Thread 712864447

I haven't seen much attention on this game other than a bit on the metroidvania subreddit which i was unfortunately forced to go to because nobody actually talks about the games themselves in the steam fest threads, they just mention them and then talk about what genre theyre a part of and how much they like or hate that fact. Its so surface level. Its not like reddit is better, but /v/ doesn't have an r/metroidvania so if i want to get a specific idea of what games are of interest, reddit is the only option at a point.

Anyway skip everything above if you hate the human element of social media. Memories in Orbit or shortened as "MiO" was a demo so surprising that there are many moments I almos thought it was genius. This game is essentially a collection of thoughtful twists on established design principles, structures, formulas etc. And the best thing to start with, is arguably the most important thing in any game...how you "die".

Just a preface that there is a possibility that even once I have explained everything I plan to, you will not understand, and that is because there are a number of disparate interrelated dwelled on thoughts that go into why I was able to appreciate this game. Just know that I am objectively correct.

Ill start on "death" in this game by order of which mechanic becomes the most immediately prevalent. And that is either going to be the "map" or the nacre (game's currency) basin that refills health. The nacre basin is a fairly simple mechanic whos importance isnt felt until you realize something else about like two other mechanic, its the type of mechanic that is enhanced by its coherence with others, so ill start with the map.

This is an intro post to set you up for what type of thread this will be and what will be talked about. Enter only if you have a strong desire to talk about and understand videogames indepth.

Now. We Begin.

Very simply put. You dont start the game with a map. You unlock it once you have died, or from giving nacre to an NPC. At first when playing through this demo, I wondered what the point of this was, since not having a map for such a small part of the game (the beginning) seems pointless. Initially I thought that I guess it was just for lore purposes. And if not for how many design decisions in this game scream to me thoughtfulness, I would have simply left it at that. But now I think it was a genius deliberate decision. Because this game feels like it was made with somebody that has an awareness of all the little subtle problems with metroidvanias that make them sort of an incoherent aimless mess.

In most metroidvania the most important mechanic in the entire game is the map...not. This is where the dichotomy between videogames for the player and videogames by the developer come into play. The map is actually the most important mechanic for the player. A developer uses vidoegames to communicate. A player uses videogames period. But somebody who communicates, doesnt want to be used. They want to be understood. It is impossible to use something (with any intention atleast) without understanding it, so theres a degree of understanding that will be necessary whether imposed, or appealed to. But that understanding will always be superficial if for the purpose of being "used"

Sometimes the point somebody wants to communicate, is that they dont want to be "understood" (used) but figured out. Both are ultimately understanding, but one required the intention to begin and end at the experience of what is communicated, Not "for a desire" it can fulfill. Anyway Im effort posting too hard so ill cut to the chase.

For some reason people "understand" that videogame stories dont need to be "understood" and can be as vague as possible, but not for mechanics that can create friction.

what is bro yapping about

>For some reason people "understand" that videogame stories dont need to be "understood" and can be as vague as possible, but not for mechanics that can create friction.
The reason why is simple. You can fail at not understanding a mechanic. You cant fail at not understanding a story. You can project and impose whatever meaning you want onto a story, music, a poem, even novels despite their dense, dense, nature. But the TRULY unique thing about videogames. Not purely some abstraction of "choice" that can be reduced to a couple of inherently disjointed (from the direct experience) dialogue boxes. But the simple fact that, you can get stuck. You can not know how to progress. You can become lost. You can be too weak, you can be too slow, you can be too dumb, or...it can simply, genuinely. Just be unfair.

To turn the page in a videogame, something has to be overcome, that is decided NOT BY you. But by the videogame itself, and the paramaters of progression it allowed.

I genuinely got lost in MiO. Only once. Im not ashamed to say it. It is exceptionally rare that I get lost in a game and it not be some completely trial and error illogical bullshit like La Mulana. But I got lost in tbis game fair and square. Partly because I didnt have a map I could pull up whenever I wanted, wherever I wanted. And partly because, I simply was not familar with the games game. Often in metroidvanias, the way you find the way forward is by randomly hitting a wall you could have never known is interactable, or so obvious that all abilities are effectively colour coded keys. No inbetween. But this game instead plays with perspective and awareness of space.

For example picrel is a shortcut back to an area you already passed, but the shortcut isnt "unlocked". Its simply "realized" by understanding that there was always an opening there, you just didnt know.

Similarly, at the point I got lost, there was an opening (much more obvious in retrospect) that I simply didnt notice.

(for those wondering where I got lost who actually played the demo, it was near where you meet the NPC that sells you stuff also you can just look at picrel, i assumed that there was nothing under and it was just an elevated platform)
Im going to speedrun through the rest of the games merits because I didnt expect to type up this much about a demo anyway and am already getting tired of effort posting about something nobody is going to care about.

But if it wasnt obvious I think the game not letting you conveniently access a map for a meaningful portion of the beginning was to force you to have to actually mentally map, and remember how everything connects to another thing. And I only truly processed that this was a possible deliberate decision late into the demo when I realized that I hadnt even pulled up my map to check where I was going, even though I had easy access to it by now.

