I’m always of the mind one should have a higher calling than money, and a more virtuous pursuit than finance, but when one is constantly harangued to do nothing but chase a paycheck, the take away of aspiring to be anything but mercenary about life is hard to argue against.

The irony of course, ends up being that in spite of mercenary like tactics, I remain broke, so it’s hard not to vibe with random stranger from Sonic Adventure, as seen above

I’ve touched upon before how I have this penchant of writing about writing about video games, even doing articles addressing this specific fact. Most of the time, (I know it’s weird I have to guess about this but just go with it) I’m assuming it comes from a place of good faith, as it just seems like a fun, maybe distinct approach to the matter. Writing online is not the same as a print publication, and has a unique feel all on its own. At least, I’m guessing it does, as I’ve never written for a print publication, but the internet and a magazine are different mediums in essence, so I doubt the assumption is wrong, even if I don’t have more real world experience to back it up.

I remember writing a preview for The Plucky Squire, back when I was still writing on ATE 1.0. I believe it was within the first 24 hours of launch, and there was more than just the obvious reason for writing a more standard preview of the game launch. After I had kind of done a slightly ironic self-sabotage with Echoes of Wisdom, where I purposely didn’t do an official preview, for again, reasons I thought were fun and creative. I stand by that decision, as there are already countless gaming journalists and freelance writers that would have done straight write ups of Zelda, so I feel like trying to do something different is not necessarily a bad thing. I wrote a traditional write up for it the day after anyways, so I mean, having cake and eating it too, as it were.

I told myself I would not do the same thing with The Plucky Squire, as it wasn’t as big a game as Zelda, so it probably needed more genuine support as a new title. Which, again, at the very least on Active Time Event, the site isn’t monetized, nor am I doing sponsorship deals, so when I want to write about something, it’s a genuine want and desire, not some kind of financial favor or proposed partnership. In any case, I did do a straight write up of it (Plucky Squire), and the preview by most standards seemed to deliver, putting it next to any other preview of the title and I think you’d see similar levels of quality.

Both previews ended up feeling as right as they did wrong, and it could just be I’m my own worst enemy, harshest critic, never really quite satisfied with the work I do. I honestly don’t know. My own machinations vex me on a regular basis. An authentic assessment was that I was present and accounted for, so I can at least say I tried on either account. I mean, part of my write up with the Zelda preview was questioning the functionality of said preview, as I regularly put forth the curiosity as to what point and purpose my writing helps to facilitate. Certainly a conduit for creativity, this is true, and it allows me to feel I have some control over my own destiny, by carving out a little niche for myself with which to call my own and serve up some personal expression, so I think on base level, there is some kind of advantage related to self-improvement and well being in mind (at hand), so it is not without merit entirely.

Though, as I posited with my Zelda preview, to help one decide whether or not to play the game is the ultimate moment of whether or not an article helped one to decide…I speculate, anyways. Or does the article affect one playing it after the fact just a tertiary silver lining if one was still entertained or informed by said write up? If the writing got one to think more, that’s obviously of key and relative value, maybe the highest point of virtuous intent one can strive for. This whole thing…Active Time Event I mean, is suppose to represent some personal project, some ceaseless existent proof of relative essence, a perpetuity in relation to an entity’s continual becoming, thriving within a certain function of the world at large. This sense of sanguine rationality is often the most one can predicate themselves upon, amidst the misery and the mire of the everyday, as we all fight with concerted effort just to keep our heads above water, and not just barely treading it, in spite of best efforts.

This flippant sense of sarcasm tends away from ire, as I don’t often become subservient to anger for so many reasonable notions. I jest about being a slave to reason, though it’s only in maybe within a greater respect of slavery being such a strong word, and I wish not to take away the serious weight of what one can actually be enslaved to, or the tragic sense of powerless futility that comes with the shackles, literal, metaphoric, or somehow, metaphysically betwixt the two standards. My efforts are always in framing self through a progressive standard of self-improvement, and the deconstruction of media and the critiques of fictional works, in grappling with media and understanding the world at large through it, is a great place to start the inquisition of reflection. However, the process of becoming must reach well beyond the standards of the silliness involved with hobbyism, lest one be nothing more than the shallow perversions of consumerist interest that line their shelves.

In any case, this was suppose to be about how I’m enjoying The Rogue Prince of Persia, though I had a sneaking suspicion there was enough bothering me that I wouldn’t get around to detailing as to why. I will at least do the game justice in saying the simple and the obvious about the title: it is basically just Dead Cells with a Prince of Persia coat of paint, and it’s strengths and weaknesses follow suit thusly.

Let us see if I will be up to the task tomorrow to detail as to why.

~Pashford