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clockworklozenges · 3 years

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So, a good five or so years back, I played in one of the best worst DnD games I have ever been in. The DM had bought the Libris Mortis book, which, if you were unaware, was a 3.5 splatbook adding in a lot of undead stuff, including some monsters and undead player races and stuff. Wanting to try it out, me and my gaming group decided to play things from it, our then DM deciding to run a completely homebrewed session. This proved to be a...

Terrible Idea™

(for the uninitiated, never homebrew something you do not fully understand unless it's just cosmetic. If you want to make all elves worship the god of garlic bread, Ultimo-Metatron-Omega, go ahead, but unless you know how the game works, don't make mechanical changes). So we all picked stuff from the books-one player played a skeleton Sorcerer who in life was a tribal shaman, but an attempt at healing went wrong, turning him undead as his life energy was replaced with negative energy, explaining why most of his spells were necromancy and suchlike.

Another player played Krug, an antipaladin in very spiky full plate. He was a zombie made by a necromancer of a paladin who was fighting him, but his allies killed his would-be master before he could assert control, and not wanting to just off him, his allies just...yeeted his body into a portal and hoped it'd re-kill him. It did not kill him hard enough. It did, however, explain his stats which...oof. He had already got debuffs to some stats due to being a zombie, and rolled abysmally. Fortunately for the player, he played mostly to socialise, so didn't much care.

I played... Count Nox Feratu, the Campire. As in, a vampire with a very camp German accent, which I did not break for the whole time I was playing him. To the point where "ach, nein, I haf bin heet! Heal me, meine freunde!" was par for the course. My overly camp vamp was a wizard, but due to level adjustment was a bit of a shoddy one. For backstory, he'd been ousted from his clan for ineptitude, and had sworn revenge. I was going for a swordmage build but never got there. All his spells were utility or just necromancy spells.

Our last player played...sigh...Damien Bloodmoon, cleric of Nerull, God of murder and undeath. He was one of the clerics from the book's murder Domain, meaning that he got buffs to damage. He was a vicious arse both in character and out of it, and was so dripping with edge compared to the paladin with the same IQ as a horse after its trip to the glue factory, the shaman who thought killing fixed people and the Campire that if you gave him a pat on the back you'd have finely diced your hand into a red mist. Not going too outlandish with his backstory of wanting to dominate the world as his undead thralls, Damien F***ing Bloodmoon had only taken spells which either charmed live people, dealt negative energy damage or messed with ability drain and suchlike, which he used with aplomb on townsfolk on our way to our objective. He was also, importantly, playing an elf of some sort, I forget which kind. Meaning that of the party, only one was alive.

So, just as an aside, for those of you that haven't played 3.5e DnD or have only played 5e, in Libris Mortis, undeath was gone over in detail, and had a litany of pros and cons. For one thing, undead had only the HP they had-folks like Damien F***ing Bloodmoon could be 'dying', and had some time to be stabilised before meeting the reckoning of Papa John and dying proper. Undead did not, it was just how much you had and if you ran out, poof, you're dust, bones and fertiliser again. You were also harmed by positive energy, so healing spells hurt you, as did potions of healing. However, undead were kind of hardy - poison immunity, some had resistance to non-magical melee damage, stuff that drained your ability scores and levels didn't work on them, some crits wouldn't do extra damage, and the best part- negative energy healed undead. Meaning all the spells our party had which damaged others like the living Damien Bloodmoon were curative ones for us. Keep this in mind.

So, we began our quest, learning of a necromancer a nearby town was plagued by. After using our skills (to whit: Damien Bloodmoon charming and drawing the life force out of random villagers and the only potion seller in the town whilst we went shopping. Krug got a snazzy hat, which we put on top of his helmet, and we chatted to townsfolk as I looked alive enough to pass as human and the shaman had a fake beard and toupee that people were too awkward to point out was fake so went along with it) we learn that the necromancer has a base of operations in the cemetery. "Oh ja, zo original, dahlink. Ve vill need to educate zis guy on vhat is chic and vhat is just shabby!"

So we head there and the nightmare begins. Damien Leads the charge, using all of his knowledge to deduce that the shambling horde moving towards us were stronger-than-your-average-bear undead, and he was right. These were powerful armoured zombie mages of some sort, casting ability draining spells, negative energy ray spells and even having auras of negative energy that dealt damage on a failed Fortitude save. Even their punch and quarterstaves did negative energy damage as well as the usual bludgeoning or unarmed. However...only one of us was really in danger and the DM's face fell when the squishy casters walked up and began shanking their super-special homebrew zombie wizards, being healed by the damage of their attacks as we cut them down.

Like I said, one of the benefits of undeath is that negative energy actually heals you. So the strikes of the magic staves and punches that hit us did some basic damage. Which was then immediately healed by the negative energy their weapon strikes and spells were doing.

However, you'll recall that Damien Bloodmoon was an elf. And not dead. Being a Cleric of a death god doesn't mean that you have the abilities of an undead. That meant that even with the DM being merciful, by the end of the first fight he was covered in blood, mud and withered away to just above half his original strength and constitution. More were patrolling, so we had to run. But that posed a problem.

Remember Krug had heavy armour? And recall his awful stats? He in fact, hadn't got enough strength to wear the armour he'd been given for backstory. He didn't, according to the DM, have enough to remove his own armour. And we attempted to, but also failed our checks according to the DM. And Damien Bloodmoon refused to help, simply blaming Krug and his player. Krug's player thought it was hilarious, and Krug only had enough Intelligence and Wisdom to say his own name, so saw no problem. And Krug, Nox Feratu and Shaman realised that there really...wasn't a problem.

For us, at least.

We slogged through three combats dragging Krug and wading through the mud with him. His speed was so slow that for every step he took, we took about ten. The DM was confused and infuriated that his encounters weren't working, but refused to change them. So we had fun role-playing. Or at least three of us did.

Damien Bloodmoon refused to roleplay, and none of his ranged spells could affect the zombie mages. When he went into melee, he came out wounded as all hell. He went down twice, and it was only the healing supplies of the shaman that saved him.

All the while, he was... Let's say not best pleased. Damien Bloodmoon was getting increasingly wounded, exasperated and longing for the sweet embrace of death as reprieve from the humiliation. His player was getting increasingly redder and rage-filled as time passed. Each fight ended with our characters stronger than ever and his a bloody pulp on the floor, with poor in-character knowledge (and terrible rolls) preventing him from realising why.

Eventually, we reached the final boss, pausing only to paint Krug's armour in contact poison just in case, and to find a stick to help the now-partially-crippled Damien Bloodmoon, cleric of death and murder, walk after being beaten up by angry zombie wizards for hours. And it had, indeed, been hours. Among us, only Damien had a bonus to strength, and we had two swords, a mace and a staff between the four of us. Meaning it was re-death by a thousand cuts for the enemy and a slog and a half for us.

We reach the necromancer and, having taken so long due to dragging the oblivious Krug with us, his big ritual is complete- he raises a fist-sized black onyx egg aloft, crackles with arcane power and causes the bones around him to coalesce into one massive creature - an undead, giant-sized rust monster, radiating an Aura of pure negative energy. Krug opened his arms wide, eager for the metal-eating monster cockroach to free him from his poison-painted metal prison. It ignores him as he's still very far away. Me and the others have our weapons and armour devoured.

Our DM was very much a stickler for note-taking. So because Damien Bloodmoon hadn't written 'clothes' on his sheet, his armour being eaten by the monster left him naked and afraid.

It became clear that the DM had done another f***y-wucky. See, the Aura of negative energy healed me and the Sorcerer by more than its other attacks did. So whilst Damien Bloodmoon was naked, soaked in mud and bleeding to death almost crushed to a pulp in the fetal position, rocking backwards and forwards as his player seethed with hatred, the Shaman and the Campire set about beating the thing to death with our bear hands and a stick.

