Happy (or unhappy) Valentine's day, one day early! Hoping to put up a fun, thematic post tomorrow (if it's done in time), so keep an eye on my social media for that!
I wanted to offer everyone an update on my current work. Unfortunately, Bloodkin work is a bit slow at the moment, but for a good reason: I have been back at it with commission work, and I am, as always, deeply grateful to every person who decides to impart to me a portion of their hard-earned money. I can't say everything I've been working on, but in short, it's been a ton of fun and pushed me a little ways out of my usual zone.
More in line with my usual zone, I took some time towards the end of last week to do a small, quick digital painting--my fastest rendered portrait yet. The angle may be simple, the composition nonexistent, but it was a good way to warm up and get some creative juices flowing. I present to you: Adrienne Shepard!
That's right: I've been playing the Mass Effect trilogy! And that is, uh, maybe not as good a use of my time as my commissions... but it's been a while since I dedicated this much time this consistently to a game. I am about 25 hours into the third game, and I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that this journey has been a blast. I feel that game 3 is the weakest, except for the combat, which I have been loving. I'm excited to finish the trilogy for the first time!
Honestly, this last week has really put me in "gamer mode," and part of that is some news about another BioWare series: Dragon Age. Did anyone else see the Dreadwolf alpha leaks? What do you guys think?
Personally, I miss old-school combat and gameplay systems, especially in RPGs, and I'm not encouraged by the apparent hack-and-slash approach the company is taking for this entry. I know my tastes are old-fashioned, but I keep holding out hope that studios once known for classic, defining RPG titles will return to feeding that original fanbase--of which I am a part. There have been good true RPGs in the last decade, like Pillars of Eternity, but it's clear that the mainstream market doesn't go for them. And the big companies with the money and means to make something truly great in this genre only care about the mainstream and scooping in the broadest possible audience. That's good business sense, but I'm an artist at heart, and I miss when studios like BioWare and Bethesda were led by creativity and passion to make such classic, original, and groundbreaking games as Dragon Age: Origins and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.
But that's just me. What do you guys think? What are some of your favorite video games? How do you feel about RPGs?
Until next time, take care! You may not know it, but if you're reading my blog posts, you're helping me immensely. Thank you for every moment you choose to spare on my words and my work; you honor me with your time and attention. Have a great week!
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