My wife and I are rarely in the car together on Fridays, but when we are I like to play the cold open without hearing it first. As today's ended I looked at her and said, "We give these guys five bucks a month."
I want to talk about the Riven Prima Strategy Guide, which I still have on my bookshelf.
The first half of this book was an in-character journal by the main character, which provided hints and some direct solutions to puzzles but did it in a narrative way that allowed you to feel like you were going on a journey alongside someone else. I was obsessed with this book and read it many times just for fun. I was so excited to pull it out and use it again for the remake, only to realize they had changed some puzzles to the point where the guide was mostly unhelpful for solving puzzles now.
I want to echo Chris' love for EA College Sports 25, as a former member of the CU Marching Band (11-14) it's been great to see my stadium, hear the band cheers, and also do what CU hasn't done except like 1 one time many years ago (win games)
While I may never play 1000xResist, I can at least join Plante on this journey
Thanks for answering my question! As Justin is a woodworker, if he hasn't yet, I'd recommend checking out some wood filament. It can be sanded and stained (I printed and stained a wood filament Bulbasaur planter that looks amazing). It wouldn't be great for making anything that had to hold any significant weight, but could perhaps be useful for adding details to other wood work. I have also printed BRIO train tracks; depending on the filament and size of the track, Griffin's guess of $.06 per track is probably pretty close. I've been in the hobby since its inception, so if any Bestie ever wants some one-on-one troubleshooting help, you can certainly contact me. Thanks again for answering my question!
I am SO excited to hear yall talk about Riven! It was one of the three CDROM games I was allowed to play on the family computer, so I played it over and over and over. PS Russ?? There definitely were some dot matrix .txt file guides that I found and definitely destroyed my parents computer with.
I still dream of the gorgeous jungle environments of Riven, I used to wish it was a real place I could visit.
Thanks for the recommendation of “The Boyfriend”. My wife and I just watched the trailer and it looks to be very much _our shit_. We loved watching Terrace House together and were super sad it ended (although completely understandable given what happened). Looking forward to watching the Boyfriend this weekend!
Hey, thanks for answering my comment! For the record, I did listen to the Resties episode on Selaco, but I vaguely remember someone saying it would be a game that would be in the GOTY discussion, so I figured it would be back in the best of the year so far episode.
have any of you played moonstone island? its sold as a mix of pokemon and stardew valley but imo its not really either - its more an exploration/deck builder with farming/decorating/dating sim elements, and its a lot of fun!
I think I am in that in that small niche of weirdos who will not be getting the new NCAA football game but would love to hear Plante talk about it critically 🤓
I always thought that the game was much more critical of individuals making claims of moral authority, and the lengths to which individuals will go under the guise of that authority in the name of their righteous cause, rather than upholding or criticizing any particular ideology. A cursory stroll through a history book will quickly dissuade a person from believing the idea that holding any particular set of political beliefs or laying claim to any particular identity protects one from falling prey to "the ends justifies the means"-type thinking. That was always my takeaway from the game, anyway. YMMV.
That, uh...said, is anyone playing Trails Through Daybreak? This was a series I was completely ignorant of, the algo fed me a random review of it, and I've been playing the shit out of it on Switch. The dialogue is really top-notch to me.
Thank you for covering Riven! I'm glad you mentioned the art design as a high point. I found a making of video about Riven on YouTube recently (link below) that's mentions that one person working on the project was Richard Vander Wende. He had worked for Disney and ILM on movies like Aladdin, Willow, Innerspace, and Howard The Duck. He ended up playing a big part not only in the art design of Riven, but in the writing and gameplay. Based on the documentary, it seems like his involvement ended up having a really positive effect on the game as a whole, and I think it may be a big part of why Riven still stands out as the arguable highest point in Cyan's history, in the puzzle genre, and in environmental storytelling in general.
