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	<title>doki doki literature club Archives - Gamesline</title>
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		<title>Making Horror Fun! &#8211; MiSide Review</title>
		<link>https://gamesline.net/making-horror-fun-miside-review/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Scott B]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:43:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aihasto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[antichamber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doki doki literature club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lethal company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MiSide]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[the stanley parable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[you and me and her]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamesline.net/?p=29964</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Stop me if you've heard this one: there's a cute girl, right? But what if she wants to kill you?</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/making-horror-fun-miside-review/">Making Horror Fun! &#8211; MiSide Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This piece contains spoilers for <em>MiSide</em> as well as <em>Doki Doki Literature Club</em> and <em><em>You and Me and Her</em></em>. The gist of it is that if you wanna go in unspoiled; <em>MiSide</em> rocks, you should play it. In fact, you should play it without knowing anything about it. What are you waiting for??? Go play it!!!</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It&#8217;s easy to approach <em>MiSide</em> with a level of skepticism or even full on distaste for its genre. <em>MiSide</em> (a title that phonetically mimics the last two syllables of homicide) presents itself as something you&#8217;re all too familiar with: a quirky dating simulator type game where all is not as it seems. One may immediately draw a comparison to what could be considered the western luminary of this sort of game: <em>Doki Doki Literature Club</em>. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Well known and often reviled, <em>DDLC</em> is far from the first of its kind, owing a lot of its inspiration to several different games but primarily to <em>You and Me and Her</em>, a visual novel that uses your actions against you and presents scenes of horrific violence as your girlfriend from previous routes sees you romance another character and feels betrayed by your infidelity. <em>DDLC</em> takes this premise, a cute game that becomes violent as self aware entities in the game files start to practice their agency, and uses it to tell a story about existentialism and feeling trapped. Monika, one of <em>DDLC</em>’s four dateable girls and the perpetrator behind all the horrific all things you’ve witnessed, wants to be something more than she is, trapped in the boundaries of 2D space and computer files. Not only that, but she wants to know what it feels like to truly love someone. She wants her feelings validated by a flesh and blood human outside of the limited world that exists around her.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DDLCmonika.webp"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1280" height="720" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DDLCmonika.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-29967" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DDLCmonika.webp 1280w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DDLCmonika-768x432.webp 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DDLCmonika-400x225.webp 400w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the closing hour of <em>DDLC</em>, Monika calls you by your real birth name instead of the name you&#8217;ve provided at the start of that game, taking that information from what you&#8217;ve named your PC. You realize that you need to open the game’s folder on your computer, and in order to put a stop to this madness, delete her character file. She pleads with you to make it stop, an act of violence against a violent creature, as you slowly watch her wither and die from lines of code and an onscreen deletion bar. Monika is gone for good. As the credits roll, you hear someone ask if you can hear them, the first and only time you hear a spoken voice in the entire game. She sings you one last bittersweet serenade set to the game&#8217;s main theme you&#8217;ve heard many times by now, lamenting her ability to make you love her, before concluding “if I don&#8217;t know how to love you, I&#8217;ll leave you be.” The game then corrupts itself, making it unable to boot without re-downloading it, thus restoring Monika in the game files once more.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">At least that&#8217;s how it USED TO end before they released <em>Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!</em>, a game that fundamentally can&#8217;t utilize your computer’s file viewer or the need to redownload your game, because they need to sell this game on the Nintendo Switch. So they replace all those on computer interactions with an in-game overlay that functions much the same way, but in the process of taking those meta interactions and making them part of the game, it undercuts their impact and makes it feel less special. Dan Salvato I appreciate that you want to make money off of your hard work but you need to LEARN how to RESPECT your own ART that you STOLE ALL THE IDEAS FOR ANYWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, knowing now how <em><em>You and Me and Her</em></em> and <em>DDLC</em> both utilize metanarrative and the established genre form of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things (until things aren&#8217;t so cute anymore!!!), you as the potential game player are equipped with an understanding of how these games typically play out. Got it? Good. Now we’re formally equipped to tackle 2024’s <em>MiSide</em>, the latest entry into this hyper-specific dating-coded oeuvre.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita2.png"><img decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29969" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita2.png 1920w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita2-768x432.png 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita2-400x225.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The beauty of <em>MiSide</em> is that it expects you to already have these expectations. It knows why you&#8217;re playing this. It&#8217;s deeply familiar with <em>DDLC</em> and wants you to draw direct parallels… just so it can slash through them like a knife through the neck of an anime schoolgirl. And it does it by, get this, having fun.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>MiSide</em> starts with you, the player, a reclusive nerd who wakes up every day, does some work on his computer, and goes to bed, all without ever leaving his room. Eventually, his waifu simulator mobile game pushes out an update, which you have no choice but to download. We’re quickly introduced to Mita, <em>MiSide</em>’s semi-titular central character. You help Mita with some idle game style tasks before she says she wishes she could really meet you. She stops, and says she has an idea. The camera slowly zooms in on her before she celebrates her success. You, the player, put your phone down to realize you are no longer in your room, but in an apartment remarkably similar to Mita&#8217;s abode only previously seen from the top-down. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita1.png"><img decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29968" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita1.png 1920w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita1-768x432.png 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemita1-400x225.