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curly-q-reviews · 5 years

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ROAD TO THE OSCAR MAYER WIENER AWARDS 2K19

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, 2018 (dir. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen)

Nominated for: Best Original Song, Best Costume Design, Best Adapted Screenplay

SPOILER ALERT THAR BE SPOILERS AHEAD ME HEARTIES BE YE WARNED

wowee what a cool film!! i went into this not knowing much about it except it was directed by the Coen brothers (directors of Fargo and The Big Lebowski) which set real high expectations for me. these guys are real masters of storytelling and what immediately come to mind when i think of movies that know how to effectively use dark humor. i also love the kinds of stories they tell in general, how they take subjects and settings that seem kinda mundane and just give them this little extra spark.

so is this newest film just as good as their other work??? well id say yeah for sure!!! it reminds me a lot of a film they did shortly after The Big Lebowski called O Brother, Where Art Thou?, because theyre both period pieces AND because they both feature a myriad of eclectic and interesting characters. the one thing that makes The Ballad of Buster Scruggs really stand out from their other films however is the fact that this is actually an anthology made up of six different stories, all set during the same time period in The Wild West. its also worth mentioning that this movie was made to premiere on Netflix, which is something ive started to see more and more as the streaming platform becomes the new go-to source of media content. its very exciting to see such prolific directors go the Netflix route and have great success with it, because it means that the platform really is capable of creating high-quality movies and TV shows and working with big-name talent. im sure the big hollywood production companies are all quaking in their lil booties cause this means big BIG changes are on the horizon

ok so ive reviewed anthology series before, notably Black Mirror, and with those reviews i ranked the short stories in order of least to most favorite. so i guess in this case ill do the same, although its hard to really rank these cause i truly enjoyed all of them in different ways. there was one however that didnt really tickle my fancy much, which was “Near Algodones”. this one stars james franco as a bank robber who seems to have met his match in a fiery (probably crazy) bank teller. he gets caught and hung from a tree by the town’s sheriff, but nearly manages to escape death when a Native American tribe swoops in and kills the sheriff and his crew. james franco is saved by a cattle driver, only to be caught again by the next town’s sheriff for allegedly trying to hawk the cattle (which was not the case at all). right before they kick the chair out from under him at the hanging, he sees a beautiful woman in blue, who at first smiles at him but then looks unnerved as he stares back at her.

i think with this one the ending really didnt do much for me, i kinda didnt get it. i did understand the whole irony behind surviving punishment for a crime he DID commit but getting hanged for a crime he never committed, and the bank teller was pretty hilarious, but everything else about the segment was just ok. james franco didnt really blow me away (he never really does but thats besides the point), the rest of the performances were fine, and the story just kinda zipped on through. maybe ill give this one another watch to see if the ending makes any more sense to me, or if theres any sense to be made from it at all

next up for me would be “The Gal Who Got Rattled”, and this segment i have mixed feelings over. its about this brother and sister who set out on the Oregon trail so that the brother can get his sister to marry his business partner in Oregon. the sister seems like a kind of wishy-washy, subdued character who just kinda goes along with whatever her brother says without giving much of her own opinion. i gotta give credit to zoe kazan (who starred in The Big Sick) cause she does a great job with this character, totally spot-on performance. ok so turns out the brother is a fucken HORRIBLE businessman who screws up all his business deals all the time, and he tragically dies like two days into being on the oregon trail. he has this annoying-ass dog that barks all the time and everyone else on the caravan is sick of it, so when the brother dies the sister just lets one of the trail leaders put it down. turns out the sister like did not like her brother at all but was always too afraid to say anything. now getting back to the bad businessman thing, apparently he had promised the helper boy that is helping move their covered wagon a large sum of money, half of it halfway through the journey and the rest when they get to oregon. problem is, the sister doesnt have the money, so it was either left in the brothers pocket when he was buried or there wasnt actually any money at all and he lied, y’know, like a bad businessman does. the trail leader who put the annoying dog down offers to help her, and the two start to get close. so now its like a pseudo love story thing. except it ends pretty tragically (the sister dies its a long story and pretty ironic just watch it if u wanna know)

so uuuhhhhh this one was long as shit, like a lot longer than the other segments when it didnt really need to be??? like it just kept going and going, and again the ending didnt really make up for how long it was. i really liked zoe kazan in this, but otherwise nothing to write home about.

number four on my list would have to go to “All Gold Canyon”, which basically just follows the story of a gold miner in the mountains trying to get that money honey. this segment is the simplest one out of the bunch, but i gotta say its absolutely gorgeous. what beautiful scenery and cinematography. it provides a nice contrast to our disheveled, run-down gold miner who is just tearing up the beautiful grassy fields trying to get to this gold. there seems to be a theme in this one of man’s relationship to nature, and how the gold miner does put in effort to respect it but still takes advantage of it for his own benefit. and i guess theres a broader theme of greed, or the ruthless and endless pursuit of wealth which can drive people to do crazy and desperate things. i definitely really enjoyed this one, especially the gold miner character played by tom waits. but otherwise it didnt stand out as much to me as the other segments im gonna talk about

SPEAKING OF WHICH heres number three!! “The Mortal Remains” is right up my alley, and has some more mythical elements to it than the other segments ive talked about so far. so we have a wagon full of passengers all going to this hotel for various reasons, and its a really diverse cast of characters: we have the older wife of a prolific religious lecturer, a rich Frenchman, a trapper, a foppish Englishman, and a cheery laid-back Irishman, the last two seeming to be companions of some sort. they all get on the topic of the true nature of mankind, and the three characters opposite of the strange pair all have something different to say. the trapper believes that all people are inherently the same, with the same basic needs. the older woman disagrees and insists that there are two kinds of people, upright and sinning. and then the Frenchman says that both of them are wrong, that human existence is much more complicated and nuanced than that; no one persons life is exactly the same as another’s. and then we have the Englishman and the Irishman, who turn out to be bounty hunters of some sort (is heavily alluded that they are grim reaper-type figures). they explain their method of completing their kills, and talk about how they enjoy watching their victims “try to make sense of it all” in their death throes. these two clearly have a much more cold and sinister idea of the nature of mankind, and the rest become very unsettled all the way to the hotel. no one else even dares to step out of the carriage while the bounty hunters drag their latest victim through the front entrance and up the stairs.

oh man this segment was great! i think the reason its third on my list is cause i really wish there was more to it, like if the Coen brothers spent more time on this one instead of “The Gal Who Got Rattled” it would be perfect. Jonjo O’Neill and Brendan Gleeson as the bounty hunters were so enthralling, and i loved watching them play off of each other. hell, i couldve had a whole movie featuring those two. and the screenwriting really shines in this segment too. this segment almost feels like a fable or something, which is really fitting for the time period. makes me wonder if they had based it off of an actual fable. but anyway yeah this ones awesome!

i had a hard time choosing between “The Mortal Remains” and this next segment for second place cause i liked them both equally, but in the end “Meal Ticket” gets #2 purely because of the utterly fantastic performance by Harry Melling, who plays a quadriplegic actor in a traveling show run by liam neesons character, an irish traveling entertainer. the story itself is really simple, we just see this disabled actor be carted from one town to the next, doing the same stage show which is basically just him reciting famous prose throughout the ages. meanwhile liam neeson is trying to get as much money as he can out of the audience members. he doesnt interact much with harry melling outside of feeding him and helping him piss and get dressed. u get the sense that he doesnt really see his disabled actor as an actual person, but more of an entertaining object or a pet. and this becomes even more apparent when the irishman gets some competition from another traveling entertainer who has a chicken that can do math. he sees this chicken getting more money than him, so he buys it off of the other guy and takes it with him. and finally, the poor limbless actor is literally and figuratively tossed aside for the next best thing.

