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sidewaysA santa-stocking assortment of recs from this year, because that sounds like fun.
Fic
Battle of Eagles by wordswithout
Assassin's Creed; 203,290 words; Altair/Malik; pre- and post-canon
This has to be the stand-out since I've read it right through twice this year and still have not actually played this game. (Though I did end up buying Black Flag on sale just to give the franchise some kind of a go at long last.) The first fic in the duology is set pre-game, following Malik as he flees his burning home with his brother as a child, falls in with the Assassin Brotherhood, and slowly becomes entwined with Altair as both are raised and trained in Masyaf. The second picks up with the pair post-game, and diverges slightly from canon to tell the story of the Mongol encroachment and a threat that grows from within. It's ferociously well-researched and detail rich, with the kind of pacing and compelling character development that proves why slowburns are such a lusted-after crown jewel in the fanfic world.
Warnings for series-typical violence (including some quite gory descriptions of torture), explicit sexual content, historical racism and homophobia, and a relationship one cannot really call healthy.
ain't nobody left can sing the blues by Sorrel
Killjoys; 13,931 words; Dutch/D'avin; between seasons 2 and 3
This fic has been slightly jossed since it was written, but it's so good that who cares, really? Dutch, D'avin, and Fancy Lee try to get a workable routine going following the events of the season two finale. Absolutely killer dialogue won me over in seconds.
No warnings needed that I can think of? Grief, a little?
To Have and to Hold by Traincat
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, 2586 words, May Parker/Olivia Octavius; mostly crack
Remember how Otto Octavius nearly married May Parker in the comics? This writer sure did. Laugh out loud funny, and I still haven't found a writer who nails Peter's voice like Traincat does.
No warnings needed unless you're really disturbed by two mature women making out.
Vidya
The Silent Age by House On Fire
A side-scroller puzzle game of the old King's Quest ilk. Neither too long nor too complicated, and the puzzle solutions did better at being logical than some games I've played. A solid narrative and an endearingly kind dumbass of a protagonist helped make a lasting impression. Great filler game between the 60 hour commitments of the AAA monstrosities.
The Stanley Parable by Davey Wreden
Are there people out there who don't know about the Stanley Parable? I have to assume so given I was one. To explain it is to take away from the experience, so - experimental, philosophical, extremely simple to play but extremely weird to do. Also an excellent low commitment option.
The Outer Worlds by Obsidian Entertainment
A 60 hour commitment - but a really fun one! You are a colonist who has arrived 70 years late, and a mad scientist has popped you out of the freezer life because he wants to help rescue the rest of your fellow popsicles. Alas, during your long slumber the corporate-run colonies have devolved into satirical high capitalism chaos, and navigating the twisted social structures will evoke some "oh, too close to home" winces. Great flexibility in terms of character creation and play-style; worldbuilding that isn't as fresh and original as Fallout once was but still sparkles; really pretty planet designs! One downside of note: first-person is your only option.
Music
Waterbound by Dirk Powell
Spotify's roundup declared Dirk Powell my favourite artist of the year, which was extremely funny because this is the only song of his I've ever listened to. But I am real fond of it. Folksy and poetic.
1955 by Hilltop Hoods
Driving around with co-workers has done wonders for broadening my musical horizons, and this has become something of my personal theme for the town I'm now living in. It's cute, it's boppy, and Montaigne's handling of the chorus makes it a stand-out.
Strawberry Blonde by Mitski
Did I stumble onto this song via a Moomin animatic? Maybe. Do I wish the rest of Mitski's music was more like this one? Kinda!
Singularity by Darlingside
Gentle, melancholy apocalypse.
Creation of Earth by Thomas Bergersen
Another gorgeous instrumental by one half of the Two Steps From Hell team. The melody that kicks in the second half is the part that really hit me in the heart c: You can feel the celebration of life in it!
Fic
Battle of Eagles by wordswithout
Assassin's Creed; 203,290 words; Altair/Malik; pre- and post-canon
This has to be the stand-out since I've read it right through twice this year and still have not actually played this game. (Though I did end up buying Black Flag on sale just to give the franchise some kind of a go at long last.) The first fic in the duology is set pre-game, following Malik as he flees his burning home with his brother as a child, falls in with the Assassin Brotherhood, and slowly becomes entwined with Altair as both are raised and trained in Masyaf. The second picks up with the pair post-game, and diverges slightly from canon to tell the story of the Mongol encroachment and a threat that grows from within. It's ferociously well-researched and detail rich, with the kind of pacing and compelling character development that proves why slowburns are such a lusted-after crown jewel in the fanfic world.
