But, to me, what is as ridiculous as the tone is the omnipresent dogma - a part of nearly all of the reviews, and the guiding force for the Top 30 list - about what constitutes the good videogame, with every bit of hyperbolic condemnation and congratulation pining for, essentially, an action-oriented product with minimal or nonexistent HUD and no cutscenes. At the time, even, I recognized it as unlike the way I wanted to write such, however, was the ABDN brand, and it was encouraging to receive the support from an engaged readership who swore by the attitude. When I read my reviews today, I wince and feel embarrassment because the tone is so obviously forced, so ultra-affected. Here was that admired trait of Old Man Murray: a culture of (mostly) young men whose communicative dynamics prized sarcasm, misogyny, bullying, and snobbery. Users occasionally came out of the woodwork of lurking to say nothing more than that they were too intimidated to wax about videogames in the presence of others so powerful and witty with their words. The IC forum really did function as a kind of cult. Let me also explain that my use of the term “cult of personality” is not used for approximate convenience. ![]() This was during the height of my interest in the Castlevania series, and these essays struck me for their unusual focus on the titles’ aesthetic qualities and, secondly, their determination to illustrate a creative narrative (again, there’s that aspect of New Games Journalism - this hypothetical window into the developmental activities hidden from view, even if the window is built of fiction and/or speculation). ![]() Let me jump back even further to explain that my involvement with any of this began when I joined the IC forums after discovering, somehow, a couple of reviews for Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow by Aderack.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |