ANDRE AVERION Mercury Staff

“The Witcher” is not the next “Game of Thrones”, but the underlying reason may not be easily apparent: close analysis suggests this show is set to be far bigger than HBO’s flagship fantasy drama.

Frankly, it’s exhausting and disrespectful to see many viewers make such a bland comparison between two legendary properties. Many viewers might see two fantasy shows and assume they’re the same thing. And, between a marginalized, orphaned protagonist with an affinity for white wolves and a coming apocalypse of monsters, they might be justified in making parallels. However, they’re just that: parallels. Both subscribe to the fantasy genre; many of the elements fans point to as evidence of ‘copying’ are rather tropes belonging to the genre as a whole. In fact, the 1992-1999 “Witcher” book series has a far more expansive and lore-filled world than the unfinished world of “Game of Thrones”, which has been in the works since 1996. When it comes to fantasy television shows, it’s clear that “The Witcher” has so much more to offer.

Explore AI creation with "Homunculus"

SIHANYA ROCHA Mercury Staff

“Homunculus” by Joe Spar - row is a deceptively simple, tearjerking, page-turner of a comic about a scientist who unknowingly builds an AI towards the end of the world. It follows her 513-year story as she tries to meet the expectations of the world around her and is illustrated with a pastel color palette, friendly line art and funny-looking humans without noses.

Now, what sets this comic apart from other stories about artificial intelligence is the way Sparrow presents the AI character, Daisy, in “Homunculus”. Instead of being an omniscient being from the beginning of time or a single-minded, task-oriented machine, Daisy is instead written as having the fresh perspective of a child. This creates an atmosphere of unbridled wonder and innocent excitement that soon turns to foreboding calamity after Daisy is presented to the head of the institute by the scientist that created her. The decision to imbue Daisy with a childlike perspective is narrative genius. For one, it leads the reader to view the pointlessness and unnecessary heartbreak of nuclear war from an apolitical perspective. But perhaps more importantly, as it is used in this medium, it makes small details that feel odd at first catch your attention.

Daisy’s childlike perspective is explored narratively and visually through seemingly simple decisions by the author. For instance, instead of giving Daisy a mobile body like that of a stereotypical robot that turns evil and goes rogue, she is instead a giant cube that is placed on a platform – rendering her immobile, confined to the room she's in. Therefore, the only way for her to learn new things or interact with other living beings is by having someone be inside the same room she’s placed in. It’s as if Daisy is a kid who’s been placed in their crib or in a classroom, waiting for an adult to come in and supervise, teach or otherwise spend time with them.

In that vein, the scientist that built Daisy, Veronica, is very much coded as the teacher or maternal figure in Daisy's life. Unlike other AI stories where the scientist is coded as an authoritarian figure, Veronica clearly cares for Daisy, and shows her affection through various small acts. The characterization of Veronica as a caring figure is important not only because it complements Daisy's childlike innocence, but also because it shows how even towards the end of the world, kindness can still exist. This point is emphasized from the very start of the comic. When Daisy is being activated, for example, Veronica nervously but cheerfully introduces herself to Daisy and explains to the AI what she is. Then, one of the first things she does with Daisy is teach her simple math problems and how to say the letters of the alphabet. When it comes time to present Daisy to the head of the institute that makes the funding decisions, Daisy is initially nervous about him not liking her and worries about what would happen if he decides to cut Veronica's funding. But Veronica just smiles confidently and encouragingly says “I have complete confidence in you. Just be your usual, charming self. You’ll do fine.”

Lastly, there is also the final scene that Daisy and Veronica share, where she visits Daisy one more time. Veronica tearfully explains to her what is going on, gives her one last request so Daisy’s brain doesn't deteriorate and can stay active and tells her she loves her before leaving for a safe shelter. This relationship doesn’t just impact Daisy, though – Sparrow shows how the last request given by Veronica is faithfully followed by Daisy up until she is found by the descendants of humans that managed to survive the nuclear apocalypse. Then, when asked what her first memory was about the world before the war, Daisy says “I remember…light. Light…and then…her face,” in reference to Veronica.

