Carrion is a game I've been looking forward to for a while. Billed as a "reverse horror" game, you play as the monster, which is something we've surprisingly seen very little of. I give my impressions of it, as well as some things I'd like to see in a potential sequel if one gets made.

Buy a Carrion Steam key from one of these retailers and help support my content and Extra Life:

Humble Store: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/carrion?partner=pxabstraction

Don't listen to this if you haven't watched Snowpiercer Season 1 yet and don't want it spoiled.

I didn't know a TV series based on Snowpiercer was coming until it suddenly appeared on Netflix one day so as a fan of the movie, I wanted to check it out. I liked it well enough, right up until the last episode. I talk about my issues with it and what it means for season 2.

After too long, I'm back with another ramble game review episode and to as much my surprise as anyone's, it's of yet another visual novel. Eliza came out back in 2019 but I only got to play it recently. Unlike Arcade Spirits, the story in this game is much more grounded in the real world and is also much more linear than many visual novels traditionally are. This is countered by it being fully voice acted and also having a narrative that is both emotionally moving and that will make you think about some of the technological challenges we may face soon.

Buy Eliza on Steam from one of these retailers and help support my content and Extra Life:

Humble Store - https://www.humblebundle.com/store/eliza?partner=pxabstraction

Music is from the Eliza soundtrack by Matthew S. Burns. Buy it here: https://zachtronics.bandcamp.com/album/eliza-original-soundtrack

Press code provided by Zachtronics.

Out of the blue on the 22nd of June, Microsoft announced that Mixer, my live streaming home of over 3 years, will be unceremoniously killed with a whopping one month's notice. The community is devastated, angry and bitter, especially since this comes on the heels of a weekend of scandals that rocked the platform, which they're now able to just sweep away.

In this longer ramble, I talk about the experience of finding out about this in light of everything else I've been processing lately and also what this means for my potential future in content creation.

For now, you can follow me at https://twitch.tv/PXAbstraction, though I make no promises about what may or may not happen there. I wish the best to all my fellow Mixer refugees.

The world feels like it's on fire right now. For those reasons and more, I'm personally in a really bad place. This podcast is mostly talking about my own struggles, though I am not unempathetic to the greater madness so many more are dealing with too. I just talk about this struggle for a while because I think it's important for more of us to be open about our struggles so that others know they aren't alone. As always, I am here if anyone needs an ear.

After a bunch of release drama that included the developer closing the day after it shipped largely unfinished, the investors behind RUNE II have begun fulfilling the promise they made to the community to keep supporting the game and have released a massive update called Lazarus, which they claim is just the start. I was given a press code and streamed it for an evening to see what it was like, especially the campaign which I knew nothing about. A lot about that campaign surprised me but I also still don't think the game's hit the finish line yet. I talk about why and also why it might be to other people's liking.

Previous episode on the developer drama: https://anchor.fm/geekbravado/episodes/Episode-86-November-14--2019---RUNE-II-and-Human-Head-Studios-Closure-e90bdp

I'm not generally a fan of visual novels. I played Arcade Spirits on a first impressions stream about a year ago and kept it installed because something about it made me think I'd want to come back to it, even though it was a visual novel. I recently finished it and was very pleasant surprised by the experience. I give an on the fly ramble review of the game and why despite it not selling me on visual novels as a whole, it's given me cause to look into them more closely in the future.

My original first impressions stream of the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTQfEwEBssE

Buy a Steam key from one of these affiliate links to help support my content and Extra Life:

Podcast music is from the game's soundtrack: https://gregmirles.bandcamp.com/album/arcade-spirits-original-game-soundtrack

During the COVID-19 crisis, the previously to say the least, divisive leader of my province has been getting a lot of credit for how he's been "leading" through the outbreak and many of his previous detractors are suddenly changing their minds on him. However, much like Rudy Guilliani after 9/11, none of this is based in reality but more just the fact that he happened to be here during a difficult time. I talk about this and why it's a terrible reason to suddenly up your opinion on terrible leaders.

Epic Games has now announced that in addition to making a big push into the digital distribution space, they are now getting into publishing games from other developers. Similar to how they launched the Epic Games Store, they are starting with a bang, offering full funding and creative control to 3 prominent studios, with apparently more to come. I talk about this model, how I'd have a hard time saying no if I was a developer and also how this is completely unsustainable long-term, despite what some short-sighted "developers" think.

Thank you to my small audience for being there for 100 episodes! Here's to many more!

COVID-19 is currently sending society and the economy into a tailspin with no end in sight. Meanwhile, it's become taboo to talk about the country whose lacking regulations and rampant corruption has resulted in not only this pandemic but multiple others. Those whose self-worth is wrapped up in being offended on behalf of others are calling criticizing China racist, failing to understand that one can criticize the state and policies that allowed this to happen without it being attack on the Chinese people themselves. I talk about that with more than a little personal frustation.