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November 16, 2013 5:42 AM Subscribe
Luxuria Superbia is a game about having sex with a flower, or maybe your computer. You are definitely having sex with something.
Is it ok if I stick to Crusader Kings II and have sex with people instead?
posted by Dr Dracator at 6:01 AM on November 16, 2013
posted by Dr Dracator at 6:01 AM on November 16, 2013
When I played Dragon Age: Origins, I felt like the game was actually turning me into a worse person.
I loved Persona 3, but I found it really depressing that a) building friendships with people meant picking the choice that they wanted, regardless of what you thought and b) once you had maxed out a friendship, there was no reason to every talk to that character again. Now, sometimes, that was because you had helped the character resolve some emotional issue, and they left the game area. However, more often, they continued to hang around, giving you the same response if you talked to them, so there was no point in interacting. This was doubly unpleasant with the 4-5 characters you could "date." Once you had achieved intimacy (whether that meant sex or just emotional connection), you had to drop them and move on to the next romance, since completing all the "romances" within a single game required a lot of precise sneaking around and dating 2-3 girls at a time.
To be fair, your PoV character has some pretty serious issues, but encouraging gamers to play like sociopaths is... well.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:28 AM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
I loved Persona 3, but I found it really depressing that a) building friendships with people meant picking the choice that they wanted, regardless of what you thought and b) once you had maxed out a friendship, there was no reason to every talk to that character again. Now, sometimes, that was because you had helped the character resolve some emotional issue, and they left the game area. However, more often, they continued to hang around, giving you the same response if you talked to them, so there was no point in interacting. This was doubly unpleasant with the 4-5 characters you could "date." Once you had achieved intimacy (whether that meant sex or just emotional connection), you had to drop them and move on to the next romance, since completing all the "romances" within a single game required a lot of precise sneaking around and dating 2-3 girls at a time.
To be fair, your PoV character has some pretty serious issues, but encouraging gamers to play like sociopaths is... well.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:28 AM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
$3.99. Not the same as in town.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 7:27 AM on November 16, 2013
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 7:27 AM on November 16, 2013
FWIW Persona 4 eases up on some of those issues. You can now complete social links without having to romance someone, and the choices are less obviously "say what that person wants to hear" than P3. You do still have to juggle relationships and basically stop hanging out with people once you've maxed them out, but at least you don't have to feel like you're sleeping around anymore (though if that's your wish, by all means).
Back to Luxuria Superbia. If the words weren't there you could totally get away with calling it an abstract game, that's how non-distinct the visuals are. And yet the whole presentation exudes a certain something... yeah, you're totally having sex with something. Don't let the initial comments in this thread put you off, though, it's still fairly abstract. You don't have to negotiate any relationships or marry foreign rulers or any of that junk, you just have to... um, touch.
posted by chrominance at 7:50 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Back to Luxuria Superbia. If the words weren't there you could totally get away with calling it an abstract game, that's how non-distinct the visuals are. And yet the whole presentation exudes a certain something... yeah, you're totally having sex with something. Don't let the initial comments in this thread put you off, though, it's still fairly abstract. You don't have to negotiate any relationships or marry foreign rulers or any of that junk, you just have to... um, touch.
posted by chrominance at 7:50 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
The most noteworthy part of this is that apparently The GIA is back. When did that happen?
posted by curious nu at 8:03 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by curious nu at 8:03 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Where do I find it in GTA V?
posted by jimmythefish at 8:17 AM on November 16, 2013
posted by jimmythefish at 8:17 AM on November 16, 2013
Oh god this is the most refreshing game I've played in a long time. So many eager flowers that just want you to please, please come touch them. Right there. Yes, there, there - wait no stop slow down - ohhh yessss.
Each flower has a different personality. Wants your touch in a different way. This one likes being spread. This one likes a spiraling caress around all those blushing petals. They all like being lightly, rapidly tapped when everything starts to go white.
This is the most explicit, obscene game I have ever played. And yet you could give it to a child. It's just about pollinating abstracted flowers, after all. It's totally not teaching you about putting your fingers - or other parts - into a warm, dark hole and being attentive to what makes it happy. Totally not about that at all.
Oh who am I kidding this is a game about a pretty lady coming up to you and begging you to put your head, hands, and hips between her legs and make her come so hard she sees God.
posted by egypturnash at 8:29 AM on November 16, 2013 [20 favorites]
Each flower has a different personality. Wants your touch in a different way. This one likes being spread. This one likes a spiraling caress around all those blushing petals. They all like being lightly, rapidly tapped when everything starts to go white.
This is the most explicit, obscene game I have ever played. And yet you could give it to a child. It's just about pollinating abstracted flowers, after all. It's totally not teaching you about putting your fingers - or other parts - into a warm, dark hole and being attentive to what makes it happy. Totally not about that at all.