Talking about connections, this bring us to shortcuts. A lot of games (and retarded gamers) like to bring up "shortcuts" like a badge of honour of clever level design, but I have to imagine they just dont critically think while playing games because I can think of a dozen examples of games with shortcuts so superfluous that I often forget they have them (Ocarina of Time, Dark Souls 3, Almost every single metroidvania that isnt Hollow Knight and Super Metroid, including Symphony of the Night)

I will use Dark Souls 3 to prove my point about shortcuts though because I consider Dark Souls 1 the king of meaningful shortcuts.

Something that happened often in DS3, was that youd unlock a shortcut, and use it like once or twice because by the time youd find a shortcut, you already also found the next bonfire, so it served no purpose because you dont backtrack in the game (or in any souls games for that matter, but thats another topic) dont get me wrong, this doesnt mean "backtracking" is the answer. Even generic metroidvanias can make you "backtrack". Its about "backtracking" with PURPOSE.

So what do I mean by "purpose" to outline this, I need some contrast.
"Useful" is a word I used to use to explain what makes shortcuts good. That is until (i cant remember if somebody else made this argument, or if i sparked this argument against myself once i saw how somebody else try to praise a game with shitty shortcuts by saying they have a use...oh yeah, it was almost certainly the latter, and the game was almost certainly ocarina of time) I realized something can technically be "useful" without being meaningful. Basically you can have a shortcut that is "objectively" useful EXACTLY because it doesnt make you just backtrack through some long sequence you already completed, because it loops on itself.

The best example of this "Loop in particular" Is Ocarina of Time's fire temple (one of the worst dungeons ever). Once you get the hammer, the game will take you through a linear sequence where you end up right back at the start of the dungeon where you can immediately use your newly acquired hammer to unblock the very first door you lacked access to.

This is a bad shortcut because first of all i DIDNT FEEL IT. And second of all, more logically, its meaningless.
1. The shortcut is railroaded, its literally the only "new" way forward (youll see why this matters when i bring up the best game of all time)
2. The "shortcut" is one dimensional, its literally never used again. Its superfluous. It has no purpose, theres technically not a single reason you couldnt just walk all the way back you came to get back to the beginning.

Its just like DS3, except, as true as #2 is for DS3 aswell, the convenience is too much to pass up because enemies are actually dangerous in DS3 and theres a risk of dying and wasting resources by going back the long way (none of this matters since even without the shortcut the abundance of bonfires are essentially shortcuts in themselves) Which is what makes OoT's shortcuts DOUBLY worthless. Such a shit game.

Now lets look at the king.

I will focus on ONE single shortcut in Dark Souls 1 just to show you how insane it is that this game exists like this.

The classic shortcut. The shorcut of all shortcuts. The shortcut to beat them all. The shortcuts that made shortcuts a word of significance in game design...the undead burg bridge shortcut.

IMMEDIATELY this shortcut is better than all of DS3's (even the one in the witch level where the devs just arbitrarily decided to not give you a bonfire the entire level except for the beginning probably because the game is so easy and straightforward it doesnt hurt, so the shortcut to the twin princes is actually a bit more than just useful, but only for point #2 we mentioned regarding zelda)
Because in DS1, especially in this stage of the game where you wont have a lot of humanities or even know about them. This shortcut connects you back to the bonfires which is your entire healing system that allows you to survive going on.

But thats just the first level. And it already has two layers of the shortcut being used more than once, and genuinely being meaningful in sustaining you (purpose beyond mere convenience, it functions essentially as another bonfire without being a bonfire so that it can still maintain the tension of bonfire to bonfire travels)
The second level is that this shortcut isnt just used frequently...but is also TWO way

Remember how I mentioned that zeldas fire temple shortcut is railroaded? Well this is why. Once you progress enough throuhh undead burg, youll find a key to lower undead burg, and you have to mentally map the level to remember the way to there. So in THIS case. The shortcut isnt just something you use because its the obvious only way forward. But its something you have to connect with the knowledge you have of where the door to lower undead burg is, and APPLY that knowledge with PURPOSE to progress. YOU just figured your way forward. The game didnt make it the only way. And dont get me wrong, im not even saying its that hard to figure out. But it is undoubtedly a unique, layered and MOST importantly meaningful use of a mechanic as simple as a shortcut.

See how much use DS1 gets out of one fucking shortcut? Thats why its the king of shortcuts. And I laid all this out, without mentioning the OTHER shortcut in undead burg that serves an almost similar function in getting you to Sens Fortress, if you remember how everything is connected.

Dark Souls doesnt just make you mentally map, it also makes it so rewarding and natural by making you use shortcuts over and over again to familarize yourself. It is why the game does not need a map, and also why having a map would destroy the game because it would just make a shortcut another marker to go to.