The session ended once we killed the necromancer, or rather when Krug walked up to him, closed his arms and just crushed the noodle-armed bad guy to death with the weight of his ridiculous armour and poisoned him with its paintwork.

We never revisited the game afterwards. We were told later on that the DM wanted us to use the non-undead races. But at no point had he said as much, even when we asked him about our characters and the restrictions on them. We also learned a valuable lesson. DM for the players who are there, not the ones who you have an idealised mental image of. Tailor your game, otherwise you'll get a sitcom featuring a camp nosferatu, a shaman with no healing, a paladin who could barely move and a Cleric of murder who was ironically the only one at risk of actually dying.

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bearpillowmonster · 3 years

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Neo: The World Ends With You

I'm invested in the original game and its characters, I'm invested in this game and its characters. I've had a lot of time for the original game to marinate and I can say that I enjoy pretty much every character and their arc and while I don't exactly feel the same with this one, that's not disappointing to me and this was my most anticipated game of 2021 so I mean that. This is a sequel, I expected as much and it didn't let me down, it's even better than I thought.

This is a NONSPOILER review because I think it's best experienced by actually experiencing it so I'll keep a lot of character, story, and even gameplay details out other than how the very VERY beginning of the game starts out with Rindo and Fret.

Let me give credit where credit is due, Rindo is voiced by Paul Castro Jr. who is a new voice actor and I was honestly impressed by his voice more than anyone else in the game, I love his voice and while Rindo has some pretty big shoes to fill as the main, I think he does it. Rindo seems to act pretty accordingly to the situation he's put in. He's not as edgy as Neku but he has enough push to him to where he would be considered the "negative" of the group but I would rather call it "rational" because he brings up some valid points, stuff that I myself was asking. Putting yourself in his shoes, that seems pretty accurate.

Fret on the other hand is a bit of the opposite, an optimist if you will. He's not really a "bad" character, just in comparison to the others, he's not my favorite. I think that there needs to be someone in his position who tries to uplift the team, but he's just a little annoying about it sometimes. Also get ready to hear "Galaxy Brain, ACTIVATE!!" literally hundreds of times, as much as he talks, you'd think he'd add more variety.

IMPROVEMENTS:

I'm not going to complain about certain gameplay elements or limitations that carried over from the last game except one. The camera. It's fixed to where you have no control over it in the city areas and therefore can't get a proper look at everything, whether that works in its favor, I'm not sure because you get used to it but it's just a small peeve you start out with.

The combat is pretty loyal to the first game which is surprising. I personally didn't like the original gameplay because it was so limited on the DS, a lot of room for error, but having it on console expands the system and lets you use buttons rather than mashing a touch screen, improving on almost, if not all, gameplay fronts. However, because it's based on a game from 2007, the system may seem a little outdated to some, it's really up to you, it made a fan out of me, making it more fun.

I played the original in bites, not because of lack of enjoyment but because I felt like it was a game I could only get into for so long at a time but with this game it's the complete opposite. Maybe it was the DS hardware that hampered the original but I say it's a decent success on this game's part. I also felt that Persona 5 seemed a bit formulaic in its story context and gameplay layout with each castle but this game, while having patterns, it changes before you get the chance to really catch on. I could predict P5 but I couldn't predict this, each day was a mystery, I knew you'd fight people but I didn't always know who or when which is crazy considering that P5 had all the choices!

A small improvement that I'll suggest for combat is having short rhythm based moves or even QTEs, like how in the original Shiki had the directional pad moves which were annoying but still varied from the rest of the gameplay. There are definitely new things that you can do, but there are a few aspects worth complaining about. You can unlock certain abilities and once you enable them, you can't disable them. The only one that it personally applies with is the ability to enable individual health bars for enemies, rather than an overall one. Which sounds good but-

I personally don't like that it's always floating above their heads, if it was on the side screen, that'd be one thing but constantly above their heads? No deal. I actually had to go back and load up an old save to get rid of it. But with unlocking certain abilities comes with quality of life aspects so if you're not in love with the gameplay at first, give it a little bit because you might be able to unlock whatever piece you're missing.

There's also "soundsurfing" that adds to your groove meter that you can use when running around and it said that you press (in my case "X" on PS4) to the beat of the song which is a cool concept but it really isn't clear how to use it because I try matching the beat and I get nothing and have more success just button mashing. The groove meter can drop when it's not supposed to, like when you literally can't attack during the buffering of a special or switching between battles in a chain (The "Get Ready" screen) And if you're in a proper boss battle, you HAVE to fight, it's like a trainer battle in Pokémon which is especially annoying when you accidentally press "retry". It has no reason to be there when I already know that I'm not prepared for the boss and can't back out.

Do the trailers spoil it?

Originally, I only saw the first and or second trailer and knew I wanted it so there was no reason to see any more but it was kind of overwhelming with all the characters they were showing off in just a single trailer. I don't think they needed to go that far but I understand why they did. I understand why they showed a lot of things that they did but I think it's a bit easier to SWALLOW when it's introduced in-game. I even found myself doing all the side-quests and being engaged in the side-stuff in-game. But I knew about people pointing out spoilers so after I finished it, I went back and looked at the other trailers and OH BOY. The final trailer shows some stuff and I'm SO glad I didn't watch it. They straight up show some out of context death scenes as well as different alliances and betrayals, not to mention parts of the freaking ending. The launch trailer is no better, it's just like that trailer but cut down. You may not have context but you can draw some hefty conclusions and that alone makes me question, why? I'm not sure if there are many reveals that they DIDN'T tease, it's like they went out of their way to hit every single one. Whether it's Square or Nintendo, they need to figure out how to cut a trailer, heck, hire me, I at least have the editing skills and know what's interesting enough to show and what's too spoilery not to show, come on!

Is it newcomer friendly?

I heard a lot of things like "it drops you in without mercy so pay very close attention" (in terms of story, that is) so only people who played the original game will be able to get it. But I beg to differ, I think it does a pretty good job of filling you in while putting you in the shoes of a new player (both in the game and out) AND keeping the mystery of whatever happened since the last game coming in small pieces. Most of the dialogue text boxes are voice acted so it's not really a slog to read. To prove my point further, the premise starts out very similar so it should be easy to clue in what exactly happened in the last game. Of course you're going to get more enjoyment out of it if you played the original but I don't think you'd be totally lost if you started with this one and played to right before the ending because then it kinda has to do stuff without preface, so you're going to be confused by much of the emotional weight that it carries. But it still gives you plenty of time to catch up on the original, whether through the game, videos, or lore, this game has you ask the questions, so fill in the blank. It has a nice length to it so you'll have until the ending to figure it out. Also, Final Remix teased stuff that this game makes clarity on but I wouldn't call FR mandatory. (Except maybe no numbers on the hand? Maybe even I missed something there.)