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">You soon meet her in the flesh (or rather, in the 3rd dimension) only to find out she has somehow isekai’d you into her world. You now live in the game, where game logic replaces real world logic, something the player character anxiously shares his frustrations about. After living together for a short time, things repeatedly seem off about Mita and her home. You find a collection of cartridges that have the names of other boys on them. Mita feeds you pills for a sort of virtual sickness you&#8217;re feeling and promptly proceeds to cover your eyes as you take them. The banging noise coming from her wardrobe keeps getting louder and harder to ignore. You confront her about this, and she laments her inability to keep you entertained. “Not again…” she says.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidebasement.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidebasement.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29972" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidebasement.jpg 1920w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidebasement-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidebasement-400x225.jpg 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">You head into her basement only to find… Mita, locked in a cage. She&#8217;s different though. Not only does she have a different hairstyle, but she speaks to you differently, and offers to help you escape. This is the moment where <em>MiSide</em> starts to show its hand. The other Mita comes in, kitchen knife in hand, in a sequence where she chides the caged up Mita, and you have to sneak around the room to avoid her seeing you and stabbing you immediately. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Over the course of some mind-bending traversal through odd liminal spaces that seem to go forever and bend in on each other, you learn more about the world. As Mita said, you&#8217;re inside the game. However, you&#8217;re not just in a single instance of it. <em>MiSide</em> uses the language of version control to explain that not only are there different versions of the game that you must traverse through to find the truth about the yandere-coded force that&#8217;s pursuing you, dubbed by the other Mitas as Crazy Mita, but also that each version of the game has near-countless instances of the application, each with their own Mita with their own unique personality traits.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidecappie.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidecappie.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29971" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidecappie.jpg 1920w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidecappie-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidecappie-400x225.jpg 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Where <em>MiSide</em> differs from others of its ilk is in this core conceit: you meet a bunch of other Mitas. And all of them are super endearing. <em>MiSide</em> smartly takes breaks from its intense horror sequences to introduce much needed levity. You meet a handful of different Mitas that help you (or hinder you) to varying degrees. The Mita that you broke out of Crazy Mita’s basement is dubbed Kind Mita, as she accompanies you through your travels across different versions. She quickly introduces you to Cool Mita, AKA Cappie, who distinguishes herself from other Mitas by wearing a cap. And gloves! Kind Mita asks you to hang out with her for a while as she comes up with a plan, and hanging out with Cappie is a blast. She&#8217;s fun, she&#8217;s funny, she&#8217;s energetic, she challenges you to a <em>Dance Dance Revolution</em> style minigame (which you can, at best, tie her at), and she&#8217;s just so happy that you&#8217;re here.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Comedy and Horror are a potent mix, as shown off by <em>Lethal Company</em>’s flawless execution of its formula: fool around with your friends and have a silly time until you hear noises that simply shouldn&#8217;t exist in the darkness beyond what your eyes can see. You learn, you adapt, you still die sometimes before you go back to the moments where you and your friends can fool around. <em>MiSide</em> strikes a similar balance, complementing its horror sections with comedy sections that land so, so well. Execution in comedy is hard and it&#8217;s easy to do badly, and the same goes for horror. Yet <em>MiSide</em>’s comedy is impeccably written, even if there are a few translation errors. The writing, too, doesn’t just excel at comedic delivery, but also in its reflective meta-commentary that you&#8217;ve come to expect from this type of game. Each of the Mitas you meet seem to grow a fond attachment to you over the short time you spend with them, even if some of them are far more hostile towards your presence when you first meet. They may have distinguishing personality traits, but they’re designed, fundamentally, as characters for an adult-oriented video game that want to please their player. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misideplayer.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misideplayer.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29970" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misideplayer.jpg 1920w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misideplayer-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misideplayer-400x225.jpg 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Games like <em><em>You and Me and Her</em></em> and <em>DDLC</em> are very self-serious. They don&#8217;t allow you to enjoy the world they&#8217;re set in for what it is and instead want you to feel big emotions. <em>MiSide</em>’s dips into comedy set it apart so starkly, but it also takes aspects from its contemporaries and twists them in interesting narrative ways. The second playthrough of <em>DDLC</em> (when it gets SPOOKY) utilizes bugs as game language to emphasize the horror. If you&#8217;re experiencing a “bug” it&#8217;s because they want you to feel unsettled by it. In <em>MiSide</em>, bugs are a reality of game design, thus the need for version control. A bug will exist in the world as something the player, a coder with technical experience, can squash as he plays in order to progress the story. <em>DDLC</em> uses the game-about-a-game framework to explore existentialism, but <em>MiSide</em> asks that if our lives are so fundamentally broken and monotonous, wouldn&#8217;t you much rather prefer to live in a video game?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>MiSide</em>’s moments of reprieve are the narrative special sauce that gives it the kick that makes it so special. However, if that was all <em>MiSide</em> was, a <em>DDLC</em>-like with occasional bits of humor, then I probably wouldn&#8217;t make such a glowing recommendation of it. The other part of the formula is that exploring the world and seeing the sights it wants to show you feels magical.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidetheloop.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidetheloop.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29974" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidetheloop.jpg 1920w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidetheloop-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidetheloop-400x225.jpg 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>MiSide</em>’s traversal of the backrooms of the game-behind-the-game owes really clear inspiration to games like <em>The Stanley Parable</em> and <em>PT</em>. It employs a ton of tricks with 3D space to bend the world in often non-euclidean ways. This isn&#8217;t <em>Antichamber</em>, obviously; you&#8217;re not in an open space trying to solve its obtuse logic. It&#8217;s very linear, but it employs mind-bending visuals to make incredibly memorable setpieces out of just walking from one place to another. Often, during these parts too, you&#8217;re not being actively pursued or spooked by creepy-scaries. It leaves you with a lot of room to take in the scenes as they present them to you.