This is exactly the same reason why in MiO even when I got the map, i barely used it because the shortcuts are SO good that you know the world like the back of your mind.

I wish I had time to go into the specifics of every shortcut, but Ive already droned on WAAAAy too long for a thread nobody will read.

So ill just quickly and briefly mention that almost every shortcut in this game is two way like the DS1 example I gave, and that the Elevator is the most obvious two way shortcut to a shortcut, which makes it less of a shortcut but like an intermediary shortcut to get you to shortcuts.

Now finally. I think I can end the thread here, by focusing on one specific shortcut: The shortcut to the first boss. Because while its layers are less interesting than DS1's (part of the point of boss runbacks in DS1's was to add to the tension of maintaining your resources while efficiently fighting enemies so youd have enough for the boss, and MiO just basically skips that nuance since the shortcut to the boss is so convenient, but I guess it doesnt matter anyway since the combat isnt that strong of a focus, there are barely any enemies in the game honestly, and im not even talking about variety) It still has layers.

Like the fact that the shortcut has a nacre basin right outside of it that allows you to replenish your health. And the reason these basins even work is because for the ENTIRE first level you have access to in the demo there is ONE single checkpoint in the ENTIRE level (you literally dont find another one till the end of the demo) on top of the fact that you have no active healing yourself, meaning theres always tension to healing. Beyond the obvious cost. This is another genius twist on familar mechanics, its like bonfires, but without the comfort of definitive progression where you can basically ignore everything before the bonfire (I dont think this was a problem in DS1, since you technically backtrack a lot more in that game than its subsequent sequels and predecessor, but it definitely makes DS3 look stupid) To me, one of the very subtle (subtle because people dont understand how important it is for a lot of hollow knight working, but its technically not subtle because ive seen retards complain about the fact im about to mention and hoping its less prevalent in silksong) things that Hollow Knight did that made it so good, was that youd have like 2 to 3 benches max in the entire biome, and HK is huge so this matters.

Combine this with HK's inconvenient fast travel and you TRULY had to know and be familar with the world, to get around in it.

>there are retards who unironically think /v/ is a place for discussion
lmao what the fuck is this thread

It's a solid demo. Thats it. Relax

has anybody not obviously a sperg actually played this demo? how is it? can't be bothered to read all that drivel

what did you think of e33 essayfag
this will be decisive if i give it a chance or not

Absolutely—here’s a condensed, bullet-pointed summary under 2000 characters:

---

### **Core Thesis**

* *Memories in Orbit* (MiO) introduces intentional **friction** to deepen player engagement.
* The game **withholds the map** early on, forcing **mental mapping** and spatial awareness.
* It doesn’t just borrow from *Metroidvania* tropes—it **rethinks them**.

---

### **Map Design**

* No map at the start—unlocked only via death or currency trade.
* Forces you to **learn the world actively**, not passively follow icons.
* Once unlocked, the map becomes **almost unnecessary**—you already *know* the space.

---

### **Shortcuts**

* **Two-way, layered, and meaningful**—not just convenient.
* They aren’t always the “only” path, so choosing them feels earned.
* Echoes *Dark Souls 1*-style shortcuts (e.g. Undead Burg elevator): **functional, repeatable, and spatially rewarding**.
* Contrasts with *DS3* or *Ocarina of Time*, where shortcuts often feel superfluous or scripted.

---

### **Death & Checkpoints**

* Single checkpoint in the whole level = **tension maintained throughout**.
* **Healing is limited** to nacre basins—forces planning and risk assessment.
* Similar to *Hollow Knight*’s sparse benches + restrictive fast travel: **you must know the world** to move through it efficiently.

---

### **Design Philosophy**

* MiO is **not player-centric**—it’s **developer-expressive**.
* It *communicates*, not just delivers content.
* Mechanics aren’t just usable—they’re **meant to be interpreted**.
* Most players accept vague stories, but **reject vague mechanics** due to fear of failure—MiO leans into that discomfort *on purpose*.

---

### **Final Take**

* MiO feels like a metroidvania made by someone who **understands the genre’s problems**.
* Doesn’t just *include* maps, shortcuts, and progression—it **redefines** how they function and why they matter.

---

Let me know if you want this turned into a post-friendly format.

>>712865851
That is an upcoming thread. I still need to dredge up the motivation to make it, because it will probably be so long that I will literally need to make two seperate threads for it.

But the short answer...Final Fantasy 13 is probably better than Expedition 33 in terms of pure gameplay, novelty, and thoughtful design. But Expedition is easier to enjoy. Easier to understand its systems, and therefore easier to engage with them, so its a much more appealing game, even for somebody like me with standards. But it is not a particularly well made game. Tons of superfluous design, mimicking mechanics from other games without remotely understanding why they were in those games, and a game that ultimately succumbs to the same generic one dimensionality that plagues all JRPGs.
It also joins Metal Gear Solid 3 for being one of the games with cutscenes so long that it unironically made my deck fall asleep, and need to be woke up.

