Adell

Bit of an edgy title and rough around the corners, but it has some prime stealth with large options of verticality and spacious levels to explore

Much longer text in source, quote key points of interest to me:

Working in the video game industry is notoriously difficult. Some companies demand “crunch” time, where people work even longer hours in the lead-up to a project. The industry has also been grappling with a pervasive culture of sexism and gender discrimination, as well as its overall lack of diversity across gender and racial demographics. The game industry is also typically referred to as a “passion industry,” because people who make games often love the games they make; companies can and do exploit that passion for profit.

“Some people are even questioning their identities,” Boccamazzo said. “There’s so much passion that goes into making games. I’ve been around a lot of creative professions, and I think the passion that goes into making games is unique. It becomes a part of [people’s] identities — they make games, they’re a game dev. And so the loss of the job is not just the loss of a job and financial stability, it’s also a threat to self-identity in a lot of cases.”

Video game workers are paying for the mismanagement of leadership; video game executives aren’t seeing the same hits to their jobs and compensation. For instance, Electronic Arts laid off more than 700 employees in March as $1.3 billion in gross profits were reported in the previous fiscal quarter; even CEO Andrew Wilson said at the time that EA was “operating from a position of strength” as he takes home an estimated $20.7 million in total compensation in 2023. (That number, however, is down from the more than $39 million he received in total compensation in 2021.) Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney’s salary isn’t public, but he’s estimated to be worth almost $10 billion, according to Bloomberg’s billionaire index, thanks to Epic Games stock. It’s safe to say Sweeney is not living paycheck to paycheck.

The game industry’s growth over the past few years inevitably had to slow, but during that time, executives clearly incentivized short-term profit over long-term stability and the value of their workers. “A lot of reckless expansion of game monopolies has caught up to [the industry],” former Volition mission designer Alex Cline told Polygon. “Embracer owns a large part of the industry. Tencent owns a large percentage. We have huge consolidation of labor and IP. When you’re trying to get as much money as possible — if that’s ultimately your fundamental goal — then you’ve got to remove some expenses there. People were just an expense. They don’t necessarily care about the human impact.”

“The saddest thing I noticed is people who are younger and haven’t gone through this before who think this is their fault,” one former Singularity Six worker said. “It’s not their fault. They didn’t do anything wrong. There wasn’t anything better they could have done. They didn’t fail in some way. There’s nothing wrong with them — they’re not ugly and they’re not unpopular. This is just investors and other people who depend on investors throwing darts at a board. They just happened to land on those numbers. That’s it.”

I've caught myself thinking about games I pirated/emulated through my life - which is like, 99% of games I've ever played - and how much absurd bullshit(compliment) I stumbled upon by sheer chance, and felt like sharing some of those, in no particular order:

Wonder J (SNES) - A child raising game, though with a much more rowdy infant than the Princess Maker and its spin-offs. Prince Maker, I guess? Watch as you desperately try to make Pinochio learn to read, only for him to throw the books away or simply rip them to shreds. 10/10 child simulator.

Live a Live (SNES) - Now with a modern remake, this one absolutely changed my mindset regarding dark stories, particularly the ~Extra~ chapter which rewrote my brain fiercely on the entire concept of fated heroes and the world that surrounds them.

Terranigma (SNES) - I have no words for how badly this game broke me, and worse of all the real good shit is almost entirely on its second half, all culminating in an ending so heartwrenching that it mocks the entire notion of 'bittersweet'.

E.V.O. (SNES) - Probably one of my first experiences with a game that is decidedly not good, yet it panders almost exclusively to the specific brain disease I might have. Grind needlessly to evolve each of your creatures body parts and then grind some more, as you evolve towards the end of a scenario only to jump to another era and start the grind all over again. This is where most people would throw their controllers away with frustration but teenager me simply looks amazed, like having another banquet served to him.

GeGeGe no Kitaro (SNES) - I actually rented a physical copy of this, in japanese and everything. I have no idea how this game found its way to one of my local gaming places, I'm just putting it here because this intercontinental travel endlessly amuses me.

Front Mission - Gun Hazard (SNES) - You'd never guess what's the only Front Mission I ever played. Shedding off the strategic RPG roots to go instead into a sidescrolling fare, this is a mecha busting gem, and an exhilarating experience through trekking around the world with your ever growing mercenary company in search of truth, vengeance and more destruction.

Demikids: Dark Version (GBA) - You'd Never Guess² what was the first SMT game I played. While "edgy pokémon" is a very demeaning way to refer to the series, DemiKids was actually their attempt to do something in that vain, even having "Light" and "Dark" versions with different demons you could have.

Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars (GBA) - You'd Never Guess³ what was the first ZoE game I played. Instead of high octane mecha action, this is instead a strategic RPG with timed hits. Yup! Whenever you make an attack and target another mecha, you get into a first person screen where you try to aim and hit its 'weak' point, do do extra damage.

Sigma Star Saga (GBA) - You'd Never Guess the firts Waypoint game I played [now I'm stretching this for all its worth]. This is a Shmup jRPG, a completely buckwild concept where you're walking around an overworld map and is suddenly transported to a random battle against a ship. Not a great game but holy heck if it isn't novel. Also my first experience with WayForward's terrific horniness.

Bruce Lee: Return of the Legend (GBA) - This was an amazing sidescroller beat'em up that came out of fucking nowhere and was played by maybe 6 people. Fast paced, brutal and sadly unknown.

Vandal Hearts 2 (PSX) - This is the point where I start to realize the post is getting long and its not even that good. So I'll close with a particular baffling pick. A strategy RPG on the PSX trying to tell a political, dark story, but with one absurd gameplay twist: You and the enemy units move at the same time. That's right, bitches: Every turn, you and and an Enemy NPC move and attack at the same time, meaning that you have to position and attack not where your foes are but where you think they are going to be.

"there's a Love Live game that came out in 2023"

fair, it happens

"its a metroidvania"

reaching a bit, but weirder things have taken place

"developed by Inti Creates"

what the flying fuck