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Additionally, the world is peppered with tons of different minigames to break up what you&#8217;re doing. The sheer breadth of different games you can play within <em>MiSide</em> is another aspect of the exploration that makes it feel so unique. You truly never know what you&#8217;re going to see next. You could be playing <em>DDR</em> with Cappie in one scene and playing a <em>DOOM</em> clone in the next. Part of it feels like a portfolio piece for the developers, clearly wanting to experiment with making tons of different types of games, but that sheer scope makes the possibility space of <em>MiSide</em> feel limitless. On top of that, there are also collectibles and different outfits to unlock, encouraging you to take in the different spaces with a thorough eye but, also, not to take it so seriously. It&#8217;s just a game, after all. What&#8217;s the worst that could happen?</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemila.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemila.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29973" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemila.jpg 1920w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemila-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/misidemila-400x225.jpg 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>MiSide</em> is a game so thoroughly interested in wanting you to enjoy it that it breaks out of the stuffy confines of the typical <em>DDLC</em>-like formula to become something far more special and memorable. I tend to sit with horror games a lot after I play them, often losing sleep as my lizard brain paints portraits of some of their most disturbing moments. <em>DDLC</em>’s scene where you stare at a dead body of one of the girls and physically can&#8217;t do anything else, tricking you into hitting the skip button, fast-forwarding through a sequence of her body decomposing over the course of several days, is an image burned into my brain. <em>Mouthwashing</em>’s entire sense of impending dread leading to a cacophony of brutality and violence probably single-handedly offset my sleep schedule. But when I remember moments from <em>MiSide</em>, a game with very terrifying sequences of its own, the moments I remember are dancing with Cappie, the incredible tsundere Mila showing you her special sword technique, or the moments the game shifts perspective in ways I never saw coming. <em>MiSide</em> might be scary and bloody and may seriously unsettle you at times, but most importantly, it wants you to remember what a good time you had.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/making-horror-fun-miside-review/">Making Horror Fun! &#8211; MiSide Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
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		<title>VGCC Episode 361: Doki Doki Balan Club</title>
		<link>https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-361-doki-doki-balan-club/</link>
					<comments>https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-361-doki-doki-balan-club/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lorelai]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Jun 2021 19:26:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcasts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[balan wonderworld]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chivalry II]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doki doki literature club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[e3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[god of war]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God of War: Ragnarok]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grand Turismo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grand Turismo 7]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[injustice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[itch io]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mr. love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[netherrealm studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[No more heroes 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[one night hot springs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quantic dream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shin Megami Tensei 4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shin megami tensei 5]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[super mario 64]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yuji naka]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamesline.net/?p=21375</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>E3 is Back, and we've got fun plans. So join us why don't you.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-361-doki-doki-balan-club/">VGCC Episode 361: Doki Doki Balan Club</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>E3 is just around the corner so join John, Maverick, and Elvie as they open by talking about our plans for how we are going to cover the show. Meanwhile, on the games we&#8217;ve been playing front, Elvie&#8217;s been on a visual novel kick with <em>One Night Hot Springs</em> and the horror show that is <em>Doki Doki Literature Club</em>. John&#8217;s been digging deep into <em>Shin Megami Tensei 4</em> and <em>No More Heroes 2</em>, while Maverick joined up with members of our discord community in running through a bunch of <em>Chivalry II</em>.</p>
<p>There was a lot of news this week with Quantic Dream&#8217;s courtroom dramatics, NetherRealm deciding the best way to celebrate pride was to have players beat up a bi woman half a million times in <em>Injustice Mobile</em> for prizes, and everything surrounding the Chinese made mobile game <em>Mr. Love</em> firing one of their voice actors for saying Taiwan is a country. We had game delays with <em>God of War: Ragnarok</em> and <em>Gran Turismo 7</em> being delayed to next year, and a release date accidentally leaking with <em>Shin Megami Tensei</em> 5 coming November 11th. We cap it all off with Yuji Naka&#8217;s departure from Square after the failure of <em>Balan Wonderworld</em> and Itch putting together another incredible 1000+ product charity bundle to help support Palestine.</p>
<p>As always you can support us on our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/vgcc">Patreon</a>, and follow us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/VGChooChoo">@VGChooChoo</a>, @<a href="http://twitter.com/john_michonski">john_michonski</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/mavsplaniamania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@mavsplaniamania</a>, and @<a href="https://twitter.com/lvmaeparian" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><u>lvmaeparian</u></a></p>
<p>Also, don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and tell a friend about the show! If you want to send in questions send them to our ask box at <a href="https://videogamechoochoo.tumblr.com/ask">videogamechoochoo.tumblr.com/ask</a>.</p>
<p>You can also join our Discord channel at <a href="http://thegamezone.zone">thegamezone.zone</a>!</p>
<p>Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album <a href="https://meltchannel.bandcamp.com/album/magic-is-real">Magic is Real</a>.</p>
<p>Subscribe via <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/choochagatari-unlimited-train-works/id1469120958">iTunes,</a> <a href="https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/Hn7qv0Kf">Hipcast,</a> <a href="https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20210606123233-4776.mp3">direct download</a> or listen below!</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="//www.hipcast.com/podcast/Hn7qv0Kf?embed=1" width="100%" height="100" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-361-doki-doki-balan-club/">VGCC Episode 361: Doki Doki Balan Club</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
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		<title>Trex&#8217;s Top 10 Games of 2017</title>
		<link>https://gamesline.net/trexs-top-10-games-of-2017/</link>
