’s next album comes out literally next week) [edit: past-me was mistaken, it was just a single], Smallpools, Caroline Polachek (maybe??), Miami Horror, Bastille, Bad Suns, the Family Crest, Coldplay, the Wombats (although the full album comes out in early January), and probably a few more that I can’t think of or who haven’t confirmed it yet. And of course, I’ll probably just stumble randomly on a bunch of things at random too. <br /><br /> <br /><br /><b><u><br /></u></b><style type="text/css">
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<th class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Full Playlist</u></span></th>
<th class="tg-7zrl"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Artist</u></span></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Don't Freak</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Aces</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Aren't You</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Aces</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
</tr><tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>On My Way</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Alex Lahey</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Heaven is a Place in My Head</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Bad Suns</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Distorted Light Beam</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Bastille</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Thelma + Louise</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Bastille</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Last Day on Earth</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>beabadoobee</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>He Gets Me So High</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>beabadoobee</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Good Girls (Don't Get Used)</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Beach Bunny</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Love Sick</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Beach Bunny</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>How Dare You Want More</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Bleachers</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Stop Making This Hurt</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Bleachers</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Be Mine Tonight</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Breakbot feat. Delafleur</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>You Can Get It</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>BUMPER</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Black Light</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>BUMPER</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Bunny Is a Rider</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Caroline Polachek</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Ride or Die</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Cash Cash feat. Phoebe Ryan</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Walk You Out</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Chloe Tang</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>He Said She Said</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Chvrches</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>California</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Chvrches</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Violent Delights</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Chvrches</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>How Not to Drown</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Chvrches & Robert Smith</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Higher Power</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Coldplay</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Premonitory Dream</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Crying</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Origin</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Crying</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>10 Years</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Dadi Freyr</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Do You Wanna</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Dornik</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Can't Wait Forever</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Friendly Fires</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>2Am</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Gavin Turek</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Serotonin</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>girl in red</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Did You Come?</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>girl in red</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>So Far So Good</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Great Good Fine Ok</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Could Be Us</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Great Good Fine Ok & Emily Burns</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Real</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Great Good Fine Ok</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Funfunfun</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>In Love with a Ghost</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Summer Party 3019</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>In Love with a Ghost</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Be Sweet</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Japanese Breakfast</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Posing in Bondage</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Japanese Breakfast</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Every Window Is a Mirror</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Joywave</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>silence is also an answer//</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>KennyHoopla & Travis Barker</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>hollywood sucks//</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>KennyHoopla & Travis Barker</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>smoke break//</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>KennyHoopla & Travis Barker</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Broken Glass</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">Kygo & Kim Petras</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>R U HIGH</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The Knocks feat. Mallrat</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Bedroom Eyes</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Knocks feat. Studio Killers</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Hypotheticals</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Lake Street Dive</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Same Old News</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Lake Street Dive</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Secrets from a Girl (Who's Seen it All)</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Lorde</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>So What</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Louis the Child & A R I Z O N A</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>GO GO</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Matt & Kim</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Never Wanna Leave</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Max M</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Real Slow</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Miami Horror feat. Sarah Chernoff</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Love Like Mine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Miami Horror feat. Cleopold</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Cellophane (So Cruel)</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Miami Horror feat. Aaron Tiem & Gavin Turek</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Neon Medusa</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Midnight</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Because the Night</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Midnight feat. Nikki Flores</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Wonder Pop</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Moe Shop</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>WWW (Instrumental)</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Moe Shop</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Sexual</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">NEIKED feat. Dyo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Call Me</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">NEIKED feat. MIMI</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Chain</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>New Dialogue</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Pilgrims</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>New Dialogue</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Champions of Red Wine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl">The New Pornographers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Easy</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Pale Waves</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Run To</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Pale Waves</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Daydream</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Paper Idol feat. Nasaya</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Tightrope</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Paper Idol</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>James Bond</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Paper Idol</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The End Is Always Near</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Patternist</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>All Your Love</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Penguin Prison</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Look at the Sky</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Porter Robinson</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Musician</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Porter Robinson</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>dullscythe</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Porter Robinson</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Fireworks</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Purple Disco Machine feat. Moss Kena & The Knocks</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Love Me 4 Me</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Rina Sawayama</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Tokyo Love Hotel</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Rina Sawayama</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Lucid</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Rina Sawayama</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Feels Right</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Roosevelt</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Forget</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Roosevelt</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Dancing in a Daydream</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Roses & Revolutions feat. Weathers</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Swamp Song</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>San Fermin</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Freedom (Yeah Yeah!)</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>San Fermin</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Skate</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Silk Sonic</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>migraine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Smallpools</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>science fiction</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Smallpools</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>My Valentine</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Snail's House</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Kokorotravel</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Snail's House</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Love Elevation</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Strange Talk</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>What You Want to Hear</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Sub-Radio</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Disco</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Sub-Radio</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Eden</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Sub-Radio</span></td>
