iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

It took nearly 10 years, but I finally beat all 100 challenge levels in Super Mario Maker 3DS. Some super fiendish puzzles in the later levels, and some incredible challenges await if you want to get all the medals. Really fun to see the mechanics stretched.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I watched Lanterns. It's basically a True Detective version of a super hero show (but not as good as TD). Great acting and character work, but the plot just isn't all that interesting.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Forspoken is on sale for $10 again, so I decided to finally try the #demo to see if I like it. It’s a mediocre Action/RPG with dull open world environments. “Magic parkour” movement is kinda fun, but the combat doesn’t feel great and the camera is the real enemy. Think I’ll pass.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an excellent RPG. While the story starts off slow and depressing, the character writing, music, and battle system are all great. I can see why it won so many awards. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Pacific Drive is a survival game about maintaining a car in a hostile exclusion zone. The onboarding experience is painfully dull and confusing, and I lost interest quickly. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Mario Golf Super Rush feels somewhat half-baked with a bland interface and new modes where you (poorly) run after your ball, but the changes to the swing meter are interesting and there’s a campaign mode to teach you the ropes. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Death Trick Double Blind is a visual novel similar to the Ace Attorney games about a circus murder where you must collect and present evidence with limited actions to advance conversations. It’s ok, but I didn’t love the #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is mostly good, but controls could be more responsive, art and music are off brand, and story/writing are awful. I liked that XP continues to accumulate over successive failures against the first boss which incentivizes you to keep trying. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Dragon Quest XI feels more accessible than other DQ games with enemies visible on the field and the ability to knock them out of the way with your horse. Story starts off super slow, but it’s charming. After the first couple hours, I like it so far. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The problem with making the spaces real and discoverable is that the viewer now wants to know more about them and how they came to be. If they were simply psychological manifestations of trauma and didn't physically exist, it would neatly close the loop.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I watched the Backrooms movie. While it succeeds at building creepy liminal spaces and showing how people become trapped inside their own trauma, it ultimately feels unsatisfying.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake sure is pretty. It also sure is Dragon Quest. Battles still have the text scroll and overly complex systems abound. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Fantasian Neo Dimension’s storybook cutscenes bore, but the innovative battle aiming and encounter stocking (collect enemies from random battles and fight them when you want all at once) make up for it. Just be sure to slow down the field map camera switch in the options. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I wanted to like Tearscape more than I actually did. It's a soulslike masquerading as a Zeldalike with imprecise controls that make combat frustrating. Lovely art, though. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I watched The Phoenician Scheme. It's an absurdist look at a desperate businessman's pain and peril as he tries to save his dreams and reconnect with his family. I was entertained, but I didn't love it.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I watched Asteroid City and I liked it. Typical Wes Anderson fare, so probably not for the unprepared, but I enjoyed the intertwining tale of artists and characters processing their baggage.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Isle of Reveries is an excellent GBC-style Zeldalike with devilish puzzles. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Tetris Forever collects 19 classic variations of Tetris, one new version, and one random Famicom game of Go alongside some documentary content to give historical context. I enjoyed messing around with it. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Islets is a solid metroidvania where major islands need to be brought together to connect and expand the map. Plays well. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I watched Supergirl. Milly Alcock and Eve Ridley are great, but the movie itself is forgettable, with a weak plot and poorly done action scenes.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I played through Sopa, a short adventure game about a lonely boy helping his grandma make soup. He imagines a world of obstacles that stand between him and the potatoes needed for the soup. Artistically nice, but mechanically a drag. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Seas of Stars is a masterpiece and you should play it. Sabotage is now two for two. Can't wait to see what they make next.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Beyond the main game, the Throes of the Watchmaker DLC, added earlier this year, is effectively a brand new episode where character progression starts from scratch with new abilities, new items, and new currency. It's a fun extension and great self-contained adventure.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

After the first ending, engaging side quests flesh out the characters and lead to the true ending, and for those who really work at it, there's a special secret room that fleshes out an idea from CT to break the fourth wall and connect the player with the creators.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

