Re: What Have You Been Playing... In January 2025?

On Sun, 2 Feb 2025 15:38:40 -0000 (UTC), vallor <vallor@cultnix.org>
wrote:

On Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:15:04 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:48:44 -0700, "rms" <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net>
wrote:

  I started Senua Hellblade 2 but set it down after 1/2hour and haven't
gone back to it as yet.  Mostly was reading/watching films last month!

"Hellblade 2" is on my "eventually wishlist". It's a game I want to
play, but am in no hurry to get. The original was an intriguing mix of
(fairly easy) Souls-like combat and walking-sim, and in terms of
gameplay wasn't particularly good. It's story was a bit anvilicious

Hi, I just had to mention:  I had trouble with "anvilicious" until I
found it on
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anvilicious
...threw me for a loop! ;)

Heheh. Sorry. I probably have spent too much time reading TVTropes.org
so I think that the term is a lot more recognizable than it really is.
;-)

For others confused by the meaning of the word (and too lazy to click
on a link ;-), it implies a type of  messaging so unsubtle that it is
as obvious as dropping an anvil on somebody's head, LoonyToons-cartoon
style. It's an idea that is almost painful in its obviousness and how
its dropped into the story.

In Hellblade's case, the message was that mentally ill people (like
the protagonist, who suffered from psychosis) don't deserve to be
hated and punished for their disability. Treating them so just makes
things worse for them (and others) while giving them love and support
lets them find their place in the world. A worthy ideal, certainly,
but "Hellblade" wasn't very subtle in its preachings.