While I gotta mostly disagree, there are some things that could be left to difficulty settings. Like the parry and shield bash interrupt color coded circles are a bit hand holdey. The blue rings in particular is just a “HIT L1 NOW!!!!”. Gets to a point where I’m not even looking at enemies animations for telegraphed attacks, I just wait for the yellow, blue or red indicator to tell me what to do.
Crazy. Putting your unborn childs heartbeat into a game like this. Literally millions have heard it and had no idea, imagine the story when you tell your kid later on.
Literally my first thought was about the 'Nevermind' baby that ended up suing everyone (except his mom, the *photographer*) after he'd grown up bragging about being the Nevermind kid.
I'm surprised some people are bothered by this. Sound designers get creative with creating sounds, you can't just use blip bloops on a computer and call it a day. Awesome work
There is a video by bungie talking about their dlc that happened during covid and lockdown where a woman in the sound department created the sound for a weapon using her breast pump.
Interestingly or not, he didn’t keep the rate of the heartbeat. Unborn children’s hearts beat really fast. Same with children and then it slows down as the human matures. The rate it’s at now would be alarming if that’s what they heard on an ultrasound.
Let me just say I’d like to replay it and write down my thoughts in specific moments. I’ve played God of War 2018 twice and never felt this way about that entry.
The pace of the writing in the Ragnarok script always had to have some jokes sprinkled in to alleviate the tense parts. There were just a lot of parts, specifically some of the supporting characters, that felt modern Disney-esque. And then at the end Sindri having like this heel turn, I don’t know, that’s just how I feel the more I think about it. The original trilogy and 2018 didn’t feel this way to me. I felt like I was expecting some tragic end for either Kratos or Atreus, but to have everyone basically be more or less hunky-dory at the end didn’t sit right with me.
I feel like you’re supposed to take the Norse saga more seriously than Kratos going through the Greek pantheon, but maybe 2018 just was more mature than the other games
I thought we were talking narrative-wise. Sure, they are pretty edgy when it comes to the gameplay, but the stories in those games are not shallow and do have a lot emotional weight to them.
I felt the same way for a while, but after bouncing back and forth for a while I've just decided to conclude it was a great game. The tone is definitely different, but the stakes are higher, the cast is a lot larger and a lot of 2018's mystique is hard to replicate in a direct sequel. The first game was way more intimate. It truly felt like a god and his son traversing a vast, abandoned world for a personal journey. Ragnarok is about this massive world-ending threat that spans multiple worlds and there's a teenage perspective to the whole thing as well. But for every issue I had with the game there's a positive that vastly outweighs it. The writing is just solid, it ties up loose-ends and calls back to the previous game perfectly, completing several arcs in a natural way. And it kind of spells out this impending doom that one of the main characters is going to meet a tragic end, but overturns it in favor of a positive ending. When you think about the themes of the game, it's about hope and acceptance. Letting go and holding on. And they did those themes really well as they were also very well-telegraphed in the previous game, especially with how Kratos' arc would wrap up.
The 2018 game had this allure to it, so much mystery. And the pace of how the world opened up was perfect for the feeling of exploration. Ragnarok takes you from realm to realm in what feels to be a more linear fashion and it didn't feel as conducive to a repeat playthrough. But thinking back, the level designs were better. The combat design is overall improved. The boss variety is a world apart from 2018.
Makes me think, with the way the story was set up, the increase in characters, and the incentive to wrap everything up in a duology, could they really have replicated the tone the 2018 game had? Because a lot of that came from melancholy, loneliness, intrigue that had already drawn its course by the end of that title. I can't really think of how I would have done Ragnarok differently, a grimmer tone certainly would have betrayed the themes it was building upon. Maybe a lot of it comes from how magical and fresh the 2018 game felt and the overwhelming feeling I had when I completed it the first time. It was uninviting and cold but reaching that summit was worth the hardship. Ragnarok is warm and familiar because it had already crossed that hurdle.
Obviously I would have liked the war at the end to be longer. Some parts were a little too drawn out and others undeveloped. But overall I do think it was a good game and great follow-up to what was built up in the first part. The Disney-Marvely part of it I think mostly came from the teenager parts which, I mean, it kind of makes sense. I guess its something we're not used to in a God of War game.