man oh man what a great segment! harry melling blew me away with his performance, the fact that he was able to get such a nuanced range of emotion out of the few lines he was given (basically he had to recite the same shit over and over again) was so impressive to me. and his non-verbal communication was really solid too. liam neeson did really well in his role too. and again the story itself is really great, simple but effective and really gets the point across without having to beat the audience over the head with its message. OH YEAH ITS REAL GOOD LOVE IT

and finally we have my #1 pick, which i think the directors knew this was the best one out of the bunch too cause its the first segment as well as the title of the whole movie. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” has that signature Coen brothers wit and dark humor that i love, it plays off of typical Western movie tropes and is very tongue-in-cheek and i ate that shit up. tim blake nelson as the titular buster is just so fucken perfect for this role, he really shines in this and its kind of a shame that its one of the shorter segments cause it really is the best one and he knocks it out of the park. we got some great music in this segment too, which is where that Best Original Song nom comes in. this one also has some strong fable-y vibes to it, like this story could be amongst the likes of American folklore like Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed. i wont get much into the plot of this one but i highly recommend watching it, even if you dont wanna see the rest of the segments.

the segments fit together pretty well overall, although the tone of each of them differs slightly the fact that the setting and time period are the same is enough to firmly knit all these stories together. its a really unique idea for a movie, and is so far the best attempt at an anthology movie that ive ever seen purely because the stories really all make sense together and play off of each other well. in other anthology movies ive seen like The ABC’s of Death the segments usually dont have much at all to do with each other, except that they all fall in the same genre. so overall id say give this a watch, especially if ur a Coen brothers fan, cause theres some real good stuff in here.

well thats all i got for now cowboys!! i watched Roma the other day and CRIED REAL HARD so get ready for me to kiss that movies ass in a review that should be done in the next few days. until then go uuhhhhhh lasso a cow or something. chew some tobaccy. fondle a barmaids titties. die of dysentery. y’know just old west things~

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rpbetter · 3 years

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hey! ive got a question! is it acceptable or problematic to rp a biracial character with a face of which you don't know if theyre actually biracial/partially white? like, I'd like to play an Indo Dutch character faced by marcel fritz, an indonesian model with an assumably german name origin, but with no noted relationship to any european ethnicity..

Hey there, thank you for your question!

I want to say, before anything else, that much of this advice is opinion based. It’s my opinion, formed by my experiences. The basis of what we consider acceptable or problematic is often thus influenced, even when there is an underlying hard yes/no possible. Furthermore, that you’ve both taken the time to consider this matter and reach out to someone tells me that you’re already infinitely more on the side of acceptable here than most people. A hell of a lot of RPers (and published authors, screenwriters, etc.) don’t bother to worry about these things, so thank you for being concerned!

As to your initial question, “is it acceptable or problematic to rp a biracial character with a face of which you don't know if theyre actually biracial/partially white?” I feel like this isn’t inherently problematic. Before anyone kills me, I say that because it’s reality-reflective. Human genetics are weird as hell. It’s often difficult to tell someone’s detailed ethnicity with full accuracy just by looking at them, especially if their genetic heritage isn’t one that presents in a way that is widely recognized, thus obvious. A person can be biracial and present as entirely white, as the race of their non-white parent, or in myriad combinations in between.

So, on a very basic level? There’s nothing problematic about the way this character looks.

What can make it problematic is the handling of the situation, which you explain in more detail, “I'd like to play an Indo Dutch character faced by marcel fritz, an indonesian model with an assumably german name origin, but with no noted relationship to any european ethnicity..”

In order to answer this better, I looked up the model, Marcel Fritz, and also double checked the surname origin. I wanted to see Marcel because where we get into potentially problematic areas with casting muses who are diverse in race is pretty apparent immediately in whitewashing. While there isn’t a load of information anywhere about him, he does legitimately fit your desired parameters without being whitewashed. He doesn’t look like a white European dude with some cliché “exotic” features as a selling point, is what I’m saying. That’s good, that’s very acceptable!

Now, as I said, I also couldn’t find much on his actual history. Marcel is most often a French name, and you’re right that Fritz is German in origin. The Dutch language isn’t one of my strong points, but it does seem to have a lot similarity, use, and transferable word instance with both German and French. (Reasonably.) I think it’s very likely, given the Dutch history with what is now Indonesia, that the model has some Dutch ancestry. Regardless, he doesn’t show any extreme reflections of any manner of what we’d think of as white European appearance. I don’t think it’s going to matter much if, three years from now, you find out that the model is, let’s say, German...it’s believable, both visually and in real-life history, that your muse isn’t.

So, again, you have thought about this, you have done some research, and you haven’t grossly physically whitewashed the muse for the sake of giving them some kind of sex-appeal while remaining, you know, white. You’re doing great so far!

What you need to do to keep doing great is to make sure you’re being respectful and realistic about the muse’s culture, experiences, and so on. Refraining from whitewashing them culturally where you’re already not doing so in appearance.

I, obviously, don’t know if you created this muse because you are from the same background, or one similar, but if you’re not, this is extremely important. It’s one thing for me to point out adherent stereotypes that have points of accuracy with my own race while portraying a character, it’s a whole other, legitimately problematic as fuck, thing to do it with a character who isn’t my race. Even if there are similarities to my racial or cultural experience, it’s important to responsibly portray the things outside of my viewpoint and to be aware of them. You feel what I’m saying?

I also don’t know what sort of muse you’re making, and that’s definitely important. A muse that is never going to set foot in our reality is going to have different experiences. It’s still important to be aware of potential stereotyping in your plots, language, and overall representation.

I call this “don’t make all your villains black, even if the characters are all cyborgs in space” when trying to explain it. It means that while a totally fantastical setting may never have generated the same stereotypes and racism and so on as it did in real-life history, we’re interacting with the content as people with those realities. So, you’ve created a fantasy world set in a fictional space saga, you set it up where there’s representation of different races of humans, but didn’t set up as though they have a real problem with racism between humans. That’s great and viable. But...if you, the creator, are still making every one of your villains black men, that’s bad shit.

No matter how unreal the circumstances, be mindful of the reality of the people you��ll interact with and how your muse presents to them. Fantasy, supernatural, post-apocalyptic, whatever narratives and their muses may be lacking our identical experiences with racism, but that doesn’t mean your audience (in this case, the RPC and your writing partners) isn’t going to see it like an offensive neon sign. Make sure you’re not doing that!

And if this muse is going to be played in our reality, or a close derivative thereof, it’s your responsibility to be accurate and respectful. Bad representation is worse than no representation.

To avoid that, keep researching, and don’t stop at just dry history and info; check out real people’s perspectives on blogs and platforms like tiktok, instagram, and youtube. It’s important to have a range of real-life experiences from real-life people similar to your muse. I know it may be tempting, especially if you are white, to engage only with cultural tragedy and negative experiences as a point of realism. Those things are important, but fixating on them erases positive culture and history from the experience.

For example, you say you want the muse to be Indonesian and Dutch. You can ask yourself questions and build on them, like: did he grow up in Indonesia, and if so, what real aspects of this heritage did he experience/learn? From whom? What was a visit to his Dutch-heritage grandma’s house like vs a visit to his Indonesian grandma’s house? Can you list three things that are not well-known outside of Indonesia that are of significance to your muse? If he came to another country, what were the biggest cultural shifts he experienced that had nothing to do with his physical appearance?

By answering these kinds of questions, and those that will naturally come after them, you’re developing a more genuine portrayal. It’s a good way to stay fully in the lane of “acceptable” instead of becoming problematic, including giving others a cliché, offensive, hollow “representation muse.”

