Echo Bizarre

YouTube video by AILLBREAKFAST A clinically depressed newscaster with Disco Elysium music

It's February again

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjco...

After I finally beat the Path of Pain when I played Hollow Knight I got really sick. Starting Silksong now and I wonder which part of the game will be so hard it strikes me with an actual physical illness this time around.

I almost mentioned Arc Raiders but I didn't play it... because of the AI use. But that's a good example of why AI indicating lack of respect is such a problem because in this case the lack of respect is for voice actors (that's the only confirmed AI use in Arc Raiders, right? Or is there more?

YouTube video by Echo Bizarre Uh Oh! Did I Like a Game with AI in It?

A short reflection on why AI still bad

youtu.be/elibZysknLA

When brainpower isn't used up by Biotics and gadgets the brain is free to contemplate the meaning of the universe

I mean his intention was definitely to just do "media bad" comedy as a living cartoon character, not to fight reactionary thought. Not sure what any of his recent stuff has been like but I doubt it's that different. Perhaps the world needs a true Critic of Nostalgia

Nostalgia Critic's initial conceit "reviewing bad old media our nostalgia goggles filter out" seems like a weirdly deradicalizing concept given how reactionaries like to romanticize past media as innately better as a recruiting tactic.

His style of "angry man shoots movie with gun" is less so.

It may have ended last May but Andor wasn't really complete until now

YouTube video by Duke of Whales A Narrative Investigation of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

Incredible that @dukeofwhales.bsky.social swooped in on December 30th after a year of radio silence to drop one of the best video essays of 2025

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNj8...

Silhouette of Batman from Batman: The Animated Series

Were 90s kids clamoring for a Batman cartoon with 1930s Art Deco aesthetics? Is that what the market demanded? Or did some really smart creative people have a vision and make a genre-defining hit that sustained 20 years of TV shows? If you want success look for vision, not just metrics.

YouTube video by Echo Bizarre Replaying Deus Ex in 2025: A Narrative Analysis

Picture me chilling in the middle of the night after new years, deciding to start watching a 3 hours long video of a youtuber I enjoy about DeusEx, to ride until the morning, and suddenly my own game jumpscares me...
Check @echobizarre.bsky.social out!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOrV...

YouTube video by Echo Bizarre Replaying Deus Ex in 2025: A Narrative Analysis

My November video is finally out at the end of December

If you have three and a half hours to spare you could watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, or you could watch me talk about one of my favorite games

youtu.be/uOrVZ12Dll4

One possible thumbnail, featuring the main logo surrounded by JC Denton, Paul Denton, Nicolette DuClare, Anna Navarre, and Bob Page's head superimposed over Elon Musk's head from the photo of him doing the Nazi salute

A possible thumbnail featuring the Versalife hand around the globe statue with the text "How a Classic Has Aged" placed between the globe and the hand

Tomorrow

(unless I rewatch it late at night and notice something I somehow didn't notice during my last two final rewatches and panic and take it down to edit even more)

Dr. Doom is my favorite comic book villain and my own personal fancast would be Ramon Tikaram (Dorian Pavus in Dragon Age, Aatrox in LoL, Ramattra in Overwatch) instead of the dumb RDJ nostalgia stunt

Either that or go full nostalgia and have Simon Templeman do his voice from the 90s cartoon again

Obviously the movie isn't out yet (and I won't see it to confirm my prediction) but it really does look like this version of Napoleon only goes bad because of the tech tycoon human lady tempting him into hedonism when the book gives him much more agency in his own evil

That terrible looking Animal Farm movie being distributed by Angel Studios (right wing Sound of Freedom producers) is very funny, I assume they picked it up b/c "anti-communism" but the trailer makes it look like actual Stalin apologia - "he would have been fine if capitalists hadn't corrupted him"

Tau Ceti may be farther but Pluto has the mythological double meaning

Broke: "I only play old games because I hate women and minorities in games"
Woke: "I only play old games because at least I know for sure they weren't made with genAI"
Bespoke: "Even old games can be ruined with an update at any minute, destroy genAI completely and exile every CEO to Pluto"

Screenshot from Disco Elysium. The text reads: "You - What? No! Limbic System - Oh yes, party boy. And it's *worse* than the one before! Just think of the shit you saw! Here it comes too, so soon already! A silent alarm goes off in your head, like clockwork, barely let you sleep at all... Time to get those clothes on, Harry! Time to go to work in the shit factory!"

MauLer promoting his 18 hour Star Wars Outlaws ramble or whatever it is on X the Everything App with a pastiche of End of Eva (though when I saw the video in my recommended it had a different thumbnail so either he's A/B testing or thought better of this thumbnail)

Or maybe I should mean to criticize one specific creator

An image I made as a goof of the poster for End of Evangelion with the title edited to be "The End of The End of Evangelion" and the giant Rei face replaced with a smaller End of Eva poster turned on its side

I don't mean this to criticize any one specific creator, but I feel like I've seen more than enough YouTube thumbnails riffing on the End of Evangelion to last me a year at least

lol. lmao.