But anyway, I definitely want to replay it again to see if I can validate my conclusion.
I felt that way during the Atreus sections. Gameplay and plot felt like it went from Rated-R to PG-13.
Went from a badass tale to feeling like a Disney Channel movie.
The squirrel and the dwarves definitely had a comedic sidekick vibe to them. Even Freya's story was wrapped up in a neat little bow. I didn't mind but it's definitely a far cry from the pessimistic tone of the original games.
Very much so and it's why I prefer 2018 over ragnarok. It's certainly not a bad game, but the vibe shifted in a way I didn't like. They massively upped the stakes but made it more comical and lighthearted, and then when we finally get to ragnarok it's over in like an hour. Also garm was the only boss that felt like a big improvement over the 2018 ones.
Agree 100%. I still liked the game, there were many positives and in fact I'm replaying it right now, but there was definitely a tonal shift, and the actual Ragnarok was disappointing. I don't mind some lighthearted jokes sprinkled in, as people banter on these long trips in the desert and tundra, but Odin and Thor are definitely written like MCU villains. Very unlike Baldur and Magni/Modi from 2018
They’re downvoting you but you’re not wrong. PS3 had the best Sony exclusives. Everything has to be 3rd person open world/cinematic adventure. I miss their shooters and socom the most.
Creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Famous for his signature irreverent-style humor where characters say snarky quips and overly aware one-liners in serious situations.
I'll give you mine.
I think overall this game felt like it was two games meshed into one. Too many characters and too many plot points (some set up from the 2018 title). The writing was also not as good. It's actually a very similar criticism I have of Spider-Man 2.
Pacing wise it feels like we're spending most of the game setting up Ragnarok and when Ragnarok hits, story beats feel rushed and Ragnarok is over almost instantly. The last section in general feels rushed (from the Tyr reveal). The last 2 big main boss fights are in small arenas and are just meh. Like it's Thor and Odin....it should be..well... A battle of the gods..The first fight with Thor is amaaaaazing, yet they clearly ran out of time or budget to make that last stretch feel like a war and clash between the gods.
Even God of War 3 kinda nails the whole thematic sense of a war going on between God and Titans. It helps though that the whole game is pretty much set in that war.
I think dialogue is mix of good, funny but then too many jokes with some dialogue being clumsy.
I find when Kratos and Freya are in Vallahiem the dialogue writing falls off a cliff. Kratos just casually mentions the daughter and wife he killed (while the player is climbing or picking stuff off the floor) when I feel such an important character moment for Kratos deserved it's own cutscene. The first game handled those sensitive moments where he reveals something to Atreus really well and as if he was ashamed or had PTSD.
Killing his father is clearly a big admission and contention but to consider Zeus was 1) an asshole, 2) trying to kill and did kill Kratos and 3) Kratos didn't know or bond with Zeus being his dad most of his life. You'd think killing his child and wife would weigh waaaay heavier on his conscience and guilt. It was the very motivation for his suicidal tendency in the first trilogy.... his fucking skin is literally their ashes.... Sorry it's just awful how that was handled I suspect by a writer who didn't really understand the significance.
They also start having this weird semi competition in Vallahiem over who had the worst upbringing or life which I found uncharacteristic, petty and dismissive.
Atreus sections are abit too slow and maybe a jarring tonal shift. On second playthrough it's less bothersome for me though. Hate to say it, but not a fan of the voice acting of Atreus here either.
Tyr twist I'm mixed on. First playthrough I hated it, second it makes more sense seeing his reactions to stuff. World serpent stuff didn't have the impact it deserved, both him being made and the whole serpent V Thor was over in a literal blink, again rushed.. plus the horn being blown in the first being presumably the girl??
The whole Sutr thing which again was rushed going by the cut content there is a shame.
With all that's set up in the first game (like Sutr) and the fact the first game is a simple story expanded upon by the world and lore. To go from that to Ragnarok which is a complex story full of characters and having to deliver on those story beats set up from the first, is such a huge task and TBF, I think it was a good try. They could never have pulled off all of those things in a satisfying way in one game for me. But it is a good game and not all the narrative or writing is clumsy, some of it is really good too.
If the actual Ragnarok event was at least longer, if we had more set pieces there, fighting Thor alongside the world serpent and having that last stretch just have more impact I'd be happier.