It’s always tricky, as I said in the first paragraph, these things can be seen as problematic if someone really wants them to be, as beyond the foundation of legit problems we have different viewpoints, emotions, and experiences. There are people in the RPC who, at the same time they demand more diversity, are hostile to anyone writing a muse who isn’t identical to their own culture, race, or gender experience. You are likely to run into them, it’s an unfortunate part of writing diverse muses. So long as you are approaching it with the genuine desire to not be offensive, doing the research, remaining mindful of how you’re using your muse in different writing situations, and keep being willing to learn more, ask more, listen more...you’re alright.

Hang in there, be respectful and accurate, and thank you for choosing a different muse-type and being interested in doing the right thing, you’re awesome for that!

As a last note here, I know I said “respectful” several times, but I think people may get something...less intense, maybe, out of that. This is a sensitive issue, there are so many things to be respectful of.

I mean things like, be mindful that in many cultures there are unspoken “rules.” Outsiders are not to speak certain languages or words, know some mythology, customs, or interact with other aspects of the culture. Please, be respectful of these things! This isn’t finding cool inside knowledge for your muse, you need to leave things like that alone when you encounter them. It’s fine to research and know they exist by way of that and stop there, it’s fine to allude to the fact that your muse isn’t going to share some knowledge with anyone, but it’s not at all fine for you to expose and use it.

These things often seem ridiculous to outside parties, people who are looking into the window of a culture that’s tinted by being raised in an industrialized, wealthy, or science-oriented culture. That’s inappropriate, and yes, problematic! If you start to feel like this, remind yourself of how things like the varied brutalities of colonialism were justified for so long; that these people were all ignorant savages. Don’t be like that.

Furthermore, if you are of the same ethnicity, if this is your experience, you really do have slightly different rules. Using the above example, let’s say that in a mun and muse shared ethnic experience, the muse has an aunt who is Very Superstitious. That’s difficult for the muse, who had a vastly different cultural experience as a Millennial or Gen Z person, but also loves their aunt. It’s alright to approach the reality of the muse viewing the things she speaks of as stories, where she views it as hard truth. However, this easily falls into an offensive category of tropes when written by someone white who is just going for...well, those tropes of generational disparity represented through Cool Weird Religious Beliefs.

That sort of shit is what you need to be mindful of avoiding when being genuinely respectful. Not everything is open and usable to everyone, and it is someone’s actual life experience and heritage you’re using.

#rp better #diverse muses #rp advice #muse development #Anon E. Mous #answered

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riskeith · 3 years

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i’ll be sure to play with noelle some bit then haha!! cryo is super awesome i love the animation of it!! and ice always looks cool tbh. and yeah i picked lumine!! i kind of regret it though haha aether has a cooler design but oh well. i’m not too worried about it. :ppp not disappearing like that i just meant that when i look for them they just.. aren’t there yk HAHA. dude most of the time i’m just lost exploring in this game, no wonder i’ve barely progressed at all story wise 😜 then again, when you explore you find a lot of treasures and villains to build character so.. 🤷🏽‍♀️

i haven’t explored liyue yet!! how do i find it? hdjsjsjs :/

well, then they’re both your mother language!! bilingual queen 🤩

YES YES YES YES YES YES YE SYES YES I AM TALKIGN ABT CHECK PLEASE?:!:)$:$:: I LOVE IT SOOOOO MUCH OHHH 😭😭😭😭 icb u read it and you have the physical book too!!!!!!! you’re so lucky!!! it’s like one of my favorite things ever i think about it all the time and ugh bitty my little angel. i’m so happy you read it i’ve never had anyone to talk about it with 😭😭😭 now i’m screaming too i’m so happy omg!! what are your thoughts spill!!!!!!!!!! <33333333333

AHAHHA i randomly picked aether honestly i couldn’t choose (but also i did like his darker coloured design more) but as soon as i confirmed aether i kinda wanted lumine but now. aether is my baby boy i will not let Anything happen to him 😤😤 HAHAH nooooo the elusive bonfires ahahah. and yes exploring is so fun!! when i first started too all i did was explore before i finally met amber ahaha

djskfnskd liyue is south of mondstadt, west of dragonspine? if you go to like the dawn winery and just continue down a path you should get there! it’s all green too so be sure to not accidentally go into dragonspine fhsjsjjxjx i never thought i’d miss the greenery so much ahaha

legendary 😩😩 maybe one day i will reach your 4 language status! ahah

YOUVE NEVER HAD ANYONE TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH?? WELL IM HERE NOW 😤😤😤😤😤 omg where do i even begin......… WHERE!!!! i loved that before zimbits kiss there were all these little moments of them together, even if it was just them standing in the background talking to each other like it was so subtle but also very foreshadowing i feel?? and when they were on the roof and jack gave bits his flannel or something bc the cold..… WHEN JACK!!!! DROVE DOWN TO THE HAUS STRAIGHT FROM THE AIRPORT BC BITS WAS UPSET BC HE HAD TO HIDE THE FACT HE WAS DATING JACK FROM HIS TEAMMATES AND THEN!!! they proceeded to talk about it and tell the team!!!!!!!!! such healthy relationship such good communication UGH i love them so much. when bits was elected captain and said “they’re my boys”!!!!!! i literally think about that line all the time. can you believe he went from someone scared to be on the ice to being!!! captain!!!! remember all the checking lessons jack gave him 😭😭😭😭 jack is my fave character and the fact he’s french canadian made it so 😩😩😩 for me but the entire cast is so diverse and great!! omg what else.… THE STANLEY CUP!!!!!! the stanley fkn cup when zimbits kissed..… in front of everyone....… then eloped i love that energy so much 😩😩 when they kissed and the page showed only them without any of the people around them like they were the only people on the rink... actual cinema. i’m so so happy they got their happy ending 😭😭😭 this about to turn into an essay about check please ahahah but that’s okay!! please tell me all your thoughts too~ have you ever played ice hockey before? i can barely even ice skate (ive done it one (1)) but reading check please made me want to play ice hockey 😩

#marriage anon #wowclunaanswers #long post

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festfashions · 7 years

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Insomniac Founder Pasquale Rotella Did A Reddit AMA Live

Insomniac founder Pasquale Rotella did a Reddit AMA Live to answer questions on EDC 2018 and here’s all the questions and answers he responded to.

The live AMA took place Sept. 27 at 3pm PST. Lots of questions came up, but only a few were answered. Since some of them offer us new insights into EDC 2018, I’ve compiled them all for us! Check it out below and read the Reddit thread here. Some of the questions got off the topic of EDC 2018, so I’ve reorganized them to be at the bottom.

Q: jtet93: Can we have details about how the shuttle experience will be improved? I can't really express how bad my experience was last year, and I was personally really frustrated that it was so challenging after the cancellation of third party shuttles. I swore I wouldn't come back to EDC unless the transportation improved. I know you're handing off the planning to an outside company but any details you can provide on how their plan will make a real difference to the shuttle experience would be awesome. I'm also wondering if there will be reentry for campers? And how the issue of sunlight will be dealt with in the "turnkey" tents - will there be any effort to create shade or darkness in the camping areas? Thanks Pasquale! I will say that once I'm inside EDC it's definitely one of my favorite places ever and I love attending. I would love to see the logistics improve and come back year after year A: PasqualeRotella: We have confirmed the third party company we will be using for shuttles and they provide transportation for the largest live events in the world. I am excited about collaborating with them to make it the best it’s ever been. Also, great camping question! The tents we are setting up will provide protection from sunlight. There are also multiple shade areas for not only activities around the campgrounds but also at the center camp, which is called The Mesa. We’ll have more details about this when we announce camping soon!