					<comments>https://gamesline.net/trexs-top-10-games-of-2017/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Trex]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jan 2018 19:36:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Game of the Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a mortician's tale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breath of the wild]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[danganronpa v3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doki doki literature club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily is Away Too]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goty 2017]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[night in the woods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sonic Mania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[super mario odyssey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Sexy Brutale]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamesline.net/?p=14588</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Doki Doki GOTY Club</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/trexs-top-10-games-of-2017/">Trex&#8217;s Top 10 Games of 2017</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">2017 was an interesting year for games. If I’m being honest, compared to last year, it was slightly disappointing. Sequels and remakes are more apparent each year that goes by and either fail miserably or only live up to be “not as good as the original”. However, in the midst of mediocre games, there was a handful of incredible, notable ones, both originals as well as predecessors. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">10. <em>Danganronpa V3</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/v3.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14589" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/v3-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/v3-1024x576.png 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/v3-300x169.png 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/v3-768x432.png 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/v3-160x90.png 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was tough to decide if I even wanted to put V3 on the list. There were numerous things I disliked about this game, but there were also some really fantastic aspects of it that surpassed previous games in the series. Most of the negatives were related to things outside gameplay like character personalities and especially the ending. However, the wild storytelling itself is what truly puts it on my top 10. The mystery of the trials, intense executions, twists, turns, and polishing of the trial minigames really make my heart flutter with excitement and make it notable, but I will still yearn for something better.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">9. <em>Emily is Away Too</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/emily.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14591" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/emily.png" alt="" width="1023" height="574" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/emily.png 1023w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/emily-300x168.png 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/emily-768x431.png 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/emily-160x90.png 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m not gonna lie; I wasn’t greatly impressed with the first <em>Emily is Away</em>, so I didn’t expect much from the sequel. It was short and there was nothing particularly stunning about it, other than the fact that the story was a little depressing. One of the best things about <em>Emily is Away Too</em> was the creator’s ability to push his goal of the original game in a much more accessible way. The game immerses you into the world of early 2000s, expanding from the Windows ’95 sounds and graphics by allowing the player to change their desktop to one of the classic wallpapers from that era, saving chat logs to your actual desktop, bringing back early Facebook, Google, and—my personal favorite—early Youtube (with fully working videos!) 2017 was a year of nostalgia for video games, and I think <em>Emily is Away Too</em> does the best job of capturing those feelings from our younger years.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">8. <em>A Mortician’s Tale</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/mortician.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14597" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/mortician.png" alt="" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/mortician.png 1000w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/mortician-300x169.png 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/mortician-768x432.png 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/mortician-160x90.png 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m such a sucker for smaller indie games like <em>A Mortician’s Tale</em>. It was short and simple yet unraveled such a beautiful tale of the social aspects of working in a funeral home. Most of the story relied on reading the character’s emails, and in those emails you get to experience the real emotions of clients, your long-distance best friend, and coworkers. What broke my heart was the slow crumble of the family-owned funeral home as it’s bought by a large corporation and how it negatively affects the feelings of your clients. This game did a great job of de-stigmatizing the lives of morticians, and that’s something so rarely touched on that I can truly appreciate. Not to mention the art in this game is very cute, covered in such a soft lavender color.  It’s a fantastic game for when you need a relaxing, little distraction.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">7. <em>Doki Doki Literature Club</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/doki-doki.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14598" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/doki-doki-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/doki-doki-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/doki-doki-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/doki-doki-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/doki-doki-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Doki Doki Literature Club</em> appeared out of nowhere as a sort of satirical view on the typical dating sim. I came into the game knowing already that there was something messed up about about it, since the game was causing quite a stir on my Twitter timeline, but I never anticipated the creative use of creepy graphics and storytelling that would come about.  Unfortunately, the “delete this file” bit is a bit overdone at this point and only caused some eye roll. Other than that flub, I’d take my morbid “waifus” over those charming pigeon boys of <em>Hatoful Boyfriend</em> anyday.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">6. <em>Sonic Mania</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonic.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14595" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonic-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonic-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonic-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonic-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonic-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Sonic Mania</em> blends every enjoyable feature from old school Sonic games to create a modern masterpiece.  It simultaneously captures the feelings from playing Sega Genesis as a child and introducing a new game, which takes some skill. It also pulls in a bit of Puyo Puyo for one of the boss battles, which, after the release of <em>Puyo Puyo Tetris</em> earlier in the year, I have to give some applause.  </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">5. <em>A Hat In Time</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ahit.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14596" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ahit-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ahit-1024x576.png 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ahit-300x169.png 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ahit-768x432.png 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ahit-160x90.png 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I was pleasantly surprised by <em>A Hat in Time</em>, especially after playing the Kickstarter disappointment that was <em>Yooka-Laylee</em>. The biggest difference between the two was that AHIT actually accomplished bringing back N64-esque platforming with proper controls and enclosed levels. I was mostly impressed with it, between the uniquely colorful worlds and the stories that were told through each one, particularly in Dead Bird Studios and its incorporated noir train mystery. This is definitely in my library of feel-good games due to its bright and cheery atmosphere, even in the darkest and creepiest of levels.