Willa Harlow Ross
@willaharlowross.bsky.social
Filmmaker. A Sheik main called Worst.
Memory flawed
November 12, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Memory flawed
Memory flawed and all that, but this is probably the closest a badly-off home video presentation of a movie has wound up moving to resemble an “oh my god if only it looked like this” 35mm print I (we) saw
November 11, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Memory flawed and all that, but this is probably the closest a badly-off home video presentation of a movie has wound up moving to resemble an “oh my god if only it looked like this” 35mm print I (we) saw
Hard to think of many popular modern games that DON'T add too many mechanics. If the choices available to the player don't involve meaningful trade-offs and risks and losses, games lose the ability to establish tone and emotional engagement via mechanical interaction. Which you'd think is the point!
November 3, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Hard to think of many popular modern games that DON'T add too many mechanics. If the choices available to the player don't involve meaningful trade-offs and risks and losses, games lose the ability to establish tone and emotional engagement via mechanical interaction. Which you'd think is the point!
But then you also get those unlockable major modes, and the fact that they're unlockable signposts them as optional/lower-value.
All of this is very frustrating to me. Players have been effectively conditioned for decades to see having their comfort zone directly challenged as a game's fault.
All of this is very frustrating to me. Players have been effectively conditioned for decades to see having their comfort zone directly challenged as a game's fault.
October 22, 2025 at 3:31 AM
But then you also get those unlockable major modes, and the fact that they're unlockable signposts them as optional/lower-value.
All of this is very frustrating to me. Players have been effectively conditioned for decades to see having their comfort zone directly challenged as a game's fault.
All of this is very frustrating to me. Players have been effectively conditioned for decades to see having their comfort zone directly challenged as a game's fault.
Yeah. I think a lot of this derives from a real fear of openly challenging players and suggesting that they're not getting a definitive experience (or even AS definitive experience) because a lot of players will turn on devs for a perceived slight to their comfort zone. It's a vicious cycle.
October 22, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Yeah. I think a lot of this derives from a real fear of openly challenging players and suggesting that they're not getting a definitive experience (or even AS definitive experience) because a lot of players will turn on devs for a perceived slight to their comfort zone. It's a vicious cycle.
Right answer www.youtube.com/watch?v=jymD...
BLAU (Mario Is Missing Yoshi noise)
YouTube video by calzone cave
www.youtube.com
October 19, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Right answer www.youtube.com/watch?v=jymD...
I wish there was a little more willingness in games with different modes to heavily direct players towards the most significant, thoughtfully crafted, or intended options for experiences. I think it evinces a discomfort with declaring one piece of content better than others. Get heavy-handed, even!
October 19, 2025 at 11:31 PM
I wish there was a little more willingness in games with different modes to heavily direct players towards the most significant, thoughtfully crafted, or intended options for experiences. I think it evinces a discomfort with declaring one piece of content better than others. Get heavy-handed, even!
(I like 3 tbc)
October 18, 2025 at 6:42 PM
(I like 3 tbc)
Which version
October 18, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Which version
Definitely sympathetic to the appeals of a sandbox, but I tend to think it takes way, WAY more effort to make something aesthetically valuable and design-effective as it gets sandboxier. It can still have lots of appeal on a toy level but it’s extremely hard not to make the game elements suffer.
October 18, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Definitely sympathetic to the appeals of a sandbox, but I tend to think it takes way, WAY more effort to make something aesthetically valuable and design-effective as it gets sandboxier. It can still have lots of appeal on a toy level but it’s extremely hard not to make the game elements suffer.
I think it’d be easier for me to get on board with that messy open level design if I hadn’t seen it done better in other 2D platformers like Sonic Mania. In 3 there’s just too many times when a wrong turn kills momentum or results in a duller route.
October 18, 2025 at 6:40 PM
I think it’d be easier for me to get on board with that messy open level design if I hadn’t seen it done better in other 2D platformers like Sonic Mania. In 3 there’s just too many times when a wrong turn kills momentum or results in a duller route.
I can enjoy Zelda style adventure structure but there’s a very thin band of games I think actually do it well, so seems like 2 360 is the way to go. Thanks!!
October 18, 2025 at 6:31 PM
I can enjoy Zelda style adventure structure but there’s a very thin band of games I think actually do it well, so seems like 2 360 is the way to go. Thanks!!
Levels in general are quite a ways less tightly designed, the whole thing feels like a sprawl of mostly-very-good ideas that could have been pared down into two or three much better SMB1-sized games.
October 17, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Levels in general are quite a ways less tightly designed, the whole thing feels like a sprawl of mostly-very-good ideas that could have been pared down into two or three much better SMB1-sized games.
My issue with 3 is that there are really, REALLY high highs, but the sense of a meaningfully escalating, deliberately designed adventure kind of gets tanked by the open level structure and power-ups. e.g. way too many instances where I'm invited to skip levels that are (or might have been) fun.
October 17, 2025 at 9:24 PM
My issue with 3 is that there are really, REALLY high highs, but the sense of a meaningfully escalating, deliberately designed adventure kind of gets tanked by the open level structure and power-ups. e.g. way too many instances where I'm invited to skip levels that are (or might have been) fun.
I'm better than I ever have been, actually!! I hope you're doing well too :)
October 17, 2025 at 9:21 PM
I'm better than I ever have been, actually!! I hope you're doing well too :)
As someone who’s meant to get into his work but generally doesn’t dabble in multiplayer, should I start with Ninja Gaiden? 2 360?
October 17, 2025 at 6:58 PM
As someone who’s meant to get into his work but generally doesn’t dabble in multiplayer, should I start with Ninja Gaiden? 2 360?
lfgggggggggg!!!!
October 17, 2025 at 1:10 AM
lfgggggggggg!!!!
I'd 100% go to the mattresses on this one
October 17, 2025 at 12:49 AM
I'd 100% go to the mattresses on this one
(I’m probably not going to play Silksong until all major dlc for it has come out)
October 12, 2025 at 10:21 PM
(I’m probably not going to play Silksong until all major dlc for it has come out)
I guess I’m just gonna head up to that formerly sealed door and finish things up that way. Probably gonna fucking stomp whatever the final boss is after what I’ve done and it’ll feel anticlimactic, which would be disappointing, but the game lets you get pretty powerful. We’ll see!
October 12, 2025 at 10:21 PM
I guess I’m just gonna head up to that formerly sealed door and finish things up that way. Probably gonna fucking stomp whatever the final boss is after what I’ve done and it’ll feel anticlimactic, which would be disappointing, but the game lets you get pretty powerful. We’ll see!
But I also can’t escape that it feels that I’m being asked to engage with this game in a COMPLETELY different way than the rest of this playthrough, and that doesn’t feel particularly cohesive or engaging to me. It’s a major quest/content, but it feels disjointed in a very unappealing way.
October 12, 2025 at 10:21 PM
But I also can’t escape that it feels that I’m being asked to engage with this game in a COMPLETELY different way than the rest of this playthrough, and that doesn’t feel particularly cohesive or engaging to me. It’s a major quest/content, but it feels disjointed in a very unappealing way.
Part of it might be because the game is already tapped out as far as my excitement to discover its mechanics goes. Part of it might be that, god help me, the combat just isn’t THAT good. If HOLLOW KNIGHT was exclusively focused on combat — a very boss-rushy game let’s say — I think I’d feel that way
October 12, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Part of it might be because the game is already tapped out as far as my excitement to discover its mechanics goes. Part of it might be that, god help me, the combat just isn’t THAT good. If HOLLOW KNIGHT was exclusively focused on combat — a very boss-rushy game let’s say — I think I’d feel that way