Oh who am I kidding this is a game about a pretty lady coming up to you and begging you to put your head, hands, and hips between her legs and make her come so hard she sees God.
posted by egypturnash at 8:29 AM on November 16, 2013 [20 favorites]
Also there are versions for computers but trust me trust me trust me you want to play this on a tablet, it's really designed to let you get all your fingers in there and play.
posted by egypturnash at 8:32 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by egypturnash at 8:32 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
And by making the act performative and interactive, it more clearly reflects the way people actually have sex.
I'm reminded of the God of War sex scenes. I like the described solution (although they're not the first to link abstract rhythm play with sex), and I'd be interested to play the game.
I've played a couple of dating sims, which is probably as close as you can get to the exact opposite of what the OP describes. They're grind-fests (very gym-tan-laundry) with mild resource management elements (with the flow and fun of resource management completely unaccounted for) mixed in with time triggers and occasional random encounters. The 'sex' is basically unlocking character art and flavor text. But I think they have appeal in part because they present a clear, if tedious, path to sex. Pick the correct options, spend enough time time grinding money or dates, and eventually one of the representations of a woman in the game will be presented to you unclothed.
One of them even had a fast forward button.
And yeah you could have just googled the art, but then you wouldn't have gotten the ritualistic push-back from the game that means you earned the sex-loot, in the same way grinding levels before a boss fight, even if you use your emulator's double-speed option to get it over with, is more satisfying than cheating your way through it.
Even games which sell themselves as having deep character interaction keep sex way over on that grind 'n' unlock side of things, the dead end of a particular gameplay path, rather than an element of gameplay itself.
Now I've talked myself into thinking that Luxuria Superbia sounds fairly radical.
posted by postcommunism at 8:34 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm reminded of the God of War sex scenes. I like the described solution (although they're not the first to link abstract rhythm play with sex), and I'd be interested to play the game.
I've played a couple of dating sims, which is probably as close as you can get to the exact opposite of what the OP describes. They're grind-fests (very gym-tan-laundry) with mild resource management elements (with the flow and fun of resource management completely unaccounted for) mixed in with time triggers and occasional random encounters. The 'sex' is basically unlocking character art and flavor text. But I think they have appeal in part because they present a clear, if tedious, path to sex. Pick the correct options, spend enough time time grinding money or dates, and eventually one of the representations of a woman in the game will be presented to you unclothed.
One of them even had a fast forward button.
And yeah you could have just googled the art, but then you wouldn't have gotten the ritualistic push-back from the game that means you earned the sex-loot, in the same way grinding levels before a boss fight, even if you use your emulator's double-speed option to get it over with, is more satisfying than cheating your way through it.
Even games which sell themselves as having deep character interaction keep sex way over on that grind 'n' unlock side of things, the dead end of a particular gameplay path, rather than an element of gameplay itself.
Now I've talked myself into thinking that Luxuria Superbia sounds fairly radical.
posted by postcommunism at 8:34 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
The most noteworthy part of this is that apparently The GIA is back. When did that happen?
A few months ago. It's very definitely not what it was ten-plus years ago (Jesus Christ I'm old) but it's a few of the old crew and they can most certainly write.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:53 AM on November 16, 2013
A few months ago. It's very definitely not what it was ten-plus years ago (Jesus Christ I'm old) but it's a few of the old crew and they can most certainly write.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:53 AM on November 16, 2013
I wish they had left the text out entirely. There is an option to turn it off, at least, but the game itself is such a perfect balance between abstract and overt; the sexytalk floating over the top is just unnecessary.
posted by ook at 9:34 AM on November 16, 2013
posted by ook at 9:34 AM on November 16, 2013
The most noteworthy part of this is that apparently The GIA is back. When did that happen?!!!
And the other current front page article (a Tale of Tales game is a front page story!) is about Suikoden and Silent Hill and (apparently, Phonogram?) letting series be finite instead of turning them into franchises that end up sullying the name of the original creator-controlled works which are no longer easily available for purchase and play?
What beautiful alternate universe did I wake up in this morning?
posted by byanyothername at 10:04 AM on November 16, 2013 [2 favorites]
Wish I could play this on iphone. Don't have a tablet yet. (am I the only one?)
posted by dreamling at 11:53 AM on November 16, 2013
posted by dreamling at 11:53 AM on November 16, 2013
I love this game so much. Also, I just let the six-year-old who lives in my house play it and he loves it but it was a little uncomfortable for me. In classic fashion, obviously, it's just a pretty game to him, but the sexual metaphor is so blatant that it is weird to hold his innocence and the metaphor in the same space.
posted by rosa at 12:46 PM on November 16, 2013
posted by rosa at 12:46 PM on November 16, 2013
Wow. And they've got a whole series on Christine Love (previously, with links to a few other FPPs on her games).
posted by asperity at 1:09 PM on November 16, 2013
posted by asperity at 1:09 PM on November 16, 2013
So after all Zizek was right, you do want to fuck my tulips you pervs.
posted by elpapacito at 1:27 PM on November 16, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by elpapacito at 1:27 PM on November 16, 2013 [2 favorites]
Related: Is Human Sexuality Being Hacked?
posted by muckster at 1:43 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by muckster at 1:43 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
I am so full of sadness for the Bioware hate. Some understanding, but mostly sadness. And calibrations.