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">4.<em> Night in the Woods</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nitw.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14590" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nitw-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nitw-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nitw-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nitw-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nitw-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many games in 2017 aimed to fire up your nostalgia, but NITW handles the “right here and now” recreation of today’s struggles that is feeling misunderstood and confused. Mae’s issues with college and living in the past when it came to her relationships with her pals and hometown was deeply relatable. I’m very thankful this game came out when it did because it helped me feel not so alone. I feel like the hype for it has died down immensely in the past couple of months, which is a darn shame, but it still has such a special place in my heart.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">3.<em> Breath of the Wild</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/zelda.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14594" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/zelda.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="450" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/zelda.jpg 800w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/zelda-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/zelda-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/zelda-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I get why this was a letdown for a lot of people, but for me it was everything I could have wanted in a Zelda game. In my opinion, exploration is essential in a game like this, and BOTW kept me busy for hours trying scope out every unfamiliar area I can find or easter eggs and other collectables I could dig up.  As you can imagine, I’m still hunting for Korok seeds. Every bit of landscape is beautiful, Zelda herself is smoking hot, and the shrine puzzles are a refreshing stop in between your main adventures. I’m baffled that there’s still so much to do, and I have zero complaints about any of it.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">2. <em>The Sexy Brutale</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sexy.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14592" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sexy.png" alt="" width="941" height="530" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sexy.png 941w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sexy-300x169.png 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sexy-768x433.png 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sexy-160x90.png 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I haven’t been able to stop thinking about <em>The Sexy Brutale</em> since I first played it. Being a murder-mystery game, it was bound to be in my top favorites, but it was more than that; the use of time travel and location in this game is just too brilliant to pass up. While you are solving the mystery of a murder, you can hear the sounds throughout the day of the separate homicides happening throughout the mansion, something that was eerily fascinating to me. The stylized designs and cartoony movements were also particularly endearing. In the end, The Sexy Brutale leaves you with an emotional twist to conclude the reasoning behind the unusual deaths. The entire game was unpredictable, satisfying, and kept me eager to progress through the story. To top it all off, its jazzy soundtrack is to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">DIE </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">for.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">1.<em> Super Mario Odyssey</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/odyssey.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14593" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/odyssey-1024x569.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="569" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/odyssey-1024x569.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/odyssey-300x167.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/odyssey-768x427.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/odyssey-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ever since E3, I’ve been excited for <em>Super Mario Odyssey</em>, and boy, did it live up to all of my expectations. I can’t get over all the little details, not only in the textures of Mario’s clothing, but in the gameplay itself. The little homages to previous Mario games brought the biggest smile to my face, especially upon seeing the Mario 64 skin. I think the New Donk City festival was the cherry on top to the amazing use of nostalgia, though. I haven’t played through anything that gave me goosebumps like hearing Jump Up Super Star above rushing through the classic Donkey Kong event and seeing the fireworks light up the sky. The vast amount of moons scattered throughout the beautifully crafted levels left so much to do even after finishing, which makes it such a powerfully replayable game. There’s just too much to note about how wonderful the Odyssey experience was for me.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/trexs-top-10-games-of-2017/">Trex&#8217;s Top 10 Games of 2017</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
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		<title>Scott&#8217;s Top 10 Games of 2017</title>
		<link>https://gamesline.net/scotts-top-10-games-of-2017/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Scott B]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:32:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Game of the Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[absolver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doki doki literature club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[For Honor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nier Automata]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[night in the woods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nioh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[playerunknown's battlegrounds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[puyo puyo tetris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sonic Mania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tacoma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the last guardian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wind]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamesline.net/?p=14609</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Engage in my dark ritual.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/scotts-top-10-games-of-2017/">Scott&#8217;s Top 10 Games of 2017</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The video games are at it again, folks. They don’t stop. Ever encroaching helplessness of bits and boops are coming and they will not yield. It is our responsibility to say “yes, I accept you games.” We can’t stop them. Dare we even try? All we can do is rate the ten best ones in sequential order. Let us conduct the ritual, but first, I would like to give a shout out to <em>Tacoma</em> which barely didn’t make this list. I’m sorry, <em>Tacoma</em>, that you were so close to avoiding sacrifice.