ConstableJelly

What's truly bizarre and off-putting though is how this game switches between several different types of cutscenes, ranging from completely fleshed out and animated (those look great) over less well-animated (but serviceable), to nearly completely static (but still voiced)= cutscenes with barely any movement.

If I remember correctly, 0 might be the only game to do this. 0 was my first game too and I remember being taken back by this (the static scene talking to some guy in a car smoking a cigarette or something is what sticks out in my memory). It's possible other games did this too and I just forgot, but I'm not sure.

As for 0 being a good starting point, I do disagree. Having played all of them, I think 0 would land better if it was played after 1, 2, and 3. Kiryu's and especially Majima's stories in 0 heavily reference things that occur or are at least revealed in 1 and 3.

I started with 0 and worked my way chronologically from there (with the remakes for 1 and 2), and 0 is my pick for best if the series. I think the thing to know about the real estate sub-game, and others of its ilk like the host club in the same game (I think), is that they are completely parallel, non-consequential, optional content.

I personally feel that you could go through every single Yakuza game playing only the main story and side stories without missing anything of value. I would frequently force myself to play batting cages or karaoke or dancing because fans talk a lot about that stuff, but there's really very little there to compel your attention unless you enjoy it. You can totally skip all that.

You could probably also skip the side stories if you just want to follow the main path, but those I do think are more crucial to Yakuza's experience and identity - the outrageously silly flip side of the coin to the main story's soap-opera-esque melodrama.

Thanks DeepSeek.

Glad to see a publication pushing back on the recent asinine comments and behaviors from CI.

Disney's creative integrity is dogshit. The MCU is overstuffed and meandering. I planned to be skeptical.

But goddammit if this trailer didn't give me chills. Charlie Cox's interpretation of Daredevil is quite possibly the best adapted superhero performance I've ever seen. I'd have watched this series beginning to end just to see him playing the part, but the tension, the action, the emotion, the score all worked in this trailer.

Despite my better wisdom I am fucking excited.

Does anyone know what is required viewing going into this? I watched She-Hulk but I think Daredevil was also in Echo or something? Anything else?

Some teams put a little more effort into these than others lol (looking at you Polyphony). Housemarque's is delightfully twisted in context. ZA/UM's is really cool but spoiled by...that whole thing. My favorite just on pure aesthetics might be Sucker Punch.

An early proposal for The Last of Us 2.

Fair enough. I love the 80s vibe otherwise, but the brands have the awkward blocking and lingering-too-long-shot quality of bad product placement. Maybe in the final product it will make more sense if it's supposed to be thematic and not just paid sponsorship.

Really impressed with how distinct a direction they went for this, it looks really promising.

I'm not tapped into the conversation over the show last night but I assume I'm not the only one who thinks the advertisements in this 4-minute video were fucking horrendous though.

“We’ve never been the party that was about checking boxes or identity politics, but the difference is we have women that are qualified to be chairs, and I don’t know why there wasn’t one who was able to become a chairperson of a committee," she added.

They've created this cartoonish simulacrum of diversity that they treat like some rabid, overzealous movement so they can ignore it.

Nicole, this thing you're disappointed about is what that thing you dismiss as "identity politics" is actually all about, you weiner.

Best month I can remember in a long time.

• Forspoken: never planned on paying for it but I'm excited to play it for free.

• Sonic Frontiers: I actually already own this on Switch but we've been saving it to give as a Xmas present. Solid addition to the catalog though.

• F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch: never heard of it but I've been devouring metroidvanias this year, and apparently this scored well so I'm pumped.

• A Space for the Unbound: looks great, love the art style.

• PHOGS & Biped: two coop puzzle games that sound great to play with the family.

Agreed, and I'm really impressed by how much more appears to have been built on it for the sequel.