I believe in rehabilitation rather than punishment, I believe everyone who makes a sincere, good faith effort can change for the better

But people who toss in random, unrelated songs into album tracklist playlists on YouTube should be exiled to the sun

@echobizarre.bsky.social made a video on that topic, and I highly recommend it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSIG...

Independent Games Festival The Independent Games Festival (IGF) was established in 1998 to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers.

The real awards show to look out for if you want to find cool indies is the IGF when GDC rolls around igf.com

So obviously every Game Awards overlooks great games even while recognizing others (Expedition 33 and Hades II are awesome, haven't played other GOTY noms)

Here are some 2025 indies not in the Game Awards worth looking into:
Citizen Sleeper 2
Promise Mascot Agency
Eternal Strands
Malys
Wishbind

Four comic panels. Panel 1: wide shot of the Fantastic Four approaching their Fantasticar in the distance. Human Torch: "You may call me hot-headed, leader man, but it seems to me that the government's made a big mistake here! We know Doc Doom a lot better than Henry the K does!" Mr. Fantastic: "That may be, Johnny, but I'm sure Dr. Kissinger feels this is the best way to neutralize Doom's threat!" The Thing: "Neutralize Doom? Har de har har!" Panel 2: close up of Mr. Fantastic looking pissed off. Mr. Fantastic: "Listen to you two! You talk like revolutionaries! If you don't like the way I'm running this team, you can always go it alone!" Panel 3: Two-shot of Torch and Mr. Fantastic arguing. Human Torch: "Maybe we just will, Reed! You talk about how Ben and I sound, but you sound like Neville Chamberlain before World War II! He said Hitler wasn't going to bother anybody-- and Doom's just a modern-day Hitler! Panel 4: Torch is really mad, while Invisible Woman holds him back from behind. Human Torch: "He's sitting up here in the middle of Europe with only one goal, the conquest of the world! And now that he's got Namor--" Invisible Woman: "Johnny, please! Let's not fight among ourselves! It's Reed's decision to make!"

Then the Fantastic Four leaves in defeat and Johnny Storm compares Reed to Neville Chamberlain and Doom to Hitler. Frankly a bit insensitive considering Doom is Romani and his regime has never been ethno-supremacist but clearly Godwin's Law was alive and well in 1976

Three comic book panels. Panel 1: Dr. Doom stands at the top of a staircase with the Fantastic Four below. A man stands in the shadows of a doorway up behind Doom. The Thing: "It's Doom -- Waitin' for us!" Dr. Doom: "I warn you, Fantastic Four: Leave my castle immediately!" The Thing: "We'll leave, all right-- after we've fixed your little red wagon!" Panel 2: the shadowed man is HENRY KISSINGER! He steps in front of Dr. Doom. Kissinger: "No, Mr. Grimm-- you will do as Dr. Doom says-- for as your secretary of state, I have just concluded a non-aggression agreement with Latveria! From this moment on, no Americans may interfere in this nation's internal affairs! We need Latveria on our side-- to maintain our national security and world peace!" Panel 3: Mr. Fantastic and the Thing are shocked and disturbed. The Thing: "Wha-at? If you think--" Mr. Fantastic: "Don't, Ben! We've never bucked the government before, and we can't start now-- no matter what our feelings! This is over our heads!"

A big splash panel for the next issue with the big title "Who is... the Shroud?" at the top. The image depicts Dr. Doom chatting with Henry Kissinger while Namor the Sub-Mariner sulks in front of them. The Fantastic Four walk out past Doom's portcullis in the background. Dr. Doom: "Well done, Dr. Kissinger! Your timely intervention stopped those hot-headed fools in their tracks!*" *Last Issue. --Marv. Kissinger: "These superheroes have enjoyed too much freedom to this point, Dr. Doom! It's time they learned that despite their great powers, they are still subject to the policies of their government!" Namor (thought balloons): "So! Latveria and the United States have formed a non-aggression pact. Barring the Fantastic Four and all other Americans from interfering in Doom's affairs! I fear the secretary of state has put expediency ahead of sound judgment-- but I am sworn to say nothing-- for the Prince of Atlantis is still Doom's slave!"

Shout out to the time Dr. Doom stopped the Fantastic Four from kicking his ass by negotiating an America-Latveria non-aggression pact with special guest star Henry Kissinger

(Super-Villain Team-Up #6 and 7)

People who say that modern video games are bad are just telling on themselves. There is an abundance of incredible games being made by tons of people right now. You are just buying a COD clone for the fiftieth time, Gerald.