Thats about all I can give you. It depends on what type of person you are. For the average retard? I understand completely why they like it. Its even easy to break wide open. The only reason I even like it, is because it let me optimize in a way that required me to think a little, which is more than I can say for most final fantasy's and most JRPGs.

>>712866253
Here's a TL;DR in bullet format that captures your take clearly and concisely:

---

### **FF13 vs. Expedition 33 – TL;DR Comparison**

* **FF13**:

* Better *gameplay depth*, *novelty*, and *mechanical thoughtfulness*.
* Criticized, but has **real design ambition** underneath.
* Less accessible—**systems take effort to engage with meaningfully**.

* **Expedition 33**:

* **More approachable** and **immediately enjoyable**.
* Systems are easy to grasp, making it more appealing to most players.
* **Design is shallow**—copies mechanics without understanding their original purpose.
* Becomes **one-dimensional** like many JRPGs.

---

### **Other Notes**

* Shares *Metal Gear Solid 3*’s problem of **cutscenes so long** your Steam Deck literally falls asleep.
* You enjoy it mainly because it allows for **some light optimization**, which is rare in most modern JRPGs.
* Understandable why "the average player" likes it—but it’s **not well made** in a critical sense.

---

Let me know if you want a more diplomatic version for posting.

>>712866189
>(e.g. Undead Burg elevator)
lol, stupid ai. i literally clarified the bridge shortcut, and only vaguely alluded to the elevator shortcut. dumb ai probably thought of the elevator one because its part of a semi popular meme now

>>712864447 (OP)
Essayfag-kun is that you? Have you played Talos Principle yet?

>>712865223
Kys

>>712866326
>Let me know if you want a more diplomatic version for posting.
AI takes some liberties and makes some assumptions, like when it says that nacre basins force "planning" i never said that, but some of its other assumptions like nacre bassins requiring risk assesment, are pretty apt even though only ever implied by me.
Another assumption it makes, is that my point about developers communicating through videogames and players understanding them only to use them. Has nothing to do with mechanics needing to be "interpreted". The entire point of me analogizing with how people love vague stories in videogames, is that ACTUALLY good videogames dont just allow any interpretation, but they have to be figured out and engaged with directly, not just engaged with on a front that feels personally fulfilling or desirable. There is friction that must be contended with.

Aaaaand...thats about it. I do like that the AI says MiO redefines the function of metroidvania mechanics and why they matter, I think that is indeed how I feel about it. Except id say "recontexualizes" rather than "redefines"

>>712866513
>Have you played Talos Principle yet?
I already played Talos Principle a long time ago. Got bored of it. I used it as part of my example of "test puzzles design" and why I dont like test puzzles and prefer naturalistic puzzles like Outer Wilds.
There is a game that has sort of put into question that theory, because its sokoban and I associate that with test puzzles, but thats another topic entirely.

decent thread i respect the effort.

I'm not convinced that this map withholding is all that meaningful, based on what I'm reading here. I haven't played the MiO demo so maybe I'm just not getting it.

In my experience, maps in metriodvanias only serve as general reference, making mental mapping/player engagement necessary anyways.
Any big name one I can think of qualifies here: SotN, Hollow Knight, Bloodstained, etc.
Sure, the map might show that there's a doorway on the upper right, but that doesn't tell you that you need an item to reach it. You generally can't just "follow icons" as a result. You look at the map as a reminder of what your options might be to reach your goal, but you need to apply your mental map to the vague reference to actually understand which represent viable paths.

>>712866904
What is a "test puzzle" game? Would portal fit into that category? Do you not like portal?! Wtf

>>712867501
Youre mentally retarded and I have no idea why you even bothered to reply without even understanding the point.
Worst of all
>SotN
>Bloodstained
You mentioned these two games, not only in the same sentence as Hollow Knight to imply remote equivalence in literally ANY aspect indicating that you dont actually remotely understand anything about Hollow Knight, but also as exampled of "mental mapping" in games where the map literally blanks out areas you havent yet accessed, with a cut off of blue colouring of where youve visited.

You are a GENUINE and ACTUAL retard. I cannot believe it. You could have atleast saved yourself by mentioning Super Metroid. But it is oh so revealing that you didnt.

>>712867573
>Would portal fit into that category?
Yes. It is arguably the premier example of a test puzzle.
>Do you not like portal?! Wtf
I liked portal. I just didnt like it that much, and find it to be pretty forgettable and inconsequential to developing my thoughts on game design in any remote way, other than for showing how limited puzzle design can be.
>What is a "test puzzle" game?
It would take too long for me to explain and I currently dont have the energy *sigh* let me go find the thread.

>>712867573
Youre mentally retarded and I have no idea why you even bothered to reply without even understanding the point.
Worst of all
>portal
You mentioned this game, not only in the same sentence as Talos to imply remote equivalence in literally ANY aspect indicating that you dont actually remotely understand anything about Talos, but also as exampled of "testing" in games where the testing is portals instead of lasers.

You are a GENUINE and ACTUAL retard.