I too lack a tablet-- should I borrow my partner's touchable laptop? Or wait for an iGoober version?
posted by NoraReed at 3:05 PM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
I too lack a tablet-- should I borrow my partner's touchable laptop? Or wait for an iGoober version?
posted by NoraReed at 3:05 PM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
Egypturnash's review sold me on it. It is playable on desktop with a mouse, though I am sure a touch screen would be even more fun.
posted by idiopath at 3:08 PM on November 16, 2013
posted by idiopath at 3:08 PM on November 16, 2013
You are definitely having sex with something.
Livin' the Schoolies Week dream.
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:12 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Livin' the Schoolies Week dream.
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:12 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Maybe a future expansion will come with a level editor so you can create a flower that will teach new lovers how you like to be touched...
posted by Ian A.T. at 5:41 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Ian A.T. at 5:41 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Luxuria Superbia is a game about having sex with a flower, or maybe your computer. "
It's wonderful, though I am horribly biased since it's made by my longtime netfriend Auriea, who won a ton of Webbies in their early days for her very personal, revealing, sexy webdesign.
Oh, and if any of you love this game and would like Steam to carry it, please vote for it here. I know she'd appreciate it.
posted by markkraft at 6:03 PM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
It's wonderful, though I am horribly biased since it's made by my longtime netfriend Auriea, who won a ton of Webbies in their early days for her very personal, revealing, sexy webdesign.
Oh, and if any of you love this game and would like Steam to carry it, please vote for it here. I know she'd appreciate it.
posted by markkraft at 6:03 PM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
When I played Dragon Age: Origins, I felt like the game was actually turning me into a worse person.
Really? When I Played Dragon Age: Origins I was completely monogamous (and lesbian, but that's not important right now) and even let the other interested bloke(s) down easy. That's more of a complaint about the concept-abuse of GamerScore than the game itself. Although presumably some part of Bioware had some input into how that finished up, blaming it on the game seems a little unfair.
posted by Sparx at 7:53 PM on November 16, 2013
Really? When I Played Dragon Age: Origins I was completely monogamous (and lesbian, but that's not important right now) and even let the other interested bloke(s) down easy. That's more of a complaint about the concept-abuse of GamerScore than the game itself. Although presumably some part of Bioware had some input into how that finished up, blaming it on the game seems a little unfair.
posted by Sparx at 7:53 PM on November 16, 2013
Obviously Tempest made me too clinical.
posted by bleep-blop at 2:03 AM on November 17, 2013
posted by bleep-blop at 2:03 AM on November 17, 2013
I'm really, really enjoying this even on my iMac, though dear gods I wish I had a tablet to play it on.
As in, I briefly considered whether or not I could justify buying a tablet...
posted by desuetude at 10:35 AM on November 17, 2013
As in, I briefly considered whether or not I could justify buying a tablet...
posted by desuetude at 10:35 AM on November 17, 2013
> When everything starts going slowly white, is there anything you can do to reverse the process?
Stop touching for a moment, let the color come back. There's definitely an edge you can play there.
posted by desuetude at 10:37 AM on November 17, 2013
Stop touching for a moment, let the color come back. There's definitely an edge you can play there.
posted by desuetude at 10:37 AM on November 17, 2013
This looks like the lovechild between Katamari Damacy and that game that Riker brings back from Risa.
posted by Skwirl at 11:06 AM on November 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Skwirl at 11:06 AM on November 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
My GF played for five minutes, and put it down saying: "That game made me very uncomfortable."
I could not convince her that it was just about flowers.
posted by empath at 7:55 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
I could not convince her that it was just about flowers.
posted by empath at 7:55 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Looks like Luxuria Superbia has been updated to work on iPhone (4 and up) and iPod touch (5th gen.) too.
(...he says, knowing that Auriea would probably like you all to know that fact, especially if you are following this thread.)
posted by markkraft at 4:34 PM on November 26, 2013
(...he says, knowing that Auriea would probably like you all to know that fact, especially if you are following this thread.)
posted by markkraft at 4:34 PM on November 26, 2013
gorgeous.
posted by en forme de poire at 1:04 AM on November 30, 2013
posted by en forme de poire at 1:04 AM on November 30, 2013
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