</tr><tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Can You Handle My Love??</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Walk the Moon</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Giants</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Walk the Moon</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Pasadena</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>We Are the Union</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Morbid Obsessions</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>We Are the Union</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Make It Easy</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>We Are the Union</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Take My Breath (Extended Version)</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Weeknd</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Let Me Know</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Winona Oak</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Broomsticks</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Witch Café</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Witch City</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Witch Café</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Kiki</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Witch Café</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>If You Ever Leave I'm Coming With You</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Wombats</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Nothing to Love About Love</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>The Wombats & Peking Duk</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Starstruck</span></td>
<td class="tg-7zrl"><span>Years & Years</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><br /><br />
Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8146423937912154444.post-21503125146586301552021-08-26T21:54:00.004-07:002022-05-13T00:06:00.605-07:00Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a Stellar Follow-Up to Wandersong (in a few ways!)<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MIsYbLKKO7YPm257Ac8LDKInPlHsOBi9t9pP70XnBGhcR5eKV20tfGkAlcvzzQFCuo0PuVEueZAhju0ytSCJfWUaVafBdLmoYG12d_aIOOzns8tyJhX1d2eTwB7IcRiUlCMgDljKi9c/w640-h360/Chicory+Logo.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Two and a half years ago, I wrote about <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2019/02/wandersong-video-game-review-switch-musical.htmlhttp://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2019/02/wandersong-video-game-review-switch-musical.html"><i>Wandersong</i></a>, a wonderful little 2D platformer by <a href="https://dumbandfat.com/">developer Greg Lobanov</a> that wound up being one of my favorite games of 2018.* I’ve been anxiously awaiting to see what he did next since then, and what was next finally arrived this year in the form of <a href="https://chicorygame.com/"><i>Chicory: A Colorful Tale</i></a>. After nearly three years of anticipation building, I’m glad to say that <i>Chicory </i>more than lives up to the high bar of its predecessor, and it too will definitely stand as one of my favorite games of the year! <br /><br /><i>*Which is saying something, considering some of the other quality games I played that year, like</i> <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/11/iconoclasts-is-one-of-best-games-of-year.html">Iconoclasts</a> <i>and </i><a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2018/09/Celeste-review-best-games-2018-gameplay-story.html">Celeste</a>.<br /><br />Let’s start with the basics: <i>Chicory </i>is the second of <a href="http://www.hchoutofleftfield.com/2021/07/naming-2d-zelda-genre.html">the two Top-Down A-A</a> games that I mentioned a few articles ago. To give a very general story pitch: You play as Pizza*, a janitor and aspiring artist in the world of the Picnic Province. The appearance of the region is normally defined by the local Wielder, who uses a magic paintbrush to color in the world. However, the current Wielder, Chicory, has gone missing right when all of the world’s color has suddenly vanished. With no other obvious solution in sight, Pizza takes up the brush and travels around the land, filling in everything and solving various citizen’s problems that have cropped up from the explosion of monochrome.<br /><br /><i>*The name is player-inputted, but Pizza is both what I used and the apparent default name; everyone in the game is named after food of some sort. Also, all of the characters are anthropomorphic animals, with Pizza of course being the dog in the title art. <br /></i><br />Clearly, there’s a lot more going on there, and I’ll touch on some of that later, but for the spoiler-light section, this will do. Greg Lobanov has once again recruited a great team this time around to help him make the game, one almost twice as big as the <i>Wandersong </i>team. Em Halberstadt returns on Sound Design (which <a href="https://twitter.com/emaudible/status/1100553726517886976">looks like it was a lot of fun</a>). Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8OHSXvneOE">award-winning composer</a> Lena Raine takes over the music, while Alexis Dean-Jones and Madeline Berger provide the game’s art.<div> <br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />And honestly, this team is so in-sync that it’s amazing. The soundtrack is another future all-time classic from Raine, with each area getting a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-e5r27Itqk">calm, wandering tune</a> that’s made for just walking around and soaking things in (I’ve been listening to it on walks lately, and it even works outside of the game!), but bouncing into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuex2kBSlRg">threatening, pumped-up jams</a> when the moment calls for it. Those overworld tunes are perfect for talking in the beautiful world that the art team has drawn up, with plenty of detail that neither gets over-complicated to look at despite everything starting in monochrome, nor looks any worse upon being colored however your heart desires. And all of the sound effects really sell the reality of Picnic, giving the world and your paint in it a sense of physicality.