#neo: the world ends with you #neo: twewy #review #game #nonspoiler

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ronnytherandom · 3 years

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I started Writing My Thoughts On Things Again, I'm Sorry

15/8/2021:

Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Whole trilogy w/ all dlcs, Adept Class, Hardcore difficulty, 68 Hours):

Still brilliant! I adore this series. The first Mass Effect was one of the first games I ever played back in 2010 and Mass Effect 2 is one of the games I’ve played the most accruing several hundred hours over multiple playthrough from 2010 onwards, while Mass Effect 3 is a game I greatly appreciated but have more mixed feelings towards. Retrospectively as much as I liked the first Mass Effect, I did not nearly appreciate it enough back in the day. For a first entry in a new IP it is incredibly fleshed out with interesting Lore, an intriguing story and a cool galaxy to explore. I appreciate its combat far more now than I did back then but would still argue it is relatively weak in comparison to more modern titles and its own successors. Though the VA is rough in some places it is excellent where it matters, especially in the case of Sovereign whose iconic dialogue on Virmire is etched into my brain. A key element of the first mass effect I felt was sorely missing from the later entries was its exploration. While the galaxy grew routinely larger no game after the first had a drivable Mako, a vehicle I adore, and further lacked the opportunity to land on and explore the terrain of alien worlds for resources and side missions which I feel lends a lot to the atmosphere of the setting and could be made even more compelling using updated technology and a larger selection of assets and interiors which might have emerged from the higher budget successors. As it is I appreciate its inclusion in the first game. Mass Effect was also my first encounter with impactful choices in a video game and this is certainly something I appreciate but leads me to a major criticism specifically targeting the dialogue wheel layout as it is strange to me how you can puzzle out all of these possible dialogue outcomes but put exactly all of the positive outcomes behind the Upper Left dialogue option. While this is less pronounced in the First entry as the Renegade dialogue fills roughly the same purpose while sounding more badass, it becomes truer throughout the series as renegade options routinely just become nasty and exclusionary.

Mass Effect 2 innovates in some key ways which I have grown to appreciate more in the past 20 hours of play than I did when it launched. Primarily, its focus on characters and your relationships to them. Barring a couple of notable exceptions I found myself greatly invested in every single member of the Normandy crew and I think it’s a remarkable feat that each crewmate could be written to be so sympathetic, relatable and interesting in a world so full of appreciable elements. I would go into specific examples but id end up listing every character except Miranda and Jacob. This of course plays well into the Suicide Mission narrative which is perhaps my favourite overarching plot within the trilogy as it incorporates not just all of these incredible characters and plays upon your investment in them but also relies on the threat of both the Reapers and Collectors which are two excellently designed enemies which I find significantly more compelling than Saren and the Geth or Cerberus and the Reaper Husk Armies. Mass Effect 2 has a powerful horror element composed of the Collectors phobic horror and the reapers cosmic horror and it does wonders for the game’s atmosphere. I remember at this moment the Collector soundtrack which, like the rest of the soundtrack is absolutely excellent. Inasmuch as I would criticise it from a purely musical perspective for being simple at times and perhaps overly repetitive it perfectly fits the camp space opera that is mass effect. Galaxy Map and Suicide Mission are absolute bangers. I would hesitate to call the combat great. Playing the game as a weapon heavy class is superior, I’d argue as even with an armour build dedicated to decreasing ability cooldown it is too long to adequately utilise the powers of ability heavy classes like the adept. Additionally, ability play feels far more limited than in the game’s predecessor due to the limitation of this games skill tree elements which are frankly a step too far in simplifying the interface. It doesn’t massively affect enjoyment of the game but I couldn’t help but note every time I visited the abilities menu how much I missed Mass Effects abilities menu. So while I would say Mass Effect maintains a very well balanced game with regards to combat, roleplay and story, Mass Effect 2 eschews combat and mechanical roleplay in favour of an excellent story. Additionally while lacking an exploration aspect the more structured side-missions found by scanning planets throughout the galaxy create a lot of fun moments and interesting gameplay, emblematic of the fact that mission design vastly improves between this game and its predecessor.

Mass Effect 3 goes some way to resolve its predecessor’s imbalance as the majority of the game possesses enhanced combat, a much better abilities mechanic and an excellent story. First the addition of more mobility, loadout and engagement options benefits the combat greatly, while the addition of more complex enemy types than previous games pushes you to fully utilise these new options. A massive reduction in ability cooldown combined with liberal cooldown reduction bonuses in the skill tree means that abilities are very useful and versatile and you generally feel very powerful. Sometimes too powerful if you’re thinking from a balancing standpoint but given it’s a single player game this criticism is much diminished and being powerful is fun regardless. The skill tree system in this game forms a synthesis between its predecessors’ systems and comes out the better for combining a regular sense of empowerment with interesting choices within your own character build. All of this contributes to a much-improved combat experience, especially over Mass Effect 2. This also lends itself to the old multiplayer system which I honestly enjoyed when it launched (who cannot love a playable biotic Volus?) and feel is sorely lacking from this legendary edition. I would argue the only real problem with the multiplayer was requiring a player to engage with it in order to achieve the best story outcome; the actual multiplayer gameplay was thoroughly enjoyable and it gave players the opportunity to experience combat as an STG agent or a Krogan Warlord which were both fulfilling experiences from my memory. The aforementioned story is truly excellent and successfully builds off events in previous games but primarily succeeds due to Biowares exceptional character writing which persists from Mass Effect 2. Even in the case of its worst side mission content but especially in its primary missions the stakes and outcome of events are thoroughly compelling and the involvement of beloved Normandy crewmates is bound to incite intense emotions. This is possibly the only game that makes me cry multiple times throughout a normal playthrough. Unfortunately my goodwill often runs out when it comes to consider the ultimate ending of this series which I do not approve of. I admit there are mitigating factors: you should not play the mass effect series for the culmination of its plot. This series lives and dies with its characters and all of the major character arcs reach satisfactory endings before the final moments of Mass Effect 3, so the final moments have no real meaning as the thematic purpose of the series is achieved by galvanising the galaxy and uniting all these disparate races into a single force to fight the Reapers. Thematically the game is a success but the extent to which it utilises the choices the player has made, upon which the series builds its reputation, is limited in scope. This can likely be laid at the feet of the leaks of the original story ahead of the games launch which pushed the developers to create a new ending to avoid spoilers, but the quality of that ending is poor as it boils all the choices made throughout the series down to selecting the colour of a space laser. To make an odd comparison, this is why I think Game of Thrones’ and Mass Effect’s endings are different kinds of bad. Mass Effect reaches a fully satisfying conclusion in the moments immediately after launching the final mission, whereas Game of Thrones built its whole series asking the question “Who Will Sit The Iron Throne” With the final answer being “Actually, no one” after slogging through multiple series which did not live up to the quality of the first. Mass Effect answers its dramatic question of “Can Shepard Unite The Galaxy Against The Reapers” satisfactorily following sixty hours of excellent content and the colour of the space laser doesn’t actually matter. It just hurts to think that the finale could’ve been so much grander and more interesting. I would recommend the games, the disappointment of the finale doesn’t even come close to outweighing the grandeur that is the rest of the experience of Mass Effect 3, let alone the whole series.

There are only a few pieces of content I had not encountered prior to this Legendary edition playthrough. The Mass Effect DLC Bring Down The Sky is fun in that it adds an interesting combat experience with incredible stakes and immerses you in a stellar scale event, but the experience is very short. As part of the legendary edition I recommend it but having to pay extra for it at its time of launch I would have found it disappointing. Mass Effect 2s Overlord DLC is very good, introducing fun combat encounters, an opportunity to operate the fairly fun Hammerhead vehicle (even if it doesn’t live up to the Glory of the Mako) and explore a nice open environment with a truly haunting ending which is a kind of non-choice but it is gratifying to make that choice anyway. Additionally the visuals in the final station when interacting with the VI elements are very nice. The Arrival DLC is also quite fun, with a pseudo stealth section to open it, something which I believe occurs nowhere else in the series. The general element of operating solo is quite novel for mass effect as I believe outside of this moment, the opening of the Citadel DLC and the final moments of Mass Effect 3 there is no point where you fight alone. The indoctrinated nature of the project team does not come as a shock but regardless the dlc is enjoyable as a combat experience and the scale of destruction shown necessary to even slightly inconvenience the reapers lends a lot to the scale of their threat. I do not believe I played any DLCs in Mass Effect 3 before, insofar as I did not consider From Ashes DLC content as it was already on the disk and all buying the day one dlc did was activate it. Leviathan is very interesting from a lore perspective and does interesting things with its investigative process but I find it to be a relatively passive and uninteresting experience for the most part. Omega was more my style with a lot of good combat and interesting new enemies and a bit of bombast besides but still left me largely unmoved. Citadel was excellent but mostly for its “endgame” content rather than its story content. Despite featuring many hilarious moments throughout the actual plot it failed to interest me but I was definitely there for all of the fun character moments and the party is absolutely hilarious.