As heartwarming as “Homunculus” starts with this dynamic of innocent new life and caring parental figure that Daisy and Veronica have, this story does take place towards the end of the world Things take a quick turn after Daisy is presented to the head of the institute. There were hints of this tragedy throughout the story, but they were always dampened by Veronica’s optimism. However, the reader can never quite brush them aside, since she felt that it was important for Daisy to have an idea of the world outside, both good and bad. But because Sparrow chooses to draw the entire comic with singular viewpoint panels-in other words, first-person perspective- the reader is presented with a limited viewpoint from the start.

This artistic choice of panel design is what makes “Homunculus” deceptively simple. One, this perspective makes for a concise way of visual storytelling that says a lot with a little and helps concentrate complex emotions and thoughts into concise bursts. Two, it gives the reader a feeling of both powerlessness and curiosity: we know something is going on, but don't know what exactly it is. With a limited range of visibility, both Daisy and the audience can only piece together what's happening and when it's happening through changes in lighting, scenery, or someone walking by the range of sight the author has given us. Another minor, yet strategic, detail that goes well with this feeling of half-knowledge is the way the comic starts off every new scene with a sentence, conversation, or scene already

SEE HOMUNCULUS, PAGE 8

Witcher” didn’t get an English translation until 2007, so it can’t be said that either directly inspired each other, but it is at the very least true that the franchises’ common elements were first explored in “The Witcher”. I have read both series, watched both shows and played all “The Witcher" games— so instead of comparing similarities, I find it more meaningful to compare their differ- and Bran Stark ever debuted on screen. All seven books of the original series were written (albeit in Polish) before the third “Game of Thrones” novel was released. In fact, by the time HBO’s “Game of Thrones” adaptation hit screens in the United States, “The Witcher” was already a global phenomenon celebrated for its games, to the extent that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk even gifted a copy of the second game to U.S. President Barack Obama on his 2011 visit. “The Feb. 07, 2022 | The Mercury OPINION 7

CASEY RUBIO | MERCURY STAFF SEE WITCHER, PAGE 8

Halo on the sticks just feels sad

BEN NGUYEN Managing Editor

Do you remember the “Halo” twinstick shooter?

It’s ok if you don’t. But for $4.99, both “Halo: Spartan Assault” and “Halo: Spartan Strike” are available in a bundle on Steam right now, and upon hearing this you may consider it a good opportunity for some twinstick shooter action. Classic guns, skull modifiers and an old school high score approach to shooting aliens may at first seem like a slam dunk formula, but a pile of small setbacks prevent the game from making you feel like a “killionaire”.

In a twin-stick shooter, arguably the most important aspect to make feel right is the shooting. And it only just misses the mark. Whenever you want to shoot, with any weapon, there’s a small windup time for the player character to actually start shooting their gun. Whenever the player character begins the action of shooting, their movement speed slows down to a crawl, as well. This makes both games feel sluggish whenever engaging in actual combat, made even more frustrating when trying to weave in and out of enemy bullets while trying to shoot them back.

This is especially disappointing when drawing comparisons to other twin-stick shooters, shoot-em’-up games and even the mainline series itself. For example, the latter’s latest installment “Halo Infinite” has one of the cleanest and most satisfying shooting in a recently released first-person shooter right now, continuing a trend that’s lasted throughout the series. And in any other twin-stick shooter I can think of, the main gameplay loop of shooting enemies never felt as mildly annoying as it is in “Halo: Spartan Assault”.

Points are gained by killing multiple enemies in a row without getting hit. Doing so awards some of the classic “Halo” kill streak announcements: going from double kill all the way up to “killimanjaro.” The “Halo” announcer himself is absent, however. Perhaps when mowing down scores of enemies in a twin-stick shooter, the developers decided that having an announcer would provide too much vocal noise. But it’s replaced with nothing, and level after level of taking down the Covenant feels silent without any sort of announcer or NPC radio support. And because of the way points are gained, shooting becomes incredibly frustrating in “Halo: Spartan Assault” especially. Since even drawing your gun slows you down, you’re guaranteed to get hit if you decide to shoot in midto close-range. Getting kills without getting hit is almost essential to racking up high scores, encouraging a slow, boring and methodical approach in a game ostensibly about running and gunning.

BEN NGUYEN MANAGING EDITOR