#50% of this challenge will be castlevania help me

[nylilcosmos]

♱ 4. Bat Wings ♱ #vamptober

#50% of this challenge will be castlevania help me #astarion will cover the 30% #and the rest depends on what im thinking about #nylil art #its not a doodle but its also not finished hmmmm #a finoodle #vamptober #castlevania fanart #castlevania nocturne #drolta tzuentes #i loveeeeee her design so much

[milkpumpkin96]

Sea of Stars Review

Sabotage Studio ambitiously pumped out a 90s-style RPG as a follow-up to their well-received title The Messenger.

I had not heard about this game until my father informed me that he majorly helped fun its Kickstarter . . . and then I became further intrigued after learning that Rainbowdragoneyes was one of the main soundtrack composers. It also turns out that Sea of Stars is inspired by some of my other favorite games, like Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger.

Knowing this information, how could I not give Sea of Stars a try?

[MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING]

OVERALL SCORE: 7/10

In all honesty, I adore this game. It has just the right sprinkle of 16-bit nostalgia paired with gorgeous level design, an epic soundtrack, and a silly and fun cast of characters. The game itself is fairly easy and Sea of Stars is devoid of platitudinous high-fantasy elements, which may be alluring to game players that do not often like/are not used to hardcore RPGs.

As much as I love this game, it is indeed flawed in several ways. But overall, Sea of Stars is a fun romp and an interesting prequel to The Messenger, in which the latter is a 2D platformer more akin to Castlevania or Metroid. One could tell that Sea of Stars was definitely more of a passion project.

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GAMEPLAY: 8/10

Unlike The Messenger, Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG similar to other 90s titles like Chrono Trigger, Final fantasy, and Dragon Quest . . . but it also has the simplicity and playfulness that a game like Super Mario RPG provides. The creative director Thierry Boulanger himself stated that Sea of Stars was mainly inspired by some of the games listed above.

Sabotage Studio eloquently implements 16-bit graphics that appeal to nostalgic, old-school players yet are simultaneously pretty enough to grab the attention of anyone. There are a lot of neat mechanics to the game, ranging from cooking to puzzle-solving to combat to minigames, like Wheels.

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Like many RPGs, players have the ability to cook when camping beside campfires! I enjoyed this mechanic because the cooking itself was brisk, but it had cute graphics to showcase the process of making a dish, like cutting vegetables and stirring the pot.

Cooking is introduced once the Warrior Cook Garl joins the party. The process is very straightforward and one can find ingredients pretty much anywhere: if you see something sparkling on the landscape, pick it up and use it for a recipe! Dishes can aid players in various ways, such as the peach strudel (requiring peaches, diary, wheat, and eggs) which refreshes 12 MP in combat, and Papillote (requiring onions and potatoes) which revives party members from a K.O. state and restores 50% of their health.

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Sea of Stars also has some puzzles scattered throughout, albeit most are optional/extras rather than being a part of the main game. There are several little puzzles to solve in order to access certain treasure chests, and there are also bigger puzzles found in Solstice Shrines and Sunken Ruins. Some of these puzzles are surprisingly challenging, so they are certainly fun for audiences up to the test. In order to achieve the "True Ending" of the game, most of these side puzzles must be completed.

I appreciate the way Sabotage Studio implemented these puzzle-solving quests! They are optional, but challenging and fun for puzzle enjoyers or those willing to work for a better ending. Players have to use the minstrel bracelet and/or the manual ability to shift around the night to day cycle in order to solve these riddles for the most part . . . and a good sum of them cannot be solved until you progress a good amount through the game. I initially became worried that I could not solve the puzzles in the Moorlands when I first arrived there, only to find out I needed to be further in the game and I could easily backtrack there later.

So, do not fret--you can always return back to areas and solve the riddles there at any point in the game!

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Another highly enjoyable game mechanic is the ability to set sail. Early on in the game, after exploring the port town named Brisk for the first time, players meet a charming pirate crew consisting of Yolande, Keenathan, Valtraid, and Captain Klee'shaë (the alter ego of eventual party member Seraï). You will go on a quests with them to obtain a famous ghost ship called The Vespertine, which can then be used to travel the seas to reach all of the game's destinations.

This ship is primarily used to travel to each location in the game and will also take you across the Sea of Stars itself! The sailing mechanic is not only useful, but easy and fun to navigate. With the Salient Sails relic equipped, you can move around even faster.

Players can also enter the ship and walk around the deck and cabin. Oboard, players can talk to characters, save their game, cook recipes, play Wheels, access their game statistics, and listen to the pirate crew's band (which acts as the game's soundtrack library).

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When it comes to difficulty, players can acquire various relics that adjust how challenging the gameplay is. There is no actual difficulty setting.

For example, the Guardian Aura relic reduces all incoming damage by 30%. The Tomb of Knowledge relic increases XP by 20%. The Amulet of Storytelling fully heals every part member after each battle. There are others, but all of these relics make the game easier (which is good for speedrunning or if you want to simply enjoy the story of the game).

Then there are relics such as Dubious Dare, which increases enemy attack damage by 40%, and Artful Gambit, which reduces the party's HP by 95%, but successfully timed hits deal double bonus damage, and successfully timed blocks reduce damage to 1. These relics make the gameplay significantly harder.

On default settings, Sea of Stars is not difficult at all. Although, I am embarrassed to say that I died exactly 13 times!

The relics I had equipped did not affect the difficulty of my game too much, only equipping them for mechanical purposes. The Salient Sails relic increased my sailing speed by 20% and the Sequent Flare gave me a visual cue that I successfully timed my blocks and attacks.

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My biggest criticism is that I wish the boss fights were more challenging. I found the bosses to be significantly easier than fights against multiple tougher enemies . . .

The bosses had loads of HP, so it may have taken a while to defeat them, but I rarely experienced any K.O.s and total deaths during these fights. I view this as a negative thing because I adore challenges and want to feel intimidated and frustrated by big bosses. I think that Elysan'Darëlle (whom you fight in the normal ending) was the biggest disappointment, in that I defeated her in measly minutes without issue. I was around level 21 when beating the game.

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Despite the lack of challenge, the aesthetics and combat moves the bosses of Sea of Stars provide are absolutely stunning.

The setup, the atmosphere, the anticipation, the twitching, the shapeshifting, the magic . . . all of the elements in every boss fight were unique, fun, and alluring. I personally enjoyed fighting the Dwellers (even though the plotline forces you to lose to the Dweller of Strife), and several of the endgame bosses the most (such as the Gun Goddess who resisted most magic-based attacks and shot the ever-loving hell out of my party).

The enemies became increasingly more difficult as you progress through the game. Surviving a group of three or more tough monsters can be quite the challenge. I suffered some of the greatest struggles in Brisk's battle coliseum, dying four to five times against the "Basic Basement Batch."

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The BEST fight in the entire game was against the final boss of the True Ending: Aephorul.

I find it rather unfortunate that players do not get to fight this coward at all during the normal playthrough of the game. Of course, Aephorul (A.K.A. The Fleshmancer) is essentially a God, and it is near impossible for even Solstice Warriors to actual kill someone of this caliber. Even in the fight in the True Ending, you do not actually kill him, but rather put him in his place . . . taking The Fleshmancer down a few pegs, destroying his ego and understanding of the nature of reality.

This was a long, gruesome boss fight. Aephorul has a lot of HP, and I was locked in battle for at least an hour. He has several stages to his boss battle, and at some point the fight transcends into a retro-style arcade game (like Galactica) where you fly into the air and shoot frantically.

I was not as big of a fan of this shift in gameplay. This happens in the Aephorul fight as well as the final takedown against the World Eater. Sure, it does spice things up and prevent the turn-based RPG style from getting dull, but it was not really my cup of tea.

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MUSIC: 10/10

Absolute kudos to Eric Brown, A.K.A Rainbowdragoneyes, as well as Yasunori Mitsuda, famous composer for Chrono Trigger.

The soundtrack is perfect, complimenting every character and setting quite well. To me, while sometimes the music becomes repetitive, it is never annoyingly so. Sea of Stars makes sure to avoid too much repetition by adding reprises to earlier beats, such as changing the main Battle On! track upon entering different areas (or by not even activating that battle music at all sometimes).

Of course, many tracks are reminiscent of classic Chrono Trigger music, and one may also recognize some callbacks/motifs to The Messenger. These callbacks can be noticed in certain area themes like Glacial Peak.

The music just feels motivating, encouraging players to continue trekking and fight on!

I am always a fan of battle music. Some of my favorite tracks include:

The Storm Calls for You!

Songshroom's Wonders

Doccari Village

Battle On (Day)!

Encounter Elite! (this song always gave me the chills)

The Frozen Peak (Night)

Garl's Theme--Dance of 1,000 Suns

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STORY 6.5/10

I have seen others say this before . . . the story just keeps going, and going, and going . . .

Overall, Sea of Stars harbors a classic tale of good triumphing over evil. The two player protagonists, Valere and Zale, are special heroes called Solstice Warriors whose objective is to wipe out Dwellers and protect the world from further harm. The warriors ultimately must save their world, traverse the Sea of Stars and save Seraï's planet, and then take down The Fleshmancer. Valere and Zale travel around with fun, quirky side characters

The story appears to be straightforward, but it is rather . . . all over the place. Every time you think you are near the end of the game, think again! Sea of Stars features several in-game climaxes, which is kind of nice because I did not want it to end in some degree, but also kind of confusing.

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This is the best summation of the plot I can provide:

Every once in a while, children may be born on either the winter or summer solstice. These children are called "Solstice Warriors" as they harbor a special kind of powerful magic, intended on being used to protect the world from evil. Solstice Warrior babies are dropped off to a village called Mooncradle, where they are raised and trained at Zenith Academy.

The story follows Zale and Valere, a summer and winter solstice child respectively, who train at Zenith Academy for years before heading out into the world. Zale harnesses sun-based abilities and Valere harnesses moon-based powers, and they learn how to utilize their powerful magic from other Solstice Warriors named Headmaster Moraine, Erlina, and Brugraves.

A great, ancient evil known as The Fleshmancer has created Dwellers of Woe and Strife across worlds and timelines, who harbor insane amounts of power that can only be squandered by solstice magic during solar and lunar eclipses. Solstice Warriors are trained to fight these beings during eclipse events.

Valere and Zale travel with their childhood best friend, the warrior cook Garl, in order to defeat the remaining Dwellers before they can transform into the even more powerful World Eaters in due time. Along the way, the heroes encounter a surplus of unique characters such as Teaks, who is a historian that informs players on lore, the pirate crew of Brisk, and Seraï, a mysterious fighter who eventually joins your party.

However, as Valere and Zale are heroically questing, the lives of solstice warriors Erlina and Brugraves take a turn for the worse. During the fight against the Dweller of Woe, Erlina and Brugraves betray their friends and their duties and reveal themselves to be worshippers of The Fleshmancer. They join the other Fleshmancer acolytes and halt the progress of the heroes from defeating the Dweller. This causes absolute chaos and the destruction of Brisk, preventing the Dweller of Woe from extinction and reviving the formerly defeated Dweller of Strife.

Eventually, the party discovers The Archivist hiding himself within the Archives . . . who turns out to be Resh'an, The Fleshmancer's former friend/co-alchemist. Resh'an agrees to fight alongside the heroes, but he strictly states that he cannot engage in battle with Dwellers.

When the party engages with the Dweller of Strife, it appears that they are horribly losing. In a desperate attempt, Seraï takes one of Resh'an's flasks and throws it at the Dweller, breaking the agreement between Resh'an and The Fleshmancer, and summoning the latter. The Fleshmancer, named Aephorul, then recruits Erlina as his lieutenant and sends Brugraves away, proceeding to mortally wound Garl. Resh'an uses his abilities to temporarily extend Garl's lifespan on "borrowed time" so that the warrior cook can finish helping Valere and Zale follow through with Garl's mission given to him by the Elder Mist.

