MODERN HERETICS

If you look at Darth Vader just in the movies, he doesn’t do things without a plan. He has a step two. Even if his step two is immensely dumb, he always seems to at least have some form of an idea where he wants to end up; he has a point B he’s trying to reach.

Part of what makes Vader a terrifying villain is that he always seems to anticipate what his opponent will do. He seems to know what they’ll do before they even think about what they’ll do. Very rarely is Darth Vader ever taken by surprise. Darth Vader is the character who proves how scary the Force can be. While Palpatine uses his Force lightning and can predict what his opponents will do, he never quite reaches the level Anakin is on, he never reaches that peak of knowing the next five steps his opponent is going to take, even as those next five steps change.

Palpatine doesn’t see Vader turning on him coming. Palpatine is not a Force user who can see the future, he uses the predictions Darth Plagueis made and he sticks to the outline provided by his former Master. He does everything he does and believes everything will be fine and has complete confidence in himself because Plagueis was just that good at predicting the future.

Darth Vader literally changes the future. He makes those predictions false. Him throwing Palpatine down a reactor shaft wasn’t in the books, him choosing his son wasn’t an option, the idea that a Sith lord as powerful as Darth Vader could turn back from the Dark Side is believed by the Jedi and Sith alike to be impossible. Darth Vader himself doesn’t even believe that he can turn back from the Dark Side. The only character who ever believes that Darth Vader can come back is Luke.

Darth Vader is fifteen steps ahead of his opponents. It’s very rare that he ever gets surprised. He always has a plan.

But when he saves Luke, he isn’t any of that. He leaps in without a plan, without any ideas of where he’s goung. He doesn’t know what will happen except that he’ll probably die. He doesn’t have a way out of this. This is the first time Anakin Skywalker ever does anything without already having a way out or immediately being able to come up with a way out.

Anakin was hotheaded and impulsive, yes, but Anakin from his introduction always has a plan B. And when he doesn’t have a plan B, he makes one. He is by far the most competent character in Star Wars, just from his ability to get himself and others out of trouble.

In the moment of turning back from the Dark, Anakin is listening to the Force. He’s listening to the Force as it tells him to save someone. The universal call to the Jedi, the inexplicable push that all Jedi feel and what ultimately led to the majority of Jedi dying, just because they couldn’t not listen when the Force told them to help. Anakin finally listens to it, finally answers it, he finally acts like a Jedi.

There’s no step two. There’s no way out. Doing this will end in his death. Darth Vader is already injured, and the only one who has the resources to put him back together is Sidious. To save Luke, Vader has to step into the lightning, which he knows all to well will ruin his suit. Choosing to save Luke is tantamount to choosing to die.

And he does it. He hesitates, but ultimately, he sacrifices himself for someone else. He goes in knowing that this won’t end with him being able to get out. He has no way out. There’s no plan B. His suit has gone from keeping him alive to being part of the reason he’s dying. He takes off his helmet accepting that he’ll die and being happy to die because he’s finally at peace, he finally feels the warmth of the Force, he finally sees his son with his own eyes, his son is finally looking at him with nothing but trust and worry for his wellbeing, he’s right where he wants to be.

He went from wanting to posess Luke to just being happy that Luke is there with him. That Luke is the one by his side when he dies, that he’s dying on the same side as Luke — Anakin is fine with this. He’s ready to die. He’s accepted it. He’s just happy that the last thing he’ll see is the product of his and Padme’s love for each other.

The scenes of Anakin in Return of the Jedi are beautiful. The title “Return of the Jedi” is so great for this movie, it’s perfect, okay, you don’t understand. It has so many meanings!! The Jedi returning could be referring to Luke, the main Jedi we follow, returning to the screen, or to Tatooine. It could be referring to the Jedi Order, since Luke takes on Yoda’s request to share his knowledge with others and, with Sidious dead, the Jedi Order has functionally returned, even if it is only one member strong. It could refer to Yoda returning, it could refer to Obi-Wan returning.

Beauty holds the keys to his shackles. Beauty, and a love of great works. Great heights. His appetites are insatiable, thus his despair.

Vivec craves radical freedom, the death of all limits and restrictions. He wishes to be all things at all times. Every race, every gender, every hero, both divine and finite ...

Sexuality & Gender In Rapture

Okay, so this is a frankly huge topic to cover, and because there is so little direct reference to any non-heterosexual/cisgender culture in the games, a lot of this will be me sharing and explain my headcanons/worldbuilding. My ideas will be based on historical accounts of 1940-1950 America, as Rapture seems to be fairly westernized. in addition, I will be focusing purely on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities to cut down on post size and research time. Here we go!