Warnings for series-typical violence (including some quite gory descriptions of torture), explicit sexual content, historical racism and homophobia, and a relationship one cannot really call healthy.
ain't nobody left can sing the blues by Sorrel
Killjoys; 13,931 words; Dutch/D'avin; between seasons 2 and 3
This fic has been slightly jossed since it was written, but it's so good that who cares, really? Dutch, D'avin, and Fancy Lee try to get a workable routine going following the events of the season two finale. Absolutely killer dialogue won me over in seconds.
No warnings needed that I can think of? Grief, a little?
To Have and to Hold by Traincat
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, 2586 words, May Parker/Olivia Octavius; mostly crack
Remember how Otto Octavius nearly married May Parker in the comics? This writer sure did. Laugh out loud funny, and I still haven't found a writer who nails Peter's voice like Traincat does.
No warnings needed unless you're really disturbed by two mature women making out.
Vidya
The Silent Age by House On Fire
A side-scroller puzzle game of the old King's Quest ilk. Neither too long nor too complicated, and the puzzle solutions did better at being logical than some games I've played. A solid narrative and an endearingly kind dumbass of a protagonist helped make a lasting impression. Great filler game between the 60 hour commitments of the AAA monstrosities.
The Stanley Parable by Davey Wreden
Are there people out there who don't know about the Stanley Parable? I have to assume so given I was one. To explain it is to take away from the experience, so - experimental, philosophical, extremely simple to play but extremely weird to do. Also an excellent low commitment option.
The Outer Worlds by Obsidian Entertainment
A 60 hour commitment - but a really fun one! You are a colonist who has arrived 70 years late, and a mad scientist has popped you out of the freezer life because he wants to help rescue the rest of your fellow popsicles. Alas, during your long slumber the corporate-run colonies have devolved into satirical high capitalism chaos, and navigating the twisted social structures will evoke some "oh, too close to home" winces. Great flexibility in terms of character creation and play-style; worldbuilding that isn't as fresh and original as Fallout once was but still sparkles; really pretty planet designs! One downside of note: first-person is your only option.
Music
Waterbound by Dirk Powell
Spotify's roundup declared Dirk Powell my favourite artist of the year, which was extremely funny because this is the only song of his I've ever listened to. But I am real fond of it. Folksy and poetic.
1955 by Hilltop Hoods
Driving around with co-workers has done wonders for broadening my musical horizons, and this has become something of my personal theme for the town I'm now living in. It's cute, it's boppy, and Montaigne's handling of the chorus makes it a stand-out.
Strawberry Blonde by Mitski
Did I stumble onto this song via a Moomin animatic? Maybe. Do I wish the rest of Mitski's music was more like this one? Kinda!
Singularity by Darlingside
Gentle, melancholy apocalypse.
Creation of Earth by Thomas Bergersen
Another gorgeous instrumental by one half of the Two Steps From Hell team. The melody that kicks in the second half is the part that really hit me in the heart c: You can feel the celebration of life in it!
no subject
Date: 2019-12-28 02:44 am (UTC)Thanks for the music recs as well, I just listened to "Singularity" and it was great.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-28 03:55 am (UTC)I found TSP particularly interesting from the philosophy-about-narrative perspectives, heh. Only put a few hours into it, but it's pretty cheap these days, I think?
Darlingside seems to fall into that "liquid poetry" genre that can really tickle me. See also: Of Monsters and Men, Winter People, Faded Paper Figures, Freelance Whales.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-28 12:54 pm (UTC)I love Of Monsters and Men, so it's no surprise I like something in that vein!
no subject
Date: 2019-12-28 03:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-12-28 03:58 am (UTC)I played TOW on PS4, since my laptop is much too old to cope with a game of that calibre, and I found it worked well? Very few glitches, no crashing, smooth gameplay. I'm not sure how it compares against the PC experience, though, sorry!
no subject
Date: 2019-12-28 04:45 am (UTC)Thanks for the input! I'm kind of leaning toward PS4 for it anyway because even though I love mods computer games always seem to end up giving me a technical headache at some point smh
no subject
Date: 2019-12-28 09:13 pm (UTC)Yeah, I also find console makes me less dizzy for first person games, and especially ones that involve shooting.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-29 04:48 am (UTC)The Outer Worlds looks interesting. First person games sometimes make me dizzy, though, so I'm not sure I'll be able to play it. I might try to find a fun let's play to watch.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-29 06:13 am (UTC)I suffer from motion sickness terribly and can get headspins from first person games, especially on PC, and The Outer Worlds sat alright with me after the first few minutes. It helps that the combat isn't overly complicated, I think!