There's a devasting story moment about 2/3 of the way through the main game that is written and given time to breathe and develop in a deeper way than I've ever seen in a game like this. Very well done.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

And you are encouraged to use all the tools. MP can be regenerated with normal attacks, so you don't save special skills for bosses. Healing items are easily crafted from plentiful materials, so you don't have to hoard them.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It's also a game that respects the player's time. It's a turn-based RPG, but there's no random battles, no grinding, no job/esper/vision/materia/weapon/etc. bullshit to level up. You play each battle strategically using the tools available to you.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Unlike some other recent and upcoming RPGs that are also influenced by Chrono Trigger, the approach here was to take what made CT great and modernize it without outright copying it.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

What is so remarkable about this game is just how well designed it is. The level design, art design, sound design, gameplay design, etc. Everything feels so well thought out and iterated on. You can really tell that Sabotage cared about making a great game.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

After slowly working on it for a couple months, I finished Sea of Stars and its 2026 DLC. In short, I loved it. The story takes a while to get going, but everything else about the game is phenomenal.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The Adventures of Elliot OST is very good. Solid orchestral, medieval, and rousing adventuring music to accompany your journey. #gamemusic

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I didn't care for Beef Season 2. The acting and capitalist satire are great, but the plot is so all over the place and over the top that that I wonder if it would have been better as an anthology instead of a serial.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Strikers Edge is basically a medieval Windjammers where you throw spears, axes, arrows, etc. at each other in a similar side by side arena format. It's fun. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The Hundred Line OST does not disappoint. Masafumi Takada continues to deliver. #gamemusic

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Still no Chrono Trigger amiibo, so these will have to do. They are much bigger than I was expecting.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Would love to know what the budget for Physint is. Sony got scared and Microsoft smelled blood in the water. Competition is a good thing.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is less bullet heaven and more mining. Mining gives purpose, but environments are boring and even after playing for several hours, I never became a god of destruction like in Vampire Survivors. It’s decent, but the dopamine isn’t there. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Ocarina of Time remake looks great, but I’m surprised that they didn’t show any of the movie or announce more NSO Zelda games. Four Swords Adventures and Twilight Princess could have come, and I was kinda hoping for a surprise Zelda 99 or Zelda 40 like they did with Mario 35.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Sea of Stars came out over three years ago and showed that JRPGs can look like the classics and still move the genre forward. Glad I went back to it and looking forward to finishing it.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

FFR’s painful encounter rate flat out punishes exploration. It’s time for all RPGs to get rid of random battles.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Both AEB and FFR have hidden areas to discover, but without many movement options, it’s not as satisfying. AEB’s stacked planes are hard to parse, and FFR’s invisible walls make it look like you can go places you can’t.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

It cannot be overstated what a game changer the field design is. Allowing the player to climb ledges, swim, and more makes the game so much more interesting and textured.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

That’s not to take anything away from the others, but the battle system, level design, exploration, game balance, sound design, animation — just about everything feels so carefully considered and beautifully implemented.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Enjoying the demos for Final Fantasy Resonance and Another Eden Begins reminded me that I’m supposed to be playing Sea of Stars, so I went back to it and WOW. It’s so much better in nearly every way. The thoughtfulness of the design is just on another level.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Final Fantasy Resonance has gorgeous visuals, good music, an interesting story, and likable characters of its own, but is cheapened with fan service of classic FF characters. Battle system is ok if nothing special, and random fights still suck. Liked the 6+ hour #demo overall.

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Slash Zero is a 2.5D side-scrolling roguelite with a snoozer of an incomprehensible plot doing its best Hades impression structurally. It’s not bad, and almost slick, but not quite there. #demo

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David Dave @incisivized.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Although I initially found the in game character art and animations to be off putting, the story, characters, music, and simple gameplay drew me into Another Eden Begins and I ended up loving the 6-hour #demo.

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