Ultimately a hearty recommendation but with tempered expectations for the finale.

Deaths Door (True Ending, 13.7 hours):

A Delight. Deaths Door is a charming little game about a bird that stabs things and I love it. It is incredibly impressive that this was made by a team composed of two people. The gameplay is fun in all regards. Navigation is a good time especially when all of the environments are lovely and full of personality. Obstacles come mainly in the form of puzzles and these are at a sweet spot between ease and frustration without being at all complex. Combat could’ve used a bit more work, primarily to create more meaningful distinctions between weapons or add a little depth, but it is still engaging and good fun. While the main bosses are challenging and satisfying to defeat, I worry over the side bosses; perhaps something could’ve been done to make them more distinct from one another? But a small gripe. I like the world, the aforementioned environments are well realised, the general aesthetic is artful and distinct and the story is good if slightly sparse. One notable element is the dialogue which is very good with a quick wit. The finale of the main game has the right amount of spectacle and weight while the endgame is cool and fantastical, with an ample supply of secrets and collectibles to find. Over all the music is incredible, soundtrack full of absolute bangers. I really enjoyed completing this game and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s into action adventure and souls-like games.

The Bad Batch (season 1):

This was Allright. To open I cannot overstate how good the animation and art of this series is. It is routinely beautiful and well-choreographed. Visually there are no complaints. The problems begin with the opening episode which I feel overpromised on a relatively dark take on the Star Wars universe by immediately dropping us into an Order 66 plot full of death, danger, brainwashing and the threat of an emergent empire. Now granted this series never explicitly promises that all of this would continue but I enjoyed these elements of the first episode and I was dissatisfied by their limited usage throughout the rest of the show. This is not to say I disliked the show, I did enjoy the characters who are all good fun, and most of the plots were good. This series I felt had a lot of filler episodes, which I’d simply describe as episodes I enjoyed less due to underwhelming plot or conflict, but they were still enjoyable despite what id perceive as a lesser quality. The show also “suffers” from what I’d called Star Wars Syndrome of Filonitis which is how Everything Must Be Interconnected, with regular cameos from extended universe characters which I feel is beginning to get a bit much. These features feel to me more often like nostalgia grabs rather than organically featuring a character in service of the plot and development. For example, I appreciate the Captain Rex feature as that served to highlight the inhibitor chip problem and drive the characters to seek a solution, however I appreciated Rafa and Trace’s feature less both because I’m less attached to those characters (especially Rafa) but also because the episode didn’t serve any particular purpose or create any particular set piece which couldn’t have been achieved without those characters. This is a similar issue I have with The Mandalorian, I adored season one as it was relatively self-contained and only featured vague or subtler references to the wider canon: to contrast season two is full of cameos from the wider universe sometimes for no reason other than to have a cameo when those roles could easily have been filled with new and creative content which doesn’t rely upon nostalgia to make something interesting. Ultimately Bad Batch is worth watching for the characters and the good episodes, it is fun and entertaining, it just has its issues.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: The Phantom Blood:

Its uh, its not good. Now that’s a very broad statement, as to assess this show critically at all is to take it far more seriously than you should, but to be more even handed the show certainly has a bunch of fun elements. Only from a story perspective, there isn’t really that much there; and from a pacing perspective it needs to be seen to be believed. I’m certain that if you condensed the show down to a reasonable size for the amount of content it has, you’d probably have a movie with a two-hour runtime at most which would be quite enjoyable but on a whole this first part wastes about 80% of its time on overlong drawn-out internal monologues and the dilated timeframes of the show’s fights. It also has an annoying habit of overemphasizing the weight of a moment or the genius of a characters unexpected action usually with no less than three people commenting on any slight manoeuvre which ruins the pacing beyond belief. Now I understand this is a staple of the Jojo series, only part 1 handles it very poorly in comparison to later parts. The fighting is especially hindered by this as most actual combat usually involves only four or five punches but they tend to take twenty minutes getting to each one. Additionally, Johnathan Joestar is pretty boring as a character with no notable qualities aside from being good both morally and at fighting. The intrigue of the stone mask is cool but this part deals in that very little. Like I say though, Part 1 is still fun to watch if you can disengage your brain and admire the potent meme quality of the series. It is not “good” from a critical perspective but it is incredibly amusing and the campness gives it a degree of charm. If you just want to watch a bunch of beefy men shout at each other and perform magic punches this is a good time. Speedwagon, despite being the worst offender of the “Explain Everything Twice and Ruin the Pacing” category, is still entertaining for the awful accent and endearing character. He’s also definitely in love with Johnathan and I will not be taking questions on that. Baron Zeppeli has a cool hat. Theres a lot of fun to be had as the show embraces the weirdness of everything that’s going on. So, check it out, it might just be a So-Bad-Its-Good Masterpiece.

300 (film):

This film was not so great in my eyes. I think there was one particular shot of the landscapes around Sparta which I felt was visually cool but everything else about the film lacked quality for me, barring practical effects which have aged significantly better than the graphical effects. The visuals are largely uninspiring, the washed-out colour pallet doesn’t help. Perhaps the dialogue was amusing at release but for me it’s all been memed to death. I can’t say any of the performances are particularly compelling, nice to see Magneto and Faramir though. The action could’ve been good and there are certainly moments where it has impact, but the constant application of slow motion I feel reduces the sense of power that should be there, like watching people fight on the moon. Ultimately, I can’t stomach it for two primary reasons: Historical inaccuracy and Racism, which feed into each other. The values of the Spartans do not accurately reflect ideas that historical Spartans held to and I must ask why? Historical accuracy is the default state, so to usurp those ideas in favour of others means the author of the graphic novel Frank Miller and director Zach Snyder replaced those ideas with purpose, in order to make the film more appealing to a mass audience or to express their own ideas perhaps? And the values they chose for the Spartans were freedom, justice and democracy which were things the slaving and monarchical Spartans did not believe in at least in the modern sense. This reeks of an imposition of the propagandised values of western nations on a historical society. This in itself would not be so much of an issue without the demonisation and perversion of the Achaemenid empire and the peoples therein. To establish the primary conflict as one of Civilised white westerners against barbarous non-white easterners, when historically the conflict was between two nations of a broadly similar heritage both possessing facets of good and evil, in the early 2000s? It feels as though some reactionary interpretations of the War on Terror have simply been recreated here with classical history as window dressing. Add to that reactionary attachment to the battle of Thermopylae as a representation of the western world’s struggle against the eastern world, in addition to other more problematic interpretations, and this film plays straight into extreme right-wing ideas of race. Cannot recommend, there’s a lot more better things you could be watching.

18/08/2021: Darth Vader (2015) comic (incl. Vader Down event):

This was really cool. The first comic I’ve ever actually read so I don’t have much frame of reference but I certainly enjoyed this. It was compelling, I’ve blitzed through this whole run in a single day. I think it serves a valuable purpose of demonstrating Vader’s potential and development between Episodes IV and V, as well as the nature of internal conflicts within the Empire. A side note, it is amusing that Palpatine identifies infighting as a factor in the fall of the Sith Empire and yet encourages it for his own political purposes anyway. I felt that the art and style was very good and fit well with the Star Wars aesthetic, though I couldn’t say if it is truly excellent or just standard: it certainly wasn’t bad, though I think a few designs such as Dr Aphra’s ship were hard to read as it were. Speaking of, I think characters new and old were well portrayed. The titular Vader is unmistakably the same character as appears in the classic trilogy, similarly for Han, Luke and Leia etc. And it was a pleasure to see Chewbacca absolutely destroy someone. The aforementioned Aphra I thought was fine but she lacks distinction to my mind, the real star was Triple Zero and by extension Beetee who I thought were excellent comic relief in addition to being a genuine threat, something I can’t necessarily say I felt with regard to the antagonists. This latter part doesn’t matter overmuch, I think the purpose of these antagonists was more to present Vader with pressure to fulfil his personal goals rather than actually oppose him and they work well in that regard, but are unmemorable beyond their basic attributes. What I think this comic does particularly well is create a kind of puzzle narrative and its almost thrilling at moments when Vader’s plots might be discovered. As a result of this I am looking forward to reading more comics in future.