Q: Shannonraczka: Can we get a ball park range for camping passes? Also will they be available in a payment plan as well? Lastly can we get an estimated time that they will go on sale? Thank you!! A: PasqualeRotella: It will be between $250-$275 to bring in your RV, and we’ll have hook-ups available for an additional fee. As far as campers, there will be several different packages available. It depends how many people you’re with and what packages you choose, but you’ll be able to get something between $450 to $2,500 for 4 days of camping. This will all be laid out clearly before we go on sale with camping options.

Q: RaveMeSilly: With camping being added and festival hours being extended, are there plans to change the re-entry policy? I'd love to party from 3pm to 6am, but it would be clutch to be able to hit up the campgrounds for a bit in between to relax and recoup. A: PasqualeRotella: Yes, during festival hours you can come in and out of the show as long as you have a camping wristband [additional response on the same post] We will have in's and out's at the festival for campers, but non-campers will not be able to enter the campgrounds.

Q: TheHans215: How likely would it be to get a small stage, maybe even sponsored by like 7-Up again, inside of the huge shuttle tent outside the speedway? Waiting in the early hours of the morning would be way better with some chill music to groove to. Even better, have campers host the stage like a "sound camp" type thing. Doesn't have to be crazy lights or effects, just some sound to keep peoples moods high. A: PasqualeRotella: We're capable of building that, no problem. No plans for that right now but I like the idea. Thanks for the suggestion! That said, we do not plan on having a long wait at shuttles with our new provider.

Q: ekapote: Hi Pasquale! I have a question regarding security on shuttle waiting lines. Last year a huge cause of frustration, along with long waiting times, was due to large groups of people jumping the fence dividers and cutting lines leaving the festival. Does the new company plan on upping the amount of security monitoring these lines? There was no way cops on the outskirts could see what was happening inside the tents based on the layout. My group witnessed several fights break out, and we were concerned for the safety of everyone involved. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions! Can’t wait for 2018. ✌🏼🌼🦉 A: PasqualeRotella: The answer to that question is yes. Shuttle operations are gonna be completely different next year.

Q: juanmiindset: Im a Cast Member at Disneyland and Ive seen you and Holly at the park often, how much inspiration from Disneyland goes into these festivals if any? A: PasqualeRotella: I get inspiration from so many different places. Even going all the way back to the original LA warehouse underground scene. But yes, theme parks as well!

Q: DeClann: Will the livestreaming experience be improved for 2018? Having a continuous stream for each stage would be much more appreciated than 10-20min sets from only a handful of DJ's. I can't wait to see what you have in store for EDC 2018! A: PasqualeRotella: I've gotten mixed opinions from people for what they'd like to see on this. I do appreciate your input. We're capable of doing longer sets. Maybe I should get a vote on this from fans.

Q: brandejae: You advised that EDC 2018 will be getting longer hours, new shuttle service, camping and new stage designs. Does this include the neonGARDEN as well!? We've had the "TechnoTeepee" for going on three years now and it's definitely getting a bit stale. Personally, I really enjoyed 2013/14's designs with the larger structure and feel that Insomniac could take note from Awakenings & Time Warp for their new Factory93 experience. Techno has definitely been growing in the states and I feel like we are definitely past due for some upgrades! Thank you! A: PasqualeRotella: Agree! We are working on new designs for next year's neonGARDEN.

Q: Rekari: Are there any plans to update QuantumValley stage? This year was great, but could have been better with the addition of CO2. Also it seemed like it was too small of a venue for some of the bigger acts like ATB and Gareth Emery where it was completely packed this year. A: PasqualeRotella: Yes, I'm excited to say that it’s going to be a new open-air stage.

Q: Ilovewingsnthings: Pasquale, I LOVE all the main stage designs, but can we please have more LED on the main stage? I really like Insomniac visuals, but the last 3 years they been obstructed. Kinetic Cathedral has been the perfect balance. A: PasqualeRotella: We pretty much use all the LED in the United States for EDC Las Vegas every year so that might be difficult unless you own an LED company.

Q: Redrunk: Where exactly is the camping going to be on the speedway grounds? A: PasqualeRotella: Surrounding properties outside the Speedway grounds.

Q: slombar: As a big trance and Dreamstate fan, I have to admit the QuantumValley experience just didn't compare to the old Megastructure of Circuit Grounds. Is there any plan to bring a megastructure stage back? A: PasqualeRotella: There are no plans right now, but there's the possibility of bringing the megastructure back, just not for the circuitGROUNDS. It's not big enough to accommodate the people at that stage.

Q: xxalexmxx: Pasquale will you improve premier parking for edc 2018? I spent $150 this year and left at 4am and no one in the lot could leave till 8am friday it was horrible Everyone in GA left before us. The pass was for faster in and out but we were the last ones to leave Ive had premier for 3 years in a row. 2015-2016 was better so why change it Youve also moved it into a diffrent bigger lot which makes me think its more about the money now. Edit: Can you let us know if premier parking lot will be in the new 2017 lot again or will go back to the good lot they had in 2015-2016? A: PasqualeRotella: The only way that we’ll have it as an option is if it is 110% improved.

Q: vanewho: Pasquale! The announcements you made regarding the changes to EDC have definitely lived up to the hype and shows that you are actively trying to improve things for us. I've been attending EDC for 3 years now and this past year just felt.... off. It bummed me out a little but this gives me hope that 2018 will be great again. Question #1: Are you going to continue this trend of booking artists that are not part of the EDM scene? (DJ khaled, metro boomin, etc.) Question #2: A lot of headliners complained about being ripped off by the water vendors and being denied ice in 100° weather. Are you aware of this at all? A: PasqualeRotella: Thanks for supporting us for the past three years and reaching out to me today! For your first question, we'll always experiment with things out of the box. We are a dance music festival first and foremost, but we're gonna have fun sometimes, especially in Las Vegas, California. ;) As far as the water question, I never heard this before but thanks for bringing it to my attention. I'll speak to the head of F&B at the Speedway. Good thing is the average temp in May is 64 at night. Thanks again. I'll get on this.

Q: Bertillcious21: Hey Pasquale! Just a quick question... Will shuttle prices go up with this change? When will you announce shuttle stops? Can we expect to have the same ones as last year? We want to book our hotel ASAP. A: PasqualeRotella: Not only are the prices not going up but shuttles will be immensely improved. All stops will be announced before the shuttles go on sale.

Q: kunfuz1on: Having a large quantity of DJ's at EDC is good for diversity but have you thought about lowering the amount of DJ's at the event in place of longer sets? It would be nice to see multiple DJ's play for 1.5 - 2 hours. A: PasqualeRotella: We will have artists periodically play extended set times depending on the genre or stage they are playing at.

Q: nnicot: Hi Mr. Rotella, as an 'older' festival-goer it's been amazing watching the evolution of Insomniac festivals through the years. present-day EDC especially is mind-boggling with its production quality and lineups. My mind was completely blown this year watching Valentino Khan throw down his ridiculous set while all the fireworks were going off in our faces right behind the Basspod stage! First question: after so many years of holding EDC in June, what was the final tipping point for you to move EDC to May? Second question: moving forward, how much involvement do you think you will have with the HARD brand of events, and what is your vision for the Hard brand? The recently revealed Holy Ship lineups are absolutely insane and have definitely served to calm the fears of many of the die-hard Ship fans. Thank you and my crew and I are eager to see what Insomniac brings in the future! A: PasqualeRotella: The biggest factor in our move to May was the cooler weather. It allows us to do camping, have extended hours, and the temperatures are way more comfortable for Headliners. It also takes if off of Father’s Day, which is great for me and all the other Dads. We’ve owned HARD for 4 years but haven’t operated it, with the exception of helping with HARD Summer at Glen Helen this past August. Moving forward we’ll continue with operations.