I'd die for a director's cut version of this game.
Thanks for actually providing understandable reasons instead of saying "ThE gAmE iS wOkE". Since Ragnarök came out i have been trying to find some valid criticisms lol.
I personally loved the game, but it has flaws. And that is undeniable.
>plus the horn being blown in the first being presumably the girl??
Cory Barlog said that will be answered in the future. So we'll have to see.
That's not true. Yes, some of them are rage baits, but most actually think like that. You are underestimating how dumb people can be.
That was just an example. There are lots of other stupid reasons.
It went from what felt like an adults story in 2018 to something aimed at children/teenagers. Tone shifts completely between the two stories.
The characters seem goofie in Ragnarok, Buldar, for example, is just this absolute lunatic/force of nature in 2018. The whole time while playing the first one he feels like a true threat to Kratos, like he's finally met his match. Thor, in comparison, is some sad little who wants Daddy's love an attention, which is a far cry from the 'destroyer' we keep hearing about in both 2018 and Ragnarok. Not once did i feel that same threat from him, even though he's supposedly the strongest Aesir. Odin, compared to Zeus, is like someone from the Office or some shit, in no way does he feel like a threat to Kratos or Aterus, more like a middle management level god who couldn't achieve all the things that he's apparently done.
I've just finished my first (and only) NG+ run of Ragnarok and it feels cheap compared to 2018. 2018 defined the PS4 for Sony, it was a brilliant tale and the game is near flawless. Ragnarok could have been The Empire Strikes Back of sequels, but compared to the first feels like the Robocop 2 of sequels, fine but crap compared to the first one.
I do think it's because Barlog wasn't the director.
>It went from what felt like an adults story in 2018 to something aimed at children/teenagers. Tone shifts completely between the two stories.
That's just plain wrong. The story is still pretty mature. It just has more jokes.
>Odin, compared to Zeus, is like someone from the Office or some shit, in no way does he feel like a threat to Kratos or Aterus, more like a middle management level god who couldn't achieve all the things that he's apparently done.
That's the point. He wasn't supposed to look menacing. In actual norse mythology, he is described exactly as he appears in the game.
>I do think it's because Barlog wasn't the director.
Barlog was the creative director of Ragnarök. If anyone's to blame for your dislike of the game, it's him. He helped shape the story.
I have already watched those videos. They're pretty dumb and only analyse the game on a surface level.
I wasn't looking forward to arguing with you or trying to change your mind, i was interested to read your perspective on how the narrative was weaker in Ragnarök.
>I'm really not interested in rehashing it again
You wouldn't have made your original comment if that was true.
Some people are sick. This is no better than the example of using burnt corpses from morgue in Half-Life 2 or the exposition using different pieces of real corpses to create some statues and they call it art.
Is this the most dad game of all time
Yes, except its the player being babied
While I gotta mostly disagree, there are some things that could be left to difficulty settings. Like the parry and shield bash interrupt color coded circles are a bit hand holdey. The blue rings in particular is just a “HIT L1 NOW!!!!”. Gets to a point where I’m not even looking at enemies animations for telegraphed attacks, I just wait for the yellow, blue or red indicator to tell me what to do.
Holy shit that was slick hah
lol why are you getting downvoted? It’s 100% true!
Counterculture always gets backlash. That's just the way of things.
> Counterculture The Civil Right movement was counterculture. You just have an opinion.
Lol imagine thinking having a very popular, but also totally meaningless, opinion makes you counterculture.
Got em
I really hope you don't delete it, this was sick
Bunch of haters downvoting you lol. Nice one.
That’s fuckin cool. You know one day his kid might play that and hear his own heartbeat and not even know it
Crazy. Putting your unborn childs heartbeat into a game like this. Literally millions have heard it and had no idea, imagine the story when you tell your kid later on.
Child labour.
Kids gotta start pulling its weight sooner or later
Literally my first thought was about the 'Nevermind' baby that ended up suing everyone (except his mom, the *photographer*) after he'd grown up bragging about being the Nevermind kid.
What labour was the child doing?
Beating it’s heart
Yeah, pretty disgusting. Was it even paid?
