Resident Evil was definitely...something!

This video is absolutely related to today's post! This is just for the people who want to see the gameplay with no commentary. I hope you guys enjoy it! :)))

• Word Count: 675

    Okay, as I’m writing this, I literally JUST beat the first Resident Evil game like…an hour ago. Plus, I’m watching a JazzyGuns gameplay to refresh my memory. I wanted to talk about my thoughts for a bit. Overall, it’s a really good game. I think it’s one of the best introductions to a franchise I’ve ever seen, and I loved the story. Additionally, I liked how different the game’s mechanics were. The fixed camera angles made the game even scarier, adding to the atmosphere of an already creepy-ass game. Honestly, it was cool and gave a nice experience…but you couldn’t pay me to play this shit again! 

I mean this in the most respectful way possible; this is not one of those games I’d play more than once. Now, before you guys say anything, it wasn’t the controls that made me say that, and no, it wasn’t the lack of inventory space I had in my pockets. All of that shit I got used to pretty quickly. What threw me off was the lack of guidance. Mannnnnn, when I tell you this game doesn’t tell you shit, this game does not tell you shit. We’re talking no objections; none of the rooms are labeled on the maps, and you’re barely given any hints throughout the game. You’re essentially playing the game blind, which, technically, is the point. In a way, you’re experiencing how your character feels in real time: being thrown into a super huge mansion, feeling like there’s no way out, almost hopeless, sure…but at the same time, that can make the game unenjoyable. Eventually, you start getting lost, and some puzzles are so difficult that you have to research them (depending on who you are). Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t make Resident Evil bad, just slightly annoying. 

- I also want to note that if you play the game long enough, you eventually get used to the navigation in the Spencer Mansion. I still meant what I said, though! 

Not to mention the people who are new to Resident Evil! When you add older controls to a game with fixed camera angles, and the player doesn’t know what they’re doing, it can be overwhelming to say the least. I also want to say, as a Resident Evil fan, I don’t like the way people try to gatekeep the franchise. Seriously, there are way too many people who say shit like…

• “If you didn’t play the first Resident Evil, you’re not a real fan.” 
• “You can’t be a Resident Evil fan if you don’t play the games!”

First of all, this is why I said don’t interact with the fandom in my last Resident Evil piece. Second, you can 100 percent be a fan of a game and never play it. As a matter of fact, I’ll use myself as an example; I’m a super huge fan of Five Nights at Freddy’s. I’ve been a fan since the first game came out; I’ve done multiple deep dives on the games, I've listened to most of the songs people made for the franchise, and I’ve been watching gameplays since I was a little kid. Now, guess who’s never played any of the games. Me! I don’t intend to play any of them either. It doesn’t make me less of a fan, though! See, we have to stop listening to random losers on the internet, my dudes. LMAOOOO 

Now, other than that, I actually had a lot of fun with this game! I played as Chris again because I loved his character, but I didn’t realize it was probably a bad decision to make. Dude, I was four hours into my gameplay before I learned Jill had more inventory space and she had certain abilities Chris didn’t. I knew I fucked up, but I’m not the type to just restart a game. I figured I might as well go along with it lol. So, I essentially took the hard way out; I don’t regret it, though. I had a lot of fun! Anyways, thanks for reading! 

- CD ★

☆ BONUS MATERIAL (FOR FUN :) ☆
I wanted to show you guys two things: The results I got from my playthrough and a video of someone talking about the Resident Evil safe rooms lol. I really liked the deep dive and wanted to show it here. I hope you guys enjoy yourselves! 
ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ

It Feels Good to Be Black: A Reflection

 

This video is heavily related to today's post. It's very motivational, so I hope you guys like it. :)))

    I often think about a Malcolm X speech where he says, “Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? Who taught you to hate the color of your skin?” I think about it way more than I should, not because I despise it, but because it means so much to me. I can’t speak for anybody, but I can speak for myself; I had to learn to love myself in the mirror. I grew up forced to get relaxers in my hair, never even knowing my natural texture until I turned 16…I might open that can of worms another day. I also grew up around a lot of people who had internalized racism and never unlearned it; I had to distance myself from people like that. 