Sorry that Griffin's first experience with the remake was on the Quest 3. 😅 Definitely check it out on PC. Oh, and fun fact for Justin since I know how passionate he is about Disney parks: apparently Disney imagineers once approached Cyan about making a Myst-themed section at Disney World on the now abandoned Discovery Island. Crazy to recognize that Myst was such a massive success that something like that was actually considered. Hopefully this Riven remake is an opportunity to introduce a new generation to the series.
This season of Who Shat on the Floor at my Wedding Presents: The Case of the Tiny Suitcase has been enjoyable. They are determined to actually solve the crime this time! The expert consultants take more hands-on roles including the forensic psychologist flying in and pretending to be a relative to covertly interrogate suspects. Sorry to disappoint people but the suitcase is in fact a normal size, but they already titled the season so they keep saying Tiny Suitcase
I had the same thought - it's because the game Justin was talking about was Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. Not the very cute looking game about a little dude with a grappling hook!
Russ please please please try out some of the other metroidvanias that have come out in the past few years. Yes, Animal Well and Prince of Persia are fun, but this year alone there's also been Ultros, Biomorph, Tales of Kenzera, Noreya, Gestalt Steam & Cinder, and Bo Path of the Teal Lotus. Not to mention my favorite hollow-knight-likes that I still haven't heard you talk about, Haiku the Robot and Lone Fungus.
My wife and I are rarely in the car together on Fridays, but when we are I like to play the cold open without hearing it first. As today's ended I looked at her and said, "We give these guys five bucks a month."
Just a note for people confused about the Flinkhook link, the game they talked about was Flinklock https://store.steampowered.com/app/1832040/Flintlock_The_Siege_of_Dawn/ Totally understandable mistake!
Thank you! Flinkhook kinda looks fun haha
I want to talk about the Riven Prima Strategy Guide, which I still have on my bookshelf.
The first half of this book was an in-character journal by the main character, which provided hints and some direct solutions to puzzles but did it in a narrative way that allowed you to feel like you were going on a journey alongside someone else. I was obsessed with this book and read it many times just for fun. I was so excited to pull it out and use it again for the remake, only to realize they had changed some puzzles to the point where the guide was mostly unhelpful for solving puzzles now.
The second half was a straightforward bulleted list of things to do to beat the game, which was fine, but I've never come across another strategy guide as cool and interesting as the Riven one was. I found a scanned copy online here if anyone wants to check it out: https://www.allthingsuru.com/AllThingsUru/pdf/Riven%20The%20Sequel%20to%20Myst%20Prima%20Official%20eGuide.pdf
I remember wanting this guide but my parents refused to buy a “book about a video game”
That is incredibly cool! This kind of dedication to the setting is a big part of why the series is still special to me.
Yooo thanks for the shout out at the end! :) such a fun surprise!
I want to echo Chris' love for EA College Sports 25, as a former member of the CU Marching Band (11-14) it's been great to see my stadium, hear the band cheers, and also do what CU hasn't done except like 1 one time many years ago (win games)
While I may never play 1000xResist, I can at least join Plante on this journey
Thanks for answering my question! As Justin is a woodworker, if he hasn't yet, I'd recommend checking out some wood filament. It can be sanded and stained (I printed and stained a wood filament Bulbasaur planter that looks amazing). It wouldn't be great for making anything that had to hold any significant weight, but could perhaps be useful for adding details to other wood work. I have also printed BRIO train tracks; depending on the filament and size of the track, Griffin's guess of $.06 per track is probably pretty close. I've been in the hobby since its inception, so if any Bestie ever wants some one-on-one troubleshooting help, you can certainly contact me. Thanks again for answering my question!
I am SO excited to hear yall talk about Riven! It was one of the three CDROM games I was allowed to play on the family computer, so I played it over and over and over. PS Russ?? There definitely were some dot matrix .txt file guides that I found and definitely destroyed my parents computer with.
I still dream of the gorgeous jungle environments of Riven, I used to wish it was a real place I could visit.