After Garl dies, the party is permitted by the sky giants to cross between worlds over the Sea of Stars in order to reach the Fleshmancer's lair. The crew travels to another planet that is technologically advanced, and Seraï reveals herself to be a cyborg from this planet. She was on a mission to find solstice warriors to help free her people from the chokehold The Fleshmancer has upon them. Seraï's world is deprived from light and the moon has been sunken into the bottom of the ocean.

On this quest to save Seraï's planet and stop Aephorul once and for all, the party encounters some lost, trapped souls, including B'st, whom Resh'an makes a glass body for so that they can fight alongside your party. Valere, Zale, and crew eventually reach The Fleshmancer's lair after gaining the ability to fly and then have to fight Elysan'Darëlle, formerly known as Erlina.

Once defeating her, Resh'an convinces Aephorul to accept defeat and understand that his twisted life approach is inferior. Both alchemists then depart, and Zale and Valere begin to sense that a World Eater is forming. The two heroes give their heartfelt goodbyes to their friends, ascend to the status of Guardian Gods, and defeat the World Eater. Valere and Zale now permanently circle the universe as Gods to protect the world from further developments of Dwellers.

If players complete all the necessary side quests required for the True Ending, before beating the game, the party finds a device in the Moorlands that Resh'an built called the Chronophage. This can be used to travel back in time and prevent Garl's death. B'st takes Garl's place and takes the fatal hit from The Fleshmancer, but his glass body (and will to live) prevents him from the same fate of death. This replacement prevents a time paradox, allowing all party members to live.

In the True Ending, players fight Aephorul himself as the final boss after Garl provokes him. Elysan'Darëlle appears in this other world alongside a transformed Brugraves, and it is ambiguous of their fate. Zale and Valere still transcend into Guardian Gods and only come back down once a year on Garl's birthday.

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Hopefully, that summary made any sense. The plot is simple at its core, but events just keep happening and "twists" are thrown around, so it is really hard to verbalize a gist.

Some story elements are left ambiguous, however. The relationship between Resh'an and Aephorul s never fully explained. Players get to see brief flashbacks of the two alchemists before they became immortals, which leads to a potential understanding that they were certainly more than just "business partners." It is also not fully known where the two run off to after the final fight, and when it cuts to the corrupted Erlina and Brugraves, they are roaming an unknown place/planet. I am also not exactly certain how Seraï traversed the Sea of Stars originally and became part of a pirate crew. Nonetheless, the ambiguity is kind of fun and up to interpretation, perhaps leading into The Messenger.

Even though the plot length was overly long, I cannot complain too much. I really did not want the game to end!

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Though to be frank, completing Sea of Stars with the normal ending is . . . kind of a disappointment.

The Elysan'Darëlle boss fight was a bit too easy, and her attack patterns were rather predictable and boring. When I defeated her, I thought, that's it? It then became a shame that Valere and Zale would not engage with Aephorul at all--of course, the game recognizes that it would be weird if mortals could kill a God so easily (which occurs in other video games), but defeating his Lieutenant did not seem like it would destroy the entire mindset that The Fleshmancer had been harboring for centuries. Was that all he had? Of course, we do not know of the dialogue that Resh'an had with him following the brawl.

After the boss fight . . . that is it. I felt a bit conflicted about this. This was the only time where I was perplexed that there was no more story elaboration following afterward. The game essentially ends. Valere and Zale sense a World Eater, and you must fight it (but this battle is simple and quick). Then, the end.

Zale and Valere revolve around the world as Guardian Gods; they left their friends and ended the conflict with Aephorul so abruptly. "Abrupt" is the best term for the normal ending. It was not bad in any sense, as it is a simple good versus evil story in the end, but something felt missing.

The true ending is definitely worth anyone's time. It does not make the end of the story magnificent or anything, but it feels better. I believe Garl was a missing key element in the normal ending and his presence makes dialogues, battles, and story elements more fruitful. His persistence triggers an actual fight with Aephorul, who is much more difficult and interesting to battle.

The Chronophage may be a cheap trick, an overdone time-traveling cliche, but it was overtly an homage to Chrono Trigger and it brought the best character in the game back to life! With Garl's resurrection, you also unlock a quest to retrieve an invitation to dine at the Golden Pelican. Having this moment at the dinner, in which all of Zale and Valere's friends and traveling buddies are invited, makes players feel more connected with these characters and more saddened at the prospect of having to near-permanently leave them endgame.

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The characters in Sea of Stars are mostly enjoyable, equipped with their own nuances and humorous dialogue.

Zale and Valere are the player characters, and you can choose to have either one of them as the lead of your party. Overall, the two are not much different from each other, and out of any characters in the game, lack the most distinguishable personality. It is kind of strange that they do have a considerable amount of dialogue, but they are lacking in individuation. They are supposed to be the embodiments of the Gods Luana and Solen but these particular namesakes/ideas are not fully fleshed out.

Zale is sweet, friendly, and easily humored. He seems to use laughter to cope with all sorts of emotions, laughing when he feels grief and sadness as well. He was foretold by the Elder Mist to "stare at the night inside of him," meaning to come to terms with his more negative, pessimistic emotions. When Garl died, he became whelmed with grief and unlocked the ability to fly in a passionate emotional outburst. He continued to struggle with this grief by not being able to get Garl out of his head, but Zale is overall a fairly headstrong person.

Valere is also helpful and friendly, but a bit more emotionally cool. After Garl's death, she begins to meditate a lot, which is also what she does to conduct her ultimate attack. Valere is headstrong like Zale but also seems to be more inclined to leadership, being the more effective communicator.

I have to say though, I highly appreciate the way Sea of Stars portrays Valere and Zale's grief. They process these emotions differently, and it takes time, and never quite goes away.

Then we have Seraï, who is interesting. She is kind of the cliche mysterious character with a double identity, but it is played straight by having her alias as Captain Klee'shaë . . . and the fact that Garl, Zale, and Valere knew she was leading two lives near the very beginning. Seraï is kind, a bit quiet, but also hot-headed. She warms up to the main cast eventually but always harbors suspicion and impatience with Resh'an. During the fight against the Dweller of Strife, she gets very fed up with Resh'an's limitations and steals one of his bottles to throw at the Dweller. Overall, Seraï means well and her goal is to save her home planet from the utter doom and misery it is facing. Later, there was the big reveal that she is a CYBORG! I kind of saw it coming based on her combat abilities, but still. This created quite a weird shift from fantasy to sci-fi. Most of Seraï's backstory occurs in the the final third of the game, which helps to keep the story interesting.

B'st, who you acquire later in the game kind of as Garl's replacement, is an absolute cutey. He's an unexpected alley and quite the tank. He is optimistic, strong-willed, childlike, and intelligent. He is a soul who was ripped away from his mortal body, left roaming the world alongside other lost souls, but after the initial encounter with him, Resh'an developed B'st a glass body. The body functions as long as B'st maintains a purpose and will to live. I think that he is a fine character . . . he is no Garl, but still cute. I also enjoy B'st's relationship with the little pet crab the party acquires after finishing the coliseum.

Now Garl . . . if anything, Garl is the main character. He gets shit done.

Garl is kind-hearted, funny, and brimming with optimism. While Zale and Valere lack strong personalities, Garl, their collective best friend, acts perfectly as the character with a voice, and conduit for players to actually experience the world-building. He is well-liked by nearly all of the cast, being fully allowed by Moraine and the Elder Mist to accompany the solstice warriors despite him being a magic-less mortal. Garl deems himself a "warrior cook" and cooks dishes for the party, as well as bakes a giant bread to awaken The Sleeper which was the task that then granted the main party permission by the Sky Giants to traverse the Sea of Stars. Garl was liked so much that after Brisk was destroyed by the acolytes, and some of the peoples had to be migrated to a new island, the migrants asked Garl himself to christen their village. He named it "Mirth."

When Garl was killed, it was almost have if the entire game was deprived. This character really brought some substance and relatability to the playthrough. After he was offed, I felt as if the story began billowing too quickly and all the characters felt more disconnected from each other. As stated, Garl was the ultimate conduit bringing everyone together, so rather than "friends" the cast was just simply a battling party.

B'st was an okay replacement, but then it got really weird and jumbled when Resh'an abruptly exited the party. If you choose to complete the True Ending, Garl's resurrection really feels like luster was reinstalled into the game and I started to care again. His presence utterly changed the endgame for the better and it made Valere and Zale's ascension to Guardian Gods more bittersweet.

Now Resh'an . . . oh man. I am unsure if I like Resh'an or not!

He is an alchemist, and former partner of Aephorul; an old, decrepit body that had sought to create the Elixir of Life millennia ago. This attempt was successful, and both he and Aephoral were granted godlike immortality at the price of their living flesh. Resh'an is reserved and respectful, but also arrogant and a bit of a stickler. He has come to terms with his immortality and chooses to respect all existing life, as opposed to Aephorul, who grew bitter of his fate and envious of living things.

Resh'an is also known as the Great Eagle, as he flies around in his eagle form to watch the world and drop off baby solstice warriors to Mooncradle. He is also referred to as The Archivist, because he spent centuries isolated in The Archives, creating, watching, and cataloging multiple timelines/parallel universes to see when, if, and how The Fleshmancer could be stopped.

Overall, this character seems mysterious and cool, and I enjoy using him in combat with his double-hit offensive moves and petrichor healing. Although, you cannot use him against Dwellers, according to his own rules. Resh'an's backstory is definitely the most allusive . . . but players do get to witness a flashback and a bit of an explanation of the Tale of Two Alchemists from the historian Teaks.

You would always wonder why in the ever loving hell Resh'an kept letting Aephorul slide: this man conjured millions of realities and just kind of waited around . . . even though Resh'an has the full power to end Aephorul's life, which no one else does. Instead, Resh'an chooses to rely on solstice warriors. You get the inkling that the two alchemists were more than just coworkers or friends. Because sure, two completely platonic dudes want to achieve immortality together. Also, Resh'an is kind of a clueless bitch and has this weird mental "uh-oh" moment towards the end of the game, and just leaves your party.

Aephorul himself, in the same light, is quite mysterious but also charming. Yet, he is also a clueless bitch and seems to be passively manipulated rather easily (such as by Caël and the other clockwork kids). He steps down from interfering in Zale and Valere's timeline in the end of the game because his poor little ego was brutally wounded.

Aephorul regrets the achievement of immortality, so he disparages all of life and seeks flesh (flesh-mancing, developing flesh castles and all), which is likely to fill this emptiness he harbors. You wonder if he had always been more on the evil side even before developing the elixr of life, as he gifts Resh'an his eagle form via dubious means.

There are a plethora of other characters, such as Teaks, Caël, Yolande, Malkomud, and Moraine, but discussing them would take quite a while. In all, the cast is diverse, silly, and enjoyable to interact with, but most characters only have surface-level personalities.

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SETTING: 10/10

Sea of Star's 16-bit graphics are visually stunning and pleasingly colorful, the settings in particular. I enjoyed traveling anywhere and everywhere: the jolliness of Brisk, the purple grasses of Mooncradle and its gorgeous Celestial tree, the quaint snowiness of Mirth, the variety of Mesa Island, the whimsy of Songshroom, the eeriness of Wraith Island, and so much more.

There are so many added visual details, including things that lurk under the sea, which players can witness as they sail around. There is a refreshing sense of freedom that you can return to any location at anytime, which is made even easier at the very end of the game after unlocking the flying ability.

I did not think that the locations in Seraï's world were as visually strong, but it had this relevant downtrodden aura and steampunk look. Players can feel the melancholy and isolation roaming through these techy, junkyard-looking levels.

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The most impressive, shocking visuals came from literally sailing across planets, through the Sea of Stars itself. Holy cow. The twinkling of the seas, the galactic skies, and the ominous wormhole(?) encroaching. . . players are in for quite the creative surprise. As you approach Seraï's planet, there is a sudden shift from 2D to 3D at it works so well. The moment felt magical and spectacular and easily earned the title of the most beautiful backdrop of the game.

