raycevick

Status Report on Metro Exodus... Years Later

Hello everybody! Hope you're doing well.

This weekend's the end of October, and it's been too long since I gave an update on current projects. It's known that I'm working on Metro Exodus... Years Later, and it's been challenging to say the least. The last two months has been spent working, but not always resulting in progress.

I knew what my thoughts on the game were, I just couldn't focus the script, felt like a total mess with every attempt. The last few days though has seen mor...

Carmack

There's a pretty common response I see whenever discussing the importance of supporting game's preservation, or really just, tech preservation in-general. It's something to the effect of...

"You delete Youtube videos though. Why should companies keep things they don't care about when you don't."

Because I'm not selling products. I'm not a multi-million dollar company. And I made not one penny off of the free content I did delete remove 10+ years after the fact, not three....

Q&A: October 26th, 2021

DaCody Asks
Since you mentioned liking Tea; What are some of your favorite types of tea?

Bengal Spice is a common go to, just because you can buy big boxes of it here, but there's nothing better than a good cup of licorice spice. Goddamn, I could really go for some of that right now...

Juhana Asks
Coffee black or do you put something in it? Same for tea

I'm a double/double basic bitch, Tea I often just leave as is tho...

Raycevick's Recommendations: Post Human: Survival Horror EP by Bring Me The Horizon

Those following me on Twitter probably saw this coming a mile away, but here's the album I've been blasting non-stop for the past couple weeks. Before listening to this EP, the only Bring Me The Horizon song I knew was Nihilist Blues, an electronic and cinematic banger, sounding like Nine Inch Nails meets M83, absolutely superb.

Post Human doesn't sound like that at all... and I adore it.

Mick Gordon assisted in this EP's production, and you can recognize it within 10 seconds of t...

Fallout

Y'all know me. I don't really care what other people think about video-games. Whatever I like could be rated at 10 on Metacritic, and I'd still dump hours into it, because not only should other people's opinions dictate your own, people are generally pretty unreliable critics. What was once considered a bad film can be considered good because circumstances that have nothing to do with the film itself.

So whenever I see a video-game being endlessly praised or endlessly shat on, I'm alway...

Q&A: October 20th, 2021

Juhana Asks
The fuck did I do to deserve your rudeness?

Everything.

Jake Malone Asks
Do you think the combat system in the original Kotor games can still work, or would you rather see them come up with a new combat system for the Remake?

I'm someone that thinks the original KOTOR games didn't have a combat system that worked by the standards of the time, so I'm definitely somebody that believes in completely overwriti...

Raycevick's Recommendations: Hotwheels Unleashed

There's always at least one pleasant surprised a year for video-games, and that one for me is Hotwheels Unleashed, a game made by a studio whose work I've never really appreciated nor hated, but just felt completely apathetic too...

And while the company's ineptitude does appear in some quite baffling minor ways, the core of Hotwheels Unleashed is addicting and surprisingly unique. Mainly just in how its the only current Racing Game that truly conveys TOYS rath...

Difficulty

So I've been playing a lot of Beat Saber lately. It's become a morning routine before hitting the showers. Cereal, Beat Saber, Shower, Breakfast, and man, was I rusty when starting it back up. I was never great at the game, but I could play a solid chunk of songs on Expert without a hassle… definitely not on the first day returning. I struggled to complete a minute of songs that were barely two min...

Q&A: October 13th, 2021

Juhana Linnavirta Asks
Why do you have to be so rude? Rude.

You deserve it.

Odd Commercial Asks
You mentioned in the previous QA that they should get rid of Dishonored's morality system. so what do you think about "Deathloop" offering 0 consequences to your assassinations?

I've not played Deathloop yet, though I'm really looking forward to it as I loved Prey. On paper though, I'm glad to hear there's no consequences f...

Raycevick's Recommendations: Excess by HEALTH (Single)

I've always wanted more bands, directors, and developers, to all work from the same material to showcase how much creative can interrupt the "same" thing.

Noiserock group HEALTH have collaborated with synthwave extraordinaire Perturbator before, but in this case, it's the former doing a cover of the latter's song, and the end results' as sexy as you'd expect.

Several other groups have done their version of Perturbator's Excess, many are positively excellent, but HEALTH's atmospher...

Intent

Halo Infinite, a game that I've finally played and… are slightly underwhelmed by. Not that I was going into it with any particular hype, ever since MCC, I temper my expectations not just for Halo but video-games in-general. Not buying into hype cycles just makes you more likely to be pleasantly surprised.