>>712867573
probably this thread was the first thread I loosely dabbled into the distinction: https://arch.b4k.dev/v/thread/688859057

>>712868079
le epic irony mimickry?

How crazy would it be if this guy was actually onto something and the game blows up like hollow knight when it comes out

>>712868079
You literal subhuman incel retard, Talos is one of the few games I've 100%'d. The portal comparison is apt. I am NOT crazy.

>>712868498
Why are you responding to him like its a serious message and not just an obvious troll mockery?

A gacha girls thread died for this

why does this shit ass waste of time thread even have 30 replies? da fuq

Is Myst natural or test?

>>712868958
Honestly Id have to think about that. I think it falls under neither. It literally does not have developed enough puzzle mechanics to even be a test puzzle. Its closer to a natural puzzle since figuring out the language with the nursery system applies to that. But most puzzles arent actually like that. Most puzzles are pulling switches and hitting buttons till you find out what happens.

Oh shit. It's essayfag. I was hoping you killed yourself.

Is Braid a test puzzle game? Is it just puzzle games within bite-sized 2d/3d spaces?

>>712865476
I didn't like it because they made a poor distinction between what is the background and what is the foreground so I don't know what is a platform that I can jump on and what is just decoration.

>>712869530
Yes, Braid is definitely a test puzzle game.

>>712867832
I'm not the one that failed to convey a point.
>to imply remote equivalence
To list often discussed games with vague maps. Did you even try to comprehend what you were reading or was the chance at a shitpost dopamine hit too strong for you?

>>712869810
OP here. I didnt have that problem. But there are some little perspective tricks the game plays, like the example here for picrel: >712864682
You know how games often have raised platforms? Well thats what I thought this was, and didnt realize there was a path under it somehow

>>712869530
A test puzzle game has no apparent motive for the puzzles besides serving as gameplay and they are set up in order for you, from what I've understood.
It's like comparing La Mulana and Baba is You.

>>712869941
>I'm not the one that failed to convey a point.
You didn't even read anything. You have no claim to anything but poor reading comprehension.
>To list often discussed games with vague maps. Did you even try to comprehend what you were reading
Are you a genuine and unironic bot or AI or what? Are you fucking stupid. I literally spoonfed you why youre retarded without the awareness of being retarded.

"Why did you mix ketchup and red velvet together?"
"Uh dude! they are literally both read, did you even listen or try to comprehend anything?"
"But they dont compliment eachother and this is a cooking class"
"BUT A POINT IS VALID ASLONG AS I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT, NOT BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE! IM A SURFACE LEVEL RETARD THAT ONLY ENGAGES WITH THE WORLD BASED ON SUPERFICIAL SIMILARITIES SO I CAN DEFINITELY TELL YOU WITH CONFIDENCE THAT YOU DIDNT COMPREHEND ME SO YOURE WRONG"

retard.

>>712870206
This is basically probably the easiest and simplest way to put it. Im surprised, the retards that get drawn to these threads like moths for some reason, dont typically demonstrate the basic capacity for thought to put this together.
Not to knock the guy genuinely asking question, mostly talking about the stupid fucking retard that didnt read anything I said then went on to confidently imply im wrong because his personal subjective understanding of SOTN and Hollow Knight means that da map doesnt actually matter cuz da every metroidvania have da mental mapping, even though SOTN and HK maps arent even remotely the same and I even spoonfed him why and he still responded like a retard

>>712870526
Did you just call me stupid?

>>712870753
which guy are you? im pretty sure i clarified that people just asking questions arent who im talking about as "retards"

sad thread

Wow, a thread that's both serious and genuinely retarded enough to get laughed off of Reddit.

Essayfag thread, do not engage.

What

>>712870367
Those are a lot of words to convey nothing. You still haven't addressed the original point.
I'm starting to suspect your whole essay was built on such a weak foundation that you can't actually back it up under any sort of scrutiny.

>>712864447 (OP)
>couldn't rebind stick movement to the dpad
>unskippable forced cutscene and walking segment that lasted at least 4 minutes for the "intro"
Nah OP I appreciate the effort you put into making this thread, but MIO sucks big time as a game. The demo told me all I needed to know to unwishlist this moviegame. The character moved too slow for the size of the areas to explore and the physics were all weird too, especially when sliding on the ice. It's a shame, I had the game on my radar because the artstyle was very unique and I have a positive, patriotic bias for french projects. Not this time though, most likely they want to showcase their art first before creating a fun vidya experience. Maybe I'll watch my little sister play it or something. There are better search action games I can replay, even Hollow Knight would be a better experience.

>>712871790
Beware, he's about to call you retarded for the crime of disagreeing with him

>>712864575
So far it sounds functionally on par with Metroid for the NES. Are you sure this a groundbreaking?

>>712871790
>search action

Played the demo. Found the first boss. I took two hits early in as I was learning his moves then played flawlessly until a minor fuckup at like 15% cost me the fight. I'm pretty confident I could get it on a second try but I don't really feel the need to "beat" a demo and I'll just wait for the rest of the game.