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COMBAT: 7/10

The combat operates like any turn-based RPG with a level-up system, but with its own quirks. Players have an HP bar and an MP bar for magic-based attacks. There is also a combo gage that fills as enemies and players land attacks. And, there is an ultimate attack gage that fills as players use combos and complete magic-based attacks.

"Turns" in the game are per individual character, not by party and enemy groups. After Valere herself (for example) attacks, one turn has been passed. Enemies will have a little countdown above them signaling how many turns it will take for them to begin attacking. This usually ranges between 1-4 turns.

When a character's HP falls to 0, they do not "die." Instead, they get knocked out and will be able to get back up after a certain amount of turns. These little K.O. stars revolve around the fallen member's head, and depending upon how many stars there are, it equals how many turns it will take for a party member to get back up. They can be revived sooner with certain recipes, B'st's warble ability, or Resh'an's ultimate attack. For the most part, players are revived with 50% HP.

Having members being able to revive themselves after a certain amount of turns may make the game easier at times, but it is kind of a cool mechanic. It does not really make the gameplay much easier when versing a multitude of enemies at one time. Players can also equip relics to make the game more difficult anyways.

In combat, there are timed blocks and attacks. You press a button in order to perfectly block an enemy's attack and to deal more damage/strike more than once. Doing these timed attacks released mana, which can then be harnessed by characters so that when you select a basic physical attack, it also includes magic damage as well.

I am personally a big fan of RPGs that have timed hits. It makes me feel more involved, and more like I am actually playing a game, rather than just watching characters fight.

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You can use two or three party members in combat, out of the six you eventually gather. I never really favored any particular character, but perhaps most often my party included Valere, Zale, and Resh'an.

Garl is good for healing and has good physical defense, Resh'an was able to execute both arcane and poison damage (as well as group heal), Seraï has stealthy attacks, B'st is a tank and can revive party members, Zale deals solar and blunt damage, and Valere is a strong magic user that can deal lunar damage.

Although, Objectively, Resh'an is the most powerful party member by far, even when he leaves you only the puppet version of himself. His ultimate ability alone heals and revives all party members, as well as deals a significant amount of arcane damage.

Valere and Zale have to be used against Dwellers, as no other party member hardly does any damage against them. Resh'an cannot be used against a Dweller at all.

There are certain instances where a specific character is useful, and players are able to swap around party members in the midst of battle (unless they are K.O.d). Enemies may have these "locks" building up to a powerful attack. Players can break these locks with certain kinds of abilities, which will vanquish that enemy's next attack. For example, an enemy may have 1 lunar magic lock and two sword damage locks. To break them, use Valere's moonerang or crescent arc attack (lunar), and use Seraï's or Zale's physical attacks (sword).

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I enjoyed the combo and the ultimate attack mechanic. To unlock these moves, players must find scrolls hidden in treasure chests all over the map. Utilizing these moves really spices the gameplay up and creates all sorts of combinations.

The combo moves require two or three party members. The first one you get is called "solstice strike," involving Valere and Zale, which is basically just a physical attack but both members strike at the same time.

My favorites include soonrang, which is a buffed-up version of Valere's moonerang but includes Zale as well. This attack strikes all enemies indefinitely until you miss timing the hit, and deals both solar and lunar damage. I also enjoyed Seraï and Zale's "X-strike," which attacked all enemies with sword and solar damage, as well as Valere and Resh'an's "arcane moons" which is available at a low cp cost and hurts all enemies with arcane and lunar magic.

Every individual character has their ultimate attack, which would trigger a brief cutscene and unleash hefty, all-encompassing damage. They are fun to witness and rewarding to use once the gage is filled (although unfortunately it hardly helped at all during the battle against The Fleshmancer). Resh'an's ultimate, in which he ascends to the skies as the great eagle, is frankly kind of broken, because not only does it deal significant damage, but it also heals and revives the entire party!

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ENJOYMENT: 9/10

Though I have mixed feelings about the abruptness and ambiguity of the ending, I overall thoroughly enjoyed playing Sea of Stars.

The game offered even more content than seemed promised, and you can tell the amount of passion and love the game developers put into this title. It is certainly a leg up from the also well-received game, The Messenger.

The best parts about Sea of Stars are definitely its graphics and aesthetics, the soundtrack, and the variety of game mechanics. Although the combat kind of gets repetitive after a while and the story is all over the place, it was still a fun adventure nonetheless.

As a side note, there is a minigame within Sea of Stars called "Wheels," which is like a strategy slots game. It was invented by The Watchmaker and there are several champions throughout the game that you can challenge, and when you win, you collect more figurines/classes to play as and go from copper all the way to the platinum wheels level. I have to say . . . it may look complicated, but Wheels is highly addictive.

TOTAL TIME SPENT: 50 hours

OVERALL SCORE: 7/10

PLATFORM USED: Nintendo Switch

DATE OF COMPLETION: March 2024

#video games #video game review #sea of stars #sabotage studio #solstice warriors #indie goty 2023 #this review took forever haha

[pixelgrotto]

A look at D&D’s Curse of Strahd

From about October 2018 to August 2019, I led a group of four friends through Curse of Strahd, the latest campaign book featuring a dive into the realm of Dungeon & Dragon’s most famous vampire, Strahd von Zarovich. It went well, and it was an interesting experience for me as a Dungeon Master, since this was my first time using one of Wizards of the Coast’s official modules. In the past I’ve always come up with my own homebrew adventures, and I still homebrewed a good chunk of Curse of Strahd, remixing characters and formulating story twists on the fly once I learned the ebb and flow of my group.

One of the things I love most about D&D, however, is that such behavior is encouraged, and pretty much all of the major 5th Edition releases outright tell DMs that they shouldn’t hesitate to make a campaign “their own” by only following the book when necessary. Thus, the version of Curse of Strahd that my players ran through was an experience specifically tailored to them - one where a motley crew known as the “Well-Doners” (like a well done steak...or a stake to the heart of a vampire!) were sucked into Strahd’s strange valley of Barovia and forced to ally together for the sake of survival...aided by a few key comrades, including a funny gnome mage who’d lost his magical mojo, the reincarnation of Strahd’s lost love, a grumpy monster hunter and a massive ranger and his dwarf wife. If I ever run Curse of Strahd again for another group, it’s very likely that many of these key comrades - as well as the general crux of the adventure - will turn out completely different.

To all enterprising DMs who might wish to run Curse of Strahd for their own groups, it’s worth first noting that this is very much a Ravenloft campaign. Ravenloft is the setting that sprouted from the 1983 module of the same name, originally devised by Tracy and Laura Hickman and then expanded upon during the heyday of D&D 2nd Edition. In a nutshell, it’s D&D’s horror setting, and the horror is very much steeped in the gothic tradition, with a heavy dollop of foes inspired by the Universal Monster Movies of the 1920s to 50s, sprinkles of Eastern European creepiness and a dash or two of dark romance to complete the mix. I quite like this combination because it reminds me of the melancholy yet deeply beautiful world of Mordavia in Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness, one of the formative experiences of my youth and a game that has a great soundtrack for the backdrop of any Ravenloft campaign. (Interestingly, Quest for Glory creators Lori and Corey Cole were D&D players before they went on to design computer games, which means that the gothic realm of Mordavia surely is a clear descendant of Ravenloft.)

But horror of any variety isn’t necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, and certain parts of Curse of Strahd - if run straight from the book - can veer quite sinister, because Barovia is ultimately a crappy place presided over by a crappy undead warlord. The introductory adventure of the module, dubbed “Death House,” actually deals with ghostly children who’ve died of starvation in a haunted manor due to the cultist ways of their mad parents. It’s entirely possible to make these kids untrustworthy antagonists in order to emphasize that the Ravenloft setting simply does not mess around, but since I was running this campaign for a group of four new players whose prior experience with D&D ran the gamut from limited to absolutely zero, I decided to make them into a spooky but still likable duo who could “possess” the players’ characters and offer sassy running commentary on the monsters infiltrating the manor. Like Casper but with a tad more snark, in other words - and the endearing nature of the children made the moment where my players had to lay their corpses to rest and confront their sad origins all the more compelling.

This act of balance - between ensuring that players recognize this as a dark adventure but also making sure that just enough light and humor alleviates the depression - is one that I tried to perform during every session of our game, and I’d encourage future Curse of Strahd DMs to do the same. I’d also encourage enterprising Dungeon Masters to perform a similar balancing act on the monsters and scenarios that permeate the adventure - specifically on the ones in the Death House opener as well as Strahd himself.

Death House, more specifically, is described in the book as a means to help the party quickly progress from levels 1 to 3, but played as is, it’s quite possible for players to get absolutely curb-stomped by everything within the manor - particularly a “final boss” that they’re technically not supposed to engage with, at least in a fair manner. Veteran RPG fans might relish the challenge, which is more reminiscent of Call of Cthulhu than D&D, but newbies might not like having to re-roll a character because their first one got wrecked by a Shambling Mound after only a few hours of play. So, retool Death House to suit the needs of your party - in my case, I limited the encounters somewhat to prevent a steady drip of HP and also gave my players a few tips on how to beat tricky baddies via those aforementioned ghost kids.

The opposite strategy goes for Strahd von Zarovich himself, who might be the big bad of Barovia but is surprisingly squishy when confronted by a hardy group of level 8 or 9 players, especially if they’ve found all the fancy sunlight-shooting artifacts of the adventure that can limit his powers. I can’t count the number of posts I’ve seen on the D&D Reddit or a Curse of Strahd Facebook group I’m in where frustrated DMs have written something like “Strahd was killed by my players within two rounds, where did I go wrong” - and in order to circumvent this from happening in the last session of a shared storytelling experience that had nearly spanned a year, I took a heavy pair of tweezers to Strahd’s stats and gave him three forms, each with their own HP. The first was his regular vampiric self, the second was him riding on his Misty Steed-summoned horse Bucephalus, and the third was basically Strahd going into berserker mode with black angel wings bursting from his back. (I stole the concept art of Satan from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 for that. Worked perfectly!)

Speaking of Castlevania, I drew inspiration from the recent Netflix series - which I’ve written about here and here - when it came to developing Strahd’s actual personality, because even though the book updated his original Bela Lugosi-esque appearance into something more regal and fantasy-inspired, his essence is still something of a two dimensional bad guy, and the fact that one of his eternal missions in undeath is to make the reincarnation of his original lover fall for him is a problematic pill to swallow in 2019, even if it is meant as an ode to Dracula’s obsession with Mina Harker in Bram Stoker’s original novel. And so I decided to make my version of Strahd similar to the depressed, weary-of-life Dracula in Netflix Castlevania, turning him into a vampire of complexities - a guy who’s been immortal for so long that he almost wants the players to kill him, a man who believes he’s entitled to the love of a woman yet somewhere deep down realizes the inherent selfishness of that belief, and a lord who’s grown bored with his kingdom yet can’t quite relinquish the power he’s held over it for centuries. My Strahd, in other words, was still a bad dude, but at least a somewhat deeper bad dude that the cardboard cutout as presented in the book, and one of my players even described him as “a little like Kylo Ren,” which I took as a compliment.

Before I wrap this up, I’d like to return to the concept of the balancing act with regards to the structure and scope of Curse of Strahd, which is a true sandbox adventure. Players are not required to visit half of the locations outlined in the book, and the replayability factor is high, because the various artifacts that you need to defeat Strahd, as well as the specific non-player characters likely to assist you along the way, are dependent on a tarot card reading that occurs near the start of the adventure. The locations that I found the most important for my players were the towns of Barovia and Vallaki, the Wizard of Wines Winery, Yester Hill, Van Richten’s Tower, the Ruins of Berez, and Castle Ravenloft itself. Other groups online swear by Krezk, a third town that my players never bothered to visit (though I would have urged them to go there if we’d had any clerics or paladins in the party, since Krezk is a town with a giant church), and the Amber Temple, the lair where Strahd obtained his undead powers (a place I feel is best suited for players of neutral or evil-leaning alignments). Your mileage may vary, but if you’re going to DM this module, one of the best bits of advice I can give would be to see which locations your players are naturally inquisitive about, and then focus on those. Exploring every nook and cranny of Barovia can quickly turn into a slog otherwise.