When I started my loc journey, I learned to love myself fully. I was forced to look at my hair and my features, realizing two things: One, I couldn’t hide how I looked anymore, and two, I couldn’t change what I was looking at. My hair had been hidden - or altered - for the majority of my life. So, to finally look at me was something I didn’t know I needed. It took a long time, but I slowly started learning to love every part of me. Not to mention, there were online communities I joined, where I saw and connected with other Black people who were confident in themselves. That’s another thing I wanted to talk about; there’s a certain - and unspoken - level of community that’s tied into being Black. That’s when I realized something: to be Black is to be loved. To be Black is to love yourself regardless of what other people tell you and regardless of who tries to make you hate what you see every day. 

Honestly, that’s what keeps bringing me back to this lecture. I think it’s something a lot of us need to hear. Actually, I wish I heard this when I was a little girl. However, as messed up as it was, I’m glad my journey happened when it did; I still learned to love regardless. I love my curls. I love my skin. I love all of my features. I love being Black in general. I love the things we create. I love the way we uplift each other. I love how beautiful we are. I don’t know about y’all, but seeing people love themselves makes me want to love myself also. To be Black is to be everything…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

- P.S. PLEASE watch the Malcolm X movie from 1992! It’s a nice watch lol.

- CD ★

☆ BONUS MATERIAL (FOR FUN :) ☆

While writing this entry, I was reminded of Fred Hampton when he was talking about race and solidarity. I felt the themes were similar to what I was talking about, so I included the video. I hope you guys like this too. Thanks for reading! (o´▽`o)

July Announcements: Album & Film of the Month, Blog & YouTube Updates, & More

This video is somewhat related to today's post. This is mostly for people who want to see a deep dive into album production and want to learn the nerdier side of music. I hope you guys like it! :)))

    Hey everyone, I hope you guys are doing good! I've really been getting to work lately, and I wanted to share some announcements I have for this month. 

1. For the album of the month, I decided to go with Voodoo by D'Angelo (2000). Now...let's be honest, y'all...y'all knew deep down this was going to be the album of the month LMAOOOOO. When it became the first album I reviewed, I knew I was doomed. Okay, seriously though, I loved this album so much when I first heard it. I literally went out of my way to NOT listen to anything else until I made this album of the month. No bullshit, I love this album so much, and I am beyond happy to showcase it. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did. 
2. Now, for the film of the month, I wanted to do BOBO BLUES by Myracle. Honestly, I saw the film a while ago and also saved it for the right time. After looking at the themes in the Voodoo album, I thought picking this project would be perfect. I think I said this before, but I like to craft a theme for every month. I hope I'm doing well lol. 
3.  The next thing I wanted to talk about was my YouTube content. I know I'm not as consistent on there, but I want to get better at that. I know it's been a while since I uploaded a podcast episode OR a gameplay video...and I want to change that. Don't ask me how, because I don't know yet, but just know it'll get done. I'm thinking I may have to change my content up a bit; maybe throwing a different game in there or finding a topic for the podcast at least once a month. I'll figure it out, but my point is, if you're subscribed to my YouTube channel, expect a few small changes. 
4. My last announcement relates to the content on this blog. I think I'm EATINGGGGG with my articles right now. I literally just put out an essay about Resident Evil 5, and I spent weeks working on it. It was the first time I felt nerdy when writing about something; I loved it. I want to do more things like that. Actually, I won't give away what it is, but I want to work on writing a certain anime. However, if I want to write about it, it'll require me to rewatch the anime...and I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. I'll get back to y'all on that another time! 

    Anyway, that's all for the announcements! I hope you guys enjoy yourselves, and I'll talk to you guys soon!  

o(≧▽≦)o

The Good & Bad of Resident Evil 5: A Retrospective

 

Obviously, this video is heavily related to today's post lol. This is for the people who just want to see the gameplay without commentary. Hope you guys like it! :)))

• Word Count: 1,083 

    Before I start, I just wanted to say I’ve always been a fan of Resident Evil. Growing up, my dad bought a lot of the games: Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 2 Revelations, Resident Evil 5, and Resident Evil 7. I vividly remember being at his house and just playing around with that dramatic ass bass booming on the TV when I was getting chased. Then, as I got older, I kept buying the Resident Evil games. I bought Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City…see, barely anybody talks about that game; it was actually fire, but I’m drifting from the point, my bad. Even though I have the games, I’ve never actually completed any of them. They either got too difficult for me or a level made me chicken out. Either way, it never got done. I usually watched gameplays until recently. 