Oh and changing out FIVE(!!) CDs during thr game made you feel like a “real gamer” who was deeply into very serious gaming
Thanks for the recommendation of “The Boyfriend”. My wife and I just watched the trailer and it looks to be very much _our shit_. We loved watching Terrace House together and were super sad it ended (although completely understandable given what happened). Looking forward to watching the Boyfriend this weekend!
Hey, thanks for answering my comment! For the record, I did listen to the Resties episode on Selaco, but I vaguely remember someone saying it would be a game that would be in the GOTY discussion, so I figured it would be back in the best of the year so far episode.
Ohhhh yes, good point! I’ll see if I can get more of the besties folks to give it a try so we can discuss later this year!
Plante
have any of you played moonstone island? its sold as a mix of pokemon and stardew valley but imo its not really either - its more an exploration/deck builder with farming/decorating/dating sim elements, and its a lot of fun!
I think I am in that in that small niche of weirdos who will not be getting the new NCAA football game but would love to hear Plante talk about it critically 🤓
"Was BioShock Infinite good?"
I'll answer that: Yes.
I always thought that the game was much more critical of individuals making claims of moral authority, and the lengths to which individuals will go under the guise of that authority in the name of their righteous cause, rather than upholding or criticizing any particular ideology. A cursory stroll through a history book will quickly dissuade a person from believing the idea that holding any particular set of political beliefs or laying claim to any particular identity protects one from falling prey to "the ends justifies the means"-type thinking. That was always my takeaway from the game, anyway. YMMV.
That, uh...said, is anyone playing Trails Through Daybreak? This was a series I was completely ignorant of, the algo fed me a random review of it, and I've been playing the shit out of it on Switch. The dialogue is really top-notch to me.
Thank you for covering Riven! I'm glad you mentioned the art design as a high point. I found a making of video about Riven on YouTube recently (link below) that's mentions that one person working on the project was Richard Vander Wende. He had worked for Disney and ILM on movies like Aladdin, Willow, Innerspace, and Howard The Duck. He ended up playing a big part not only in the art design of Riven, but in the writing and gameplay. Based on the documentary, it seems like his involvement ended up having a really positive effect on the game as a whole, and I think it may be a big part of why Riven still stands out as the arguable highest point in Cyan's history, in the puzzle genre, and in environmental storytelling in general.
Sorry that Griffin's first experience with the remake was on the Quest 3. 😅 Definitely check it out on PC. Oh, and fun fact for Justin since I know how passionate he is about Disney parks: apparently Disney imagineers once approached Cyan about making a Myst-themed section at Disney World on the now abandoned Discovery Island. Crazy to recognize that Myst was such a massive success that something like that was actually considered. Hopefully this Riven remake is an opportunity to introduce a new generation to the series.
Riven documentary:
https://youtu.be/JumtB_YY2I4?si=fXemHDL8Xqd4MkBW
Myst Island article:
https://www.slashfilm.com/546500/myst-theme-park/
This season of Who Shat on the Floor at my Wedding Presents: The Case of the Tiny Suitcase has been enjoyable. They are determined to actually solve the crime this time! The expert consultants take more hands-on roles including the forensic psychologist flying in and pretending to be a relative to covertly interrogate suspects. Sorry to disappoint people but the suitcase is in fact a normal size, but they already titled the season so they keep saying Tiny Suitcase
Is the link to Flinthook correct? It looks like it goes to the Steam page for a different game.
I had the same thought - it's because the game Justin was talking about was Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. Not the very cute looking game about a little dude with a grappling hook!
The game they talked about was Flintlock https://store.steampowered.com/app/1832040/Flintlock_The_Siege_of_Dawn/
Fixed! Sorry yall!
Russ please please please try out some of the other metroidvanias that have come out in the past few years. Yes, Animal Well and Prince of Persia are fun, but this year alone there's also been Ultros, Biomorph, Tales of Kenzera, Noreya, Gestalt Steam & Cinder, and Bo Path of the Teal Lotus. Not to mention my favorite hollow-knight-likes that I still haven't heard you talk about, Haiku the Robot and Lone Fungus.