With all this in mind, I think it’s time for the so-called “Well-Doners” to leave the world of gothic horror behind for a bit. They’ve somehow managed to find their way back to their home plane and the city of Waterdeep, and only one of the party was infected with a seemingly fatal curse after their stay in Ravenloft. What further quests await, I wonder, and what new campaign book will I hack apart to suit my players’ tastes? That’s for me to know, for them to find out, and for another long blog post examination...sometime in 2020, hopefully!

All photographs taken by me.

#pixel grotto #musings #tabletop gaming #roleplaying game #rpg #dungeons & dragons #d&d #curse of strahd

[hopeforbrittana]

Godzilla vs Kong 2021 Film Online

Did the monkey just talk we need Kong the world needs him godzilla will come for him  that would be a death sentenceI know chia is only a child she's the only  one he'll communicate with and we need Konghere we go this won't end  until one of them submits  are you sure the monkey's gonna survive  this it's us I'd worry aboutoh my god this is so massiveand this child she's the only  one he'll communicate withwe need kong the world needs  him to stop what's comingit's godzilla

These are dangerous times godzilla's  out there and he's hurting people  and we don't know why there is something  provoking him that we're not seeing here  the myths are real there was a war  and they're the last ones standingWelcome back everyone this is going to be my new  godzilla versus kong trailer video they dropped a  bunch of new footage so we'll break it all down  

If you're brand new to the channel be sure to  subscribe to get all the videos i will be doing  more videos for the movie when it comes out at  the end of the month too just a couple more  weeks to go but the new footage starts with  that full scene of godzilla showing up to fight  kong on the carriers earlier in the movie the  air force pilots try to slow him down with their  standard missiles but he just soaks the damage  and then swats them away like they're a couple  of flies even though we all expected this it's  hilarious how quickly he just blows through all  their ordinance all the battleships open fire on  him i think these are the 50 caliber guns i'm not  totally sure about that but they just want you to  see that they're unloading everything they have  on him as he swims up while they're carrying kong  predictably he uses his tail to smash through  two of the ships like it's no big deal one of the  anchors catches on his body and he takes half of  the ship for a ride underwater then you have kong  grabbing the other side of the anchor chain  and reeling it in like it's some kind of crazy  fishing line like he's fishing for godzilla's  

Got a real big one this time gotta bring it in  then godzilla comes swimming up to kong's ship  then presumably this is right before a kong  peeps over the side of the ship screams into the  water then godzilla surprises him by launching out  of the water and on to the top of the ships then  they start duking it out and kong winds up going  into the water floundering for a second until  he gets his bearings and if it wasn't clear  kong can swim at least canonically he can swim  we just haven't seen him do it in any of the  new films so far in the monster verse it's just  the whole idea with this first carrier fight is 

 They're trying to show you is that godzilla has  the big advantage because he's just at home in  water as he is on land in fact just because of  the way his body is because the way he carries  his weight around when he's on land i would  say he's actually a better fighter when he's in  water because he can still give off all the same  attacks when he's underwater he can still do his  atomic breath he can still do his atomic burst  all of his physical attacks work the exact same  but when he's in water he's not forced to carry  all that weight around with him so it's not quite  as much of a disadvantage the only real titans  that would have a big advantage on him in deep  water would be like your true water-based titans  like a giant octopus the director of the movie did  actually say there would be a clear winner in the  godzilla vs kong fight but here's the thing  with that i think he was specifically talking  about this first fight on the carriers here  

I don't think he was talking about the entire  movie because there's clearly a bunch of different  fights during the film like first when they go  to pick up kong there's a couple fights in the  movie just to set up how badass he is then you  have the carrier fight with godzilla and kong  earlier in the film then you have all this footage  of the later fights when they're in the cities  and there's a couple different fights like  you have godzilla versus kong in the cities  then you have the whole idea of godzilla versus  mechagodzilla than the inevitable team-up where  godzilla vs kong 2021 tag team mechagodzilla early  prediction before they both go their separate  ways similar to the ending of the 1960s king kong  vs godzilla movie you guys can let me know in the  comments though if you actually legit think that  at the end of the film after the final fights are  done after they take care of mechagodzilla there  will be a clear winner godzilla or kong 

The way  they're hyping it up though they make it seem like  kong goes down hard during this carrier fight like  godzilla is the clear winner but then kong rallies  later in the film and has a much better showing  during the mechagodzilla fight so by the end  of the film when he has a special axe and helps  take down mechagodzilla he comes out seeming like  more of a winner than he did earlier in the film  post all your theories about what that  means for godzilla during the film though  but then you have a bunch more footage of the  battles and some more footage of the hollow earth  which actually looks pretty fantastic you have  a little girl communicating with kong who's kind  of adopted her in his own giant way this footage  here is a little too dark so i can't tell exactly  which city godzilla's swimming up to this might be  one of the scenes where godzilla goes looking for  mechagodzilla and starts attacking these cities  or makes it seem like he's attacking cities and  they try to play it that way but really he's just  looking for where they're keeping mechagodzilla  to try and take it out and because it does seem  like they're going to continue with the godzilla  franchise just because it seems like they're  going to renew their license with touhou i am  wondering if they're ever going to do easter eggs  for godzilla offspring as well like maybe in some  of these future films you'll have people trying  to steal godzilla's offspring and then that's what  really pisses them off but i think most of the  idea in this film godzilla versus kong is that  godzilla is trying to get rid of mecha godzilla  then there's a bunch more footage of a couple of  the other different battles the carrier battle  

Then later in the movie in one of the cities  then a couple new scenes from that bigger fight  scene of godzilla vs kong 2021 inside what looks  like hong kong amongst all the neon signs with  him opening up in his atomic breath while kong is  using his new axe to absorb the energy it's hard  to tell when this hollow earth scene takes place  but i'm assuming it's earlier in the film when  they come to take kong they did see during this  movie we're going to learn more about the ancient  war of the titans like the ancient rivalry that  they keep referring to during all these trailers  that kong and godzilla had then you get that tag  scene of millie bobby brown and the others inside  the monarch facility and then that scene of them  just giving each other the classic challenge just  screaming in each other's faces like come on bro  bring it there were also some new images of  mega godzilla and some of the promo materials  as you would expect he's way more hardcore than  the classic versions of the character if this is  accurate 

It seems like it's pretty accurate to  what he looks like in the film just modernizing  him the same way that they modernized the designs  for kong godzilla and all the other titans in the  new films a lot of you were also commenting on my  earlier trailer videos too about how they tweaked  godzilla's design just a little bit because in the  earlier films at least in the newer monster verse  films like king of monsters his eyes don't light  up quite so much when he gives off his atomic  breath i'm assuming they're just doing that to  make him pop on screen just a little bit more  but a couple other details that we just learned  about the movie is that this first big godzilla  vs kong carrier fight lasts for 18 minutes but i  think that includes all the setup all the lead up  and then the aftermath as well it's not just 18  minutes of them punching and biting each other  that would be crazy like make all the jokes you  want about that epically long rowdy roddy piper  and keith david fight scene from they live it  just goes on and on forever but in all this  trailer footage when they keep talking about this  ancient history of the titans and the wars that  they had revealing more about the ancient cultures  that worshiped them as gods they're mostly talking  about godzilla and kong's ancestors like these  virgins that are fighting in this movie that we're  watching are just the latest generation of these  titans best example of that is during kong skull  island we saw the skeletons of kong's dead parents  the whole idea too the longer they live the bigger  they get so that's why kong is getting so much  bigger like he was a really young character  during the 1970s in that first kong skull island  movie godzilla would just keep getting bigger  and bigger the longer he lived so when they talk  about them being ancient rivals they're talking  about the rivalry between their two species for  the last several thousand years also if you guys  didn't see talking more about skull island stuff  future of the kong character netflix is actually  doing a skull island anime series they call  it anime but i think it's just anime inspired  it's being animated by powerhouse they're the same  company that does the netflix castlevania series  which is top tier animation it's also very anime  inspired but it's not actual anime 

No idea when  they're dropping episodes of that or which part  of the timeline it's going to take place in or  how it's going to fit into the canon i think it's  pretty safe to assume it'll take place sometime  before the events of godzilla vs kong and they'll  just use it to introduce a couple of new titans  and just a big reminder too because theaters are  starting to reopen if there are theaters near  you that are open they might actually be playing  the movie because they're releasing it on hbo max  and in theaters on the same day where theaters are  open but later this month we also have the justice  league snyder cut coming that's on march 18th and  then the day after that marvel's falcon and winter  soldier series drops on disney plus and i'll be  doing episode videos for that too so there is a  lot a lot of really big really cool stuff coming  this month 2021 looking so much better than 2020  so far if there are any other big easter eggs that  you spotted in this trailer footage that i didn't  talk about in the video just write them below in  the comments and i'll do more godzilla versus kong  trailer videos when they drop more footage while  you wait for everything click here for my brand  new Wandavision episode 9 trailer video and click  here for all my Wandavision finale predictions  thank you so much for writing everyone  stay safe and i'll see you guys tonight!

You can watch the enitre movie on:

https://myfilmyonline.pl/caly-film/godzilla-vs-kong-2021/

#Godzilla vs Kong

[geekysweetie]

Top 2018 PS4 Games For Girls

I did a lot of research for this list. So the 40 2018 PS4 Games below are not ranked in any particular order.

If I had to pick a few favorites it’d be Detroit Become Human, Kingdom Hearts 3, Shenmue 3, Stein’s Gate Elite, Atelier Lydie & Suelle, Yakuza 6, Your Four Knights Princess Training Story, Shining Resonance Refrain, A Way Out, FF7, and Ni No Kuni 2.

This is not a full release list for the PS4 in 2018, but instead a collection of games I thought would appeal to other gamers such as myself based either on story, anime graphics, cuteness, or gameplay mechanics.

Leave me a comment below and let me know what games you’re looking forward to on PS4 this year!

40+ PS4 Games for Girls Releasing in 2018

1.) Moss

A virtual reality game that features a mouse who knows sign language. The environment is beautiful and the characters are adorable.

2.) Ni No Kuni 2 Revenant Kingdom

Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch is one of my favorite PS3 games. So it’s no surprise that I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel from Studio Ghibli and Level 5 on the PS4 in 2018.

3.) Red Dead Redemption 2

It’s not often that I enjoy a shooting game; however, I am quite fond of the original back on the 360. I enjoy the open world environment, myriad of quests, and choice and consequence system. The horseback riding was also fun.

4.) Detroit: Become Human

I think above any other title on my list, I’m most excited about this PS4 Exclusive from the makers of Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls. It’s a story driven game where the player must make choices at various points which will fork the story down different branches resulting in different endings.

5.) Shenmue 3

Shenmue 3 broke records when it debuted on kickstarter 2 years ago. Finally the wait is over as the title will launch in mid 2018. In case you missed the first two games, rumors abound about an HD remaster that will include both Shenmue 1 and 2 also arriving on PS4 in 2018.

6.) Knights and Bikes

This quirky cute co-op game aims to recapture the feelings of childhood innocence and fun. You can explore a colorful island, fight baddies with water balloons or race your friends on your bicycles.

7.) Bloodstained Ritual of the Night

This is basically a Castlevania game, except since Kojima left Konami, he’s not allowed to use the name Castlevania anymore. I’m also digging the anime style characters as opposed to the more photo realistic characters the series has been using recently.

8.) Final Fantasy 7 Remake

The wait is almost over for the Final Fantasy Remake with new stories, new visuals, and new combat systems. This is more than just an “HD Port” this is a reworking of the game from scratch, using the same characters, world, and story, but improving upon it in many ways.

9.) The Last Of Us Part 2

This story driven post-apocalyptic action game is finally getting a sequel.

10.) Death Stranding

Kojima’s answer to Konami cancelling his Silent Hills game. It looks creepy AF. So if horror is your thing, check this one out. I’ll be picking it up but I know I won’t be able to play it alone in the dark.