    I started playing Resident Evil 5 with my brother a few weeks ago. I made him play Sheva since I wanted to play Chris. A few years ago, I tried to play Resident Evil 5 by myself, but there was a certain level that made me chicken out, so I stopped playing. My brother and I were talking, and I don’t know how it came up in the conversation, but I convinced him to play co-op with me…and then we actually managed to complete the game. It was actually fucking crazy. I almost chickened out a few times, but it was hard to ditch the game when I saw how much my brother was enjoying it. So, naturally, I think I started having fun too. 

    Looking back, I also realized Resident Evil 5 wasn’t as scary as I remembered. A few of the bosses creeped me out, but I wasn’t alone, which made it better. Not to mention, I just love the game itself. I loved the story and all of the bosses, as creepy as they were. Additionally, I think Chris and Sheva are cool as shit. However, as much as I like the game, I perfectly understand why it gets backlash. To be completely honest, I don’t like the way Resident Evil 5 portrays Black people. At all. I actually think it’s tone deaf, and I don’t give a fuck when the game was made. It’s not the setting that makes me upset. There’s nothing wrong with making a game that takes place (anywhere) in Africa; it’s whether or not the culture is respected, and I think it falls flat. Portraying African people in this savage-like state when they’re infected, it rubs me the wrong way. Before any of you say anything, it’s actually confirmed that the Las Plagas parasite made the villagers revert to their ancestral practices. Now, I understand why other Black gamers aren’t offended. I understand both sides, but if people are expressing their discomfort over things like that, you can’t just dismiss it. People are uncomfortable for a reason. Also, before any of you come to me to talk about Resident Evil 4 or Resident Evil 6, I’m not here to talk about those games, as I cannot speak for the communities portrayed. I can only speak as a Black gamer, and other people of color should be allowed to express their discomfort if they have any. 

The following picture shows a journal entry from the game that proves my statements. 

    Anyway, this is why I think Capcom should fix a few things when - not if - they remake Resident Evil 5. One of the main things they should have is captions and translations for what the villagers are saying throughout the game. As you play the game, you can hear locals speaking in another language, which isn’t the problem. The problem is the player having a lack of understanding, which can often lead to a lack of respect. Because you are displaying a culture that isn’t often visible in the media, the very least you are responsible for is presenting things as respectfully as possible. Showing little things like that, it gives people an insight into the community and lets the player have curiosity. It gives them room to ask shit like…

• “What language are they speaking?” 
• “Which country in Africa is this based on?” 

You know, shit like that! I also want the game to humanize the people a bit more, and before y’all say anything, Resident Evil is actually good at humanizing background characters. I could easily remind you guys of the journal pages you can read in any of the games, reading about people slowly becoming undead and losing hope for the world around them. We both know there are several examples of shit like this. I also propose this idea because there are people who genuinely think the background characters are speaking gibberish, and I read that they’re actually speaking Swahili. Again, uneducated people often disrespect or dismiss what they don’t understand, whether it’s intentional or not. So, to prevent those talking points, captions and translations are needed…and honestly, that was my only critique. Of course, there’s bugs and shit, but the game is old as hell. Also, I’m not the type to talk about the technical parts of the game anyway.

    Criticism aside, Resident Evil 5 is not a bad game. Actually, I want to go even further and say it’s one of the more fun Resident Evil games. I meant it when I said it felt like an arcade story game. It’s one of the shorter ones, too, so it’s a bit easier to play; plus, I can see myself replaying it a few years from now. It’s a good time regardless of how you play it (by yourself or with a friend). I also want to say that beating Resident Evil 5 gave me the confidence to try and beat other games in the franchise. Right now, I’m playing the first Resident Evil. The fixed camera angles threw me off a bit, but it was easy for me to get used to them. I found a bundle of it and Resident Evil 0 on sale, so it was just good timing. Speaking of which, I also want to play the Revelations games and finish them. As I said before, I was already a fan, but beating Resident Evil 5 made me fall in love with the franchise. I’m happy to be a fan, and I’m happy I got to gush about it. Thanks for listening!

