FNAF 4: The Hype

For the past several months, I’ve been had the fever: The Five Nights at Freddy’s fever.

It’s not as scary if you image he has Mario’s voice.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, Five Nights at Freddy’s is an indie, survival-horror game quadrilogy created by the super talented Scott Cawthon.  On the surface, it centers around a Chuck E. Cheese-eque pizzeria with you playing as the night guard who has to survive the haunted animatronics until 6 a.m. for 5 (or 6 or 7 if you are brave enough) nights.  As those who have read my Comic-Con blog know, I’m a big fan of Markiplier.   It was his Let’s Play of the series that initially got me hooked.  At first, it was just the jump scares and his reactions that reeled me in. However, as I learned more about the story through subtle clues and as new consecutive games came out, I was hooked.

I started watching MatPat’s Game Theory videos and other Let’s Plays and reading fan theories on Reddit.  When it came out on mobile, I downloaded it and played it for myself.  It scared me and it fascinated me.  The hidden secrets and story beyond just the main premise of the game intrigued me.  I love murder mysteries or mysteries of any kind.  Give me a good “who dun it” story and I become obsessed until I know all the answers.  And I expect all of them to be answered.  None of this Inception ending crap.  Tell me what happened at the end; don’t leave it up to my imagination/interpretation.

When FNAF 3 came out, we all assumed that it would be the final installment into the series. But it wasn’t long until FNAF 4: The Final Chapter was announced on Scott’s homepage for Halloween 2015.  Scott isn’t really good with release dates though.  Just a few weeks ago he announced that the game would be coming out early on 8/8 with free DLC on 10/31, but then the actual game just came out Thursday, July 23rd.  It was unexpected, but it brought at lot of hype.

Per the norm, I’ve already watched 4 different people play, beat and analyze the game.   I’m still watching and waiting for the entirety of the playthrough from Markiplier and the final theories from MatPat, but that will keep the buzz going.  Once the DLC comes out, which I suspect will be out before 10/31 if the main game is any indication,  we will finally (hopefully) have the full picture of the horrible and scary things that went on in the Freddy Fazbear’s Entertainment establishments.

The release date is a lie.

I won’t say too much in case you fans out there haven’t gotten a chance to see or play it yet, but I will say that the bite of ’87 is involved and there are lots of easter eggs in this game for fans of the series.  You just have to look and listen closely, much like the mechanics of this 4th game.  It’s unlike any of the 3 games before it. It’s more intense, frightening and in a setting we haven’t seen from this series before.  The game is packed with more story-filled minigames  and a minigame that can give you a leg up on the next night, if you are skilled enough to beat it.

I cannot wait until this drops on the App Store.  I wish my computer could handle FNAF on Steam, but (sadly) it cannot.  For me though, the fun comes not from the jump scares and the actual playing of it, but from the community and story that surrounds the game.  It’s morbidly magical, fun and always interesting.  How often do you have to scour teaser images and videos for clues?  How often do you have to ‘inspect element’ on a website to find out secret hints about the game’s release, setting or theme?  I love that stuff.   I look forward to the DLC completing the story, but I think I’ll be sad to see it end.  Hopefully, some other super awesome game will come along and snatch my attention.

Until then… FNAF 4!!!!!!!!  Woooooo!

-Gretchen

Remake vs. Remasters: Why the Final Fantasy VII remake is both exciting and terrifying

The image that caused a billion nerdgasms.

In recent years, it has become very popular to remaster classic and/or beloved games.  Great titles like the Uncharted series, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy X and X-2 all got the remastered treatment.  “Remastering” isn’t necessarily new; it’s essentially porting the game to a new system.  In fact, porting has been around since the early days of video games, even the Apple II had ports of games from the Atari.

However, as you undoubtedly heard due to the internet exploding, Sony and Square-Enix announced in their E3 conferences that the classic, ever-popular Final Fantasy VII was getting a full-on remake.  It’s not really a surprise as the remaster of a game that old just wouldn’t work.  We’ve already seen FFVII ported as a classics title to the PS3 and Sony portable systems and, even with the PS3’s smoothing features, Cloud’s polygonal hair will stab you right in the eyes until they bleed.

To be honest, I never finished FFVII.  I didn’t even play it as a child.  I didn’t make through the first disc, once I finally started playing it in college. My first Final Fantasy title was Final Fantasy IX followed by Final Fantasy VIII (my personal favorite) and Final Fantasy X which were all gorgeous games.  So, going “backwards” to Final Fantasy VII felt like a downgrade.  I couldn’t focus on the game without the graphics hurting my eyes and the battle system getting on my nerves.   I had gotten really good at using the Final Fantasy VIII and IX battle systems, but, for some reason, the materia system never really made sense to me. Maybe I made it more complicated than it actually was.  Wouldn’t be the first time.