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEWTrXfH8cNkBDzf5AiM0anb86_QqyEAYCcSEgq8lP-0iYEqcF1Y-QxSgd5YT6eLD4UvQxWr48s15BPW8tNJYDrNjoXPz70yb6scwx9XyFD0V5nJRtV8VFurajtQUkRfSc5seJvWwbcQ/s765/trailer-gameplay.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="765" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEWTrXfH8cNkBDzf5AiM0anb86_QqyEAYCcSEgq8lP-0iYEqcF1Y-QxSgd5YT6eLD4UvQxWr48s15BPW8tNJYDrNjoXPz70yb6scwx9XyFD0V5nJRtV8VFurajtQUkRfSc5seJvWwbcQ/w640-h390/trailer-gameplay.gif" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br />Of course, it’s not just that the world itself is pretty to look at, it’s also that there’s plenty of things to do around the province. Characters to chat with, sidequests to undertake, goodies to hunt for, puzzles to solve, screens to explore, the works. Never a dull moment, despite the lack of overworld enemies that are usually so ubiquitous in this genre. It’s another nice change of pace, really. And there are so many small touches that really make the world feel more homey. You can decorate the world with the various bits of furniture you collect, and the world’s inhabitants will discuss your decorations or coloring choices. Characters will visit areas other than their hometowns and chat, bringing over their original colors from their home area.*<br /><br /><i>*This is another nice touch; each area has its own unique color palette you can choose from, so visitors stand out when they bring in their outside color sets. And if you get a gathering of a lot of characters from many areas, things get even more vibrant. And of course, each area’s selection of four colors subtly shapes your impressions of the location.<br /></i><br />The central mechanic, the thing driving the moment-to-moment gameplay as you solve puzzles or decorate or whatever else, is the paintbrush. Much like with <i>Wandersong </i>and its singing wheel, <i>Chicory </i>has devised a number of ways you can use this ability to interact with things in the world, keeping the gameplay exciting as you pop between tasks. You get a variety of textures and designs for it, and even a high degree of freedom in how you use it (most surfaces can be covered in paint with the right upgrades, and the game lets you paint whenever, even while other characters are talking or things are happening). So, once again, it's an incredibly fun mechanic to build a game off of. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-KSn2KcAlnyYnSA_jLirpmwa1sATGfiMdLtxkMBljEmK5hBRPm6rnNXF0ngnxJNTO5jcMwUB-ykDox0v1-3nNfsHhX8cBhwh-sMDGRSXZmCM2bKiB0bQki6PuzRSv6NNQ1nmSeWvO9I/s526/styles_edit.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="526" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-KSn2KcAlnyYnSA_jLirpmwa1sATGfiMdLtxkMBljEmK5hBRPm6rnNXF0ngnxJNTO5jcMwUB-ykDox0v1-3nNfsHhX8cBhwh-sMDGRSXZmCM2bKiB0bQki6PuzRSv6NNQ1nmSeWvO9I/w640-h397/styles_edit.gif" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />And on top of that, the game takes your work with the brush seriously, which goes a long way in getting you even more invested in it. Lots of designs can be translated into GIFs for sharing your process. The game remembers everything you draw, and not only keeps your drawings until you remove them, but also displays everything you’ve painted on the world in miniature on your map. Some characters will even comment on your color choices and designs. <br /><br />Those comments aren’t necessarily highly advanced, but they are a large part of the story <i>Chicory </i>is trying to tell and the feelings it’s trying to instill in players. It is in a lot of ways, like <i>Wandersong</i>, a song about creation and art. Throughout the game, you receive lots of little mentions nudging you in certain directions, like the ones reflecting on your design, or asking about your vision, or arguing about different artistic styles, and all together, these elements really do induce a level of intentionality in how you decorate the world. <br /><br />I know that in my playthrough, my thoughts on how to color the world changed and evolved over time. You can watch the world fill in in replay (a fun GIF option you get towards the end even literally replays your entire map filling in with color over time, from the very beginning), or see how you drew up an old area when you pass through it again and decide to add to it or rework it or anything else. There are a variety of cool moments this creates, like being able to find when and where you found new brush types by where you started using them a lot, or seeing the effect of different brush abilities on what you colored, but also in just seeing different artistic directions. <br /><br />Like, in replay, I noticed areas where I was sparser, ones where I went with balanced approaches, shapes over solid colors, specific designs, and so on, many of those coming and going in phases of gameplay. And of course, in some ways, it mirrors Pizza growing into the role of The Wielder, both in getting more knowledge of what abilities are available but also in just moving through different artistic approaches; I know talking to a few other past or prospective wielders in-game about their styles made me a little more conscious and deliberate about what I was doing. <br /><br />There was a little of that in <i>Wandersong</i>, but the game was a lot more linear, without a ton of returning to old areas to measure your new prowess (which reflects its focus on music; it is a much more temporal art form than drawing, of course). One of the areas where <i>A Colorful Tale</i> compares much more directly, though, is in the rest of the story, particularly the characters. If you want to avoid any story discussion (for <i>Wandersong </i>or <i>Chicory</i>) to keep it a surprise, skip the next section. <br /><br /><br /><b>---[mild spoilers]---<br /></b><br /><br />Despite both being games about art and creativity, <i>Chicory: A Colorful Tale</i> is much more about art than its predecessor, both as a creative endeavor and a thing people enjoy and respond to. And this isn’t to say that <i>Chicory </i>was necessarily a response or a sequel or a refutation or anything like that; the two can be played independently of each other, they’re both narratively complete with themes that stand on their own even if you don’t realize there are common threads between the two, and so on.