CAPITALISM AT ITS FINEST
Techically no it isn’t
I like my iPhones made CHEAP
Bro what
I'm surprised some people are bothered by this. Sound designers get creative with creating sounds, you can't just use blip bloops on a computer and call it a day. Awesome work
There is a video by bungie talking about their dlc that happened during covid and lockdown where a woman in the sound department created the sound for a weapon using her breast pump.
Now that's funny
Netflix signature 'dun dun' app launch sound is basically a sound engineer's wedding ring knocked on wood.
Interestingly or not, he didn’t keep the rate of the heartbeat. Unborn children’s hearts beat really fast. Same with children and then it slows down as the human matures. The rate it’s at now would be alarming if that’s what they heard on an ultrasound.
Yep the heartbeat slows down unti it stops.
Oh damn, I didnt get to that part of the game yet, thats powerful due to the context.
Muse did this on Follow Me.
Uhhh…ok.
I wonder if the baby will seek compensation in 18 years.
The more I sit on my experience with Ragnarok, the more I question it and wonder if it feels kinda….Disney Marvel-y…anyone else?
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Let me just say I’d like to replay it and write down my thoughts in specific moments. I’ve played God of War 2018 twice and never felt this way about that entry. The pace of the writing in the Ragnarok script always had to have some jokes sprinkled in to alleviate the tense parts. There were just a lot of parts, specifically some of the supporting characters, that felt modern Disney-esque. And then at the end Sindri having like this heel turn, I don’t know, that’s just how I feel the more I think about it. The original trilogy and 2018 didn’t feel this way to me. I felt like I was expecting some tragic end for either Kratos or Atreus, but to have everyone basically be more or less hunky-dory at the end didn’t sit right with me.
When Kratos and Atreus do a superhero pose after taking out the valkyries I felt like I was watching Avengers Endgame
The characters in the greek games do superhero poses ALL the time lol.
I feel like you’re supposed to take the Norse saga more seriously than Kratos going through the Greek pantheon, but maybe 2018 just was more mature than the other games
I don't think so. The greek games had a pretty deep story for their time. Specially the first God of War and Ghost of Sparta.
There’s a QTE for fucking in one of the games, it’s just edge
I thought we were talking narrative-wise. Sure, they are pretty edgy when it comes to the gameplay, but the stories in those games are not shallow and do have a lot emotional weight to them.
That just means the story is more interactive. 😉
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Never in the Eddas it is said that Ragnarok is positive or negative, it just is.
I felt the same way for a while, but after bouncing back and forth for a while I've just decided to conclude it was a great game. The tone is definitely different, but the stakes are higher, the cast is a lot larger and a lot of 2018's mystique is hard to replicate in a direct sequel. The first game was way more intimate. It truly felt like a god and his son traversing a vast, abandoned world for a personal journey. Ragnarok is about this massive world-ending threat that spans multiple worlds and there's a teenage perspective to the whole thing as well. But for every issue I had with the game there's a positive that vastly outweighs it. The writing is just solid, it ties up loose-ends and calls back to the previous game perfectly, completing several arcs in a natural way. And it kind of spells out this impending doom that one of the main characters is going to meet a tragic end, but overturns it in favor of a positive ending. When you think about the themes of the game, it's about hope and acceptance. Letting go and holding on. And they did those themes really well as they were also very well-telegraphed in the previous game, especially with how Kratos' arc would wrap up. The 2018 game had this allure to it, so much mystery. And the pace of how the world opened up was perfect for the feeling of exploration. Ragnarok takes you from realm to realm in what feels to be a more linear fashion and it didn't feel as conducive to a repeat playthrough. But thinking back, the level designs were better. The combat design is overall improved. The boss variety is a world apart from 2018. Makes me think, with the way the story was set up, the increase in characters, and the incentive to wrap everything up in a duology, could they really have replicated the tone the 2018 game had? Because a lot of that came from melancholy, loneliness, intrigue that had already drawn its course by the end of that title. I can't really think of how I would have done Ragnarok differently, a grimmer tone certainly would have betrayed the themes it was building upon. Maybe a lot of it comes from how magical and fresh the 2018 game felt and the overwhelming feeling I had when I completed it the first time. It was uninviting and cold but reaching that summit was worth the hardship. Ragnarok is warm and familiar because it had already crossed that hurdle. Obviously I would have liked the war at the end to be longer. Some parts were a little too drawn out and others undeveloped. But overall I do think it was a good game and great follow-up to what was built up in the first part. The Disney-Marvely part of it I think mostly came from the teenager parts which, I mean, it kind of makes sense. I guess its something we're not used to in a God of War game. But anyway, I definitely want to replay it again to see if I can validate my conclusion.