 Note: These all refer to Rapture’s (Columbia gets a separate post) culture in the peak of the city’s life- a snapshot into queer Rapture circa 1955, roughly speaking. As such my talk about the culture is purely as I’d imagine it to be at that specific time only with no details as to the cultural development to that point.

cw for homophobia, transphobia, q slur

When you accidentally summon every Loth-cat in a 5km radius during Jedi training.

Publisher Atari and developers Nightdive Studios and Eidos Montreal have announced Thief: The Dark Project Remastered, a modern revival of the 1998 classic from Looking Glass Studios. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG this winter.

“Thief didn’t just introduce stealth mechanics, it defined them,” said Nightdive Studios CEO Stephen Kick in a press release. “With this remaster, we’ve preserved the tension and intelligence of the original while enhancing it for modern players, ensuring that its legacy continues to influence how stealth games are played today.”

Eidos Montreal general manager Patrice Baig added, “Few games have had an impact as enduring as Thief. It set a standard for immersion and atmospheric storytelling that still resonates today. This remaster ensures a new generation can experience what made it so influential, and we’re proud to see it treated with such care.”

Here is an overview of the game, via Atari:

About

Thief: The Dark Project Remastered is a modern revival of the groundbreaking 1998 classic from Looking Glass Studios that helped define the stealth genre. Remastered with Nightdive’s KEX Engine, the release includes Thief: The Dark Project and the additional missions, content and updates from the 1999 Thief Gold re-release. Considered an early foundation of “pure stealth” gameplay, Thief stood out in an era dominated by combat-heavy first-person games. Instead of open confrontation, it rewards a slower, more deliberate approach—using light and sound to stay hidden or misdirect enemies, and when required, ferocious moments of violence that stay hidden in the shadows. Described by its developers as a “first-person sneaker,” the title is widely regarded as the pioneering 3D stealth experience or “immersive sim.” Thief notably emphasizes player agency over scripted scenarios, giving players the freedom to navigate the world and tackle challenges in their own way, using the tools available to them to stay hidden. The NPCs in Thief are also responsive to the environment: instead of following routines, they interact with visual and auditory cues, react and investigate, and communicate with each other. In Thief: The Dark Project Remastered, players once again step into the boots of Garrett, an orphan rescued from the streets by the Keepers—a secretive, ancient order dedicated to maintaining balance in the world—and trained to become a Master Thief. Now an adult, the rebellious Garrett has left the order and now moves through a world of corruption and conspiracy, stealing from the wealthy for personal gain. Despite his cynical outlook and dark wit, as he uncovers hidden agendas among those grasping for power his instinct is to act for the greater good.

Key Features

Advanced NPC AI – A dynamic visibility system and sound simulation allows both players and enemies to detect movement realistically; NPCs will dynamically adapt to sounds the player makes, investigate, and even raising alarms

Keep to the Shadows – Experience one of the first games to use light and sound as core gameplay mechanics; use fire arrows to extinguish torches and moss arrows to dampen loud surfaces

Stealth-Based Combat – Strike unseen from the shadows using Garrett’s blackjack to incapacitate enemies from behind or specialized gas mines and arrows to take them down from range

Misdirection – Flashbombs will temporarily blind and disorient enemies and Noisemaker arrows will distract and draw away guards.

Tools of a Master Thief – amass a full array of specialized tools including lockpicks, remote cameras, and even rope arrows to access out-of-reach locations.

Thief: The Dark Project Remastered modernizes the original experience with material quality of life enhancements. As part of the remastering effort the artists at Nightdive have carefully updated and improved the graphic textures and models, as well as the cut scenes and animations. The team also updated the UI, adding a weapon and item wheel, and mission selector. Support was also added on PC for custom campaigns so that players can experience the many missions and campaigns created over the years by fans. From its use of light and shadow to its emphasis on player vulnerability and non-lethal playstyles, Thief: The Dark Project helped shape decades of stealth-focused design. Its influence can be seen across the genre, inspiring immersive, system-driven gameplay. The game was recognized at the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (2000) with a win for “Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development.” With Thief: The Dark Project Remastered, players can revisit—or experience for the first time—the title that made stealth not just a mechanic, but a philosophy.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

I am quoting myself from discord here, but put my metaphisical cuck chair in front of their shared fate of misery.