-Gespenst- (User)

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  • 5 in CRank
  • Score: 62740


"Morally acceptable acts of the past are deplorable now, and things they never would have done a hundred years ago are now socially acceptable happenings."

"But to assume that there is a universal standard of morals that transcends cultural, societal, and even historical boundaries is utterly ridiculous."

So em, what about raping and murdering a child on a whim? Are you saying that'll become acceptable someday? Are you saying "it... #6.1
171d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
There are some differences between cultures that we ought to be respectful of, but there are others that cultural relativism can't really justify - especially between a single species.

Stuff like this is JUST sexist - and there's no justification for that. And if this kind of thing is okay by a culturally relativist argument, what becomes of our OWN anti-sexism? What moral force can it hold if we're allowing for it's opposite - praising it even. Anti-sexism ne... #7
171d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
Doesn't care about the game; cares about the money. #55
171d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
This game is being hyped up (through the media, marketing and consequently most consumers) so much as something revolutionary and new, but I'm pretty confident that once all that hype dissolves post-launch, a more objective analysis will reveal a game that doesn't do a whole lot that can really be called "new." This is one of the problems I have with the gaming industry, and most cultural industries in general: The advertising and marketing makes so many games seem so much m... #17
171d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
Spira Unplugged, Challenge, and Servants of the Mountain (3 of the five tracks the writer complains about) are all Hamauzu compositions, so it's not like he "butchered" many songs that weren't his own.

I'm a big fan of both Hamauzu and Nakano, and I'm sure there's some good stuff on there. Plus, isn't there an option to have the non-remastered soundtrack instead?

That said, the harmonic simplification of Spira Unplugged is a... #3
172d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
Forced memes are even less funny than actual memes. #15
173d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
Both great series', but if I had to choose, it's Final Fantasy over Zelda every time.

Better characters, better worlds, better stories, more depth, better music, more longevity.

Still both great though. #9
173d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
It doesn't matter that it wasn't supposed to be a technical showcase for the Ps4, the fact that it was among the first few available Ps4 games was enough - people wanted a taste of next gen asap.

"Finding all the crystals and gadgets?" Hmmm, sounds like repetitive uninteresting gameplay to me. I'm more talking about the linear, bland level design and the boring combat. Yahtzee kind of sums up quite well why it sucks.

People need to forge... #28.1.1
174d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
But there's loads of good games...? #5
174d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
There's a difference between intelligently tackling dark stuff and ham-fistedly, immaturely tackling that same stuff though. Games in general haven't matured to the point that they can explore things with depth, sophistication, and subtlety. If "dark," "mature" games take a lot of flak, it's because of how much they fail at actually being "mature." A lot of games put up this veneer of "adults only," but the content is ultimately juvenile and... #2.1.1
174d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
Knack is just Crash Bandicoot with the soul ripped out. Half-assed story, lame super broad dreamworks-esque / disney-pixar presentation, terrible art direction for the environments, repetitive uninteresting gameplay. I mean even the guys at Sony didn't think it would be great.

People bought the game because it was one of only a couple of launch titles on the PS4. All the hysterical advertising for next-gen made everyone desperate to experience it (even though it's not... #28
174d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
"Criticism has the opportunity to be presented in a structured manner as a way to inform an artist of questionable material in which it's up to him/her/them to grow from and become a more enriched artist(s)."

I agree with this, but I feel it's a little bit too individualistic. The individual can't be the measure of all things here. Criticism also has the function of better integrating the individual artist in his community - of making him understand the... #17.3.2
174d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
Those “radical” artists you seem to implicitly worship are largely people trapped in a very narrow and particular conception of the world. Without addressing quite clear narrative trends and biases across games and indeed other mediums, we run the risk of games being much the same as they have been (predominantly) for years: white male hero-protagonists / butchers given maximum relief by those narratives. This narrative preponderance is actually one proof among many that we haven’t even tried... #14.2
175d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
You're absolutely right, it doesn't matter what gender a character is, or at least, it shouldn't matter. However, we're living in a time when it DOES matter, and it's very important that we address it.

We're living in a time were so much media has a gender bias, such that it reinforces stereotypes and gendered roles. The more common a thing is across culture, the more its assumed to be true. If we don't encourage developers, they WILL keep creating... #14.1
175d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
"The idea of a creator creating what he/she wants without fear of censorship or bullying is correct, but that shouldn't mean it's a one way street for creators to be free of criticism"

This is sort of contradictory. If we're admitting that the artist should be allowed to do whatever they please, then surely any criticism thereafter is nullified. What you're saying is pretty much this: Let artists do what they want, and let people criticize them, but... #17.3
175d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
Yesssss. Kind of wish it was the sequel to dark corners of the earth, but it should be good anyway. #5
176d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
"Since when do pixels being shown on a screen impact reality unless you let them?"

But what about the script, the dialogue, the narrative? These are all things created by REAL people, and they all in their own way express a central theme or two. Most narratives are a meditation on life itself, how could they not be? All narratives take baggage from reality, and they certainly reproduce many things from that reality regardless of how alien those narratives might seem... #8.1
176d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
To answer the question: No, we're not paying too much attention to gender. It might seem forced at first, but this is only because of the complacencies that have congealed within us. The first step is realizing how wrong we've been. The rest will come naturally. The goal is real human solidarity as well as promoting an understanding of the radically open nature of huamn beings. Right now this is kind of the duty of art. Only when people truly understand and internalize this fact can n... #12.1
176d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
There might come a day when we can justify characters based on the demands of the narrative, but not yet. Too many narratives are comfort-zones for creators and writers. These are comfort-zone narratives that certainly contribute to a grander culture, and in turn to people's understandings of a whole range of things.

When things begin to congeal as stereotypes and dogmas, subversion must occur. There are too many ingrained ideas in people's heads about race and gender... #12
176d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
The line between state and corporation grows ever more indistinct. Not surprising though. #75
177d ago by -Gespenst- | View comment
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