<br /><br />But at the same time, there is something of a dialogue of ideas here. Kiwi the Bard, the protagonist of <i>Wandersong</i>, even has a cameo in the Picnic Province, appearing as a singing bird who wanders the land (complete with a callback to that game’s singing mechanic). And it’s not hard to see the points of comparison between Kiwi and Pizza, either, as adventurous protagonists roaming the land seeking to help the various denizens of the game world with their problems and trying to restore a sort of balance to a precarious world, all while growing as people.<br /><br />But that also serves to highlight their differences; Kiwi is <i>not </i>the Chosen One of <i>Wandersong</i>’s world, and that’s the whole point. Most other people aren’t taking them seriously. Their quest is as an outsider who officially wasn’t elevated to undertake the big quest to save the world (but who decided to help anyway), and most of the world regards them as just a bard who’s doing music rather than The Hero. And also notably, Kiwi often comes into conflict with Audrey, the official “Chosen One” picked to save the day. <br /><br />Pizza, for all of their dispositional similarities to Kiwi,<i> is</i> the Chosen One of that world. They wield the singular brush that can handle all of the world’s color-related problems, both big and small. And in that regard, Pizza actually overlaps with Audrey a little more, which is a really interesting decision. If I had any major criticisms of <i>Wandersong</i>, it’s that ultimately, Audrey’s tale trails off rather ambiguously. She plays a major role in the finale, after hints throughout the game that there are some interesting things going on in her side of the story. But she vanishes for the denouement, and is one of the only characters in the game who you can’t talk to in the playable epilogue (although there are open-ended, second-hand allusions to her whereabouts). <br /><br />I don’t think that those choices take much away from <i>Wandersong</i>, but it does feel like that territory would be ripe for expansion in a follow-up. So let’s take a closer look at that game’s follow-up: protagonist Pizza gets the Brush at the start of the game, a position that people in-universe spend years training for, more or less because they’re the janitor for the current Wielder (the titular Chicory), and were willing to take it up when she no longer felt capable of doing so. <br /><br />The subsequent feeling of unworthiness in their new role is a recurring element of Pizza’s story, and it was also something that Audrey seemed to be suffering from during <i>Wandersong</i>, aggressively rejecting suggestions that she work with others and getting snippy with those she saw as invading her territory. And while the methods that appointed Pizza and Audrey are very different, I still think it’s a fair comparison; <i>A Colorful Tale</i> is clearly more preoccupied with the idea of the randomness of success and how it’s pressures can affect us, but that concept really applies just as much to “was deemed The Chosen One in a dream” as it does “was in the right place at the right time”. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiid-9MtMBj6VREfdBJ8ARzcfcK5DpE2xEQxdo6X_pAYacG2caE3-VDhQuIeOMy3SXd1fWUS2xud00bi-M3KEjnJ6rnWim5RiuTmpH0yp0Ybrh6NJZ2CGxdHzI4Nq31G6qZv2Afj63PUY/s1920/spookywoods.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiid-9MtMBj6VREfdBJ8ARzcfcK5DpE2xEQxdo6X_pAYacG2caE3-VDhQuIeOMy3SXd1fWUS2xud00bi-M3KEjnJ6rnWim5RiuTmpH0yp0Ybrh6NJZ2CGxdHzI4Nq31G6qZv2Afj63PUY/w640-h360/spookywoods.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><br />Of course, the twist ends up being that Chicory, who Pizza looked up to as a genius artist, <i>also </i>felt like she was undeserving of her status, and no matter how long she trained or how good her art looked to Pizza and others, there were always still critics (including, crucially, her own mentor Blackberry) and crippling self-doubt. And of course, the cycle repeats with Pizza putting effort into being the Wielder and winning over a legion of supporters for their effort (as well as the ever-present critics). Most notably among the supporters is an enthusiastic superfan named Peppermint, who travels around admiring your works and gradually becoming a clear analogue to Pizza’s relationship with Chicory at the start of the game. And all the while, the nagging sense that Pizza was appointed by accident remains, constantly bubbling under the surface.<br /><br /><br />In comparing Audrey’s story, the conclusion to <i>A Colorful Tale</i> becomes especially notable (<b>major spoilers</b> for the end of <i>Chicory </i>and <i>Wandersong </i>in this paragraph). The brush itself winds up being a source of the physical corruptions encroaching on the Picnic Province, powered by the doubts of the artist. In the end, the solution is Pizza and Chicory destroying it together (rather than leaving it to Pizza alone), which allows the heroes to begin growing trees to make brushes for everyone in the region. Thus, they have completely eliminated the singular role of Wielder, which stands in stark contrast with Audrey rejecting any offers of assistance and fighting to prove that she is the sole hero of the world as she believed was foretold. <br /><br /><br />Really, it feels like this major subthread from the previous game served as a jumping-off point or even the basis for the themes of this game. And I suppose I’ll never be able to prove that it’s a direct continuation, or an intentional response, or anything like that, but at the very least a lot of the same ideas were clearly kicking around for both games, and it just adds to the connection they share as consecutive releases from the developer. <br /><br /><br /><b>---[end spoilers]---</b><br /><br /><br /><br />I could honestly just keep going for a while talking about <i>Chicory: A Colorful Tale</i>, there’s just so much here to talk about and enjoy and relive and reflect on. Even now, at over 2000 words in and weeks of brainstorming and writing and revising, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface on all the big and little stuff here (if you play the game a bit and want to see some of the cool things going on behind the scenes, Greg <a href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1404509340569006081.html">even made an interesting thread compiling small trivia about it that’s worth checking out!</a>). But a big part of any piece of art is going to be what we personally take from it, so if any of this sounds interesting, I can’t recommend trying the game and seeing what sticks out to you highly enough!</div>Theohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356047156527558873noreply@blogger.com0