Q: IIcantstopwontstopII: Every year you manage to up the ante with production design, you see to have the perfect layout stage by stage at the speedway. Wil we ever see stages que relocated? Or since the system is already in place, will things forever stay the same? A: PasqualeRotella: We don’t have any plans to but if you think there’s a reason to, please let me know.

Q: mycleanaccount96: Why wont you release all dj sets recorded at edc? A: PasqualeRotella: We leave that up to the artists to make that decision.

Q: soondubu23: How safe is camping? Are personal items susceptible to stealing/looting while we're at the festival? A: PasqualeRotella: If you're in an RV I suggest you lock it. If you're staying in a tent, we ask that you bring your own lock as the zippers will have luggage lock holes. Security will be roaming the grounds as well. [later to the same post] You'll be able to access your vehicle if you want to lock items in there too.

Q: A_burdenless_pig: Hi Pasquale! Just wondering what the timeline for camping? What date could people check in and what is the latest they could check out? Thanks A: PasqualeRotella: Campers will definitely be able to check in on Thursday, but we're looking at the possibility of Wednesday. Checkout will be Monday around 7pm.

Q: sheriffChocolate: So my question, like so many others, is related to EDC camping. In the campground can we get above ground pools and have pool parties with DJs? Since we're so far away from the strip I feel like this would be a great way to supplement some EDC week pool parties and cool off! A: PasqualeRotella: That is being explored and likely to happen. Plus a lot more activities will happen. I'm excited about it.

Q: alpatt: Pasquale, Will EDC LV be going "cashless" and make the attendees utilize wristbands for payments in 2018 similar to other music festivals? A: PasqualeRotella: No plans for it right now but is that something you think we should do?

Q: Psirocking: Was edc ny ended over low turnout, high cost, or a bit of both? A: PasqualeRotella: The reason we no longer organize EDC New York is because we felt like we needed to find a better venue.

Q: shotnuke005: Where do you lean on the pineapple on the pizza argument? A: PasqualeRotella: All toppings are welcome here :)

Q: Ilovewingsnthings: Pasquale, I've always wondered this, what happens to the main stages after you're done using them. Where is Kinetic Cathedral for example. Scrapped for parts? I like to daydream that one day there will be an EDCLand full of all the mainstages A: PasqualeRotella: I have some artifacts in my backyard, there are some in the Insomniac warehouse, and we are looking to make an Insomniac Production Museum.

Q: cu4tro: Do you have any updates on a location for Middlelands? Lots of Texans hope it doesn't leave this state. Being from Texas and going to EDC since 2014, it was amazing to be able to RV camp at an insomniac festival so close to home. It was awesome running into you to personally thank you and welcome you back to TX since Nocturnal in Rockdale. Cant wait for RV camping at EDC! A: PasqualeRotella: We are still searching for the right venue and the plan is to definitely bring it back but not before finding the right place. Glad we crossed paths!

Q: throwaway3921218: What was the first festival you ever attended? A: PasqualeRotella: Grateful Dead show in Southern California with Mama Irene.

Q: king_of_nogainz: Mr. Rotella, my question to you is, have you ever Kandiflipped? A: PasqualeRotella: Yes but I’ve been sober for many years now

Q: wookin: Hey Pasquale, what's going on with the Mexico on sale? Do you have plans to donate to those affected by the earthquake? A: PasqualeRotella: The on sale will be October 16/17 for EDC Mexico and will raise funds for those affected by the earthquake. The same goes for EDC Orlando for those affected by the hurricane. And it doesn’t stop there. All of our major festivals support communities in need.

Q: manny-rr: Hey what is your favorite non insomniac festival and why? If it is burning man, what's your second favorite. A: PasqualeRotella: If you’re not letting me pick Burning Man, then I would say Boom Festival.

Q: aquino661: Would you ever consider throwing an edc inspired cruise? #EdcCruise A: PasqualeRotella: Yea an EDSEA has been considered many times. We will make it happen one of these days.

Q: ZerophoniK: Pasquale, do you play Fantasy Football? If so, who are your top players on your roster? A: PasqualeRotella: I don't play Fantasy Football but I do play Galaga and Donkey Kong

#words #text #ama #reddit #pasquale rotella #EDC 2018 #EDC #electric daisy carnival #insomniac events #las vegas #ravers

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druggeddraccus · 7 years

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i saw that you don't know much about the mcelroys but are interested and i can almost guarantee you will love them, they're just these three brothers who want to make each other laugh and make everyone else laugh too and they realised the best way to do that is to make sincere genuine fuckin excellent humour without ever resorting to humour that can make someone feel excluded (they learned this over several podcasts but they're now pretty damn good at it) you should 100% listen to

ask limit 2 small tocontain my love for mcelboys anyway: my brother my brother and me is a comedyadvice podcast by the three brothers and its pretty great (first 30 have someclassic bits but also some questionable ones), the adventure zone is a d&dpodcast dmed by griffin (baby brother) and the players are justin (oldestbrother), travis (middlest brother) and clint (their dad and longtime comicauthor and radio funnyguy) and it’s extremely good and has a gr8 diverse castof characters

mcelroy brothers too many words ask #3: monster factory is ayoutube series in which justin and griffin play games with character creators,try to make a weird monster and then basically rp as that character (in theones where it doesnt devolve into absurd shit that is extremely funny andentertaining), there’s also a my brother my brother and me tv show which has 6episodes and is on seeso and is very good. the brothers all have a bunch ofother podcasts too like sawbones, rose buddies, et al

sorry for the zillion asks but i love them boys and i thinkalmost everybody could benefit from their brand of inclusive, cameradericweird-ass humour OH and i forgot to mention all 3 boys (and probably their dad)are HUGE fans of patrick rothfuss bc they love kkc that’s actually how i foundout about the book. they don’t reference it often but it’s happened a number oftimes across their content

Oh my gosh!! Thank you so much. I have watched some of the Monster factor (never laughed so hard in my goddamn life) and i knew a tiny bit about the my brother podcast and now that I am nearing the end with WTNV I will def look into their podcasts.

I also had seen Travis (i think?) on a twitch stream with Pat which is what got me interested but I had no IDEA they were fans of the books!!! That is awesome!!! I’m excited to get this train rolling cuz from what ive seen already they are hilarious

#thing #mcelroy brothers #mcelroy

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0bianidalas · 7 years

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i bought a condo in zack taylor’s ass

my shitty power rangers review:

its a long coming statement but: damn, i love power rangers. i know you guys probably didnt know that bc you dont keep track of my shit-posting but even before the movie was announced i checked the in-tumblr pr fandom (mostly cause for SOME reason i re-candled my love for the seasons i watched --everything before mystic force-- on like 2013). so, when they finally confirmed there was an actual pr movie coming out i was, well, Very Supportive (tm)

then as the months progressed i started realizing how diverse the cast was but that didnt Shock me bc power rangers DOES that, but when i went to contrast this ACTUAL MOVIE with other MOVIES of the same genre i was.........in Awe. the power rangers film gained a whole new meaning for me; it wasn’t about the little kid inside me getting to see her heroes again, but it was also for the young, a little more educated in social topics, adult that i am right now.

so, yeah, power rangers HIGHLY succeeded in my expectations -- everything i hoped it to be, it was. but ANYWAYS my pointers:

my Children: starting with the Crazy momma’s boy (tm) -- Zack, oh god. So, a couple of minutes into the movie i was already like WHEEEERE IS MY BOY ZACK??? & when he was about to show up i went ‘is that za--THAT IS MY BOY RIGHT THERE!’ ppl had to shut me up, for real. I KNEW HE WAS GONNA BE MY FAVE SINCE THE DAY I READ HIS OFFICIAL BIO & UPON FINDING OUT THAT THE THING THAT MADE HIM VULNERABLE WAS HIS MOM? LIKE !! KILL ME ALREADY??? -- also ludi could Get It (tm) iykwim --- just damn, also hes bi as hell??? Wow, also would 100% die for Billy, like, Big Mood #same

