News We’re All a Part Of . February 2018 Vol. 7 Issue 4 Observer Contents 2 Vol. 7 Issue 4 February 2018 Letter from the Staff Contents Mission & Vision Dear Readers, Cover: Designed by Josh C. News We’re All a Part Of Here we are, all a month 3 Announcements It is our mission as the older with lots to look forward Alfred-Almond Observer to provide 4-5 Video Game Review truthful, unbiased, and accurate to, including the fourth issue information to the student body. Our 6 Cyborgs from The Observer! We are goal is to deliver relevant stories back with a slew of articles focused on both informing and 7 Robotics entertaining the Alfred-Almond entertaining a variety of 8-9 Who is it? community. We strive to promote a emotions including love, positive school climate and will use 10 Kilroy! excitement, and curiosity. In the Observer as a way to give all voices at Alfred-Almond a platform. 11-12 Semi Formal Photos this special February edition, 13 What is Love? learn about holidays in this 2017 Observer Staff month other than Valentine’s 14 The Science of Love Editors in Chief Day, and some of the big Kaitlyn C. 15-6 The History of Cupid upcoming events like NY Abigail H. 17-8 Asian Holidays Fashion Week and the Winter Jessie M. 19 February Holidays Olympics. Delve into the Copy Editors science of love, and possibly Morgan G. Sam Q. 20 NY Fashion Week rethink what you perceive love Chloe M. Sam W. Maya R. 21 Times Up to be. Read about cyborgs and Design Managers 22-3 Winter Olympics the Observer video game! We Sam Q. Zoey K. have included material for 24 Turkey Calling Veronica M. Emily N. every reader to enjoy, so get Josh C. Attilo C. 25 Super Bowl Foods yourself a tasty beverage, put Public Relations Managers 26 Breakfast your legs up, and see what Chris G. Morgan G. 27-8 Distractions issue four has to offer! Sam W. Matt I. Sophie N. Duncan B-C. 29 Games Until next month, stay frosty, Staff Writers 30 Acknowledgements Zoey K. Chris G. Matt I. Chloe M. Attilo C. Duncan B-C. Technology Advisors Emily N. Veronica M. Josh C. Sophie N. ⓒ ALFRED-ALMOND CENTRAL SCHOOL 2015 - RT. 21 ALMOND, NY - 607-276-6555 Observer Announcements 3 Vol. 7 Issue 4 February 2018 Announcements All-County Winter Recess Music Festival Monday, Hornell High February 19 to School Friday, Friday March 2 Winter Sports February 23 & Saturday Awards March 3 Thursday March 1, 7:15 pm in the Bumpalooza Five Week Auditorium in AACS gym Friday Reports March 2, Friday 4pm March 2 Supt. Valentine's Conference Day Friday Day March 2 February 14 March 21 Jr. Sr March 22 HIgh Band + Jr. Sr High Jazz Band Chorus concert Concert at AACS The Wizard of Oz AACS AACS Auditorium Auditorium Thursday March 8, 7:00 pm, Saturday March 8, All of March 7:00 pm, February is 30 - NO Sunday Black March 11, 2:00 pm School! History Month! Observer >OBSERVER_ 4 Vol. 7 Issue 4 February 2018 It seems that we are entering a prompted the development of more golden age of horror. 2017 saw the release fledged out games and the venture into of a significant number of pieces of media psychological horror, which put them in which were not only scary, but actually the public eye. well-composed. Public awareness was >OBSERVER_ has been described mostly concentrated on the films, such as by many as “cyberpunk”, reminiscent of It and Get Out, but there were also the Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell excellent releases in the video game world universes but with a horror element, much this year. Most of the attention last year like the 2015 video game SOMA. It takes went to already-established intellectual place in a dystopian universe where many properties Resident Evil and Outlast, with people have received cybernetic their seventh and second installments augmentations which can treat what was respectively. But Polish developer Bloober previously untreatable, such as organ Team had their own contender in the form failure and cardiovascular diseases. of their second horror release, Government units known as “Observers” >OBSERVER_. can access people’s memories and >OBSERVER_ exists in a completely dreams through these augmentations to separate universe from Bloober Team’s assist in crime fighting. You are one of first trial in the horror genre, Layers of Fear, these Observers known by the name which was released in early 2016. Layers of Daniel Lazarski, and your son, whom you Fear and >OBSERVER_ have been the haven’t heard from in years, is an developer’s most successful games so far, employee at a major corporation called but they’re not the first. Before producing Chiron. At the beginning of the campaign, psychological