>>712872613
his whole argument boils down to "its groundbreaking because its generic metroidvania in every way except it doesnt have a map" when there are hundreds of game like that

What metroidvanias do you like, OP? My TOP 10 on Steam are HK, Rabi-Ribi, Nine Sols, Aeterna Noctis, Afterimage, Environmental Station Alpha, Blasphemous, Salt and Sanctuary, Astalon and Grime.

>>712871790
>It's a shame, I had the game on my radar because the artstyle was very unique and I have a positive, patriotic bias for french projects.
How is it that your first instinct was to value the game based on superficial appearanced based standards, but then you go on to use "moviegame" like a derogatory word.

Regardless, your "criticism" is criticism shallpw enough that it is echoed about Hollow Knight too. Dont really know what Im supposed to respond to that. You clearly ignored everything I said, or are simply to hardwired to appreciate the finer aspects to game. The aspects under the hood, beyond superficial impressions like an arbitrarily labeled "walking segment" that is just the game making you engage in some light platforming and low stakes combat to introduce the game.

>>712873192
>What metroidvanias do you like, OP?
Hollow Knight and Super Metroid. That is all. I can appreciate Aeterna Noctis more as a platforming game than metroidvania, but even then ive still got problems. Ones I hope are addressed in Lucis.

I really do wish I liked blasphemous though.

Im not sure i can count on reccs in this thread where the biggest take away is "He said it dont have a map = good!"
And some other retard who has never played Metroid on the NES saying "IT IS FUNCTIONALLY METROID!" declaratively as if he said anything of substance.

I do have to admit that I still have to give rabi ribi a chance but it just doesnt look appealing to me at all, plus some of the ways people praise it give me red flags, but thats another topic entirely.

Grime is actually a straight up pretty good game with solid mechanics. I would genuinely consider it, the single only other metroidvania with good combat other than Hollow Knight. But the game took WAAAY too long to introduce and develop its platforming focus beyond basic shit, and at the point I played Grime I was tired of every single metroidvania being the same boring shit that can be reduced to "Action game, but sometimes your road is blocked and so you go the other way". None of them understand exploration, and unfortunately MiO left a strong impression of me coherence wise and exploration wise than Grime did.

But seriously grime is a pretty good game nonetheless, very thoughtful regarding combat, but too one dimensional for too long. I genuinely look forward to Grime 2. The trailer seems to imply a more immediate focus on platforming.

Other than that, i look forward to Lucis later this year, and hopefully my actual number 1 anticapted game is Rune Fencer Illyia, even though the creator is a bit gay, and his design philosophy gave a bit of a red flag when he praised Skyrims shortcut use.

If youve read enough of what I said, youll understand the problem with that.

nobody liked or appreciated this thread, this isnt what /v/ is for, shut the fuck up and give up retard

>>712874637
>this isnt what /v/ is for
grim

>>712864447 (OP)
>Memories in Orbit
a name would be nice you stupid fucking faggot

>>712873192
Your taste is shit, clearly that of a developmentally stunted retard. Mine are, in no particular order: Dust: An Elysian Tale, Kincaid, F.I.S.T., Tribal Hunter, Yiffai, Moonlight Pulse, Biomorph, The Weird Dream, Ato, and Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus

>>712864447 (OP)
I watched the trailer and it looks peak retarded with terrible artstyle and wide open environments paired with "platforming". No, Ori is not a metroidvania as much as its dev insists it is. This is just an Ori clone with cinematic walking parts that don't fit either.
This will NEVER be a metroidvania as much as you cope beg and cry.
The absence of maps are irrelevant since no one looks at maps in metroidvanias (if you have at least 90 IQ).
I've seen kusoge better than this demo unironically.

>>712874684
OP's only here because he uses vidya as an excuse to blogpost, that's why he gets so asspained when you disagree with him.

>>712874852
Some of those aren't even metroidvanias. Other anon has better taste.

>>712874881
Oh it's the blog schizo, nevermind
This is the fag that refuses to play LaMulana

>>712874956
If he can't play La Mulana his opinion about metroidvanias is entirely invalid and he knows nothing about the genre.

>>712874684
Unfortunately nobody actually seems to care about videogames themselves, and their potential for new perspectives, experiences and understandings. They care about everything tangential to videogames, everything externalizes and seperates videogames from themselves. They care more about the "vidya girls". The percieved "political message", the videogame "practices". Whether emulation is accepted or not. Whether some developer isnt meeting some arbitrary graphical standard, and always selectively for AAA devs but not for indie devs, even though they claim to want AAA devs to release games faster (this shows how much its about the narrative and perception, moreso than wanting anything to actually happen in reality)

Its not that nobody should care about videogame prices becoming $80. Its that, the conversation for that is so fundamentally shallow that it should begin and end at "I dont like games being more expensive" and nothing else.