MY SWEET CINNAMON ROLL MY ONE SUNSHINE PLEASE DONT TAKE MY SUNSHINE AWAY WILLIAM CRANSTON. So, as someone who has close relatives in the spectrum i was hoping they’d do a good job. RJ Cyler nailed it with billy like damn. In the OG series i liked billy just enough but this Billy???? i would ????? murder & die for him???? so m u ch????? RJ played awesome that mix between geniune confussion & humor, making billy a well-rounded character that people could love -- also the fact that they made billy the center character of the group like ur faves would literally never -- also that whole thing of Billy & his dad ??? murdered me ???? i lost my dad four years ago & im not in the spectrum but i ?? relate ??? so much ??? (like, that convo with himself acting like it was his dad?? bithc i dont want to Talk about it but i do that too bye)

trini mija -- i wish i couldve seen more of her, for some reason i feel like she even had less screen time than zack & she got that bit with rita but im like??? i need ??? More ??? of trini. it was a good portrayal of an outsider character but also it was a nice, different thing from what ive seen in previous pr shows like ??? im having a hard time remembering the last “closed-up, ‘dont wanna be friends’, then later on grows out of it” ranger like im sure there have been but rn all i can remember is the group of five people 100% down for friendship & it was nice to have a character (tho, they all were) with layers that didnt jump immidiately into being with a group of people just for ~~~reasons~~

my kiddos jason & kim -- im putting them in the same group bc i feel, essentially, equally the same about both (tho, kimberly comes first obvs but like, i still have issues, born in my childhood, with pink rangers & the fact that as the younger cousin i was always forced to be the pink one so now i dislike all pink rangers ever). how i feel about them? well, *insert image of kris jenner saying ‘youre doing amazing honey’* like they’re the most flawed characters of the five & i feel them ??? so much??? bc theyre both trying ???? & im really fighting the urge to ship them bc tommy oliver’s gonna get his/her ass here soon enough & Shit Will Get Real (also bc kim is into trini dont fight me on this) but like ??? jason & kimberly??? they’re actual ??? Parents (tm) -- also “you did an awful thing that doesn’t make you an awful person’ i wanna Die

lastly i loved Alpha 5 as i predicted i would even tho people gave him endless shit for how he looked. That damn ass cute robot where would i be without him? ay-yi-yi

rita was also Breathtaking like. THIS is a true worthy villian like she Does live up to her OG version. All really creppy & scary -- plus im really excited about her background in this bc shes now the first green ranger lady & like also, its gonna mean A Lot once tommy shows up bc damn, Zordon’s not gonna trust his ass at all

now the Wall Dad: So Bryan Cranston did a srsly good job, specially in that first bit when he was the actual red ranger, amazing. I’m still kinda :/ about the fact that he, too, was flawed & not completely perfect as the OG version -- like all his harsh talk & giving them shit when they couldnt morph just bc he wanted to come back & shit like that......yeah i was :/ but Hey, still great tho (i mean, he did gave up coming back to save billy so ofc i love dad!wall zordon)

it might be the hype or the fact that im hella biased just bc i want this franchise to do well but i really cant remember what stuff i didnt like about this movie ?? like ???? they did nearly everything???? i wanted ????

go watch power rangers 2017, dir. Dean Israelite

#goooooooooooooo #power rangers spoilers

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recentanimenews · 7 years

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FEATURE: Crunchyroll Favorites 2016, Part Two: Video Games!

From returning classics to the Wii U breathing its last (well, last-ish) to a multiplayer-only shooter absolutely taking over everyone's lives, 2016 was a wild year for video games. Continuing from yesterday's feature, Part Two features CR's staff and contributing writers sharing their favorite gaming experiences of 2016--let's get started!

NATE MING (@NateMing)

Overwatch- Not only is Overwatch a fast, bright, and fun multiplayer shooter, but it's made people who otherwise wouldn't play shooters into fans on its style alone. Playing out like an action-packed Saturday morning cartoon, Overwatch's wonderfully diverse and larger-than-life cast has inspired people who don't even play the game, making it go beyond its already-considerable reach as "just" a game.

Dark Souls III- For me, Dark Souls is the game series that best represents life itself: nothing is easy, everything can come crashing down with one bad decision, but every victory is absolutely worth all the pain. Dark Souls III was like coming back home, only home wants to tear you apart and leave nothing left. Every gorgeous new area, every fearsome new enemy, every horrifying discovery--Dark Souls III is a hell of a ride.

Street Fighter V- Yeah yeah, no Arcade Mode, I get it. For the people who wanted to step into the arena and see what they were made of (I'm not made of much, by the way), Street Fighter V dialed back the execution-heavy insanity of Street Fighter IV, making the game more accessible to a new audience by making it about matchups and playing the person instead of worrying how tight your quarter-circles were. For all its missteps on the single-player front, SFV made Street Fighter honest again.

DOOM- In the years since Modern Warfare, it felt like shooters had become too clinical--headshot jousting and drop-shotting had taken away the thing that initially drew me to first-person gameplay decades ago: their rough, literally-in-your-face nature. DOOM drops all pretense with its mandate: RIP AND TEAR. Each fight leaves you nowhere to hide and no time to catch your breath, expecting finesse, knowledge of your terrain, using the right tool for the job, and pure killing efficiency.

Titanfall 2- Almost on the other side of the coin, Titanfall 2 demands a sense of fluidity and keeping an almost constant state of three-dimensional movement--you're never fighting on a straight line, and it's not about who makes the first move, but who survives the last. Add in the sheer fun of large-scale Titan clashes and you already have a near-perfect game--the excellent Iron Giant and Big Hero 6-like single-player campaign is just icing on the cake.

Hitman- My favorite stealth series returns to its roots, going episodic and giving you huge playgrounds to stalk. The variety of levels leaves you with plenty of options on how to approach targets, and are already designed so well that Agent 47's base kit is all you really need to take them out. I was worried about the series after Absolution--consider Hitman's sins absolved.

Mother Russia Bleeds- Peter and I played through this whole game on stream, and it was one of the best co-op experiences I've had in a long while. Mother Russia Bleeds is rough, difficult, and downright nasty, and it never, ever lets up on you--this is the kind of gaming experience I live for. A twisted sense of humor and a thumping soundtrack only add to one of the year's coolest, meanest games.

Gears of War 4- I still hold to the belief that Gears of War 3 is a damn-near-perfect shooter, and while the latest game stumbles in some areas, it's still a total blast. A lighter tone, faster gunplay, and some insane setpieces make this feel more like a cover-based Contra, and I couldn't be happier. Even my favorite co-op game type--Horde Mode--gets a major overhaul that really brings teams together.

That Dragon, Cancer- Media doesn't always have to be fun. If there are sad movies, there certainly can be sad games, and going on this interactive journey of a father's loss is one of the most difficult things I've ever had to willingly go through. Watching Joel--just a boy--steadily grow weaker, and feeling the hopelessness and despair of his parents, and finally coming to terms with it all, is a gaming experience unlike any other for me, and it was 100% worth it.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero- WayForward's adorable hair-whipping, transforming, belly-dancing genie came back with another fast-paced, this time much-more-risque adventure. Probably the most tastefully horny platformer I've yet played, Half-Genie Hero had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in addition to its high-energy platforming and Metroid-like backtracking.