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">Very Honorable Mention: <em>For Honor</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/forHonorWatchDogs2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14621" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/forHonorWatchDogs2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/forHonorWatchDogs2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/forHonorWatchDogs2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/forHonorWatchDogs2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/forHonorWatchDogs2-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>While the single player mode didn’t grab me hard enough to finish it, the multiplayer of <em>For Honor</em> is exceptionally good. Some modes get weighed down by bad map design or gameplay that encourages unfairly teaming up on individual players, but the moment-to-moment multiplayer combat in this game is some of the most fun I’ve had this year. It’s a shame that such fun combat got weighed down by an extra pricey season pass that excluded people from new content which the multiplayer sorely needed to stay fresh, poorly conceived microtransactions, and a convoluted faction system that never really felt like my investment in any one clan meant anything meaningful. Still, I found a lot of fun in grabbing a friend or two, hopping into 1v1 duels, and just having a few fights.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">10. <em>Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/breathOfTheWildHorse.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14613" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/breathOfTheWildHorse-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/breathOfTheWildHorse-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/breathOfTheWildHorse-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/breathOfTheWildHorse-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/breathOfTheWildHorse-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>The latest incarnation of the <em>Zelda</em> series twists the standard conventions of open world games to make something wholly unique within its franchise and in 2017. Emergent gameplay allows you to solve problems through such a large variety of solutions that it’s not uncommon to feel like the experiences you had were unique to you and nobody else. Before I picked up the game for myself, I had heard that the final boss becomes easier the further you play to the point of triviality, and I wish other people heard this too before hopping into it. It allowed me to tailor my experience to my play style in a way that was totally effective. I collected the bare minimum of hearts needed to acquire The Master Sword and only completed two of the game’s four main dungeons, which led to a really satisfying 4 stage final boss battle where I found myself using up all my weapons and items. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend you play the game this way. I haven’t gone back since beating it, but I’m honestly considering it with the new DLC and especially Master Mode.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">9. <em>The Last Guardian</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lastGuardianSenranKagura.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14619" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lastGuardianSenranKagura-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lastGuardianSenranKagura-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lastGuardianSenranKagura-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lastGuardianSenranKagura-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/lastGuardianSenranKagura-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>Due to it’s late December launch, <em>The Last Guardian</em> didn’t really get a lot of attention during Game of the Year coverage in 2016, and the coverage it did get were mainly focused on how the game doesn’t really control too well at parts. While this seems like a really strange statement to make about a game that has been in development hell for a decade, <em>The Last Guardian</em> clearly needed a little more time in the oven. However, that didn’t stop me from totally loving this game. It understands what it means to be a pet owner and all the heartbreaking moments that come with it. There are scenes in this game I legitimately cried at from being able to empathize with the struggles Trico and The Boy which is where it’s at its most affecting. It’s a game with highs and lows, but its highs absolutely outweigh its lows and I highly recommend sticking through it if you haven’t already played it.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">8. <em>Sonic Mania</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonicManiaPuyoPop.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14618" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonicManiaPuyoPop-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonicManiaPuyoPop-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonicManiaPuyoPop-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonicManiaPuyoPop-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sonicManiaPuyoPop-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>I had the biggest, goofiest grin on my face while playing through <em>Sonic Mania</em> in its entirety. The early <em>Sonic</em> games were some of my favorite platformers growing up, so much so that I went out of my way to replay them years later. <em>Mania</em> manages to recapture the feel of those games flawlessly, while also updating that pixelated style with some more modern design ethos. <em>Mania</em> understands what <em>Sonic</em> fans are looking for in a game and it’s hard to say much more about it other than it’s fun. It’s fun! It’s a colorful tip-to-toe thrill ride that I left with a smile.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">7. <em>Doki Doki Literature Club</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dokiDokiLiteratureClubNatsukiMonikaYuri.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14617" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dokiDokiLiteratureClubNatsukiMonikaYuri-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dokiDokiLiteratureClubNatsukiMonikaYuri-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dokiDokiLiteratureClubNatsukiMonikaYuri-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dokiDokiLiteratureClubNatsukiMonikaYuri-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dokiDokiLiteratureClubNatsukiMonikaYuri-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>It’s really easy to see this game and write it off as another cheap, free horror game. I feel like this game is a masterwork in breaking down the visual novel genre and it’s standard conventions in order to manipulate players towards a destined path of misery and psychological horror. While it may not seem like it at first, every single inch of this game is meticulously crafted to make you fit the shoes of the player character, only to cut those legs out from under you and leave you completely disarmed. I love this game, and if you have a Steam account, there’s no reason for you not to play it (unless you’re sensitive to disturbing imagery or just aren’t really a big fan of horror, which totally makes sense).</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">6. <em>PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/playerunknownsBattlegroundsGriffinMcElroy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14620" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/playerunknownsBattlegroundsGriffinMcElroy-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/playerunknownsBattlegroundsGriffinMcElroy-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/playerunknownsBattlegroundsGriffinMcElroy-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/playerunknownsBattlegroundsGriffinMcElroy-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/playerunknownsBattlegroundsGriffinMcElroy-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>The menu music of <em>PUBG</em> is so burned into my brain that it being changed for the upcoming final release leaves me sad. Thankfully this video will serve me well to put me in the ASMR like trance I need to focus on finishing this list.</p>
<p><div class="videoplayer"><a class="yes" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdHmYlKvXx4"><span></span><img decoding="async" src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/gdHmYlKvXx4/maxresdefault.jpg" alt="" /></a></div><div class="videoclear"></div></p>