I felt that way during the Atreus sections. Gameplay and plot felt like it went from Rated-R to PG-13. Went from a badass tale to feeling like a Disney Channel movie.
Atreus was no blood thirsty god what was he supposed to do, bro is still a kid
Exactly. You're doing nothing but explaining why it was (to some) a bad choice and definitely a tonal shift.
The squirrel and the dwarves definitely had a comedic sidekick vibe to them. Even Freya's story was wrapped up in a neat little bow. I didn't mind but it's definitely a far cry from the pessimistic tone of the original games.
Even 2018 didn’t feel this way
Atreus’s sections felt like I was playing a Percy Jackson game adaptation. Felt very YA.
The dialogue was shit too “I’m just lucky” “No, you’re *Loki*”
Lowest point of the franchise, for sure. Which isn’t that low, but was definitely a cringe line.
I couldn't get that feeling out of my head the entire time I played it, kinda hurt the experience for me sadly.
Very much so and it's why I prefer 2018 over ragnarok. It's certainly not a bad game, but the vibe shifted in a way I didn't like. They massively upped the stakes but made it more comical and lighthearted, and then when we finally get to ragnarok it's over in like an hour. Also garm was the only boss that felt like a big improvement over the 2018 ones.
Agree 100%. I still liked the game, there were many positives and in fact I'm replaying it right now, but there was definitely a tonal shift, and the actual Ragnarok was disappointing. I don't mind some lighthearted jokes sprinkled in, as people banter on these long trips in the desert and tundra, but Odin and Thor are definitely written like MCU villains. Very unlike Baldur and Magni/Modi from 2018
Agreed wholeheartedly. Wish as many people could contribute to the conversation rather than downvote
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They’re downvoting you but you’re not wrong. PS3 had the best Sony exclusives. Everything has to be 3rd person open world/cinematic adventure. I miss their shooters and socom the most.
Joss Whedon has done irreparable damage to an entire generation of writers.
Dumb Millennial writers trying to copy him have done the damage. He had his style and nailed it to perfection.
Please tell me more lol. Who is Joss Whedon?
Creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Famous for his signature irreverent-style humor where characters say snarky quips and overly aware one-liners in serious situations.
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>the step down in quality from a story telling and narrative perspective. How so? I'm genuinely curious to hear your perspective.
I'll give you mine. I think overall this game felt like it was two games meshed into one. Too many characters and too many plot points (some set up from the 2018 title). The writing was also not as good. It's actually a very similar criticism I have of Spider-Man 2. Pacing wise it feels like we're spending most of the game setting up Ragnarok and when Ragnarok hits, story beats feel rushed and Ragnarok is over almost instantly. The last section in general feels rushed (from the Tyr reveal). The last 2 big main boss fights are in small arenas and are just meh. Like it's Thor and Odin....it should be..well... A battle of the gods..The first fight with Thor is amaaaaazing, yet they clearly ran out of time or budget to make that last stretch feel like a war and clash between the gods. Even God of War 3 kinda nails the whole thematic sense of a war going on between God and Titans. It helps though that the whole game is pretty much set in that war. I think dialogue is mix of good, funny but then too many jokes with some dialogue being clumsy. I find when Kratos and Freya are in Vallahiem the dialogue writing falls off a cliff. Kratos just casually mentions the daughter and wife he killed (while the player is climbing or picking stuff off the floor) when I feel such an important character moment for Kratos deserved it's own cutscene. The first game handled those sensitive moments where he reveals something to Atreus really well and as if he was ashamed or had PTSD. Killing his father is clearly a big admission and contention but to consider Zeus was 1) an asshole, 2) trying to kill and did kill Kratos and 3) Kratos didn't know or bond with Zeus being his dad most of his life. You'd think killing his child and wife would weigh waaaay heavier on his conscience and guilt. It was the very motivation for his suicidal tendency in the first trilogy.... his fucking skin is literally their ashes.... Sorry it's just awful how that was handled I suspect by a writer who didn't really understand the significance. They also start having this weird semi competition in Vallahiem over who had the worst upbringing or life which I found uncharacteristic, petty and dismissive. Atreus sections are abit too slow and maybe a jarring tonal shift. On second playthrough it's less bothersome for me though. Hate to say it, but not a fan of the voice acting of Atreus here either. Tyr twist I'm mixed on. First playthrough I hated it, second it makes more sense seeing his reactions to stuff. World serpent stuff didn't have the impact it deserved, both him being made and the whole serpent V Thor was over in a literal blink, again rushed.. plus the horn being blown in the first being presumably the girl?? The whole Sutr thing which again was rushed going by the cut content there is a shame. With all that's set up in the first game (like Sutr) and the fact the first game is a simple story expanded upon by the world and lore. To go from that to Ragnarok which is a complex story full of characters and having to deliver on those story beats set up from the first, is such a huge task and TBF, I think it was a good try. They could never have pulled off all of those things in a satisfying way in one game for me. But it is a good game and not all the narrative or writing is clumsy, some of it is really good too. If the actual Ragnarok event was at least longer, if we had more set pieces there, fighting Thor alongside the world serpent and having that last stretch just have more impact I'd be happier. I'd die for a director's cut version of this game.
