iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The sample artifacting is just 👌

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Liking this lightning. What engine may I be so bold to ask?

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Generally try to not rant online these days, but wow @adobe.com @adobelive.bsky.social - ya'll are just absolutely kicking my ass these days. I've endured a lot of boneheaded design changes in 30 years, but I'm actually shopping for alternatives... I'm an old dog, don't make me learn new tricks!

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

We cut the polyrhythms! There are a few still in the Bass area

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Ex Ubisoft creative director here, ‘When market anticipation has waned’ is kind of their whole modus operandi. With equal parts frustration, sincerity, and bewilderment, I cannot fathom that system operating at anything less than epically late to the party. Oh the stories I could tell…

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Reposted by Richard Flanagan

Metanet Software Inc. @metanetsoftware.com · 26/06/2026

RESKEET THIS FOR A LIFETIME OF GOOD KARMA (and one good videogame, to be delivered at some point in 2027) <3

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

That said, you wouldn’t want this particular narrative to float over the heads of the target demographic, so perhaps the directness is appropriate.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Also, I applaud the narrative! In isolation it would be an absolute triumph, but compared to Returnal it felt a little thin. It’s much more legible (which is great), but I think a subtler approach would have appealed to me more.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Perhaps the red/blue/yellow death orb particle pervert market was already saturated, maybe growth wasn’t the move here.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

The structural & progression changes where smart moves to make Saros more accessible than it’s predecessor. But, I wonder if doubling down on the extremely hardcore shit that defined Returnal is the alternate game that might’ve resonated harder?

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Ok! Finished both endings of Saros. I still really liked this game. It does not reach the highs of Returnal, but it also removes A LOT of the frustration that game can produce. I can (unlike Returnal), easily recommend it. The game feel is unmatched - moment to moment is PEERLESS

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I was today years old when is discovered Ho99o9. FML this is a complex venn diagram of a remarkable number of niche things I’m into. Many of which are a bit nostalgic, but these maniacs keep it fresh. music.apple.com/ca/album/tar...

music.apple.com

Target Practice by Ho99o9 on Apple Music

Song · 2025 · Duration 2:11

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

The art direction is more polished than Returnal, but it's a pinch more UE5/generic in some places. Returnal felt unique and fresh in a lot of ways (and less welcoming) - Saros is more polished, detailed and legible, but has lost some of the alien magic

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

... these conversations where only people's faces animate while they're bodies aren't facing the right way and my character is holding a massive alien crossbow that is clipping through their chest isn't selling the narrative. I appreciate the ambition, but it's an over-reach for sure

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

But tonally it's worse than Returnal, everywhere It's not terrible, but the vagueness of Returnal did a lot of heavy lifting yet felt intentional. Diegetizing the arcadey AF points within world fiction is not helping Saros. The ambition of animating all of these characters is admirable, but...

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

So I think I might be on the final biome (but maybe there's a switcheroo coming, I suspect there is) Mechanically I think they did some clever things here to enrich the moment to moment action. The shield/power dichotomy is interesting. It's a bit of a solution looking for a problem, but it works

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Whereas Saros has a confidence of its structure that removes this tension (and is truly more polished/considered). It’s a trade off. Again, early days in Saros, perhaps I’ll eat my words after 100 hours and beating the 4th secret ending. Oh, the gameplay is TIGHT AS FUCK btw 👌

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Also, and this is a hypothesis that I have literally NO EVIDENCE OF, but, Returnal had the signs of a piece of art that the artists were discovering as the built it. There is a slightly frenetic energy to the worlds of works that have this mark; a hunger to explore in the DNA of very spaces…

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Returnal is like Kyuss or Autechre, absolutely brilliant, but you probably won’t like it and that’s ok

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Also, I 100% acknowledge that these changes had to be made for a commercial product of this scale and investment. Returnal was a little too much for fucking sickos like me. It’s on of my favourite games EVER but it was almost impossible to recommend.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Instead it’s the changes made to make the whole package more legible/approachable that, while filing off some jagged edges, has flattened the experience a bit. Returnal was big Show Don’t Tell energy. Saros isn’t afraid to tell you WTF is going on At least so far…

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

…whole, and not the features that often get lumped in with contemporary accessibility. In fact, I’d argue that the changes that make the game less difficult moment to moment are welcome - as the gameplay of Returnal was unnecessary challenging, it needed dialling in better.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Returnal sicko here. Fired up Saros & it’s definitely good. Not a final verdict but, it should come as no surprise that the (admittedly needed for many reasons) accessibility changes do water down the experience of its predecessor. To be clear, I’m talking about accessibility of the package as a…

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Wondering if I could buy an IP back from the beleaguered AAA dumpster fire I sold it to… 🤔 🏂

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Hmm, Artemis didn’t do it for me. I really liked the world and will excuse a lot of jank if the world feels good, but I just straight up didn’t enjoy the characters in that book… …game adaptation could work though

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Dirac Gateway Sys | circa 2217 A bit bland, but under 10 minutes - still probably faster than AI...

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Quantum Particle Dynamics Board Group | circa 2203

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Quantum Particle Dynamics Board Group | circa 2203

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Crux Long Range Acoustic Lens Systems | circa 3109

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Crux Long Range Acoustic Lens Systems | circa 3109

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

General SuperHeavy Systems | circa 2155

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Hey do gifs work here yet? Cuz if they do, I think my geezer-ass sci-fi design aesthetic has circled back around and achieve a tiny bit of relevance (thanks Marathon)

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I am at the top of my hairdresser's 'DILF List' #littlevictories He still can't fit me in for appointment though. Still pretty stoked about the list.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Yup, I remember it was a big deal dialling into that BBS. Our family would get a new Sierra game every Xmas, and we’d always eventually get stuck. The long distance charges dialling into that BBS were substantial, so we had to be sure we’d really exhausted our ideas in game. Still, good times.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

It was good advice. But I’m glad you ignored it and carried on - you made something very special.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Hey, this game rules. Clever, elegant, musical, cute. There’s a generous demo! Then buy it because good things deserve money in this hellscape.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

*radiolab* that is. Radians, eh - been a while since I’ve thought about those fuckers

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Oh yeah, big radian fan. Though i fell off for a few years, might be worth dipping back in.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

This shifts the context for choices from an extrinsic motivator (more ammo, story beat X) to an intrinsic one. Your choices are informed by how you, as a player feel and interpret a scenario. Not a perfect game, but wow. It takes a few big swings and mostly pulls it off.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

I think it has some of the most powerful choice design in a game I’ve ever played. Which is ironically largely down to the fact that choices have little to no meaningful mechanical impact.

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

@kirkhamilton.com super psyched to hear about your and the rest of the Triple Click squad’s take on SOMA. It’s an all timer for me - maybe a top 10 contender…

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Richard Flanagan @richardeflanagan.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

While I’m actually in the process of selling all my eurorack, modular synthesis absolutely made me a better game designer. Patch design helped me develop better system design brain muscles. It absolutely rewired/supercharged the way I think about system hierarchy and operative design…

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