Authority's Mast

Preface: I wrote this piece a while back and just realized it never got posted here to my blog. I wrote this as I imagined various Destiny "exotic weapon lore" entries for Fallen-inspired weapons. I posted it to r/DestinyJournals, but never here for whatever reason. More details after the piece.    

Gamr Drivl: Arkham Beyond

If you're a fan of Batman video games, chances are, you've played or at least heard of the Batman: Arkham series. Created by Rocksteady Studios and distributed by Eidos Interactive beginning in 2009, they were one of the first Batman games to come close to fully encapsulate what it was like to be Batman. Besides just beating up thugs and rogues, there was emphasis on his detective skills as well. 

The games feature tons of references to the Batman comics and TV series-- more than just DLC costumes to wear-- and even some lesser-known characters were highlighted or shown off. The combat system was praised and has been seen emulated in other games (Mad Max and Shadow of Mordor come to mind) and the use of the various gadgets helped with that feel of being Batman. And it helped that he was being voiced by the man that my generation heavily associates with the character-- Kevin Conroy.

I feel that Arkham Knight was a good conclusion to the story being told, but there's still a way they can continue making Arkham games without compromising it too much. And that's to take the series to the future.

Submitted for the approval of the Gamr Drivl readers, I call this idea: Arkham Beyond.

(Spoilers for the Arkham series below the break.)

A Dawning Gift - a Destiny 2 piece

Preface: I wrote this piece back during the holiday season. In Destiny 2, there is an in-game holiday called 'The Dawning' which fills the role of Christmas, New Year's, and other assorted winter holidays. There is also a friendly Fallen who has been featured in recent lore, who has a Guardian fireteam working with him. So, inspired, I wrote a thing.

Gamr Drivl: Star Wars Bounty Hunter

There's never been a shortage of Star Wars video games. From starfighter simulators like X-Wing and TIE Fighter, to shooter games like Dark Forces, Shadows of the Empire, and Battlefront, to adventure titles like Jedi Fallen Order. The quality may vary (looking in your direction, Masters of Teräs-Käsi) or be surrounded with controversy (Battlefront II), but there's never been a lack of them.

There was a game that had been in development prior to the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm that had been tentatively titled Star Wars 1313, which would have been the first game to not feature The Force in some way. 1313 would have explored the seedy underbelly of Coruscant, the capital world of the Republic/Empire, and centered around famed bounty hunter Boba Fett and an unnamed partner. Alas, Disney cancelled the project when they took over the Star Wars franchise.

But with the success of The Mandalorian, I think we could re-explore the concept a bit.

Night Predator

You're a monster under the bed. Everyone in the house is asleep. You just heard someone break in.

Author Preface: I subscribe to the r/WritingPrompts subreddit, largely just to read some of the interesting prompts and the equally interesting responses people compose from it. I saw this one the other day, and something just came to me. Not quite keeping with the prompt, but that's how the writing process works sometimes. Story below the break.

...And Why the Sequel Trilogy Doesn't

Well, I wasn't intending my last blog entry, on Why The Mandalorian Works So Well, to be a two-parter, but I finally got around to seeing The Rise of Skywalker, Episode IX and the conclusion of the Star Wars Skywalker Saga, over the weekend, and I am compelled to discuss the Sequel Trilogy.

More specifically, I am compelled to discuss why it was simply not good. (Spoilers for the Sequel Trilogy and other Star Wars series below.)

Why "The Mandalorian" Works So Well...

Everyone online is talking about The Mandalorian, the new Star Wars TV show. The flagship launch series of Disney+ has had people buzzing since the first episode dropped, and every week it seems to get better. The title character is already viewed by fans as a badass, and of course everyone loves Baby Yoda. But what makes the series work so well is the writing, and I'll expound on this below the break. (There will be spoilers at least for the first episode of The Mandalorian, so be warned.)