11.) Beyond Good and Evil 2

Fans have been begging for this sequel for years, and now finally, the wait is almost over. This quirky series is best known for its anthropomorphic animals and charming worlds.

12.) Kingdom Hearts 3

I am currently preparing for Kingdom Hearts 3 by playing the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 HD Remix which combines like 8 of the Kingdom Hearts games. I was a big fan of Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 when it first came out on PS2, and am excited to revisit the worlds of Kingdom Hearts again in KH3.

13.) Monster Hunter World

Open world RPG adventure game with huge monsters and a variety of weapons and equipment.

14.) Concrete Genie

Your graffiti creations come to life in this PS4 exclusive.

15.) Anamorphine

Another PS4 VR game. This virtual reality game puts you in the role of a young man trying to recover his memories and make sense of the world around him. The story is about his relationship and his wife’s depression.

16.) Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker’s Memory

This prequel will reveal the events leading up to Digimon Cyber Sleuth as you play as Keisuke, a young man accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He must join a team of hackers to uncover the truth. Over 320 Digimon to discover.

17.) Iconoclasts

This game is full of intricate puzzles and a deeply moving story about faith, purpose, and the challenge of helping people.

18.) Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT

The characters from various final fantasy games return for this fun crossover fighting game.

19.) Past Cure

This story driven stealth game will let players use a variety of skills that blend dreams and reality as they try to help the main character master his new found powers while escaping from frightening horrors.

20.) Shadow of the Colossus

A story of a boy trying to find his lost love. Armed with only a bow and arrow you must battle fearsome giants.

21.) The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia

Based on the hit Netflix anime, this beautiful looking brawler features all of your favorite characters in a brand new storyline.

22.) Under Night In-Birth EXE:Late[ST]

This new fighting game from the creators of Melty Blood and Tsukihime features not only great anime artwork, but an excellent story in campaign mode as well. The game blends story and fighting sequences in a similar fashion as Blazblue

23.) Crossing Souls

This colorful adventure game takes place in the 1980s in California. It features puzzle solving and fighting.

24.) Kingdom Come Deliverance

Kingdom Come Deliverance is an open world first person action RPG with non-linear story and stunning graphics.

25.) Secret of Mana

This gorgeous remake of the SNES classic will launch in February 2018.

26.) Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet

Based on the popular Sword Art Online Anime. This new title features gun-based combat and 4 player co-op or vs modes.

27.) Frantics

Cute animal characters star in this 4 player party game where you must bluff, battle, or negotiate your way to victory.

28.) Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Yakuza is a spin off of the Shenmue Series. It features a deep lengthy storyline, intriguing characters, and of course crazy, fun, zany minigames, all in an open world. New to Yakuza 6 is the cat cafe and spear fishing just to name a few.

29.) A Way Out

A narrative game that can only be played with 2 players. Don’t worry if you don’t have any friends, you can play online as well as local co-op. The story revolves around 2 men trying to break out of prison. To do so you must make decisions in the story that will help build trust and friendship between the two inmates.

30.) Dollhouse

An interesting game that lets you create your own maps and stories. It seems to be about artificial intelligence. The multiplayer mode says you are fighting for control to be the “dominant mind”.

31.) The Lost Child

The Lost Child is an anime RPG in which you are able to collect over 50 different gods from various mythologies and train over 250 different skills.  It includes both English and Japanese voice overs.

32.) The Witch and The Hundred Knight 2

This cute anime RPG lets you craft new weapons and items as well as recruit minions to fight for you.

33.) Gintama Rumble

This fighting game is based on the hit anime and manga. It will launch in January 2018.

34.) Fist of the North Star

From the developer of Yakuza, this action brawler is based on the hit retro anime and manga by the same name.

35.) Stein’s Gate Elite

This is a remastered version of the original Stein’s Gate game using animation taken directly from the anime based on the first game plus new animation created for this game. The goal was to create a fully animated visual novel (as opposed to still images). The developers are said to have been inspired from Yarudora, a series of fully animated visual novels from the 90s. I would also compare it to School Days HQ which is also fully animated. (and that animation style is why it ranks among our top 10 games for girls). I reviewed the original Stein’s Gate here. I highly recommend it. And since the first and second Stein’s Gate games have both been released in North America, I’d say there’s a good chance we will see an English release for Stein’s Gate Elite as well.

36.) Your Four Knights Princess Training Story

A “Raising Sim” similar to games such as Princess Maker and Graduation 95. Gematsu has an excellent article detailing how you will train your princess. Basically it involves scolding or praising your princess at various times, for example during conversations or while exploring dungeons. The story and characters change based on your decisions and how you raise your princess. The princesses each have various parameters that you can train to unlock new skills or increase their stats to help them in battle.

37.) Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists & the Mysterious Paintings

Atelier games focus on gathering ingredients and crafting new items. As you can see from the trailer, they feature beautiful anime graphics, and deep stories. Their gameplay is often long, and at times it can get tedious, however, for those who love crafting and exploring, Atelier offers the ultimate crafting system.

38.) Super Robot Wars X

Gematsu indicates that there will be a southeast asian version of this game with English subtitles. For fans wanting to play these games in English you should be able to import the game from Play Asia. It appears to be a compilation of many different retro Super Robot War titles, better known as Gundamn in North America.

39.) OK K.O. Let’s Play Heroes

This colorful brawler game from Cartoon Network arrives in early 2018.

40.) Shining Resonance Refrain

This is a remaster of the PS3 Shining Resonance Game, part of Sega’s Shining Force/Shining Wisdom game series. The PS3 version was never released in North America. Perhaps the new PS4 remake will find its way overseas. In addition to new graphics, this version includes new story scenarios and gameplay modes.

Top 2018 PS4 Games For Girls was originally published on GeekySweetie.com - Geeky & Kawaii Anime, Tech, Toys, & Game Reviews & News

#2018 Game Trailers #Action RPG #Anime #Anime Games #Anime Games on PS4 #Anime Roleplaying Game #Anime RPG #Best Playstation 4 Games #Best Playstation 4 Games for Girls #Best Playstation Games for Girls #Best PS4 Games #Best PS4 Games for Girls #Cute PS4 Games #Fun Multiplayer PS4 Games #JRPG #JRPGs #Playstation #Playstation 4 #Playstation MMORPG #Playstation Otome Games #Playstation RPG #Playstation VR #PS VR #PS4 #PS4 Anime Games #PS4 Game Trailers #PS4 Games #PS4 Games With Choices that Matter #PS4 Games with Cute Graphics #PS4 Games With Great Stories

[daleisgreat]

PSP 15th Anniversary & Neo-Geo 30th Anniversary - Flashback Specials!

A couple months ago in March, the PSP hit its milestone 15th anniversary of its North American launch, just a few months after its end of 2004 debut launch in Japan. It came and went without much hubbub in the gaming media however due to that hitting around the same time the COVID-19 outbreak started to make waves in America and that pandemic rightfully getting the bulk of the press attention. Writing about game platform anniversaries over the past several weeks has been helping me get through these wild times we are now in by reflecting on my memories of these platforms, so with that said, please join me in looking back at Sony’s debut handheld….and later on in this very same flashback special I will have a bonus addendum with my memories of the Neo-Geo since it recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.

I remember when the PSP was surprisingly announced at Sony’s 2003 E3 press conference. I was there in Los Angeles covering my first E3 that year! The website I wrote for at the time, the long defunct vgpub.com, was a smaller gaming press outlet and only had one invite to the Sony press conference so our website founder, John attended the Sony conference while I and another staff writer slept in! I will never forget when John got back shortly after it ended and my colleague and I asked him if there were any big surprises (still a year or two away at this point with conferences being live streamed and with MySpace being the only major social media in 2003, there was a lack of live minute-by-minute news reporting and you would have to wait at least a couple hours until after the conferences ended to check gaming websites for news updates). John replied with an ‘oh yeah’ and proceed to hand us a little PR packet with a press release announcing the Playstation Portable (PSP) and how it would have near identical tech to the PS2 and be able to play movies with its UMD-discs. By mid-2003 the PS2 was a juggernaut around the globe and took up a little over half the market share in the home console gaming market against the Xbox and GameCube. With the PSP offering a big upgrade to the then-current GameBoy Advance out on the market and having near PS2 quality graphic capabilities, and with DVD movies being a huge factor into PS2 sales, it only seemed logical the PSP would be a sure-winner in the handheld gaming market. All three of us were buzzing about the news and how the PSP would be huge for handheld gaming and how Sony likely would take over. That did not quite happen however due to the surprise success of the Nintendo DS, but that did not stop the PSP to go on and be a viable gaming handheld alternative and have a fair amount of global success. I recall being incredibly stoked for the PSP launch, with a lot of hype going into its 20-plus launch game lineup.

I particularly remember being excited for Lumines, a new puzzler from Bandai that put a new twist on Tetris-style dropbox puzzle gameplay. It achieved this by making combo-clearing squares, instead of lines, and having a mesmerizing evolving soundtrack and graphic scheme whenever certain score targets were hit. Amazingly, the gameplay ranked right up there as top-in-class puzzler gameplay with Tetris. Combine that with its dazzling visuals and phenomenal soundtrack and it resulted in Lumines being the surprise killer-app of the PSP launch. Earlier this week I popped in Lumines Remastered on the PS4, and the gameplay is still as addicting as ever, and my anticipated quick five minute round for a refresher resulted in nearly playing an hour nonstop! From the other launch games I remember getting Untold Legends, Twisted Metal: Head-On and Tony Hawk’s Underground 2: Remix. Head-On was an all-new Twisted Metal game that was a good handheld version that also offered up online play, which was among one of the first of all handheld games to do so. I was a big fan of the hack ‘n slash action-RPGs on consoles during that era like Dark Alliance and Champions, and Untold Legends was a fun portable take on that which also offered up local wireless multiplayer. My friend, podcast co-host and also fellow VGpub staff writer Chris, along with my brother Joe, met up for a few memorable multiplayer sessions of Untold Legends.

All three of us played a whole heck of a lot of PSP in its initial weeks. At this time in early 2005, downloadable audio shows were kind of catching on but it was still a few months before Apple officially dubbed them as ‘podcasts’ on iTunes. I brought up the idea to Joe and Chris to get together to record an audio show for VGpub all about the PSP launch and our initial thoughts on the games available. We had no idea how to set it up on the technical side, so we winged it and Chris brought over one of those old-school stationary, coffee table tape recorders that are kind of stereotypical in psychiatrist or detective interview scenes in movies. We hooked an auxiliary cable from it to my PC and somehow produced a digital tin-can-and-string version of what would be the pilot of VGpub’s podcast. We sent the pilot to the VGpub editors to see what they thought, but we were dismayed when hearing back they thought it was too long at around 50 minutes in length. Bummed with that reception, we wound up not posting the PSP pilot show, but eventually gave podcasting another go when that scene took off several months later after it caught on with iTunes. We had a fun seven year run on the podcast, and when VGpub sunsetted a couple years after we started, we continued with the podcast on its own site for a few more years and as part of the launch posted the long lost pilot episode. And now in honor of the PSP’s 15th anniversary, I dug out that amazingly awful audio quality pilot from my hard drive archives and uploaded it to YouTube so now you all could relive our initial highs over the PSP’s launch. You can check it out by click or pressing here, or by checking out the embed below!

Behold our low-tech, amateur endeavor of the very first podcast I participated in that focused on the launch of the PSP. THUG 2: Remix was a nice port of the console version of that Tony Hawk game I played a lot of. It was shortly after playing this is when I realized I did not want to play PS2 ports on the PSP. While a lot of them packed in a lot of the same content as their PS2 counterparts, they suffered noticeably due to the PSP having one analog ‘nub,’ only one pair of shoulder buttons and having to dial back the graphics and/or features in order to get it running on the comparably lower-powered PSP. I realized this moreso over the next year picking up and trying out PSP versions of BurnOut, Virtua Tennis and Gun. Once again, nothing against the PSP versions since a lot of them played and looked fine on the PSP, and if I primarily was on the road or travelling I would have been thrilled with these versions. It was over this next year I realized I would rather play these PSP ports on the PS2 instead of dealing with those compromises.