horror games, Bloober you receive a mysterious call from your Team tried its hand at a variety of genres. son, which you trace to a run-down Their first game, released in 2010, was a apartment building that you subsequently Rock Band-esque music game called go to and investigate. While you’re there, a Music Master Chopin which allowed the lockdown sequence occurs due to a player to perform Frédéric Chopin’s most nearby suspected outbreak of the significant works in classical, rock, and pop Nanophage, which is a digital disease that arrangements. They then tried their hand affects cybernetic augmentations, is nearly at developing games for the Nintendo DS incurable, and most of the time results in and Wii with Double Bloob and Paper Wars: death. Because of this lockdown, you stay Cannon Fodder, followed by two puzzle near the apartment building for most of games, A-Men and A-Men 2. They released the game, but the Nanophage is the least their sixth game, Basement Crawl, to a 27 of your worries, as you discover the out of 100 on Metacritic which prompted a seemingly endless horrors the tenants of complete redesign and re-release under this apartment building have gone through the name Brawl which they gave away for by means of dream scans and free to all Basement Crawl owners. Brawl evidence-collecting. was much more well-received and it Background image from steamcommunity.com Observer >OBSERVER_ 5 Vol. 7 Issue 4 February 2018 This is certainly a SOMA. However, I personally am never mentally-stimulating game. It sets a very concerned about the story, but wonderfully-rich atmosphere from the instead the mood and feeling the game moment the game starts - in your gives off while playing it, and this game retro-futuristic car as the rain falls, has that covered. It’s clear a lot of work surrounded by neon lights. It combines was put into the environment. The elements in a very unique way, managing attention to detail both visually and to fit the noir, cyberpunk, and surrealist auditorily was stunning and exceeded my genres simultaneously. When you actually expectations, which were already high enter the apartment building and invade based off of what Bloober Team delivered your first dream, Bloober Team’s distinct in Layers of Fear. Overall, I would definitely brand of horror they established for recommend this game to the average themselves in Layers of Fear becomes horror game player, and even for those apparent. Their strategy is to bombard you who don't play horror games, keep this with so many different environments and one in mind. elements that you become overwhelmed and more susceptible to fear. Hallways will appear and disappear behind your back and make you completely lose your sense of position and direction. This sense of disorientation, which is reminds me of the 2013 puzzle game Antichamber, truly makes you feel like you’re reliving a dream. When you finally exit a dream sequence, it’s like you can feel your brain FULL DEPENDENCE coming back up for air. You feel a great In this universe, the human race sense of relief that things make sense is dependent on technology to the again, but you know that your job isn’t point of mortality by computer done. You have to make sense of the virus. Image from steamcommunity.com dream you were just in, as it’s also a memory. You were in there to get information on your suspect. In these dreams, you can make out recurring themes. Drug dealing, prison, classism, corporate domination over society. While you’re observing these dreams to collect evidence, they also serve a purpose to the player by filling in details about the universe the game takes place in, and providing backstory on the people you’re TRAUMATIC MEMORIES investigating. I really enjoyed the Midway through the game, you get execution of these dream sequences, as to look into the dreams of someone they are the meat of the horror experience. haunted by the memories of his I’d say >OBSERVER_’s atmosphere prison sentence and its effect on is its strongest element. While the story is his life. Image from adequate, it’s not as significant or steamcommunity.com thought-provoking as similar games like Background image from steamcommunity.com Observer Cyborgs 6 Vol. 7 Issue 4 February 2018 By: Jessica Matteson Editor in Chief With the recent release of the Besides our current fourth season of Black Mirror, a mechanical assistance, more health Netflix show that explores dreary based technological services are outcomes due to technological being developed. Many people are advancements, people have once looking to invest in a system that again speculated about the future.