However, I enjoyed both Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians, granted, not the latter single-pla...

Q&A: October 6th, 2021

Juhana Linnavirta Asks
How do you not know your handicap?

Because handicap's for losers who care about keeping track about how crap they are.

Kizza Lee Asks
When and what started your love of cars? (FnF, Top Gear, Gran Turismo, NFS, etc...)   Also, any thoughts on upcoming Forza Horizon 5?

No idea, that's a moment far beyond my memory goes. All I know is my Dad liked cars and eventually bought a Playstation ...

Raycevick's Recommendations: Origin of Symmetry (XX Anniversary RemiXX) by Muse

I'm not the biggest Muse fan on the planet. Not that I don't love a lot of their songs, but they're one of those bands I just haven't been able to listen to an album of theirs from start to finish.

However, this Remastering of their sophomore effort Origin of Symmetry, is probably one of the best in this industry, to the point where going back to the original album isn't easy. Everything sounds so much clearer and higher fidelity, the mix now includes sounds that were previously next to...

Bait

There's a Youtube Channel called Michael Does Life, and it seems simple enough. Angry video gamer angrily rants about every new video game that comes out… angrily.

You've seen these channels before, only you haven't.

Because Michael Does Life is the world's biggest troll and its beauty is being tarnished by the reason so many otherwise intelligent people take the bait, and in stride.

Every 3-4 months, I see a tweet of somebody cropping images from Michael's channel and twe...

Q&A: September 29th, 2021

Charles Merrick Asks
What are your thoughts on the KOTOR Remake recently announced? Will you be doing a KOTOR 19 years later in the future? I think you once said KOTOR II was your favourite SW game.

I did, and I still do. KOTOR II's not just my favorite Star Wars game, but one of my favorite games period. Though, I must say, it's much more fun to remember than actually go back and play. Tho...

Raycevick's Recommendations: Lumines Remastered

This is mainly a recommendation for those with Game Pass, as $17 CAD's a little much for an ancient puzzler from the PSP, though it is one of my favorites and not unlike Tetris, holds up so many years later.

Lumines' gameplay and style is still addictingly fast-paced, enhanced by its excellent soundtrack, sound-design, and everchanging visuals. Perhaps it's just my personal nostalgia getting in the way as games such as Tetris Effect are more visually striking, but there's a lot of quick...

Copyright

There's a documentary I'd recommend (actually I did) RIP A Remix Manifesto. It's about Copyright and its effects on Remix Culture as well as just the world's culture. Despite being made in 2009, much of it's still relevant to the modern world, and its stories of ordinary people being taken to court over downloading music need to be preserved, for its what companies did for a decade with no consequence.

The best part however is you don't need to buy the film, the entirety of it is on You...

Q&A: September 22nd, 2021

Juhana Linnavirta Asks
What's your Handicap?

Absolutely no idea.

Sandraincloud90 Asks
Have any thoughts on Western adult animation? (i.e. Bojack Horseman, South Park, Rick and Morty, etc.)

Does Castlevania count?

Either way, my thoughts on Mature Animation in-general, is that plenty of people still seem to dismiss work based on it being animation. It obviously stems from Animations being a thing people did when they were...

Raycevick's Recommendations: The World in a Grain

Did you know there's a global sand shortage? Me neither, but that along with many other topics is what this book delves into. Now, I can't promise all of its a thrilling page turner. Vince Beiser's writing style isn't completely dry, but when he does make you laugh, it's more to do with the corporate people he encounters throughout this investigation.

But, I'd be confident in saying somebody will find something fascinating in this book. From companies storming the tourist beaches of Cal...

Features

So I've Finally Played… Monster Jam Steel Titans 2.

It's not something you're going to hear in a video, because I've already refunded the game. Granted, I'm not surprised, I was merely curious to try this game out, as I'm rather unfamiliar with Monster Trucks despite my general love of racing.

It's certainly not a bad game. Far as I can tell, it's got all of the basic content a Monster Truck fan would want in terms of notable vehicles, stadiums, and disciplines. There's races bu...

Q&A: September 15th, 2021

Alexa Asks
Considering your love of metal, plus Brutal Legend being an RTS where you do have direct control over your avatar's actions, ever thought of covering it one day?

Absolutely. Double Fine's games just in general, as the only one I ever played in a meaningful capacity was Iron Fortress from XBLA.

Anthony Nardine Asks
I previously asked about your hopes for Halo Infinite, and we both seemed to be cautiously o...