Unfortunately in the early years of the PSP, it was dominated by PS2 ports and five star original titles like Lumines were few and far between. This culminated with barely getting any play out of the system and selling off my PSP a little over a year later in mid-2006. Things were looking dire for a little while for the PSP, but Sony and strong third party support from companies like Square-Enix, EA and Capcom continued to pump out games and eventually the PSP established a strong portfolio of original releases. Some of the original efforts from Sony were so strong that games like Twisted Metal: Head On, Syphon Filter and Motorstorm: Arctic Edge got remastered ports on the PS2 to keep up first party releases for the PS2 in its twilight years. I want to make sure to give a shoutout to other strong original PSP titles such as the Patapon series, WTF: Work Time Fun, both Phantasy Star Portable entries, all four SOCOM titles, Resistance: Retribution, both Pursuit Force games, Killzone: Liberation, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Final Fantasy: Crisis Core, both God of War titles, Mega Man: Powered Up and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. In 2012, I acquire PSP’s successor from Sony, the Vita. It featured digital backwards compatibility with a fair amount of the PSP’s library. I wound up acquiring about a dozen of the PSP games I always wanted to try this way that I missed out on after selling it. The Vita was also compatible with most of the PSone classics that were available on the PS3. This lead to me playing a lot of Final Fantasy VII a couple years ago in anticipation for the recently released and long coming FFVII Remake. This past week a fired up a few of them for a refresher on some of the PSP titles in preparation for this article. I had a lot of fun with the original Pursuit Force….at least the first couple missions anyways since that game had compatibility issues and frequently froze on the Vita.

I dusted off my Castlevania skills in my attempts at playing the remake of Rondo of Blood that is part of Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. It has a challenging but fair degree of difficulty in the few levels I progressed through. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops I dug a lot for its first couple bite sized missions that focused on the origins of Snake meeting Campbell. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker I consider to be the true, fully featured fifth installment of the series since it essentially has a full length story and slate of missions available. I did not play it on the PSP, but instead on the HD remaster collection that released a year later on the PS3 and loved grinding through its wide variety of missions that set the stage for The Phantom Pain. While it is not compatible with the PSP’s physical discs, the Vita is a good alternative to experience most of the PSP’s library through digital download for those still curious about the PSP’s games. On the UMD movie side of things, launch PSPs came bundled with a copy of Spider-Man 2 which I eventually watched on a plane trip. The quality of the UMD movies were undeniably good. Later on, I got sent a UMD to review of the fun underdog sports film, Dodgeball and those wound up being the only two UMDs I owned. For the first year or two of the PSP lifespan I remember game stores being flooded with physical UMDs, but a lot of them cost nearly as much as their DVD versions at the time and I am speculating that people anticipated they would only cost half or a third as much as DVDs kind of relative to how the portable-to-console game pricing goes, and when that proved not to be the case it lead to a quick exit for UMD movies on the PSP. I look back at the PSP and will fondly remember those awesome early months I had with it, and how it later redeemed itself by having a fleshed out lineup of original games. I want to also give the PSP props for becoming the only platform that easily surpassed portable efforts from other companies that tried to compete against Nintendo in the handheld gaming market like Atari, Tiger, Sega and SNK. I adhere caution when tracking down used PSPs due to reports of some PSPs being susceptible of having bulging battery packs over time. Sony released a few different revisions of the PSP, so I do not know if that is related to only the launch version, or for all versions of the PSP. This is why I recommend tracking down a Vita instead to get your PSP fix for those interested.

In the bonus addendum to this PSP anniversary flashback, I will touch on my brief memories with SNK’s Neo-Geo to commemorate its recent 30th anniversary of the original launch of the Japan arcade hardware. The arcade side of the Neo-Geo was dubbed the Multi-Video System (MVS) and it debuted in Japan in April of 1990, and following in American arcades a few months later in August. For those not in the know, the 24-bit arcade hardware had a home console version called the Neo-Geo Advanced Entertainment System (AES) that launched in Japan later on in 1990 and in 1991 in America. The unique thing about the Neo-Geo is both the MVS and AES used the exact same technology so it was possible to have 100% faithful home ports. SNK wanted the home experience to as close as possible to the arcade that it bundled the system with two mammoth arcade sticks. I first remember seeing Neo-Geo games in MVS format at various arcades in the early to mid-90s. The MVS cabinet was unmistakable with it having the eye-grabbing Target-red color and the two-to-four mini-game marquees listed at the top of it. The big draw to arcade operators at time of the Neo-Geo MVS was that the games came on friendlier priced cartridges that could easily be swapped out like games in a console instead of ordering whole new arcade machines to replace them. I have seen the four-slot MVS plenty of times, but I mostly remember seeing the two-slot version more frequently in arcades over the years, and for the most part it was the same two games featured on them: Puzzle Bobble (AKA Bust-a-Move) and Metal Slug. These were the two game I primarily encountered on the MVS in my childhood arcade experiences. I was not all that great at Puzzle Bubble with its unique spin on puzzle games by shooting bubbles onto the playfield from the bottom of the screen. I did however love Metal Slug and its sequel that I also recall seeing originally on the MVS. Metal Slug was arcade bliss at the time, with charming cartoony soldiers oozing with detail and twee animations as they run ‘n gunned with an arsenal of over-the-top weaponry, villains and larger than life boss battles. Metal Slug is one of the few games where slowdown is a good thing in my opinion because it primarily happened when encountering daunting bosses and explosions that filled up the screen and it felt like the machine was doing all it could to keep the action moving.

Jason and John from the MetalJesus crew do a fine job here giving a 101 lesson on the Neo Geo hardware and have lots of footage here of some of the best games to hit Neo-Geo.

A few weeks ago I did a quick playthrough of Metal Slug X on Xbox One since it was on Game Pass, and everything that I fondly associated with those run ‘n gunners was still there, even the slowdown! Thankfully the AES and MVS games did not remain trapped on their original expensive hardware. By the mid-2000s, SNK regularly started to output various collections of games both digitally and physically. I highly recommend Metal Slug Anthology that hit PS2 and Wii, and later got digitally ported onto the PS4. A majority of the individual Neo-Geo games got ported over individually in recent years on PS4, Xbox One and Switch. Since all these marketplaces frequently run sales on their back catalog, you can now find a lot of these games well under their default price of $7.99 each. Over the last few years I checked out plenty of original Neo-Geo games this way. I tried out too many fighting games to count by doing this, but also finally got a chance to play SNK’s arcade sports offerings that got overlooked by their many fighting games. Three Count Bout is a graphically impressive wrestling title, but its button-mashing leniency takes a toll on thumbs. I loved Dunk Dream/Street Hoop, which is SNK’s take on NBA Jam, but with a hip-hop makeover and catchy rap-filled soundtrack. Neo-Geo Turf Masters is a fast-paced, fun golf title and until recently I had no idea that the Super Volleyball game I loved so much on Genesis had a beefed up version and a sequel featuring amped up robots and robotic attacks on the Neo-Geo. The Neo-Geo is renowned for its acclaimed catalog of fighting games with several entries each in hit series like Samurai Shodown, Fatal Fury, World Heroes, Art of Fighting and its flagship fighter, The King of Fighters which saw annual entries on the platform for 10 years from 1994-2003. Of all these, the ones I frequented the most of were various re-releases were King of Fighters ‘97 and ’98. Its team based fighting style made it standout from the other fighting games, and it was only in recent years with some longer sessions with KoF ’98 that I finally started to come around on it. One of these days I want to give an honest effort at getting into Samurai Shodown. I remember the gaming mags were hyping up its debut entry at the time as a major breakthrough to fighting games with its gruesome swordplay it brought to the table. I eventually picked up its anthology disc on PS2 and dabbled with a couple entries, but never too seriously and need to correct that sooner than later. A random memory is attempting to play Samurai Shodown II at Arcade Infinity in Koreatown one evening in the afterhours of covering E3 in 2003. Shortly after starting it up, someone sat down and challenged me and proceeded to properly dominate me. Looking back, that may have something to do with why I never gave it that much of a shot.

I never had a chance to play the AES home system until well after its lifespan in the early 2010s at regional retro game conventions. That was because I did not see one in the wild until then. Unfortunately in 1990, the home console market was dominated by the NES while the Genesis was only a year old and just starting to break in, so while the MVS was a bargain for arcade operators, the AES arcade perfect tech was way ahead of the times and cost exponentially more compared to the NES and Genesis at the time. Reading copies of Game Players and Electronic Gaming Monthly back then I associated Neo-Geo AES games as being the games that literally cost $200-300 individually in the back of the magazine ads for mail service game catalogs. Occasionally there would be SNES/Genesis ports of the popular games like the original Fatal Fury and Samurai Shodown, but obviously there quality was dialed back to run on the weaker machines and that was realistically all of what was available to a majority of the home console market until those anthology collections started to get released in the mid-2000s. I never owned an AES, but I was stunned by its lasting power with official games being released for it all the way until 2004. I only a saw a Neo-Geo AES for sale once at my local retro game shop all these years back around 2008 and I want to say it was going for about $200, and part of me wanted to get it for the standout collector’s item it would be, but another side of me knew the games went for insane amounts by that point and the games were already by then starting to get re-released on other consoles in more wallet-friendly anthology discs. If you have yet to dip into the Neo-Geo catalog, I would highly recommend either grabbing the digital copy of Metal Slug Anthology on PS4 for some awesome two player run ‘n gun couch co-op with a friend as the perfect way to start off. Otherwise, type in ‘ACA’ in the Xbox One/PS4/Switch digital marketplaces to see most of the Neo-Geo games released digitally under the ACA banner. While it was damn near impossible to afford to play the AES games at home during their initial release, I will close by giving major props to SNK for keeping their back catalog of Neo-Geo titles alive for current generations to discover on current platforms at consumer friendly prices! Thanks again for sticking with me in reliving my memories of the PSP and Neo-Geo with this two-for-one flashback anniversary special! Want more retro-game goodness? Then take a peek at my other flashback specials below!

My Other Gaming Flashbacks Dreamcast 20th Anniversary GameBoy 30th Anniversary Genesis 30th Anniversary PSone 25th Anniversary Saturn and Virtual Boy 25th Anniversaries TurboGrafX-16 30th Anniversary and 32-X 25th Anniversary

#videogames #psp #neogeo #snk #sony

[meraenthusiast]

7 Steps – How To Become Financially Independent

How To Become Financially Independent (FI)

Recently while listening to a podcast, I was reminded about something I’d heard of several years ago when I first started practicing, Parkinson’s Law.

It was developed by English writer Cyril Northcote Parkinson and states that, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

For instance, if you’ve got a project due in three months, then more than likely it’ll be completed in three months. If it needs to get finished in a week, then it will get done in a week.

So true.

But when we apply this law to money, it says that it doesn’t matter how much money we make, we tend to spend the entire amount…and then some.

The more we make, the more we spend. AKA “lifestyle creep“.

In a nutshell, our expenses rise with our earnings.

If we get a bonus, a raise or our income rises, most of us go out and buy a nicer vehicle, take a luxury vacation or buy the doctor house.

This is why it’s so HARD to continue to live like a resident when our training is completed.

No matter how much we make, there never seems to be enough.

For doctors and other professionals searching for how to become financially independent, they must first realize that financial independence comes from violating Parkinson’s Law.

It’s the main reason why we fall into the traps of debt and worry about money.

So in order to get you on the right track to stop trading your time for money, I’ve laid out seven steps to help you become financially free.

I can assure you that you’ve probably heard them all before but it’s always good to review the important things in life.

7 Steps – How To Become Financially Independent

1) Spend less than you make

This is the most important step to becoming financially free and is the opposite of Parkinson’s Law. It’s NOT what you make, it’s what you spend that determines whether or not you’ll build great wealth.