- P.S. Stay the absolute FUCK away from the fandom! If you’ve ever interacted with it, you know exactly why. LMAOOOO

- CD ★

☆ SOURCES ☆

- Click for more info!

• Use of Swahili in Resident Evil 5 | Fandom Wiki Page 

☆ BONUS MATERIAL (FOR FUN :) ☆

I wanted to show you guys the screenshots I took of the figurines in Resident Evil 5. I think I would be a good-ass photographer LMAO. Hope you guys like them, and thanks for reading! 

<(￣︶￣)>

Chapter 2: Customizing & Tailoring

 

Poster was made on Canva! 

(None of these photos are mine)

    For a while, I was thinking of what I wanted chapter two to be about. At first, I wanted to write about baggy clothes and how comfort can definitely elevate style…and honestly, we can still talk about that. I might do that for the next chapter since it’s still in the drafts, but as I was writing that, I was experimenting with something else. For a long time, I wanted to try upcycling/tailoring my shirts. When I was 18, I bought a stiff shirt from the thrift store; it was teal and had a little cat design on it. I tried cutting the shirt without a tutorial (I wanted something off the shoulder); it turned out terrible, and I didn’t try it again. Then, fast-forward to me at 20, and I came across a few videos of people cutting their shirts. I saw how nice the fashion girls looked, and at THAT point, I decided to try again. I cut a more stretchy shirt; I had better resources, and guess what? My shit came out FABULOUS lmao. So, when I got good results, I just kept doing it and cutting more shirts. Mannnn, when I tell you my shirts came out so cute, I felt cute too. Which is saying a lot because I never felt that cute in my life, but I’m rambling a lot right now. Look, the point is you don’t always have to spend money on new clothes; sometimes you can just look in your closet. 

Also, you’d be amazed by how many tutorials are online for anything fashion-related. I saw videos of people making shit off the shoulder, putting pictures and logos on shirts; I even saw a video of someone making capris by just cutting a pair of skinny jeans. From spying on the fashion and alternative sides of the internet, I learned a lot of people are just tailoring their clothes. Most of the clothes you see people wear? They’re cute, and they probably weren’t expensive. This is why I get sad when people say they don’t have enough money for their style. Not everyone starts off super stylish. A lot of people you see on the internet have experimented and practiced until they found what they liked. So try giving yourself that same grace! 

Another thing I wanted to talk about is customizing your character lol. Okay, hear me out; you know how you can make your own character in (some) video games? In my opinion, that is exactly how we should treat ourselves. Everything about us is customizable. You want to change how long or short your hair is? You can do it. You want to get some dope ass piercings? Well, you can. You want to try a new makeup look? You definitely can. You want to do some funky shit with your eyebrows? Go do that shit. And some of y’all think doing little things like that doesn’t make a difference, but it does. Making subtle changes to your “character” not only makes you stand out, but it gives you the chance to experiment and figure out what you like. Additionally, I don’t think we use our free will enough. Like me, for example; randomly throughout the year, I’ll remember I like to cut my eyebrows, so I’ll do eyebrow slits sometimes. I think some people are just scared to fuck around and find out. It’s our bodies, and we should feel comfortable enough to change our appearances as we see fit…but that’s just me, though! LMAO 

Now, the last thing I wanted to talk about is something I want to try: designing my own clothes. When I was looking at people cutting up their clothes, I came across videos of people bleaching and painting their clothes too, and that’s one of the things I can see myself trying. Now, I can’t lie…I get a little nervous about bleaching anything. I don’t know, bleach is such a powerful ass chemical. I just get anxious…so I might try painting first! Dude, I see people on Pinterest do these cool paintings on their jeans; I just HAVE to do something like that, and when I do it, I’ll get back to y’all!

Anyway, I think I made this entry to tell y’all to experiment a little bit. The most stylish people you know probably took the time to find themselves out, and I think we should do the same. Since my last journal entry about watches, I’ve been fucking around and finding out. I’ve been tailoring all of my old shirts in my closet, and it’s encouraged me to accessorize more. I feel nice about it too. You know how people say when you look good, you feel good? It’s kind of like that. Anyway, I’m done rambling for the day. Thanks for reading! I’m going to go tweak some more clothes now! 

- CD ★