#nealdanderson

[nealdanderson]

I’m indecisive.

[nealdanderson]

Long time no post! Here’s a couple characters I designed just to have fun with. 

[nealdanderson]

Bowsette because bandwagon. 

[nealdanderson]

My entry for Udon’s Street Fighter: Summer Sports Special!  Not sure if I’ve gotten in or not, but whatever the verdict, this was fun to draw! 

Naturally, I chose to draw the ladies of Street Fighter III, specifically new generation. 

[nealdanderson]

Was recently commissioned to design this EP cover for Torby Brand- I highly urge anyone to listen to his piano remixes of a few tracks from Delta Rune- Remixes by Torby Brand, featuring Ro Panuganti Music, Earth Kid, and Tremendouz!

Trailer here- Album on Spotify here!

[nealdanderson]

Favorite Video Game #3- Hotline Miami 2

Year Released: 2015

Developer: Dennaton Games 

Platform: PC, PS4, PS3, Mac

Review:

Game Design- 9/10

Hotline Miami’s level design and enemy placement perfectly suits the breakneck pace of the gameplay, and incentivizing of risk keeps the game fresh and exciting. The hit detection and timing in Hotline Miami 2 feels more polished and responsive- something that balances out the considerably more difficult level design. Moreso than Hotline Miami 1, the game’s story structure forces you to get used to different playstyles, rather than always picking the same mask and getting comfortable with one playstyle and this varying up of character also ensures that the formula never feels tired. 

Graphics- 7/10

Aside from some conveyance issues, Hotline Miami’s distinctly crude visual style works very much in the game’s favor, adding to the game’s alienating and grim atmosphere.  The animation is fluid, greatly aiding in the precise timing required to progress through the game.  The colors are incredibly vibrant and mix incredibly well with the grunge, perfectly encapsulating a certain very particular 80’s aesthetic without ever feeling cynical. 

Sound and Music- 10/10

While not an original soundtrack, the sheer variety of tracks used for this game are an integral part of the gameplay and atmosphere- they’re intense and exhilarating in their own wholly unique way and make each level feel all the more dire and simultaneously exciting.  Rather than being upbeat tracks however, the soundtrack contributes an immeasurable amount to the game’s off-putting, off-kilter and sinister atmosphere. The sounds are equally punchy and effective, making every hit intensely satisfying. 

Story- 10/10

Hotline Miami, and especially its sequel defy their simple-minded reputation- rather than being hollow beat ‘em ups, they’re complexly woven stories and the two games share an airtight connection that sequels rarely have.  The story integrates moral ambiguity in such an intriguing fashion and the resulting story is nothing short of incredibly disturbing and thought provoking. Playing through this story in the disjointed order its presented in-game is truly the best way to experience it- but for those who have played all the way through, this video places everything across the two games in chronological order, and I highly recommend watching it:

https://youtu.be/eWfa2ouQooI

[nealdanderson]

Favorite Video Game # 4- Resident Evil(REmake)

Year Released: 2002, 2015(Remaster HD)

Developer: Capcom

Platform: GameCube, Wii, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows

Review:

Game Design- 10/10

Resident Evil boasts one of the most tightly and meticulously designed environments in any game I’ve played- it is a game that, through its events and scenarios, forces you to get incredibly familiar with the mansion’s layout and the movement patterns of every single enemy. You either reach that point of familiarity or you’re as good as dead. It’s a tough enough game with the very limited resources your player is given, but if one is observant enough, they can go through the vast majority of the game without firing a single bullet. The fixed camera angles and tank controls make the horror of the experience all the more stressful, but are tightly designed controls so as not to elicit feelings of frustration.

Graphics- 10/10

This remake of the 1996 classic was great case for pre-rendered graphics- the highly detailed and photo real backgrounds gave an amazing and terribly palpable sense of foreboding dread, and their pre-rendered method allowed for the character models to be equally real- resulting in a game that looked 15 years or more ahead of the curve. The character modeling is subtle- a rare quality compared to the over-rendered over-sculpted models that are commonplace in most triple a games.

Sound and Music – 9/10

Remake’s score is haunting and subtle, and sparingly used to elicit very earned feelings of tension and mounting terror.

Story- 5/10

Resident Evil’s haunting aesthetic doesn’t always match its story- one that’s firmly rooted in b-movie cliché’s. However, the story and characters are hokey enough to be charming while retaining enough tact to be taken seriously (at least in this version).

[nealdanderson]

Favorite Video Game # 2- Bloodborne

Year Released: 2015

Developer: From Software

Platform: PS4

Review:

Game Design- 9/10

The Dark Souls and Bloodborne games feel like a natural evolution of the formula set up by Super Metroid- a vast highly interconnected world that is united by a consistent design language, but where each individual area has its own unique flair and feel. Nothing quite beats the feeling of going through hell and finally being able to open up that integral shortcut.  Fromsoftware could’ve easily repeated the same combat mechanics of the Dark Souls series, but they smartly defy their own conventions by ditching the heavily defensive playstyle in favor of a style that favors intense aggression and offense. Within the Soulsborne series, Bloodborne presents many welcome additions and improvements, but a few inconveniences as well(having to farm for blood vials, repeatedly visiting hunter’s dream to warp…etc.). The only other flaw I can think of is the modular Chalice Dungeons being very repetitive and rather dull. Otherwise, it is a horror-action game that, unlike most other game of its genre, actually manages to elicit feelings of actual horror and dread through methodical pacing, enemy placement and genuine surprises.

Graphics- 10/10

The environment design in Bloodborne to me is unrivaled- it is extraordinarily rich, packed with detail, haunting, unsettling and truly unique. The character designs are incredible as well- ranging from unique homages to classic monster tropes, victorian and dark age costumes, and eldritch horror. The overtly gothic visual style is one that is rarely explored and rarer still, done effectively, whether it be films, video games, TV shows…etc., and Bloodborne pulls it off beautifully.

Sound And Music- 9/10

Bloodborne’s moody orchestral music is used sparingly, but to great effect, giving more importance and significance to the moments that are scored. Like Dark Souls, Bloodborne’s score goes in often-unpredictable directions- sometimes going for a subversively serene or underplayed sound, rather than the more often intense and bombastic. The sound design is incredibly effective, often foreshadowing moments of terror with terrifying subtlety.

Story- 10/10

The Soulsborne games could easily be collectathons, but instead of collecting useless items like stars, coins or riddler trophies, every weapon, consumable, rune, or key item has a distinct place in the rich lore. Much like a puzzle, one has to piece together the whole story through small, seemingly inconsequential items that eventually paint a vivid picture of every major character and every major event that have come to form this rich and deeply layered world.  The beginning of the game seems like a modest tribute to horror archetypes- you’ve got your werewolves, angry villagers, crows, hunchbacks, giant rats and witches, but soon enough you find yourself ensnared in a web of cosmic horror, resulting in a widespread lack of sanity, all stemming from occult religious fervor.  It is truly one of the most disturbing and endlessly fascinating stories I’ve ever heard, made even more effective by the player’s active role in unraveling it.