In the classic financial book, The Richest Man In Babylon, one of the wealth lessons taught was this principle, “live below your means“.

Have you ever read The Millionaire Next Door or Everyday Millionaires?

Both books have exhaustively studied the “average” millionaire and guess what the common denominator among them are?

You guessed it, they all spent less than they made even though the majority never had a six-figure income during their working careers.

Whenever you shift your mindset and place a higher emphasis on keeping and investing money instead of spending on frivolous stuff, you’re on your way to FI.

2) Pay yourself first

David Bach’s most recent book “The Latte Factor” is about a millennial, Zoey Daniels, working in New York City living paycheck to paycheck yet making a nice income. She befriends Henry, a barista, who mentors her about her finances.

He teaches her that the single most important key financially she can do is pay herself first. When people start investing, many times they focus on the wrong things.

Until you save up at least $100,000 or more, don’t worry about the interest rate you’re getting. Instead, focus on the savings rate and piling up as much cash as you can.

As Grant Cardone teaches, “keep stacking the cash until it’s big enough to deploy.”

What does it matter if you’re making 10% a year on $10,000? $1000 in interest isn’t too exciting.

But when you’re making 10% on $100,000 which amounts to $10,000, then things start to pick up.

Henry recommended that Zoey save one hour a day of her income into a “pay yourself first” account and to become financially selfish. And by doing this, she can have financial security for the rest of her life.

Think about that. His recommendation is such a simple, yet profound process that hopefully will wake up those of us that aren’t focused on saving on a regular basis.

Why would you work 90,000+ hours of your life and not keep the first hour a day of your income?

It’s a different way to think about money that I challenge you to commit to.

When you pay yourself first, you’re putting yourself first.

3) Eliminate debt

One of my favorite personal finance books is Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover. My wife and I used his Baby Steps when I completed training.

I have no doubt that we wouldn’t be in the financial position we’re in today if it hadn’t been for this book.

Dave’s take on debt is straight-forward:

If you have it, get rid of it.

If you don’t have it, don’t get into it.

Most docs I know (including myself) have had some type of debt during their lifetime. Unfortunately it’s a way of life but we can and should do something about it.

If you want to know how to become financially independent, then get rid of your consumer debt as soon as possible.

Do you have a car payment?

Here’s an example from the book at what having one is costing you:

It seems that most people have a car payment their entire lives.

Average is $495 over 64 months

If instead of keeping the car payment, you invested the $495/month from age 25 to 65 in a mutual fund averaging 12%, you have:

$5,881,799.14 at age 65

I get that finding a fund that pays an average of 12% is next to impossible.

But if you invest in an average index fund that earns half of that, then you could be throwing almost $3 million down the drain to have the pleasure of driving around your whole life in a new car.

In today’s world of “instant gratification,” we want what we want yesterday. I get it. I’ve had car fever before but had to put it off until I saved enough to pay cash for it.

Dave believes you should never leverage debt for wealth.

4) Marry the right spouse

Whenever people discuss how to become financially independent, they miss out on a very important part of life….marrying the right spouse.

It doesn’t matter how much money you make, how disciplined or successful you are, if your spouse isn’t on board with working the financial plan together, you’re going to struggle.

If you’re trying to save and invest for the future whereas your spouse is spending like the government, it’s going to be near impossible for you to achieve financial independence.

5) Build streams of passive income

I’ve talked a lot about passive income in the past with these articles:

Passive vs Active Income – Which Is Best?

4 Reasons To Create Passive Income With Syndications

How To Create Passive Income With Real Estate Notes

3 Ways To Make Money With Passive Real Estate Investing

Most wealthy people have several streams of passive income. Average people only have one source of income, earned or active income.

Whenever I speak to new members of our Passive Investors Circle, one of the first questions I’ll ask is whether or not they have any sources of passive income.

For the majority that don’t, I suggest that their initial goal is creating that first stream.

Most of my calls are with doctors or other busy professionals. It’s for this reason that I suggest that they invest in multifamily syndications as their first flow of passive income.

The secret is to take this new stream of income and reinvest it so that it snowballs until you achieve FI.

6) Be a giver

One of the common denominators of those with a net worth of over $10 million is that they were givers….BEFORE they were rich.

John Templeton, billionaire and philanthropist said it best, “The secret to life is being a go-giver, not a go-getter.”

It was said that he was tithing over 50% of his income even before he was rich.

Nothing satisfies and brings me joy like giving to others. This is also such an important trait to teach our kids as well.

Even if you feel that you can’t give money at this stage of your life, you can always give back something that you can never get back….your time.

Proverbs 11:25 – “A generous person will prosper, whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

7) Avoid the “get rich quick”

Too many people these days are looking for a shortcut to everything. I’ll admit, I occasionally find myself searching online for shortcuts/cheat codes while playing old Nintendo games from back in the day.

Sorry, I still but I STILL love playing Mario, Zelda and Castlevania!

The reason why many investors fail to achieve their goals is due to lack of patience.

They’re trying to find the quickest, next best thing which ends up having them sell out of their assets too soon.

One of the secrets to building wealth is buying quality investments and holding them.

Many people believe you need tons of money to one day become wealthy, but it’s simply not true.

When you combine consistent, small amounts of money with time and the power of compound interest, you’d be amazed of how your life can change.

The Story Of Pablo And Bruno

  Here’s a video with a simplistic view of how one can achieve financial independence. It’s the story of Pablo and Bruno from Burke Hedges’s book, “The Parable Of The Pipeline.”

It shows the difference between an employee mindset vs an entrepreneur mindset.

I don’t want to say much more and spoil it but I have one question to ask after you watch it:

Are you Bruno or Pablo?

Mindset Shift

There you have it. The seven steps on how to become financially independent.

As I previously stated, none of these steps are anything that you haven’t heard before but too few of us will commit to making a mindset shift to start the ball rolling.

Are you ready to REALLY learn how to become financially independent?

Consider joining our Passive Investors Circle today.

The post 7 Steps – How To Become Financially Independent appeared first on Debt Free Dr..

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[thementalattic]

This is it, the tenth week, the last time we’ll do this. Over the course of the past 9 weeks, we’ve seen competitors from across video game history tackle the demanding course that is The Beast. At the end of each week, one of them received the title of Beastmaster, and now they’re all gathering one more time to see who reigns supreme and earns the title of Ultimate Beastmaster and all the glory that comes with it. After all, as video game characters, the money earned by those competing on the show is of little importance, so glory is the currency!

Our competitors are:

Mega Man X (Mega Man X)

Lara Croft (Reboot Tomb Raider)

Spyro the Dragon (Spyro)

Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell)

Revan (Star Wars)

Grant Danasty (Castlevania)

Tails (Sonic)

Spider-Man (Spider-Man 2)

Rash (Battletoads)

For the finals, all obstacles are harder and Level 1 has been completely redesigned. Unlike the real show’s 2nd season, where the Level 1 challenges alternated every other episode, I kept everything the same for the starting weeks, to make things even and help me with the mental simulations I would have to do. But I always planned on bringing this alternate route into the game for the finals, as it switches things around and the character’s strengths may become their weaknesses. And not only are we using the new Level 1 but all distances for jumps have increased as well. Every obstacle in Level 1 is about 150% further away than it was before.

An overview of the new Level 1:

The point breakdown:

Level 1 – Bite Force, 5 points. Chain to Grinder, 5 points. Grinder, 5 points each, 15 total. Faceplant, 5 points. Chain to Coil, 5 points. Energy Coils (Red), 5 points each, 20 total. Energy Coils (Blue), 5 points, 25 in total. Jump to Slingshot, 5 points. Slingshot, 5 points. Landing Pads, 5 points each, 10 total. 3 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 130.

Level 4 – Individual points ignored. Reaching the top is worth 200. If no competitor reaches, then furthest along competitor wins.

So how did our competitors do? Let’s use Mega Man X as our example. If you remember, it was his speed on vertical climbing and horizontal movement that got him the Beastmaster title, plus the judges determined his Mega Buster was not an external tool, so he could use it to hit point thrusters from afar with it.

X dashes up Bite Force with each, leaping onto the grinder, skipping the chain and earning its points, one of the few obstacles they can skip legally. Even with the increased distance, the Grinder is no match for X’s Dash Jumps and neither is Faceplant, where X once again skips a chain and makes it to the Energy Coil, before firing off against the point thruster. The new distance between coils proves a challenge and X barely makes it across, using his wall jumping ability on the very edge of the coils with each jump. Firing off another pellet against the Blue Coil thruster, Mega Man X reaches slingshot, where he grazes the bar for the points but uses his natural speed and jumping ability to make it onto the first Landing Pad. The suspended pad groans under the weight of the robot and fully tilts, sending Mega Man X down to take a plunge in the Blood of the Beast.

Point Thrusters 2, 20 points. Obstacle points: 90 points. Total, level 1, Mega Man X: 110 points.

These are our rankings by the end of Level 1:

Spider-Man – 130 – Completes the course, full score.

Mega Man X – 110

Tails – 110 – Couldn’t find purchase on the landing pad

Spyro the Dragon – 100 – Couldn’t reach or grab the Slingshot.

Rash – 90 – Misses 2nd and 3rd thruster, falls on the landing pad

Grant Danasty – 60 – Couldn’t reach 3rd Red Energy Coil.

Lara Croft  55 – couldn’t make the jump on one of the coils.

Sam Fisher – 50  – Messed up the jump coming back from the first point thruster. Too far and high for him.

Revan 50 same as above.

The wobbliness of the Landing Pads took its toll on our competitors, which is more or less what they did on the TV show. Successful competitors have to land belly first on it and grip its sides, before slowly standing and make it swing, generating enough momentum so the platform gets closer to the next one. It’s a difficult proposition, and only Spiderman, with his adhesive quality could really, hmm, stick the landing!

Level 2 – Things have changed in Level 2 as well. The jumps on Spinal Ascent are higher. The platforms on Stomach Churn are much faster and most critically, Digest Track’s inclination is much steeper, the slipperiness of the tube becoming a real danger and on top of that, it sinks much faster into the water. The jump is harder, the Dreadmills are faster, and every distance for jumps and swings are 150% greater, including the separation between chains on Chain Reaction and Vertebrace.4

For this level, we’ll see how Spiderman did:

Spinal Ascent proves childplay for the Neighbourhood Spidey, and the web-like Descent is almost his home turf. He scores the first point thruster easily. His athletic ability makes quick work of the high jump onto the middle platform of Stomach Churn, which this time around is seriously spinning, and Spidey lets himself be spun a few times while figures out the timing on the jump, then leaps to the last platform, faster than it was the first time he did the course, but is still slow enough that he can catch his breath and clear his head from the spinning. Confident in his abilities, he dives into the Digestive Track…which proves to be his downfall. The increased tilt on it makes the slippery substance inside almost concentrate at the base, and Spiderman struggles to find purchase, and when he does, it’s too late to make the jump onto the Dreadmills.

Point Thrusters 1, 10 points. Obstacle points: 45. Total, Level 2, 55 points. Total Score: 180 points.

These are the rankings for Level 2:

Tails – 135 – T: 245 – Completes course, grabs first two point thrusters. Overcomes Digestive Track using his spin dash to shoot out of it like a canon. Rest of the jumps uses his limited propeller hover to make up the distances.

Rash – 145 – 235 – Completes course, missed one poiint thruster. Slippery obstacles are barely a nuisance (he’s a toad, toads’s absorb water through their skin, negating this ‘hazard’).

Mega Man X – 70 – T: 180 – Struggles with digestive track, loses too much time and can’t make the jump to the Dreadmills. Gets 2 point Thrusters.

Spider-Man – 55 – T: 180

Spiro the Dragon – 65 – T: 165 – Similar to Spider Man, just managed to get an extra point thruster.

Grant Danasty – 55 – T: 115 – Identical to Spider-Man.