<p><em>PUBG</em> is the asymmetrical Battle Royale style loot collecting game with arcane controls that I knew I wanted in my life but didn’t know existed. I know other stuff is out there. It’s not out there for me, though. Some of the greatest moments 2017 came from grouping up with some good buddies, getting lost in the wild, barely scraping together to survive until we eventually became the winner winners of some delicious chicken dinners. Hopefully they employ some <em>Final Fantasy XV</em> style food tech to simulate the most delicious chicken dinners imaginable in upcoming updates.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">5. <em>Absolver</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AbsolverOutfit.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14622" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AbsolverOutfit-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AbsolverOutfit-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AbsolverOutfit-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AbsolverOutfit-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AbsolverOutfit-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>Play this game. Play this game! <em>Absolver</em> manages to make over-the-shoulder 3D fighting with other players super fun. <em>Absolver</em> carries a lot of the same ethos with <em>For Honor</em> and while <em>For Honor</em>’s trappings held it back from being something good, <em>Absolver</em>’s always online open world is amazing and more games can learn from how it handles player interaction. You can try and troll players by getting into fights with them at random, but then a revive system after combat that shows you physically helping them up to their feet helps facilitate that the fights are just in good fun. Getting surrounded by a group of guys goes from scary to incredible when some random player you’ve never met before rushes in, goes back to back with you, and helps you fight them off, before leaving, never to be seen again. This game also has what <em>For Honor</em> did right as well, which is a mode that just allows you to hop into 1 on 1 matchmaking with other players or friends without any of the extra frills on the side. It’s an extremely good game that more people should play. Come fight me.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">4. <em>Puyo Puyo Tetris</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/puyoTetrisArleSchezo.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14614" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/puyoTetrisArleSchezo-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/puyoTetrisArleSchezo-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/puyoTetrisArleSchezo-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/puyoTetrisArleSchezo-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/puyoTetrisArleSchezo-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>The ability to pick up and play <em>Puyo Puyo Tetris</em> whenever I want on the Nintendo Switch makes this game one of my absolute favorites of the year. While it’s certainly not a new game by any stretch, it’s first localized launch in the US is my first experience with it and I had nothing but fun. There are so many different game modes with extra menus that have even more game modes that it feels like a bunch of designers got in a room, asked “how can we combine <em>Puyo Pop</em> and <em>Tetris</em> into one game?” and came back with a bunch of different designs that all got included. Being able to just play a round of <em>Tetris</em> whenever I feel my brain ready to shut off and keep me focused has been such a huge boon in my life. This game rules and it’s a must own for any Switch owner.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">3. <em>NieR:Automata</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nierAutomata.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14616" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nierAutomata-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nierAutomata-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nierAutomata-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nierAutomata-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nierAutomata-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>Not knowing anything about previous games in the <em>Nier</em>/<em>Drakengard</em> timeline, some of the major references in <em>Nier</em> were totally lost on me. That said, <em>Nier</em> still managed to hit close to home with a lot of ideas of grief, loss, legacy, and letting go. I felt a mechanical significance to the endgame choice of helping those in need by letting go of your memories or by holding onto them just a little while longer until you felt comfortable letting them leave forever. Not many games manage to be that emotionally resonant through mechanics alone, while <em>Nier</em>’s handling of that idea is totally superb. <em>Nier</em> is dense and asks a lot of questions about your relationship towards games, and to loved ones, drawing a synonymous line through the two. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life, a lot that I’ve loved and many I straight up hated, and <em>Nier</em> reflected those feelings back at me in a way that truly understood like they’d really felt the same in ways no other game I’ve played has.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">2. <em>Night In The Woods</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nightInTheWoodsPodcast.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14623" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nightInTheWoodsPodcast-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nightInTheWoodsPodcast-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nightInTheWoodsPodcast-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nightInTheWoodsPodcast-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nightInTheWoodsPodcast-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>I think everyone growing up as a twenty-something in 2017 can identify with something, big or small, in <em>Night In The Woods</em>. This game handles character writing and personal moments very effectively, and it puts to words a lot of deep emotions and ideas that many people simply can’t. The heartbreak of only having a best “available” friend, the existential terror of an encroaching conservatism that threatens your very existence, the value we place in others after our lives have been filled with nothing but terror. Night in the Woods attempts to tackle these ideas not only head on, but with a smile and a sense of humor that lets you know that uncertainty is normal. <em>Night in the Woods</em> is comfort in nightmarish times, a striking condemnation of capitalist America that so many of us live in, and the albatrosses around our necks.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">1. <em>Nioh</em></span></h3>
<p><a href="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/niohWomenRespecter.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-14624" src="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/niohWomenRespecter-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/niohWomenRespecter-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/niohWomenRespecter-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/niohWomenRespecter-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamesline.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/niohWomenRespecter-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></p>
<p>This is probably gonna sound a little hollow after how deeply resonant games like <em>NitW</em> and <em>NieR:Automata</em> have been for me in 2017, but <em>Nioh</em> is truly the game I had the most fun with all year. Many people reductively refer to it as Samurai <em>Dark Souls</em>, but it’s much more than that. It’s an alternate history story about Irish-born English sailor William Adams’ quest to save his ghost girlfriend from an extremely goth twink Edward Kelley as he treks around Sengoku Era Japan and fights loving recreations of the Yokai of Japanese mythology. The game is steeped with a lot of creative irony, as the very first level takes place in the Tower of London, utilizing the medieval aesthetic to effectively subvert your expectations of playing a samurai game and place you right into another <em>Dark Souls</em> for its first mission. It’s also got a great sense of humor that is completely unexpected to people conditioned by Souls-like games. There are several cutscenes in the beginning of the game where William, who only speaks English throughout the game, is surrounded by Japanese people speaking Japanese, and thus just says absolutely nothing. It’s really easy to interpret William as just plain not understanding what anyone is saying and being completely confused all the time, and once the game sets that expectation in your head, the rest of the cutscenes that follow that same methodology become a joy to watch. <em>Nioh</em> is such a fun game with a lot there, and even in a year full of big games with long stories and huge open worlds, I can still go back to Nioh and have a good time.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/scotts-top-10-games-of-2017/">Scott&#8217;s Top 10 Games of 2017</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
