Hitman (2016) - Episode 31 - You Boint The Re-Soi-To!

Another week, another Elusive Target. This time, we take out a character who is legally distinct from TV's Gordon Ramsay.



In today's video, I made a slight error. I had said that both where the target goes, and what he does at each location, is semi-random. In truth, The Chef's routine, in terms of where he goes, is set. He will visit each location in the same order every time. That said, what he does at each location is semi-random. The idea is that players need to improvise, since they can't know what he's going to do.

Hitman (2016) - Episode 30 - Kill of Fortune

Welcome to the end of the Summer Bonus Episodes.

I'm still very impressed with how much effort had to have been put into making these Summer Bonus Episodes. They're obviously much more limited in scope when compared to regular story missions, but it's also obvious that a lot of love when into them.

We're be doing some more Elusive Targets in the next few weeks to come. I hope to see you then.

Hitman (2016) - Episode 29 - Down the Wrong Pipe

In our return trip to Marrakesh, we meet and murder new and fascinating people in the second of two Summer Bonus Episodes.



I've said Hitman is a lot of trial-and-error in the past, where players are supposed to poke around and learn what they are and are no able to do without getting caught. That means for every success, there are many, many failures. This episode and the next are really good examples of that.

#108: How Watch_Dogs 2 Made a Monster Out of Me

(Spoiler Alert: Major spoilers for the plot to Watch_Dogs 2)

Marcus Holloway is a good kid. Through circumstances out of his control, he was pegged by ctOS's predictive crime algorithm as the likely suspect in crimes he was in no way responsible for. Though scarred by this incident, and left with a certain rage against the machine, he has never once lost his glib charisma and sense of morality. Armed with naught but a Stun Gun and a billiard ball attached to a rope, Marcus is on a mission not to punish, not to kill, but to expose. Rather than blindly take his anger out on others, like a certain someone before him, he seeks to show people the faults and risks with relying on surveillance technologies to keep the streets safe.

I am Marcus Holloway, and this is the lens from which I view the world.

Hitman (2016) - Episode 28 - Tens of Dudes!

In the middle of the Hitman season, Episode 4 took IO Interactive longer to release than they thought it would. As an apology, they release two bonus missions, reusing the maps of Sapienza and Marrakesh. Today, we'll go through the Bonus Episode in Sapienza.

Worth noting is that these missions would probably have never been created if it weren't for the fact that Hitman (2016) is episodic. The only reason IO felt compelled to make them was because Episode 4 was going to be a month late.

Hitman (2016) - Episode 27 - Grand Final-ish?

Our time in Japan, and with the story in Season 1, comes to an end.



Aside from the gimmick that this is a highly secured facility where 47 cannot bring in any equipment, this mission also has the gimmick that every outfit has an RFID chip. The AI running this facility scans the chip when the player approached a door to determine whether or not they have permission to go through.

Kingdom Hearts Primer - Chain of Memories - Episode 8 - Darkness Too Stronk

Our journey with Chain of Memories ends here!



Talking after Sam finished editing this episode, he mentioned how surprised he was that the story wrapped up so quickly. In the very same game that Riku faces the angst over what he's done and the darkness in his heart, he kills Ansem and resolved to use both light and darkness for the forces of good.

Kingdom Hearts Primer - Chain of Memories - Episode 7 - The Real Protagonist

Now that Sora's out of the way, Riku can finally take center stage.



The strangest part of Riku's role in the grand story of Kingdom Hearts is that he and Sora almost trade places in terms of their narrative arcs.

In the first game, the most significant plot twist is that Sora was never meant to wield the keyblade. The weapon was supposed to go to Riku, but latched onto Sora instead when Riku fell into the darkness. Sora assumed he was the chosen wielder, and became the hero of light with his actions. Eventually, through deeds, not destiny, Sora proved himself to be the better keyblade master.

Hitman (2016) - Episode 26 - Achy Breaky Heart

Here it is, the final story mission. Not the end to our time with Hitman, but it does feel like a finale of sorts.



(BTW, I looked up Situs Inversus, and it is an actual medical condition.)

I thought it was a bold move to restrict the items that 47 can bring in with him to just his suit and whatever smuggling locations the player has unlocked. This means that players can't rely on what items they prefer to bring in with them. They must instead focus on the mechanics and the systems that they (in theory) have spent 5 other story missions learning and mastering.

Kingdom Hearts Primer - Chain of Memories - Episode 6 - A Phantom Promise

This Phantom Promise just keeps hurting...



In this episode, Sam makes a comment that if Sora went off and took a beach vacation somewhere, it's possible that the Organization would end up killing itself without his help. There's more truth to that than we'd be able to get into with Chain of Memories. It's something I'll be waiting to talk about later.

Hitman (2016) - Episode 25 - One Boom, Two Kills

Today, we wrap up "The Ex-Dictator"

In the previous episode, we spent most of the time answering the question of "How are we going to approach the target without being detected?". Now that the question's been answered, two new ones open up:

"How do I kill these two?" and "How will I get out once the deed is done?"

Kingdom Hearts Primer - Chain of Memories - Episode 5 - Chronic Backstabbing Syndrome

Do you constantly find yourself staring at your friends back, wondering exactly what knife would be best suited for plunging into it? If so, call your doctor right away, as you might have Chronic Backstabbing Syndrome.



It's amusing to watch Sam ask all these questions as we go through the series. It's not the exact same as a newcomer going through the series with fresh eyes, since he has played Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 before. But he played them so long ago, and never touched any of the other games in the franchise, so it's close enough to serve as a good facsimile.

Kingdom Hearts Primer - Chain of Memories - Episode 4 - Title Drop

This room looks familiar...

Kingdom Hearts has this problem of building up a ton of cool premises that could lead into really fascinating philosophical and sociological musings... and then dropping them like lead weights before they've really had time to develop. Worse, they often just refuse to capitalize on them.

Hitman (2016) - Episode 24 - Trepidation

Another Elusive Target: "The Ex-Dictator"



This Elusive Target is noteworthy for two reasons.

1. This Elusive Target is the very first target to take place in the hotel in Bangkok
2. It is also the first one to have two targets.

Since players can no longer retry an Elusive Target once any one objective has been complete (in this case, if either of the two targets is eliminated), the most obvious way to minimize risk was to eliminate both targets at the same time. That way, there is no time where I cannot retry while a target is still on the loose.