JOSEPH LUSTER (@Moldilox)

Final Fantasy XV- I can't think of another recent game that had me so skeptical prior to its release, only to have it thoroughly entertain me and kill pretty much all the time I had left. FFXV isn't just a great Final Fantasy game, it's a fantastic role-playing game that really puts an emphasis on the role-playing. From the moment Noctis and his hott boiz put gas in the tank I refused to fast travel, and I couldn't be happier with the results.

7th Dragon III Code: VFD- If you told me I'd be including THIS on my list of top games of 2016 I'd probably have to stop and ask you what the hell 7th Dragon is. The latest installment of Sega's series launched in Japan in 2015, but didn't make its way to the west until summer of 2016. While we covered it on Crunchyroll News quite a bit leading up to its release, I never thought I'd actually bother playing it. Turns out I would have missed out on one of the most low-key enjoyable dungeon-crawlers of the year. Do yourself a favor and fire this one up on your 3DS once you're done clearing that nasty backlog.

The Last Guardian- I don't know what to tell you if you didn't expect a Fumito Ueda game to feature a hard-to-control boy and a stubborn NPC. Time will tell how The Last Guardian measures up against Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, but I was thoroughly moved throughout the 8 to 10 hours I spent with Trico. Sure, the cat-bird beast in question will occasionally have you screaming at the screen, but no one builds worlds and develops molasses-thick atmosphere quite like Ueda and co.

BRITTANY VINCENT (@MolotovCupcake)

Final Fantasy XV- As a lifelong Final Fantasy fan I wasn’t entirely sure I would love this entry, but I came away so appreciative of the new battle system, the “road trip” narrative, and the characters themselves. I greedily lapped up the expansion media like Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and everything that went with it because I just couldn’t get enough of this world. From Cindy to Noctis to the familiar Final Fantasy mainstays peppered throughout, I lost count of everything that made me smile throughout my journey through Eos. I can’t wait to see what the future of Final Fantasy holds.

World of Final Fantasy- If Final Fantasy XV was all about delivering the most polished narrative it could with all the fixings, World of Final Fantasy was a massive love letter in the vein of Pokemon that combined the best of both worlds. Hardcore fans could appreciate the nuances and cameos of games prior, and newcomers were able to bask in the hilarious writing and heartfelt story. It’s a world I would happily live in, especially when you get to frolic with so many heart-rendingly-cute characters so much of the time.

Amplitude- The fact that one of my favorite entries in the PlayStation 2’s library was given new life shook me to its core. I’m still annoyed I can’t purchase the banging’ soundtrack, but Harmonix’s updated Amplitude was rebooted with a story, ridiculously awesome new tunes, and graphics that really punched up the synaesthesia factor. It’s like I never stopped playing the original game and just saw the difficulty ramp up a little.

PETER FOBIAN (@PeterFobian)

The Witcher III: Heart of Stone and Blood and Wine- Irrefutably the best game to come out of 2015, The Witcher III is returning to my list to also take the top spot for 2016. CD Projekt RED has released two major story expansions, Heart of Stone and Blood and Wine which over double the length of the game while providing access to huge new locations with all the narrative depth and density of Novigrad. These two expansions are everything that DLC could and should have been, actual enhancements to a game that provide content above and beyond getting what we paid for on the original pricetag.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End- This game felt like a movie, packed with small moments like novel mishaps and character interactions that were both humorous and organically contributed to the narrative. The action sequences were tremendous, from some immensely dynamic car chases to absolutely insane escapes from crumbling structures. The world is beautiful and composed of diverse environments possessing fine detail and impressive verticality. Then there’s Nadine fights, which felt like a battle simply to survive rather than defeat a boss.

Hitman- Releasing Hitman as an episodic title turned out to be a perfect formula for a title that is composed of a series of sandboxes missions encouraging an individualized approach. Each new area had a strong concept and an orchestrated feeling that really communicated that Square had been able to unhurriedly direct their entire attention toward its development. For the fans this meant either buying a season pass or buying the levels piecemeal. The episodic metaplot and special events like hunting down Gary Busey or the bandits from Home Alone are just icing on the cake.

Dark Souls III- The twisted takes on the environments from the original Dark Souls were a really satisfying return to the series origin (not counting Demon Souls and earlier titles). I don’t know if there is a way to really perfect Dark Souls gameplay, but Dark Souls 3 managed to introduce even more variety while keeping that immensely simple and streamlined feel. The NPC storylines were maybe my favorite part of the title and the best they’ve ever been, the quests with Irina of Carim and Anri of Astora will probably be how I remember the franchise for the rest of my life.

Titanfall 2- The three-dimensional movement is so clean and intuitive it makes me feel like I was born to fly. The inclusion of titans as stand-in for killstreak rewards is one of the best ideas in modern competitive FPS, giving you a powerful tool that can still be defeated with good counterplay. It didn’t need it, but man did they create an awesome single player campaign with some epic environments and boss fights that give the setting some new dimension.

The Last Guardian- I’m a bit torn about this one. I found the emotional narrative of The Last Guardian to be an immensely satisfying experience, elaborating upon the player's relationship with Agro in Shadow of the Colossus while raising the stakes by portraying both partners as adolescents. My only major problem is the game just didn’t feel connected to the rest of the continuity the way SotC did, even if the ending was a nice moment as a standalone. For all that, the game probably got me more involved that many other titles I’ve played this year.

INSIDE- Perfectly walking the line between forcing you to remain intellectually engaged to figure out puzzles without ever feeling lost by their difficulty, each delivering that “aha!” moment without the accompanying frustration. It has a bunch of novel ideas and manages to find a few different ways of using each of them so the game’s mechanics never feel stale. I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt as uncomfortable playing a game as maybe the last 20 minutes of INSIDE and it was great. Still not sure what the hell is going on in that world, but it was definitely an experience.

Mother Russia Bleeds- Using a side-scrolling Streets of Rage style in lieu of Hotline Miami’s top-down perspective, Mother Russia Bleeds has all the dark themes and brutality of its spiritual predecessor. This game is bad acid trip turned multiple homicide with an amazing soundtrack. A highly refined brawler with some boss fights that are memorable both for their difficulty and because of how absolutely gruesome they all are. Also, in keeping with with Hotline Miami traditions, the soundtrack is worthy of its own vinyl.

Hyper Light Drifter- No game has succeeded in making me feel as profoundly alone as I did playing through Hyper Light Drifter. The haunting synth soundtrack, unspeaking protagonist, and unique visuals all work in concert to create this intensely pure emotional experience. The overall world structure and gameplay had the feel and sense of discovery as A Link to the Past, running with a lean number of highly flexible gameplay options.

Furi- This game came out of nowhere for me and I’m happy to have happened upon it. It does what I most love about indies by taking a good component found in many AAA titles and condensing it down into its purest form. Furi is a series of intense duels against the residents of a floating prison that looks and feels like it was created by Moebius. The game taps into multiple genres to accommodate some insane forms of combat and just feels like a pure experience.

KARA DENNISON (@RubyCosmos)

Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice- I started playing the Ace Attorney series during a long hospital stay many years ago, and I was hooked immediately. I didn't think anything would wow me as much as Dual Destinies did, but Spirit of Justice is really something special, in terms of both plotting and art. The sprites are gorgeous... like sinfully so. And it's getting increasingly cinematic, with the case formats bending to the plot. Also, if you play it and want some serious nostalgia, do yourself a favor and buy the DLC case.

Five Night's at Freddy's: Sister Location- Prior to 2016 I was terrified of anything FNaF because I am a jumpscare loser. But thanks to let's plays, brave friends, and far lower anxiety than previous years, I've been able to engage with the franchise. Considering I'm a sucker for childhood nightmare fuel, the games are already tailor made for me. And this in particular -- a new spin on the old formula -- was fascinating. The lore has my head spinning and I need to know more.

