Q&A: October 15th, 2025

tru3p1ayaZz Asks
If the classic Sonic games are a good example of how presentation can make a game better (they’re good games, but the graphics, soundtracks and marketing really elevated them), then what are some games you’ve played where the presentation makes things worse?

That's a really good question. It's a difficult one because things like art-style changes in an established series is ultimately a matter of taste rather than making that specific game's goals actively worse. I really dislike Thief '14, but I can't say it's art-design is bad, just not what I think a Thief game should be. It's also a challenge because cases like Counter Strike Source not being as beloved as 1.6 is more to due to technological innovations like physics objects rather than specifically presentation.

Oh! Fallout 4 might be a candidate.

It's arguable to prescribe the dialogue-wheel to design but clearly the effort was made by Bethesda to make their game more "Cinematic" like Bioware, and ended up with the worst of both worlds, losing the flexibility of previous games and putting their uncanny-valley characters even more in the spotlight.

I'm sure many would say Kane and Lynch 2... but I've always been a quiet defender of that game ever since it released. Oh man... Need for Speed: Payback. Good lord... A few decent songs on the soundtrack I guess? But the environment, the UI, the Cutscenes, the Voice Acting? All just...

How do I post the vomit emote on Patreon?

Okay, last example I just thought of! Splitgate. Look, I loved that game and even I thought it's art-design was some hot garbage. They apparently looked at Halo 4 & 5's armor design and doubled-down on 343's behalf...

Halo 5 might be another example actually.

...And there's DOA6.

OKAY I'M STOPPING HERE.

Kelvin Kuang Asks
A stranger whom goes by the name of Agent Graves comes into your house one day. He offers a parable of your life before handing you a briefcase that contains a handgun, 100 untraceable bullets and info about these people that ruin your life (picture Phil Spencer or someone worse). What would you do in that situation? On a opposite note, are you excited about the news regarding SOMA's sequel?

It's been way too long since I read that classic, I really outta change that. I'd like to say I'd politely tell Mr. Graves to have a nice evening... but if he had anything regarding my chronic illnesses, no hesitation, I'm takin that gun.

As for a SOMA sequel? As long as they're not doing a direct sequel, I'm on-board. Both Amnesia games post-SOMA are on my backlog.

Duncan Gohl Asks
Speaking of NIN, what about them (and the Industrial genre overall) do you love so much?

Shit... that's not a simple question. I guess it stems from growing up really digging genre-fusions since I was a kid. I always liked Pop songs that played with heavier distortion effects, and Rock songs with EDM bridges. Industrial is where that idea's built into it's DNA. It's funny that I'm such a big NIN these days, because when I first listened to them via a friend, I really didn't get the appeal at first.

Coming from Celldweller, listening to The Fragile felt boring to me for all but "No You Don't" and I was annoyed the song's brazenly loud conclusion ended almost immediately after it started, but I kept coming back to it, and each time I did, I liked it a little more, until it became one of my favorite albums, and I think is still Trent's masterpiece.

For music, I usually start with sound, then lyrics if I'm into the sound. Industrial lives and dies by it's production, so when it's a banger, it's like all of my favorite kind of sounds wrapped into one, and if it's lyrically powerful like NIN often is, then it's something that I find myself connecting with more as time passes.

I've played Hurt several times and felt it's sadness, but hearing "Everyone I know goes away in the end" chanted in a packed arena physically moved me.

Malik Von Hertzen Asks
What's the best remake you've ever played?

Talking Remakes and not Remasters - so I can't put Call of Duty 4 on here - Resident Evil 2 has to be up there. Does it translate everything, no, but it's such a compelling game that managed to mold a new blueprint that delicately balanced between 20+ years of legacy, with aspects of the originals, four & five, and even six.

I did admittedly start with MGS: Twin Snakes, and I wouldn't call that by any means one of the best remakes, but it was certainly easier to play, and probably could've been one of the best with a few changes...

Oh, that's another game made worse by it's presentatio-

litl snek Asks
just how apathetic are you towards Call of the Duty Modern Black War World Warfare 7?

"You know what? Your mind cannot comprehend how uninterested I am in things like this."
-James May

Jake Malone Asks
With the news of the next Halo project, speculation and theories are coming back. Any thoughts or hopes on a new title? Or have you lost interest?

I don't want to say I'm as uninterested in Halo as I am about Call of Duty... but...

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