The Suicide Squad (2021): Highly enjoyable! A big step up for the suicide squad as a franchise and a lot more fun, playing into a brighter and more humorous genre than its predecessor to good effect; This time with good editing, soundtrack, direction… well good everything in comparison. I enjoyed all of the characters and their acting particularly the rivalry between Peacemaker and Bloodsport and Margot Robbie is still fantastic as Harley. They all pale before King however, who is endearing beyond belief and a lot of fun to boot. The “villain” if that term is applicable is very interesting and actually threatening, no mere beam of light into the sky! And the willingness to engage in more mature elements such as gore and character morality is of immense benefit, serving to distinguish it from generally more childish superhero media and reach towards more interesting themes around colonisation, foreign intervention, America and such. Only a reach towards however as I don’t think it ultimately says anything beyond “This thing, kinda bad and dumb”. As I saw noted, it observes the theme but doesn’t comment on it which is a shame as that would bring it all together quite neatly. I feel it can drag a little at times and sometimes the dialogue and specifically its humour don’t hit right but the rest is of such quality that it hardly matters. It looks good, sounds good and offers a chance to engage in a little mindless and bloody violence. I hope Harley keeps the javelin.

27/08/2021: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency: TW: Mention of Nazism, Discussion of Sexism

This is MUCH better. Part 2 covers most of the problems I had with Part 1. The Monologues are less egregious so the pacing is much improved; the lore is fully integrated into the story and creates a genuinely good narrative and Joseph is a much more compelling and interesting protagonist with a quirky and entertaining personality. The Pillar Men are excellent villains and the fights are fully engaging. Even when you know that Joseph will pull out a “And next you’ll say” twist at the end of a losing fight it’s still surprising simply by dint of the strange and wacky solutions he creates. And these adventures are even more bizarre, playing into the weird camp of the series which works so well. All in all, the quality is excellent here HOWEVER there are some highly problematic elements. The show being set in the 1930s is a neat part of the travelling through time factor of the series but when you’re globetrotting around Europe you need some solution to the problem of Nazis popping up everywhere and this show does not provide one, and fails so drastically to offer even a slightly critical perspective on the fascist characters. The noble sacrifice of Von Stroheim and his later resurrection and heroism serve to idolise a Patriotic German Nazi Officer, which is not good, and this unchallenged perspective on an Actual Nazi is troubling especially when the character himself is an unrepentant mass murderer. Additionally, the show has a horrible attitude towards women, who exist almost exclusively for sex appeal and romantic interest in this show. Lisa Lisa does demonstrate ability and character but when presented with genuine combat is relegated first as a bit of eye candy during the fight with Esidesi (notably eye candy for Her Own Son) and later as a Damsel in Distress during her fight with Kars. Women are frequently used as objects in this part; Caesar Zeppeli uses women as props by controlling them with his Hamon powers and Suzi Q exists only to be rescued from Esidesi and then to be romanced by Jojo. It’s pretty ridiculous to be honest. I am informed that this improves over the course of the series but as for this part in particular it is a lot of fun just so long as you can ignore some incredibly troubling portrayals.

13/09/2021: Rick and Morty Season 4:

There is ultimately not much to say as Season 4 is simply more Rick and Morty and operates as such. It is good, even very good. It’s still very funny. Its voice acting is still the pinnacle of such work. It is still smart and has a lot of interesting ideas, only not to the extent of the copypasta fan boys. Its sci-fi universe is cool and its design and aesthetic are still excellent. I feel the show has passed a threshold however as there’s only so much time you can spend on the “dysfunctional family is dysfunctional theme”. I hope season 5 proves me wrong once I get to it, but season 4 is fun and I’d recommend it all the same, it’s just more Rick and Morty and I think that’s enough.

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings: Spectacular! Very easily amongst the best if not The Best Superhero Movie (aside from Into the Spiderverse). To begin with complaints as they are limited, the colour grading was a bit dark in a couple of the fight scenes and in some moments of the climactic fight the CG effects are a little Too Much and distract from the central action of Shang-Chi, Xialing and a Dragon owning the shit out of a multiversal super spectre, which incidentally is fucking epic. Additionally, the standard MCU comic relief dialogue is a little meh at times but what’s new there? They still need to get a handle on that, especially because this film was really strong when it was serious. As much as I love Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, he was just a tad much here. Aside from a few moments of weak dialogue however the rest of the film is excellent. Acting is good, effects are good, the film is quite beautiful primarily once Ta Lo is reached and the score is bangin. I appreciate most of all the fight sequences which to me look well-choreographed with interesting arenas which were always appropriate to demonstrate the characters abilities; the sequences serve to develop character and plot at key moments also. The way the camera is handled during the fights is also a big step up, with wide perspective and long shots rather than the snappy close shots of old which serve to really show off that choreography and don’t muddy your understanding of the flow of combat. There is a good thematic line throughout the film of reconciling the bad and the good of your familial and personal history, to understand yourself better and channel that into developing and achieving your ambitions and I adore how that ties in with Shang-Chi and Wenwu’s final confrontation due to the nature and treatment of the Ten Rings themselves. They are a very interesting fantastical element especially once Shang-Chi acquires them and the way that he utilises them create a very cool combat style I can’t wait to see more of, even considering that their full potential is yet to be unlocked. I additionally approve of how they have been differentiated from their comic counterparts which to my understanding are just slightly weaker infinity stones; thus, a one-to-one reproduction would’ve been a boring mistake to make. It’s a fantastic film, go see it.

26/09/2021: Sable (20 hours, 99% complete) Sable has the makings of an absolutely fantastic game, it just has a few hiccups and hurdles to deal with. Thankfully most can probably be dealt with by patch as there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the game; but a game should never be released in a state where it needs a patch to function normally. This game is incredibly buggy. Probably one of the buggiest games I’ve ever played at launch, and I preordered Skyrim. Most of my complaints are with the menus, which simply do not work properly sometimes, but there are other documented issues with collision detection and weird bike movement among others including one annoying persistent issue with the soundtrack being replaced by random ‘bong’ noises. For these reasons I cannot recommend the game Right Now until it is patched or if it is on a significant sale. However, once the bugs are fixed this game will be a stunning achievement. The story is good and leads to powerful emotional moments, aided along by an excellent atmospheric soundtrack and beautiful visuals. The style and colour give this game an exceptional look, though diminished by a fairly rapid day/night cycle. I understand that this creates a visual contrast to make the daytime feel more vibrant and impressive, but I would also hold the sun still in the sky if that were an option. The world is well built, with interesting lore and cool design work. Varied environments show off a range of colourful landscape all with their own distinct atmospheres and landmarks which are good both for navigation and exploration, this being the bulk of the game. Exploring these environments is satisfying for curiosities sake but also offers collectible Chums that I adore and an intriguing backstory and world history to consider. Riding a hoverbike is cool and fun, and the customisability is nice though I would take issue with the “balancing” of bike parts as the best bike can be acquired only a few hours in and must be bought, where bike parts earned through long quest chains pale in comparison. This annoys me as I believe players should be rewarded more for great deeds than for acquiring currency, besides which the quest bikes look cooler. This is of little importance however as the game is a very casual and chill experience, keeping an excellent balance where it is not strictly challenging but does maintain your focus and attention. This world is full of strangeness and a little sci-fi magic; though I would argue it could use more of this I think that would threaten to overwhelm the player when even this world’s most mundane elements are still stunningly cool. I think a thick coat of bugs covers what is ultimately a magnificent game with many cool things to explore and even marred by its worst features I still had a great time playing it.