Not to defend myself, I should have given it a fairer shot.  I was far too busy in college with all the new games coming out to really give this title a chance. Going off the graphics alone is no reason to set a game aside. It’s got a lot of hype as a game; hopefully, that’s not for nothing.  I own the game. I’ve seen the movie. I’ve even played spin-off games.  I pretty much know the story without ever having played.  It’s interesting to me and I think I would like it.

Which brings me back to the remake.

I was super excited to hear that this would be remade.  The rumor mill surrounding this had been going for years.  It seemed like every E3 since the announcement of the PS3 was speculating about a potential remake of this iconic game.  I blame the tech demo;  I was also super excited about the FFVIII tech demo back in the day, until I realized it was just a demo and not a remake of one of my favorite games.

This year they gave us the fan service we wanted. It’s about time too; Square-Enix has been steadily climbing the ranks of my shit list since Final Fantasy XII and the continually delayed games like Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, now know as Final Fantasy XV, don’t help.  Remaking Final Fantasy VII is something that might just turn the tide and get them back on my good side.  I’ll finally get to play Final Fantasy VII on a modern console and it’ll look pretty!  That’s awesome! Sign me upI I am down.

However, it’s important to understand that a remake is very different than a port/remaster and Square-Enix has already stated publicly that they intend to make changes and improvements to the game.  This is where the terrifying part comes in.  I’m totally down for the graphical improvements and even adding elements of the spin-off stories to the game to give us bonus content and a more complete picture.

Cloud is equally passionate about keeping this scene in the game. Just look at him.

But what exactly are they changing?  Will the battle system change to be more like the Final Fantasy XIII model? I don’t want that.  Will these improvements be like the “new and improved” label on your favorite cereal?  (you know that shit isn’t gonna taste better; they ruined it) Will they censor the game? I want to see Drag Queen Cloud in all his high-definition glory go in that hot tub and enjoy it.

I’ve seen the “Western effect” on Japanese creative before.  My favorite, Dragonball Z, became more and more censored in Japan as it went on.   We went from seeing full on holes in people’s chest to just bruise marks in Dragonball Kai.  I just don’t want to see the story and its fun easter eggs taken out because of “the children”.  I’m sure they see far worse things; remember Hard Gay?

Hard Gay. Giving children nightmares since 2005.

This remake could also go incredibly wrong if they delay the game for as long as they have other titles.  Just because they announced that they are making it, doesn’t mean it is coming out in the next 10 years.  With SE’s current track record, we might not see the game until the Playstation 7 is released in 2077, just so they can say FF7 is on PS7 (all the 7s).   I’m hoping that SE knows their ass is in the fire with this one.  I don’t expect it out next year and I do want them to take their time and do it right, but I don’t want it to become the clusterf@#% that is Final Fantasy XV.  Granted that game looks awesome, but they announced it back in 2006, under a different title.  It has almost been 10 years.  I don’t want that to happen to this remake; some of us will die of old age before it comes out.

Despite the terrifying aspects, I’m going to remain optimistic that SE will deliver a solid remake on a reasonable timeline.   With the Tokyo Game Show coming up in September, I fully expect Square-Enix to make some more announcements about the game.  We may not get a release date, but maybe we’ll at least get the official title.  It will be interesting to see what develops and even more interesting what they will have to say about it at next year’s E3.  Until then, we just have to do what every Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Square-Enix fan is used to doing: wait.

Are you excited for the Final Fantasy VII remake?  What are some things you’d like to see improved or added? What are somethings you hope they keep the same or take out?

-Gretchen

SDCC Adventures: Day 2 – Best day ever!!

Portal: Comic Con Edition .. and some dude’s head

As I said at the end of my Day 1 blog, just because I had a series of disappointments and mess ups didn’t mean I wasn’t determined to enjoy Comic Con completely.

Unlike Day 1, I decided to give up on any of the big panels and big celebrity autographs. I had become content with the knowledge that it just wasn’t going to happen for me and the best thing I could do was enjoy the other, numerous things that Comic Con had to offer.

So I took to the floor once again! Truly exploring all the booths and in a particularly Dragonball themed mood. As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, not only is the Resurrection/Revival of F movie coming out but the new series, Dragonball Super, has really triggered my passion for the show.  So I dubbed this day the search for the dragon balls.  Of course Dragonball related items were not hard to find.  I ended up purchasing a scouter and a set of the dragon balls for … you know… nostalgia. I also got some of the exclusive Funko pop figures: Vegeta with shiny armor and Golden Freeza with the red eyes.  They were partially impulse buys, but since I already collect those types of figures and I love Dragonball, I figured I’d give myself a pass.