Yet the more deeper aspects of videogames and their design gets shirked. And even when people "attempt" it like with Expedition 33, the conversation STILL devolves into simply taking sides, and attacking the other side, abstracting further and further the point and experience of the game, just to end up reducing it ultimately to a binary anyway.

Anyway, thats all ive got to rant about for now. Gunna go find something else to do.

>>712874871
>This is just an Ori clone
???
>with cinematic walking parts that don't fit either.
What the fuck are you talking about? Are you a bot who hasnt even played the game?
>The absence of maps are irrelevant since no one looks at maps in metroidvanias (if you have at least 90 IQ).
No. Its not irrelevant. The design of maps, can directly inform how the world was supposed to be designed. Also a metroidvania where you dont look at the map is retarded. Most metroidvanias arent 3D like dark souls, the mental mapping is completely different when its 3D, and you also dont have multiple gates to juggle at the same time. Without the map, theres no deliberateness to your actions, whether you remember or find a gate is something essenitally stumbled upon and random, and therefore meaningless.

Notice i specifically didnt say MiO was good because its just random stumbling in the dark without a light. I outlined how its shortcut design, and checkpoint design contribute to forcing a familiarity.

Infact now that I think about it, the lack of extreme fast travel and one singular checkpoint always grounds your mind in a perspective for which the world branches out in, like the root of a tree. But thats more of an abstract thought thats likely unintentional

what a shitty waste of a thread.
autism indeed does speak...we need to start questioning if that's okay though,

>>712864447 (OP)
Yo essayfag, how would you feel if a nigger tongued your anus?

>indepth discussion thread
>slap autism label on thing i dont like
wow.../v/ is so smart how they can just diagnose people so easily, no wonder why this intelligent image board is so abundant with stimulating discussion.

finally dead?

>>712876098
Essayfag will always say he's leaving to do something else but he'll still be right there because he craves attention but also needs to pretend he's above everything.

>>712876196
what are you talking about? i made the thread for a reason, with a purpose, of course i am going to check if anybodh actually fulfills that purpose.

>>712875659
The answer to that question should be obvious if you've read my posts. But it's clear the people on this site have the attention span of a goldfish and won't read your post if it's more than two sentences long. It's insane how /v/ complains about the board being terrible, yet refuses to seriously engage with any post that has effort behind it. I wish there was a better website for talking about video games but alas.

But to make it clear, I would enjoy it very much. My body would constantly jolt from excitement while I feel every bump of his slippery tongue exploring my anus (very much how I enjoy exploring the maps of my favorite metroidvanias). The cops would come knocking at our door due to the neighbors making noise complaints after they hear me screaming in pure bliss.

Afterwards, we would cuddle up in bed and set up a date so the nigger can tongue my anus again.

>>712864447 (OP)
>blah blah blah
bro you didn't even say what fucking game it is
if you want to try to encourage people to try out this game you like you should say this at the first thing.

>>712876291
>The answer to that question should be obvious if you've read my posts. But it's clear the people on this site have the attention span of a goldfish
you led with 3 paragraphs without actually saying anything beyond "I like this and want to talk about it" which is evident from you making a thread.
have you ever considered you are perhaps too verbose and lose peoples attention with poor writing rather than people not being able to pay attention?
If I had the time I would have written you a shorter letter and all that.

sorry bumping my own thread, i was eating

>>712876539
also, how did this retard fall for that blatant imposter? when the fuck have i ever called anyone a goldfish?
are you dumb? has to be a sametard

>>712874584
Not even Castlevania SotN? That's my favorite metroidvania
>>712876291
>I wish there was a better website for talking about video games but alas.
Have you checked out Resetera?

>>712876539
>have you ever considered you are perhaps too verbose and lose peoples attention with poor writing rather than people not being able to pay attention?
also. its a combination of both, ive made less verbose threads, all that results in, is more immediate misunderstanding (from retards) rather than better reception. ive seen retards literally repeat some dumb i preemptively addressed. yes, my writing isnt perfectly appealing, but /v/tards are also just dumb. inherently

>>712877535
If people are misunderstanding you maybe you should write better. Writing should be tailored to the public, and not the other way around, or else it would be just masturbation.
You call everyone dumb but you're the one that can't make yourself understood.

>>712877897
>Writing should be tailored to the public
lol retard, shakespeare literally evented random words. if art and thought was strictly tailored for the public it would never develop or thrive. and videogames are the greatest example of the shitty modern persons capacity to engage with any expression of somebody else.
>You call everyone dumb but you're the one that can't make yourself understood.
Thats not true, you didnt read or understand what i said.
youre literally actively doing the /v/ thing.

>>712878081
all words are invented moron.
having words that are clearly understandable via context is different from you not being able to write or spell for shit.

You are unable to get your point across, which is the purpose of communication, the purpose of writing.