World of Warcraft: Legion- WoW expansions are getting a bit like Star Trek movies, aren't they? Where they alternate good and bad? I was interested enough in Warlords of Draenor, but it didn't quite ping all the buttons I thought it would. Then along comes Legion, with demon hunters and artifact weapons and class halls. The storytelling is becoming progressively more cinematic, the DH's are SO fun for a tank like me, and everything is just looking cooler and cooler. I'm a loner on MMOs, and this got me caring so much about endgame that I did a dungeon with a bunch of strangers just because I was that invested in the plot.

EVAN MINTO (@VamptVo)

Overwatch- I tried the Overwatch demo on a whim, and fell in love pretty quickly. I’m very bad at it (as is the case for most games), but what makes it such a rewarding experience is the wealth of play styles it presents, from a twitchy traditional FPS character to a melee-centric tank to a passive healer. On top of the fun of playing these mechanics against each other in team-based match-ups, Overwatch also has a giddy, cartoonish visual style and a diverse cast of vibrant, memorable characters representing all sorts of countries, body types, and yes, sexual orientations. I’ll be playing this one for years to come, along with the rest of the world.

1979 Revolution: Black Friday- The Iranian Revolution is a relatively recent historical event, but its implications for the Middle East and the world were massive. I’m surprised it took so long to get a video game about it! 1979 Revolution uses the mechanics and even the visual style of Telltale’s critically acclaimed adventure games to tell the story of a photojournalist caught between a brewing revolution and his own loyalist family. The game is full of documents and historical notes to read, but its elegance lies in its ability to showcase political ideologies through moments that feel like urgent personal struggles rather than distant historical details.

Oxenfree- Ever since I first played the Telltale Walking Dead series, I’ve been on the hunt for great story-based adventure games. Oxenfree doesn’t just copy Telltale, though. Instead, it’s a side-scrolling adventure game with some platforming and puzzle elements, centered around a group of teenagers who find themselves trapped on a haunted island. The navigation and puzzle-solving is dead simple, but genuinely funny, likable characters, timed dialogue choices with real impact, and an atmospheric, occasionally psychedelic visual style more than make up for it.

Firewatch- Probably the greatest video game about walking around in a Wyoming national park ever made, Firewatch is a fantastic example of indie games’ potential to create really unique experiences. You play as a fire lookout, communicating via radio with your boss in a far-off tower via timed dialogue choices, but Firewatch isn’t really about changing things via your choices as much as it’s about spending an extended period of time with a character and a location. And boy oh boy, is that location beautiful! The devs at Campo Santo create a world that feels alive, with dying sunlight playing across painterly mountain backdrops and trees that disappear day by day as a wildfire burns across the forest. And then there’s the story itself, which uses the lonely environment to present a sinister mystery. “Walking simulators” ain’t so bad after all.

Fire Emblem: Fates- I absolutely loved Fire Emblem: Awakening, but I still haven’t even finished my first run through Fates (Birthright). Still, it has a lot of the elements I loved about Awakening: a cast of likable warriors, simple RTS mechanics that get more complex with time, and web of statistics and relationships to manage both on and off the battlefield. Birthright’s somewhat boring level design knocked this one a couple places down my list, so maybe one day I’ll finish and move on to Conquest!

SAM WOLFE (@_Samtaro)

A lot of great games hit the scene in 2016. We saw the releases of long awaited games like Final Fantasy XV and The Last Guardian, as well as the release of breakout hits like Overwatch. I, however, didn’t play any of these games because Hearthstone released three expansions this year, and unfortunately for you, Nate has given me a platform to gush about them on.

Whispers of the Old Gods (Hearthstone Expansion)- Whispers of the Old Gods was the first set released in Hearthstone’s “Year of the Kraken,” where the standard format got its foundation. As the mechanized minions of Goblins vs. Gnomes were swept into the wild, corrupted versions of our favorite minions took center stage, and with them, their ancient Old God masters. One of the best promotions for this set was that everyone who logged in received C’thun, an iconic creature from Warcraft lore, for free. This was a great move, as it gave beginners a powerful creature with a fun mechanic right from the start.

One Night in Karazhan (Hearthstone Expansion)- Things took a turn for the funky with the release of One Night in Karazhan, the fourth Hearthstone adventure. Set in a reimagined 70’s version of the magus Medivh’s tower, the set brought balance to the game with several new cards, all served in a stylish disco package, and introduced some very creative creatures (a silverware golem? That’s hilarious!). A special shout out should go to Prince Malchezaar, a card that shuffles 5 random legendary cards into your deck, allowing new players to try out some powerful cards that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

The Mean Streets of Gadgetzan (Hearthstone Expansion)- The most recent expansion, The Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, took us to the Goblin city on the coast of the same name, where three factions are fighting for control: the Grimy Goons, The Jade Lotus, and The Kabal. With each faction having a unique mechanic, as well as introducing multi-class cards, the meta was once again turned on its head, and two months out people are still waiting for the dust to settle. While every faction has something to offer, I have to put my lot in with the Kabal; Raza the Chained is one of the craziest cards I’ve seen, and he gets along great with our old friend Reno Jackson.

NICK CREAMER (@B0bduh)

Overwatch- This game loomed large for me this year--in fact, I’m pretty sure I played more hours of Overwatch than all my others put together. I’ve always been a fan of asymmetrical cooperative/competitive games, with Left 4 Dead standing as one of my all-time favorites, and Overwatch’s diverse gallery of heroes has made for an endlessly entertaining experience. From its attractive aesthetic to its competition-ready depth, Overwatch offers a steady curve of delights as you slowly gain familiarity with its intricate working parts. Here’s to finally hitting diamond in season three…

DOOM- I’m honestly not that big of a shooter fan, at least relative to other genres - if I were doing this list last year, I’d be gushing about Undertale. But the shooters were good this year, and so I gotta hand it to DOOM. This year’s rebirth of the franchise embraced and elevated everything that made the originals fun, bringing back not just the monsters and weapons, but the gameplay feel of constant movement, intimate encounters, and steady mastery of each level’s winding maze. DOOM wasn’t beloved just because it got there first, and this year’s remodel demonstrated there’s still a lot to love in the game’s classic formula.

The Witness- After a year as tumultuous as this, it was almost hard to believe that The Witness actually came out this year. But yes, The Witness finally arrived, and yes, it was wonderful. Jonathan Blow characterized his work on The Witness as attempting to capture and iterate on that elusive “a-ha” moment of personal revelation and discovery. While I wouldn’t say every segment of the game succeeded, the overall product was a consistently rewarding and just fundamentally beautiful getaway, a spiritual successor to Myst that tempered its fiendishly difficult puzzles with a consistently inviting atmosphere.

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And that's a wrap for Part Two of our three-part series! Be sure to check out Part One if you missed it, and tune in at the same time tomorrow for PART THREE: EVERYTHING ELSE, featuring movies, music, food, and more! And if you're still in the mood for past CR Favorites, check out the previous years' features here:

Crunchyroll Favorites 2015 Part One Part Two Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2014 Part One Part Two Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2013 Part One Part Two Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2012 Part One Part Two Part Three

Crunchyroll News' Best of 2011 Part One Part Two

What were your favorite video games of 2016? Remember, this is a FAVORITES list, not a BEST OF list, so there's no wrong answers--sound off in the comments and share your favorites with us!

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Nate Ming is the Features and Reviews Editor for Crunchyroll News, creator of the long-running Fanart Friday column, and the Customer Support Lead for Crunchyroll. You can follow him on Twitter at @NateMing.

By: [email protected]

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