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yvannairieI should probably give Iconoclasts a second try on an easier difficulty, b/c it's not like the difficulty affects the puzzles (the compelling part) and only makes it so that I can actually make it past the enemies that I don't really much feel like fighting.
I didn't really give it a fair shake when I gave up and just watched the ending on YT, because it does the thing I hate where the tragedy and the horror is kind of just swept aside and forgotten in favour of the happy ending of the titular main character.
And I get it, I do -- I think Robin's arc actually works as it is, nobody really gives her a fair shake despite her whole existence being Competence Porn, everyone treats her like she's frail and insignificant and her self-taugh skills and plucky attitude don't net her respect from either the One Concern or the people who push against that because she sits outside of both societies. In that sense, her going "you know what, third solution" and just kicking the final boss in the face is very satisfying.
And I guess... my problem might be a little bit that I did want her to save the world. And she did, she definitely did, but when a story that is so much about how society lets people down and what individuals can do to disrupt that... having it have such a starkly individualistic ending where she just peaces out and nothing is done about the Ivory shortage, the impending ecological collapse, the lack of a sensible governing structure... just made me feel discouraged.
I've started to wonder if that's just not me also imposing my will on Robin just like the other characters, though. Like, it's definitely a problem that we don't really see anything after the giant space bird from nowhere goes down, but that's more of a structural issue than a narrative one.
Also, Iconoclasts just. Has really good atmosphere, and there are certain segments of it I didn't get a chance to explore twice because I was in such a rush to get to the ending of the plot. With the pressure of narrative taken off me, I think I might actually enjoy the game a lot more.
I didn't really give it a fair shake when I gave up and just watched the ending on YT, because it does the thing I hate where the tragedy and the horror is kind of just swept aside and forgotten in favour of the happy ending of the titular main character.
And I get it, I do -- I think Robin's arc actually works as it is, nobody really gives her a fair shake despite her whole existence being Competence Porn, everyone treats her like she's frail and insignificant and her self-taugh skills and plucky attitude don't net her respect from either the One Concern or the people who push against that because she sits outside of both societies. In that sense, her going "you know what, third solution" and just kicking the final boss in the face is very satisfying.
And I guess... my problem might be a little bit that I did want her to save the world. And she did, she definitely did, but when a story that is so much about how society lets people down and what individuals can do to disrupt that... having it have such a starkly individualistic ending where she just peaces out and nothing is done about the Ivory shortage, the impending ecological collapse, the lack of a sensible governing structure... just made me feel discouraged.
I've started to wonder if that's just not me also imposing my will on Robin just like the other characters, though. Like, it's definitely a problem that we don't really see anything after the giant space bird from nowhere goes down, but that's more of a structural issue than a narrative one.
Also, Iconoclasts just. Has really good atmosphere, and there are certain segments of it I didn't get a chance to explore twice because I was in such a rush to get to the ending of the plot. With the pressure of narrative taken off me, I think I might actually enjoy the game a lot more.