27/09/2021: The Matrix

Brilliant. A very cerebral action movie which definitely earns its place as an iconic work of cinema and its clear to see why its influence is so widespread. Fantastic action with a clear and open perspective which utilises the interesting and dynamic cinematography that runs throughout the movie. I particularly enjoy how over the top the fights are in terms of environmental destruction and gestures as a whole, with a great deal of emphasis added by practical effects which I enjoy. Cool characters, good dialogue and excellent performances across the cast. And, an interesting world well-built and designed. The robots particularly are quite intimidating and I like their arthropodal form. All of the design works well to create the feeling of a greasy industrial post apocalypse which contrasts sharply with the boring homogenous simulation, the latter having its own value as a setting due to its familiarity which would’ve been especially prevalent when this film first released. I love the soundtrack, especially the final feature of Rage, but most of all I love how deeply you can read into this film and its meaning. Having watched many videos about it I was primed on the trans allegory going in and it is very clearly a present part of the narrative before even considering the context around the Wachowski sisters and their own experience. It is a very interesting part of the story and plays well into other themes built around deconstructing the illusions pressed on us by our society, drawing strong parallels between the struggles of living as a trans person and fighting against an imperialist capitalist society. It is worth watching for any of its constituent parts but together they form a magnificent work of art.

28/09/2021: Star Wars: Visions

The series is a bit of a mixed bag. It definitely overpromises with its first episode which is of a remarkably distinct style, is incredibly cool and has great wacky moments in addition to tasteful call-backs to the wider Star Wars canon. I love the umbrella sabre, it’s a fantastic idea and there needs to be more of them. From there a few episodes are fantastic, The Elder and the final episode, and id rank the Ninth jedi just below them, but the rest of the series is definitely not to my taste. The wide variety of styles on show are all fantastic and the animation is universally very good, just some of the plots are more childish than I would appreciate and the rest are simply not engaging for me to the point that despite a great deal of spectacle occurring I would often be distracted. It’s worth a look if you’re into animation and unique takes on star wars but I find generally lacking.

Django Unchained (2nd Watch) TW: Discussion of Racism and Slavery

Red Flag: Tarantino Movie is good. Very good. Stellar performances from Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Leo Di Caprio, Christoph Waltz and everyone else in the movie to be frank; a special note for the trivia about Leo Di Caprio’s cut up hand during the dining room scene, a lot of respect for a man who can keep working through that kind of injury. We can go through a Tarantino Checklist say the film is well shot with beautiful environments; has excellent and witty dialogue with good attention to detail and mannerism; and finally has great and gory action which does not flinch from terrible injury and really appeals to a perverse bloodlust that seems to crop up from time to time in normal people. Strangely enough however, I could not recall if Tarantino indulges in his predilection for feet here. This film does indulge in Tarantino’s other predilection however and that’s the N-word, but here I respect it. Unlike his non-period works, the use of the N-word is a facet of slavery just as chains, whips and plantations are and slavery is the subject of this film which seeks to be historically authentic. If anything, the absence of the N-word would be very wrong in this case despite being the project of a white man as without it the film would lack the context of a key form of oppression that still exists today. I think Django does an excellent job documenting and commenting on the institution as it existed in the pre-war period. Django experiences every level of status a black person would encounter in this setting: first a slave, then a freedman, a black slaver and finally a Liberator and the final message of the film is that slavery deserved to be destroyed and any argument made for its return is horseshit which is kind of a “Duh” statement but with the state of modern politics and the state of education in the US it’s something that needs reiterating. You can interpret this beyond the bounds of slavery itself in addition, by arguing that there are existing powers in this world which seek to discriminate based on skin colour amongst other factors and create oppressed minorities for the benefit of a wealthy few with power and should the systems that create this environment be completely destroyed it would be cause for celebration. Beyond this I particularly enjoyed the historical authenticity of the environments, of the very varied biomes of the wilder parts of the US at the time, and the contemporary outfits especially King Schultz’ coat which I desire more than any item of clothing I’ve ever seen. The film is good at building suspense both in the moment to moment and through longer story arcs, particularly the second act, but I do feel like the 2nd act lulls a little, perhaps spends slightly too long reaching its climax. This is a great spectacle of a film which looks and sounds fantastic, puts excellent performances on show, tells a great story and has quite a bit of meaning bundled into it.

29/09/2021: The Road to El Dorado (Unfinished)

Despite not finishing it I think this film is actually really good. It certainly has a few elements which don’t fully gel with me but I enjoyed my time with it; I only felt like I should really be doing something else and that I wasn’t fully engaged with it, potentially as I’m not keen on cons and high stakes acting as it feels like a form of vicarious embarrassment for me which makes me immensely uncomfortable. Personal hindrances aside most everything about this film is excellent, I loved the animation and the very colourful world. The characters were fun, the voice acting good, the constant horniness was a great bonus also. I take issue with the music, much as it’s not my right to criticise Elton John, I feel it would’ve been better fully incorporated into the film. I enjoy animated musicals more when said music is diegetic and I think them beginning to employ non-diegetic music is part of what led to their downfall, outside of market saturation. Additionally, I was not a fan of The Trail we Blaze, just not a song that worked for me. I also appreciate the integration of 3d and 2d animation here as I felt the styles were reconciled better here than in most movies, especially for the time. I might take issue with what seems to be a plot about two Spanish men of the colonial age coming to central America and “enlightening” its people through humanitarian acts and music as that would reflect some troubling attitudes but I hold out hope that by the end of the film they decide to come clean about the lie, return the gold and help defend El Dorado from Cortez and his troops. Its enjoyable, I don’t feel drawn to finishing it though.

30/09/2021: Hunters Moon, Ghost

Here’s a new one, music reviews. This single is pretty good I enjoy it a lot. Opens slow and gentle and rapidly builds into some strong rock with a very 80s feel which scans with Ghosts whole historical rock and metal style they’ve always employed but have gone in extra hard on since Prequelle. The lead riff the track opens on is really nice and I would love to have seen it explored further, but the heavier style that ramps up progressively as the song continues is still great climaxing on the 9/4 post chorus riff which goes hard as fuck and I love that bit especially. It feels like it would be spectacular to witness it live. The bridge is a moment I’m not so keen on, the initial bass work is a little bare bone and overly repetitive but it definitely picks up once the guitar and vocals come in, even if just for the final moments. The final chorus leads into a good finale though I think it’ll serve better on an album version with a transition into another track, as I usually prefer to be fair. Technically I enjoy all of the different sounds and effects employed on all the instruments, especially in that leading riff, all of which are played well with good time. The vocals are great as usual. It’s a great track, I feel it was maybe a little short and could’ve explored some of its musical ideas or given them a bit more time to breathe; perhaps less time could have been given to overrepresented elements like the bridge and given over to work more into the very atmospheric leading riff but this is still a hard and heavy rock track and I enjoy it greatly.

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8bitsupervillain · 3 years

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End of the Year pt. 3

Games of the year for 2020!

Ghostrunner. I mentioned it before but I only heard about this game because of some post calling attention to it when Cyberpunk got delayed. If it weren't for that bit of serendipity I think this game probably would've just flown past my radar (like so many others). The general gameplay is phenomenal, the movement and combat feels exceptional. Wall running and slicing through generic mooks is an utter joy to do, and when the game gives you the grappling hook the sheer joy of the game skyrockets. Some of the options the game gives you for actions outside combat are kind of a dud, and when it introduces giant enemy robots the game takes a bit of a nosedive. But by and large the game is well worth playing.