>>712878081
Durr durr I'm retarded I closed my ears I can't hear what anyone says I'm retard hahahaha
YOU WRONG IM WRITE
I CAN EVEN EVENT RANDOM WORDS

>>712878149
>>712878167
both bots that cant process and integrate context.
anyway, i wonder if the guy who asked about expedition 33 was honest. really thinking its a waste of my FOOKIN time

>>712878081
>if art and thought was strictly tailored for the public it would never develop or thrive
You're not making art here imbecile you're explaining things to people. If you want to explain things you should write it in a way that can be understood, and not like a paint whiffer like Shakespeare.
Also if you didn't notice what I meant before, art is masturbation, Shakespeare is clearly masturbating himself inventing words and worlds, and sometimes people like watching others masturbate, thats why he got popular. But that's not the point, the point is that you don't know how to get your message across. Work on that.

>unedited stream of consciousness posed as an "essay" from always-right OP who hasn't played Metroid 2: Return of Samus for the gameboy, a far more intriguing totally map-less metroidvania and far more worthy of this type of analysis and discussion compared to MIO which looks too much like ori desu for my interest
could cut this thing down by like 3/4. you'd make a good youtuber with this level of chaff.

>>712878349
shakespeare's plays are all targeted at the lay person, they are all incredibly crude, have constant humor, and every character is always dropping sassy one liners.
his plays are not art, they are just really damn good but dead simple and understandable to everyone, the opposite of OP

>>712878281
>everyone who disagrees with me is a bot
>everyone who disagrees with me is stupid
nah you are just a retard and the definition of someone too stupid to understand their ignorance.
you are incredibly verbose and write pages to say less than a sentence because you seem to think its somehow better, your opinions are all incredibly basic and surface level with no nuance or depth in how they relate and reinforce each other, you just see it all in a vacuum and jump to conclusions.

>>712865223
This is not discussion though. This is autism and not the productive kind.
>Just know that I am objectively correct
Classic tism red flag as if the walls of text that convey no useful information weren't obvious enough.

>>712878424
Describe in a coherent manner anything that makes Samus Returns anymore compelling than super metroid, let alone what i described for MiO.
Because I know you ignored my point about maps in metroidvanias

the end

>>712866326
>* Better *gameplay depth*, *novelty*, and *mechanical thoughtfulness*.
>* Less accessible—**systems take effort to engage with meaningfully**.
What the fuck am I reading?

>>712881872
Are incapable of putting together words in your head?

buttplug

what a riveting analysis of the most milquetoast game I've ever seen

There's something about OP's incredibly arrogant self-superiority and entitlement to our attention that makes even thinking about seriously replying to it feel painful, like a little fat kid begging me for money so he can buy a candy bar.

>>712874159
>How is it that your first instinct was to value the game based on superficial appearanced based standards
I can't really judge the quality of gameplay before actually sitting down, controller in hand, and playing the game. When only trailers and screenshots are available, art direction, soundtrack are atmosphere are all the materials I can use to judge a game. I can make inferences about the physics sure, but it wouldn't amount to much. MiO looked good and had a distinct style. I figured they also would have a solid vision for the gameplay to complement their art. Sadly, the game being in full 2D and not allowing d-pad configuration was enough to decrease and bias my opinion of the game.
>like an arbitrarily labeled "walking segment" that is just the game making you engage in some light platforming and low stakes combat
Nah, I'm not talking about the first time the game gives you freedom to explore. I'm talking about the intro cutscene and platforming segment right before the MC wakes up, where you control a small light entity with philosophical/introspective questions in the background. The fact devs thought wise to leave this segment unskippable for their already short game demonstration speaks volumes about their priorities in game design for me. It sounds shallow and nitpicky, until you are 2 hours into the game and are faced with with the 5th iteration of inane dialogue or cutscenes you can't fast-forward through, lasting for at least 3 minutes each, all while taking control away from the player and delaying your exploration or enjoyment of the atmosphere. Not a major issue for a 1st playthrough, definitely a problem for a game advertising itself as an exploration platformer/search action. The more I get older, the more I realize the ACfag may have been right about certain things I used to laugh at before. There could be a gem beneath and I wouldn't care. There are games from within and outside this genre who actually respect my time.

>>712874159
>but then you go on to use "moviegame" like a derogatory word
it by definition is a bad thing
games are about gameplay.
that is their purpose, the unique aspect of the medium and what every single game should be about
if your game is not about gameplay, then it should be a movie, if your game is all about the dialogue and writing, then it should be a book.

this isn't some
>ugh I don't want to interact with STORY I just want to hit things
I spend more time reading books (by far) than playing gameplay, most games pace their stories very poorly and don't mesh well with the gameplay, let alone how it is broken up. I wouldn't want to read a book that tries to insert as many pictures as possible to try to make the medium more visual, it should just be a fucking movie at that point, much like a game not leveraging gameplay isn't much of a game.

>>712877897
nah bro imagine thinking communication is only valid if everyone "gets it" instantly. by that logic, calculus is bad English and Faulkner was just rambling. sometimes you write for the 5% who aren't looking to speedrun comprehension like it's a COD match. not everyone’s obligated to dumb it down for your mental McNugget meal.