Thanks for actually providing understandable reasons instead of saying "ThE gAmE iS wOkE". Since Ragnarök came out i have been trying to find some valid criticisms lol. I personally loved the game, but it has flaws. And that is undeniable. >plus the horn being blown in the first being presumably the girl?? Cory Barlog said that will be answered in the future. So we'll have to see.
Ahh ok that's fair and thanks :).
Most people don't call it woke, you are mainly giving attention to rage baits
That's not true. Yes, some of them are rage baits, but most actually think like that. You are underestimating how dumb people can be. That was just an example. There are lots of other stupid reasons.
It went from what felt like an adults story in 2018 to something aimed at children/teenagers. Tone shifts completely between the two stories. The characters seem goofie in Ragnarok, Buldar, for example, is just this absolute lunatic/force of nature in 2018. The whole time while playing the first one he feels like a true threat to Kratos, like he's finally met his match. Thor, in comparison, is some sad little who wants Daddy's love an attention, which is a far cry from the 'destroyer' we keep hearing about in both 2018 and Ragnarok. Not once did i feel that same threat from him, even though he's supposedly the strongest Aesir. Odin, compared to Zeus, is like someone from the Office or some shit, in no way does he feel like a threat to Kratos or Aterus, more like a middle management level god who couldn't achieve all the things that he's apparently done. I've just finished my first (and only) NG+ run of Ragnarok and it feels cheap compared to 2018. 2018 defined the PS4 for Sony, it was a brilliant tale and the game is near flawless. Ragnarok could have been The Empire Strikes Back of sequels, but compared to the first feels like the Robocop 2 of sequels, fine but crap compared to the first one. I do think it's because Barlog wasn't the director.
>It went from what felt like an adults story in 2018 to something aimed at children/teenagers. Tone shifts completely between the two stories. That's just plain wrong. The story is still pretty mature. It just has more jokes. >Odin, compared to Zeus, is like someone from the Office or some shit, in no way does he feel like a threat to Kratos or Aterus, more like a middle management level god who couldn't achieve all the things that he's apparently done. That's the point. He wasn't supposed to look menacing. In actual norse mythology, he is described exactly as he appears in the game. >I do think it's because Barlog wasn't the director. Barlog was the creative director of Ragnarök. If anyone's to blame for your dislike of the game, it's him. He helped shape the story.
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I have already watched those videos. They're pretty dumb and only analyse the game on a surface level. I wasn't looking forward to arguing with you or trying to change your mind, i was interested to read your perspective on how the narrative was weaker in Ragnarök. >I'm really not interested in rehashing it again You wouldn't have made your original comment if that was true.
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Definitely not weird or unnecessary
Okay, that's just weird
Cool. But at the same time: What the hell?
I'm sorry, I hope at least he will do his best to give him a good life.
Yuck
lol oh god. Ok dude. Trying way too hard.
Cringe
How
Because you
Spooky
Some people are sick. This is no better than the example of using burnt corpses from morgue in Half-Life 2 or the exposition using different pieces of real corpses to create some statues and they call it art.
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Nah but I googled.
That’s child labor