Crusader Kings III. I don't really mess around with the 4X games, I don't have the patience to wrap my head around what they want me to do. But I found myself really enjoying this, I like trying to use the political aspect to destroy other factions. It's a really fun mess around game, even if I do usually make disastrous choices that results in my entire lineage being assassinated.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise. First things first, this game is absolutely terrible to play. It is constantly falling apart, and if you play it for longer than two to three hours at a time it will just start dying. The framerate almost never hits a consistent thirty and dips frequently, and if you put the Switch in rest mode without closing the game it will horribly desync every single cutscene until you close the game. That said I can't help but love this game, but that is almost entirely because of the story in the game. This is without a doubt one of the best written games to come out last year, and is a deeply enthralling narrative. It also provides some small nods to D4 which I appreciated since that game will never get finished. If you like the first Deadly Premonition you'll most likely enjoy what DP2 does, just be aware that it will be a deeply flawed experience actually playing the game. I really wouldn't blame anyone who just watched the story bits on the internet instead of actually playing the game. This was my fourth most played game on the switch last year apparently.

Helltaker. I liked the puzzles, and the designs for the demons. Pandemonica is the best girl.

Resident Evil 3 Remake. I played this game to completion eleven times. I have hundred percented it on two different systems. If you're one of those who thinks every game has to be a minimum of twelve hours to get the value out of your games you'll probably hate this. I love it because I love trying to get my runs in this game below one hour. The game is noticeably shorter than Resident Evil 2 remake, and has a lot less to offer, but I still love this game. I find the gameplay to be immensely satisfying even if I find it to be a bit of a slog playing it on the hardest difficulties.

Granblue Fantasy Versus. It's fun. I really wish the online was livelier than it is, but that's just how it goes sometimes I guess. It has one of the best rosters of characters of any fighting game I've played, and is very gratifying to play. I like the pseudo beat em up mode that it offers even if it is sort of basic. This might sound really lame but really I just like the fact that there's an actual game of Granblue to play. Even if it is a mostly dead fighting game.

Spelunky 2. I really didn't know how they were going to make a sequel to Spelunky. How do you improve on a game that is fundamentally perfect? Turns out you just crank the difficulty up past any reasonable expectation and include multiple new and inventive ways to ensure your players death. Even if some of the backpacks are provably weaker than the jetpack I appreciate the game offering the power pack that makes your bombs bigger and gives you a fire whip even if it does nothing else. I also really like the branching paths they give you, so you're not just running the same four environments over and over. Now you can choose two different paths so you can run at bare minimum EIGHT environs repeatedly. The metal shield is a godsend when you decide to engage in a life of crime because of how the bullets just bounce off it taking care of violent shopkeepers. I love this game even if I hate it so much.

Final Fantasy VII Remake. I really didn't expect this game to be as great as it was. I went in with relatively low expectations but came away absolutely in love with everything that it had to offer me storywise. This really just snuck up on me as being one of the absolute games I had played this year. The four characters that make up the party are some of the best written and were utterly delightful. Most of the other characters are similarly well-written taking some of the extremely minor characters from the original FF7 and making them stand out as great characters. No more is this well exemplified than with the villains of the Shinra Electric Company. Every single one of them are great in how loathsome they are (except for maybe Palmer, but that's only because he only shows up like once in the entire game, and Reeve because he isn't hateful, but he is written really well). This game ends perhaps the absolute strongest I have ever seen a game end, as soon as those credits hit I knew I was in this for the long haul. I love every single remix and new versions of the songs from FF7, they are an absolute delight and I cannot wait to hear what the new versions of some of the stuff from later in the original will sound like. There are a couple of lame duck moments in terms of gameplay, but for the most part this was a really solid game throughout and I can't wait for 7-2 and so on.

Nioh 2. Love it! I positively love the combat in this game, it is one of the most satisfying games I played all last year. The difficulty I feel ramps up especially well, and never really comes across as spiteful or going to far with the jumps in difficulty. I like how the game is both a prequel and sequel to the original Nioh with the bulk of the action taking place prior to Bill Nioh's wild Japan Adventure. I adore the non-human enemies in this game especially some of the wilder ones they introduce in the late game. If you liked the first Nioh you'll definitely enjoy Nioh 2. I wonder if they're going to do a Nioh 3, or move on to a different type of action game from here? A new Ninja Gaiden would be cool, especially since the DLC in Nioh 1 had a reference to the Hayabusa clan, and Nioh 2 has some moves from Ninja Gaiden. I love the new weapons they added to this, the switch-glaive and the claws they added in the second DLC are just lovely weapons to use.

Doom Eternal. I adore this game so much. It is just positively thrilling to play from beginning to end, this is game is positively brutal to play through and I LOVE it to pieces. I've played through the campaign three times, twice on console, and when I got a computer that could handle it I played through the campaign and the DLC that's available there (I also bought it twice on PC because I mistakenly bought the Bethesda launcher version). The gameplay is unbelievably solid throughout the entire campaign, add in to that the sheer delight that is running through levels with cheat codes and this game stands as the best example of games this year. When I thought the game couldn't possibly get any harder the game then entices you to play the remixed levels that change enemy placements and in multiple cases replaces them with some of the end-game enemies that will positively destroy you. Then there's the DLC: The Ancient Gods part 1, which at the time when it came out I hadn't played Doom Eternal in a couple of months so I was a bit rusty so the game made sure to punish me for that. It is absolutely brutal and assumes you just recently finished the campaign because it starts at the level of the last level of the game and gets harder from there. The combat across the base game and the DLC is honestly among some of the best I have ever played.

#end of the year #doom eternal #spelunky 2 #final fantasy vii remake #nioh 2 #ghostrunner #crusader kings 3 #granblue fantasy versus #helltaker #resident evil 3 remake #deadly premonition 2

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squinoas · 4 years

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Final Fantasy VII: Remake is both a blessing and a curse, to newcomers and series veterans alike - a (kinda) in-depth review of Final Fantasy VII: Remake.

Final Fantasy VII: Remake is both a blessing and a curse, to newcomers and series veterans alike.

As the latter, and someone who has played and enjoyed (and watched, in the case of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children), most of the compilation that followed the original, I feel confident in saying this game is a worthy remake of the standout hit that put Final Fantasy on the radar of the Western audience. The blessing is an imaginative and fleshed out retelling of a fraction of an original thirty-hour story – stretching it out and giving backstory to returning characters, while introducing some fresh (and welcome) faces along the way. The Midgar section in the beginning of the original Final Fantasy VII clocks in at around 3-4 hours of a player’s overall journey.

Not this time.

But is that also the aforementioned curse of this game? That those players who have enjoyed the original many, many times know of what it still to come? Throughout my play through of the game this felt like it was going to be its main detractor, when actually the ending completely throws this into the air.

Only time will tell if this is a good decision that will pay off, or if it will backfire. Nevetheless, I’m optimistic that the best is yet to come.

How long will we have to wait for more? That’s anyone’s guess at this point, especially with the Coronavirus situation. Safety comes first, and any delays to the second and third parts of this episodic epic (and I hope it continues to be epic) will be understandable – and hopefully, much like this first part, well worth the wait.

GAMEPLAY (COMBAT, MATERIA, WEAPONS)

Much furore has been made about the series ditching a turn-based system – one still employed by Dragon Quest (another Square-Enix property, and the most recent instalment, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, one of, if not my favourite, recent JRPGs).

Final Fantasy now employs an action-based model, more akin to another property, Kingdom Hearts.

Sometimes erratic and frenzied in 2016’s Final Fantasy XV, I’m happy to say that Square-Enix appeared to fine tune most of the aspects I disliked about that game’s playstyle and the result is Final Fantasy VII: Remake’s fun gameplay.