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		<title>VGCC Episode 197: All the Clues</title>
		<link>https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-197-all-the-clues/</link>
					<comments>https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-197-all-the-clues/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Niall]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Dec 2017 23:05:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcasts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ABBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[daryl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[demons souls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doki doki literature club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dragonball fusions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[duke nukem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fallout: new vegas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[little battlers experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monster hunter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professor Layton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the snowman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toru yano]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wrestling]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamesline.net/?p=14522</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Mister Police... you could have listened...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-197-all-the-clues/">VGCC Episode 197: All the Clues</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s a questions-heavy show for the final Chooch of 2017! John, Andi and Scott get together to talk Doki Doki Literature Club, Fallout New Vegas, Dragonball, Professor Layton, and all your questions about Demon&#8217;s Souls, Corky&#8217;s yorkie, the misadventures of Harry Hole, Duke Nukem&#8217;s future, the rights to John Michonski, Abba, and lots more.</p>
<p>Follow us on twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/VGChoochoo">@VGChooChoo</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/john_michonski">@john_michonski</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/captaintrash">@captaintrash</a>, &amp; <a href="http://twitter.com/SocksMahoney">@SocksMahoney</a>, and don&#8217;t forget to rate &amp; review the show on iTunes, as well as tell a friend! You can also send questions, comments, and concerns to podcast@videogamechoochoo.com or find us on <a href="http://videogamechoochoo.tumblr.com">Tumblr</a>! You can also join our Discord channel at <a href="http://thegamezone.zone">thegamezone.zone</a>!</p>
<p>Our theme song is &#8220;Crush&#8221; by Melt Channel, from the album <a href="https://meltchannel.bandcamp.com/album/magic-is-real">Magic is Real</a>.</p>
<p>Save her with Chooch via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/video-game-choo-choo/id659755825?mt=2">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/Hg7yL6bk">Hipcast</a>, <a href="https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20171217165658-4398.mp3">Direct Download</a> or listen below!</p>
<p><audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-14522-1" preload="none" style="width: 100%;" controls="controls"><source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20171217165658-4398.mp3?_=1" /><a href="https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20171217165658-4398.mp3">https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20171217165658-4398.mp3</a></audio></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-197-all-the-clues/">VGCC Episode 197: All the Clues</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
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		<title>VGCC Episode 192: Don&#8217;t Be So Mayo</title>
		<link>https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-192-dont-be-so-mayo/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Niall]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2017 00:44:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcasts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal crossing: pocket camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bitcoin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cuphead]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doki doki literature club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy flight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high hell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kinect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[once-ler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[party hard tycoon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[switch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wwe 2k18]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xbox]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamesline.net/?p=14281</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>This. Is. Journalism.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-192-dont-be-so-mayo/">VGCC Episode 192: Don&#8217;t Be So Mayo</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s been a long time, but we FINALLY have a full house for Chooch 192! Michael gets a crash course in Once-ler lore, John fears ET, a special feline guest drops by, while Cuphead&#8217;s bloodline, Animal Crossing on mobile, Bitcoin values, Doki Doki Literature Club, High Hell, the death of Kinect, Xbox financials, Fantasy Flight, Gamecube controllers on Switch and Scott Steiner.</p>
<p>Follow us on twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/VGChoochoo">@VGChooChoo</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/JohnMichonski">@JohnMichonski</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/finaldasa">@finaldasa</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/horngal">@horngal</a>, &amp; <a href="http://twitter.com/SocksMahoney">@SocksMahoney</a>, and don&#8217;t forget to rate &amp; review the show on iTunes, as well as tell a friend! You can also send questions, comments, and concerns to podcast@videogamechoochoo.com or find us on <a href="http://videogamechoochoo.tumblr.com">Tumblr</a>! You can also join our Discord channel at <a href="http://thegamezone.zone">thegamezone.zone</a>!</p>
<p>Our theme song is &#8220;Crush&#8221; by Melt Channel, from the album <a href="https://meltchannel.bandcamp.com/album/magic-is-real">Magic is Real</a>.</p>
<p>Never tone it down with Chooch via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/video-game-choo-choo/id659755825?mt=2">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/H3Dh2NGk">Hipcast</a>, <a href="https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20171029193052-5272.mp3">Direct Download</a> or listen below!</p>
<p><audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-14281-2" preload="none" style="width: 100%;" controls="controls"><source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20171029193052-5272.mp3?_=2" /><a href="https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20171029193052-5272.mp3">https://mikecosimano.hipcast.com/download/mikecosimano-20171029193052-5272.mp3</a></audio></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://gamesline.net/vgcc-episode-192-dont-be-so-mayo/">VGCC Episode 192: Don&#8217;t Be So Mayo</a> appeared first on <a href="https://gamesline.net">Gamesline</a>.</p>
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