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PaperclipPerfector  4mo ago (text post)   29974 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 1, 2024

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The game play is much better in sunless skies, but the writing was way better in sunless sea. Funny enough I think the OG writer, Alexis Kennedy, got pushed out of the company in between games for sleeping around the office.

It was less for sleeping around and more that one particular disgruntled partner was a figure of some renown in the indie/queer/bafta rising star type circles in the UK in which journalists at some major local games media were deeply enmeshed. He then left her for his employee, who had no complaints (and iirc is still with him).

Nevertheless, Kennedy himself was ultra annoying and ultra woke, so one can’t be too upset that he was hoisted by his own petard.

I disagree! I believe the writing is also, at the very least, more to my liking in Sunless Skies. Playing Cultist Simulator made me understand that not only was the game mechanic boring and confusing but I'm not also particularly fond of Kennedy's style of writing, and having less of his touch in Sunless Skies meant that within the dark fantasy/steampunk/occult horror vibe of the games there's more of the first two and less of the third, and that's very much fine with me.

Of course, things might be different if I had played Sunless Sea first and came into Skies with an expectation that the writing was more of the same, but alas...

I was a huge fan of Cultist Simulator. I like it to the point I have to keep it uninstalled or I'll ruin my sleep. Seems like the parts you don't like are the ones I like. I love occult vibes and obscure plots and mechanics. I love not knowing what the fuck is going on while portentous things are happening around me. Dark Souls is my GOAT for this.

From your description of what you like about CS, I recommend Kowloon: High School Chronicle. It is like a trip to a past of no walkthroughs and games not spelling out everything.

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