Point breakdown: Spinal Ascent, 5 points each, 25 total. Spinal Descent, 5 points. Stomach Churn, 5 points each, 15 total. Digestive Track, 5 points. Jump from Digestive Track, 5 points. Dreadmills, 5 points each, 10 points total. Jump to Chain Reaction, 5 points. Chain Reaction, 5 points each, 20 total. Vertibrace, 5 points each, 25 total. 4 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 155.

Level 3 – On Level 3, the ejector belt is faster, Prism Strike has been oiled up and so much swifter. The Coils on the Coil Crawl descend at an accelerated rate. and finally, the Hangman handholds are further apart. It’s a tough challenge.

Point Breakdown: Ejector, 5 points. Prism Strike, 5 points each, 10 total. Coil Crawl, 5 points each, 15 total. Hangman, 5 points each, 75 total. Pipeline, 5 points. Wall, 5 points. 4 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 155.

For Level 3, we’ll see how Rash does: The Battletoad doesn’t wait for the belt, and runs up it, grabbing on to Prism Strike with tremendous momentum, swiftly reaching the next obstacle and pressing the point thruster. The coil crawl is a challenge, but Rash’s superior jumping skills allow him to make the jump to the next coil even if it’s too low, though he misses the thruster there. He ascends Hangman at a slow rate and eventually stalls, his arms not reaching the 11th triangle and falling to the pool for a dip, but taking that 3rd point thruster!

Point thrusters 2, 20 points. Obstacle points: 80. Total, level 3, 100 points. Total Score: 280 points.

Rankings for Level 3:

Tails – 125 – T: 370 – Completes Course, misses 3 point thrusters. Heavy use of helicopter tail to make up distances.

Spider-Man –  155 – T: 335

Rash – 100 – T: 280

Mega Man X – 45 – T: 225 – Coil crawl descends too fast for him to catch up and make the jump to the hangman, even with his propulsion abilities. Captures 2 point thrusters.

Level 4 – Nothing much changes in Level 4. Whoever reaches the top or the highest altitude in the course before time runs out is the winner.

Spíder-Man defeats tails in a crushing victory. Tails, after all, did not finish the course on Week 7, but had time run out on him and this time it was no different. From the start, Spider-Man’s climbing prowess earned him a strong lead, up Ricochet, across Full Tilt before solidifying his dominance on the Motherboard. Skyhook was just another round of swinging for the web slinger and the Ventilator, just another wall for him to climb.

So, Spider-Man is The Ultimate Beastmaster – Gaming Edition – Season 1 winner, earning the title of Ultimate Video Game Beastmaster! Congratulations to Chris, from OverThinkerY, Spider-Man’s sponsor!

See you on Season 2, where things might just be different!

This is it, the finals of #UltimateBeastmaster Gaming Edition! Who reigns supreme?

This is it, the tenth week, the last time we’ll do this. Over the course of the past 9 weeks…

This is it, the finals of #UltimateBeastmaster Gaming Edition! Who reigns supreme? This is it, the tenth week, the last time we'll do this. Over the course of the past 9 weeks…

#Athletics #Beastmaster #Characters #Competition #Fantasy league #Featured #Gaming #OverThinkerY #Ranking #Skills #Spiderman #Sports #Tails #Ultimate Beastmaster #Video game

[kkutlesa]

This is it, the tenth week, the last time we’ll do this. Over the course of the past 9 weeks, we’ve seen competitors from across video game history tackle the demanding course that is The Beast. At the end of each week, one of them received the title of Beastmaster, and now they’re all gathering one more time to see who reigns supreme and earns the title of Ultimate Beastmaster and all the glory that comes with it. After all, as video game characters, the money earned by those competing on the show is of little importance, so glory is the currency!

Our competitors are:

Mega Man X (Mega Man X)

Lara Croft (Reboot Tomb Raider)

Spyro the Dragon (Spyro)

Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell)

Revan (Star Wars)

Grant Danasty (Castlevania)

Tails (Sonic)

Spider-Man (Spider-Man 2)

Rash (Battletoads)

For the finals, all obstacles are harder and Level 1 has been completely redesigned. Unlike the real show’s 2nd season, where the Level 1 challenges alternated every other episode, I kept everything the same for the starting weeks, to make things even and help me with the mental simulations I would have to do. But I always planned on bringing this alternate route into the game for the finals, as it switches things around and the character’s strengths may become their weaknesses. And not only are we using the new Level 1 but all distances for jumps have increased as well. Every obstacle in Level 1 is about 150% further away than it was before.

An overview of the new Level 1:

The point breakdown:

Level 1 – Bite Force, 5 points. Chain to Grinder, 5 points. Grinder, 5 points each, 15 total. Faceplant, 5 points. Chain to Coil, 5 points. Energy Coils (Red), 5 points each, 20 total. Energy Coils (Blue), 5 points, 25 in total. Jump to Slingshot, 5 points. Slingshot, 5 points. Landing Pads, 5 points each, 10 total. 3 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 130.

Level 4 – Individual points ignored. Reaching the top is worth 200. If no competitor reaches, then furthest along competitor wins.

So how did our competitors do? Let’s use Mega Man X as our example. If you remember, it was his speed on vertical climbing and horizontal movement that got him the Beastmaster title, plus the judges determined his Mega Buster was not an external tool, so he could use it to hit point thrusters from afar with it.

X dashes up Bite Force with each, leaping onto the grinder, skipping the chain and earning its points, one of the few obstacles they can skip legally. Even with the increased distance, the Grinder is no match for X’s Dash Jumps and neither is Faceplant, where X once again skips a chain and makes it to the Energy Coil, before firing off against the point thruster. The new distance between coils proves a challenge and X barely makes it across, using his wall jumping ability on the very edge of the coils with each jump. Firing off another pellet against the Blue Coil thruster, Mega Man X reaches slingshot, where he grazes the bar for the points but uses his natural speed and jumping ability to make it onto the first Landing Pad. The suspended pad groans under the weight of the robot and fully tilts, sending Mega Man X down to take a plunge in the Blood of the Beast.

Point Thrusters 2, 20 points. Obstacle points: 90 points. Total, level 1, Mega Man X: 110 points.

These are our rankings by the end of Level 1:

Spider-Man – 130 – Completes the course, full score.

Mega Man X – 110

Tails – 110 – Couldn’t find purchase on the landing pad

Spyro the Dragon – 100 – Couldn’t reach or grab the Slingshot.

Rash – 90 – Misses 2nd and 3rd thruster, falls on the landing pad

Grant Danasty – 60 – Couldn’t reach 3rd Red Energy Coil.

Lara Croft  55 – couldn’t make the jump on one of the coils.

Sam Fisher – 50  – Messed up the jump coming back from the first point thruster. Too far and high for him.

Revan 50 same as above.

The wobbliness of the Landing Pads took its toll on our competitors, which is more or less what they did on the TV show. Successful competitors have to land belly first on it and grip its sides, before slowly standing and make it swing, generating enough momentum so the platform gets closer to the next one. It’s a difficult proposition, and only Spiderman, with his adhesive quality could really, hmm, stick the landing!

Level 2 – Things have changed in Level 2 as well. The jumps on Spinal Ascent are higher. The platforms on Stomach Churn are much faster and most critically, Digest Track’s inclination is much steeper, the slipperiness of the tube becoming a real danger and on top of that, it sinks much faster into the water. The jump is harder, the Dreadmills are faster, and every distance for jumps and swings are 150% greater, including the separation between chains on Chain Reaction and Vertebrace.4

For this level, we’ll see how Spiderman did:

Spinal Ascent proves childplay for the Neighbourhood Spidey, and the web-like Descent is almost his home turf. He scores the first point thruster easily. His athletic ability makes quick work of the high jump onto the middle platform of Stomach Churn, which this time around is seriously spinning, and Spidey lets himself be spun a few times while figures out the timing on the jump, then leaps to the last platform, faster than it was the first time he did the course, but is still slow enough that he can catch his breath and clear his head from the spinning. Confident in his abilities, he dives into the Digestive Track…which proves to be his downfall. The increased tilt on it makes the slippery substance inside almost concentrate at the base, and Spiderman struggles to find purchase, and when he does, it’s too late to make the jump onto the Dreadmills.

Point Thrusters 1, 10 points. Obstacle points: 45. Total, Level 2, 55 points. Total Score: 180 points.

These are the rankings for Level 2:

Tails – 135 – T: 245 – Completes course, grabs first two point thrusters. Overcomes Digestive Track using his spin dash to shoot out of it like a canon. Rest of the jumps uses his limited propeller hover to make up the distances.

Rash – 145 – 235 – Completes course, missed one poiint thruster. Slippery obstacles are barely a nuisance (he’s a toad, toads’s absorb water through their skin, negating this ‘hazard’).

Mega Man X – 70 – T: 180 – Struggles with digestive track, loses too much time and can’t make the jump to the Dreadmills. Gets 2 point Thrusters.

Spider-Man – 55 – T: 180

Spiro the Dragon – 65 – T: 165 – Similar to Spider Man, just managed to get an extra point thruster.

Grant Danasty – 55 – T: 115 – Identical to Spider-Man.

Point breakdown: Spinal Ascent, 5 points each, 25 total. Spinal Descent, 5 points. Stomach Churn, 5 points each, 15 total. Digestive Track, 5 points. Jump from Digestive Track, 5 points. Dreadmills, 5 points each, 10 points total. Jump to Chain Reaction, 5 points. Chain Reaction, 5 points each, 20 total. Vertibrace, 5 points each, 25 total. 4 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 155.

Level 3 – On Level 3, the ejector belt is faster, Prism Strike has been oiled up and so much swifter. The Coils on the Coil Crawl descend at an accelerated rate. and finally, the Hangman handholds are further apart. It’s a tough challenge.

Point Breakdown: Ejector, 5 points. Prism Strike, 5 points each, 10 total. Coil Crawl, 5 points each, 15 total. Hangman, 5 points each, 75 total. Pipeline, 5 points. Wall, 5 points. 4 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 155.

For Level 3, we’ll see how Rash does: The Battletoad doesn’t wait for the belt, and runs up it, grabbing on to Prism Strike with tremendous momentum, swiftly reaching the next obstacle and pressing the point thruster. The coil crawl is a challenge, but Rash’s superior jumping skills allow him to make the jump to the next coil even if it’s too low, though he misses the thruster there. He ascends Hangman at a slow rate and eventually stalls, his arms not reaching the 11th triangle and falling to the pool for a dip, but taking that 3rd point thruster!

Point thrusters 2, 20 points. Obstacle points: 80. Total, level 3, 100 points. Total Score: 280 points.

Rankings for Level 3:

Tails – 125 – T: 370 – Completes Course, misses 3 point thrusters. Heavy use of helicopter tail to make up distances.

Spider-Man –  155 – T: 335

Rash – 100 – T: 280

Mega Man X – 45 – T: 225 – Coil crawl descends too fast for him to catch up and make the jump to the hangman, even with his propulsion abilities. Captures 2 point thrusters.

Level 4 – Nothing much changes in Level 4. Whoever reaches the top or the highest altitude in the course before time runs out is the winner.

Spíder-Man defeats tails in a crushing victory. Tails, after all, did not finish the course on Week 7, but had time run out on him and this time it was no different. From the start, Spider-Man’s climbing prowess earned him a strong lead, up Ricochet, across Full Tilt before solidifying his dominance on the Motherboard. Skyhook was just another round of swinging for the web slinger and the Ventilator, just another wall for him to climb.

So, Spider-Man is The Ultimate Beastmaster – Gaming Edition – Season 1 winner, earning the title of Ultimate Video Game Beastmaster! Congratulations to Chris, from OverThinkerY, Spider-Man’s sponsor!

See you on Season 2, where things might just be different!

This is it, the finals of #UltimateBeastmaster Gaming Edition! Who reigns supreme? This is it, the tenth week, the last time we'll do this. Over the course of the past 9 weeks…

#Athletics #Beastmaster #Characters #Competition #Fantasy league #Featured #Gaming #OverThinkerY #Ranking #Skills #Spiderman #Sports #Tails #Ultimate Beastmaster #Video game