Dragonball wasn’t the only thing on my mind that day though. I also finally caved and bought one of Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half books.  I was somewhat recently introduced to her blog and I think she’s brilliant and absolutely hilarious.  I also heard she might be at Comic Con, so I also bought it just in case I were to make it into her panel (Spoiler: I didn’t).  I also got some cool geeky T-shirts, checked out Super Mario Maker, Street Fighter V and some of the other demos on the floor.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get close enough to play, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching others play.

After lunch, I decided I was going to try to get into the “All New, All Different Avengers” panel.  I wasn’t really sure that I would have a chance to get in, but I actually did make it in.  I got to see some of the authors and artists of these new comics talk about the upcoming “not-so-reboot” of the Marvel Universe. I think some really exciting things are coming our way very soon.  I, for one, am definitely going to jump on this Lady Thor bandwagon.  She sounds awesome and the next story arc sounds like it’s going to be a doozy.  I’m down.

Since I had made it into that room, I decided to stay where I was to see the next two panels. The first one after the Avenger’s panel was the “Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate” panel featuring the director and the lead actors for the game.  The moderator was a British comedian who definitely kept it super funny.  To be honest, I’ve never really gotten into the Assassin’s Creed franchise before, but after seeing that panel and hearing them talk about the game and show clips from the game, I honestly want to play this game now.  Seems pretty badass.  Who knows.  Maybe I would actually love the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise if I just gave it more of a chance.  I certainly plan to do that now.

The final panel in that room was “How to get a job in video games.” In case it isn’t obvious from the eclectic topics I decide to blog about, I absolutely LOVE video games.  I want to be surrounded by them, I have applied and interviewed at different game companies and I just know that it’s something I want involved in my life.  I briefly had a not so successful live stream show and a YouTube channel that I would really like to get off the ground some day, hopefully, in the near future.  It’s my dream, even if it’s a long shot.

However, as I sat there and listened to the awesome people in the industry talk, I realized that maybe I didn’t want to take the marketing/advertising/production department route into video games.  Would I still take a job at a game company if offered?  Absolutely.  But at the same time, I felt like I wanted the freedom to enjoy games, review games and share my love for games with others.  It’s been done on the internet, maybe even over done. But, even if it’s just a hobby and I’m never successful beyond my mom watching, I want to try.  It really made me want to brush the dust off my YouTube and Twitch channels even more.  I definitely plan on launching them again in the next month, but I digress…

After that panel was over, I took off down the halls to the opposite side of the building where the Dragonball Z Resurrection of F panel was going to take place.  Though I haven’t watched the dub in a while, I still have respect for FUNimation and I know it is thanks to them that Dragonball was such a big part of my life.  Also, I’m just super excited about that new movie.  Believe it or not, I haven’t actually seen it illegally on the internet, so I’m looking forward to the domestic release when I can finally see what this blue-haired Goku and Vegeta is all about.  Also that new squiggly symbol on their outfits:  WTF is that about?

Sadly, I didn’t get the answer to that question. But I did enjoy the antics of Justin Cook, Chris Ayers, Chris Sabat and Sean Schemmel.  Together they speculated about Vegeta joining the Scooby Gang and enlightened us about their favorite Goku/Vegeta bro moments.  It was fantastic and definitely one of the best panels I had been in.  They also, unfortunately, announced that FUNimation isn’t working on Dragonball Super at this time.  That’s a bummer, but I feel like it’s probably inevitable at this point.  They have to bring it over, right? I certainly hope so.

Still on the Dragonball high, I ran (again) to the other side of the convention center and actually made it into the Rotten Tomatoes panel.  That panel, let me tell you, was super fun.  If you ever find yourself at Comic Con and that panel is available, please go! It’s so much fun.  It’s audience vs. the panel of critics.  It gets really rowdy and really passionate (because movie options make people emotional), but it was sooooooo much fun.  Right after the Rotten Tomatoes panel, was the Screen Junkies panel.  The first half was mainly about their Honest Trailers series: they showed an exclusive Comic Con honest trailer and the dude with the epic voice was there, using his epic voice.  The second half was about Movie Fights, but I won’t tell you about that one.   You can watch it on their channel here.  You can actually see the back of my head in one of the frames! It’s like I’m famous! haha

That’s where the most amazing day 2 ended.  Day 3 will be up soon!  Enjoy!

-Gretchen