Keeping the ATB gauge involved was a good move, and gave the game a familiarity. The oscillating difficulties mean that there is a playstyle for everyone to find. I managed the entire game on normal mode (even my first time fighting the Whispers), until the Sephiroth boss battle. I have my own narrative issues with us fighting Sephiroth in the first part of this game anyway, but the difficulty spike in this battle on Normal mode felt unreal. I’d managed the slog that was the Hell House boss battle, and the annoyance of the escape from Shinra section, including that boss battle, but this was another level, and the only boss I had to change to easy mode for (which meant redoing the Whispers fight on that mode too).

On the other hand, there were bosses where, understanding their attack patterns and developing a strategy meant that winning the fight felt genuinely rewarding, as opposed to just time and energy-draining. An example of this was the Ghoul fought in the Train Graveyard – a new inclusion, and a whole strand of story that I enjoyed immensely. That battle really made use of switching between party members – Cloud and Tifa taking the lead in physical attacks and Aerith using her magic whenever necessary.

Materia has been updated, but not massively. Rather than a huge overhaul of the system, it still works largely how it did before. It’s been adapted for an action-JRPG but still comes down to strategy. However, an option to change materia mid-fight might have been prudent, considering the variety of enemy weaknesses. I found myself having to restart more than one fight because a batch of enemy scrolled through at least three different weaknesses and I was never adequately prepared for them at first. But at least restarting these fights was easy and hassle-free.

I liked the additions of new materia; such as Synergy which is another way to control what your other party members do in a fight, and the Magnify materia which works like the All materia of the original game. It made finding new materia fun and fresh, and meant I was constantly changing up my strategies to see what worked best.

The weapons system has been changed significantly, however. The upgrade screen looks stylistically like the crystarium from Final Fantasy XIII and the Historia Crux from Final Fantasy XIII-2. Therefore, it looks interesting, but is actually kind of boring when it comes to upgrading weapons. I ended up letting the computer upgrade my weapons with the balanced option, and this was a cool feature for people like me who found the task of upgrading tedious; especially when having to click out of each character’s weapons to only click into another one.

But the abilities that came with the weapons and having to develop a proficiency for these abilities was a nice addition. The only time I felt hindered by this was when Barret had to learn an ability on a close combat weapon. I like the fidelity to the original, but at the same time it was a handicap. Of course this is probably my own problem as I could have chosen not to use those weapons, something I may not do in a second playthrough.

Nonetheless, I felt like it encouraged me to play as every party member, and some were just downright cool. Special mention has to go out to Aerith’s Ray of Judgement, and Barret’s Maximum Fury which are so OP it isn’t even funny.

STORY (CHARACTERS, PLOT, ADDITIONS)

The original Final Fantasy VII is well known for the infamous ship wars. Clerith vs Cloti has been the ongoing debate for the past twenty years, and I don’t think this game is going to convince anyone that their side is right or wrong. It’s still left open to interpretation, at least in my opinion, and perhaps this was the best way to keep everyone satisfied. However, the game adds the additional element of having Aerith confirm that she did indeed love Zack Fair, the main protagonist and her love interest in Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. As a ‘Zerith’ and ‘Cloti’ shipper myself, this game gave me plenty of moments to love for both couples. As someone who does have a liking for Clerith and Aerti, it kept me more than fed.

I have to give kudos to those involved with the game that they stayed true to the very canon interpretation that Aerith and Tifa are friends, and always were. True, they both expressed some small mote of jealously in the original game (and, at times, in this one too), but it quickly becomes obvious that they are both strong-willed young women who admire each other greatly. There are great examples of their burgeoning friendship but my favourites have to be kicking the lecherous asses of Don Corneo’s lackeys, and discussing a shopping trip for stuff for the bar.

All in all, the characters are kept true to their original incarnations. If anything, they – as with everything else in this game – are given to breath and work through things organically. They are fleshed out, and given further backstories, motivations and plot. I think this was best done with the doomed member of AVALANCHE, Jessie. She’s given a last name which, to begin with, makes her feel less like an ancillary plot device and more a character in her own right. To add to this, we meet her mother and father; which absolutely tugged at my heartstrings, what with her father’s tragic accident leaving him in a comatose state. We find out Jessie wanted to be an actress and was working at the Gold Saucer (this also works as a nice nod to places we know exist in-universe but will not visit until a later instalment).

Marle, Leslie, Madam M, Andrea Rhodes – every Chocobo Sam – are all fantastic additions, and I hope we see them again. In particular I would love to see Leslie reunited with his lost love in a future game.

Now, in terms of the story, I have played the original inside and out for many years, and always thought I would be against changes made to the story. Throughout most of the game most of these additions are simply changes that just make things more interesting for someone like me who’s played the original before. Towards the end, however, things take a drastic turn, and turn everything we’ve known on its head. As I said before, I have no idea where this is going to go in the next part, and there were some aspects that left me scratching my head.

The main of these being Zack. As far as anyone who has played the original or Crisis Core will know, Zack died in a last stand against the Shinra corps sent after him and Cloud after their break out from Nibelheim. However, the ending raises some interesting questions. At first I thought us defeating the Whispers had rewritten Zack’s fate, but maybe that’s not the case. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see where they take it (one change I did not like was Zack’s voice actor. I know all the English VAs were changed – which I wasn’t a big fan of in the first place – but the new voice actor does not sound good compared to Rick Gomez).

Overall, our characters end the game in more or less the same position as the end of the Midgar section of the original, but after the events of the battles with the Whispers it appears that certain events that would have been due to happen (the original ending with Red XIII, Aerith’s death, etc) may not happen at all – or at least, not in the way we think.

#GUESS WHO FINISHED THE GAME THIS MORNING SUCKAS #this girl #this post contains spoilers so do not go any further if you haven't finished the game #it's not really that in-depth but i was trying something new #it got kinda long tho #and a lot of this was written before i finished the game #if you guys want to know my opinion on anything i've missed out just send me a message #and yes this means the hiatus is OVER #gifs are incoming #everything will be tagged #ffviir spoilers #for at least the next few months #text post

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teaandgames · 5 years

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Revisited - Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)

The best kind of emotional gut punch is the one that you can kind of see coming but desperately wish isn’t going to happen. So, when Ori broke free from the Spirit Tree and was picked up by the kind, motherly Naru, while sweet music played in the background, I could almost see the dagger hanging above the whole scene. Sure enough, the gut was punched and Ori embarked on an adventure of bravery in the face of sadness.

It’s my favourite thing about Ori and the Blind Forest, despite a number of core issues running throughout. It remains dripping in atmosphere generated from the storyline. Even the antagonist, a giant owl named Kuro, gets a suitably depressing backstory to explain why she hunts Ori with a vengeance. While too much sadness can make a game a slog, Ori skirts around it by pushing a message of hope. It has moments of frustration but is held up by a nice story, some great aesthetics and a breathtaking soundtrack.

Ori’s story begins, strangely, with a gust of wind. They are originally attached as a leaf of The Spirit Tree but are carried by the wind, forming into a creature as it touches the ground. You can already guess what happens to the sweet Naru, who cares for Ori. Meanwhile, the Spirit Tree calls out to Ori, sending a blinding light throughout the forest. This enrages Kuro, who steals the light on top of the Spirit Tree, causing the forest to slowly with and die. Ori finds some solace in Sein, a ball of light that guides them and acts as their main weapon.

Once you have Sein on your side, Ori and the Blind Forest opens up into a Metroidvania, albeit a fairly guided one. It usually points out on your map where you need to go and there’s little need to backtrack into areas you’ve already cleared out. It does, however, reward exploration. Hunting off the beaten track has a chance to increase your health, your energy (which is used for saving and strong attacks) or give you experience, in order to level up your existing skills. Whatever you find, it’s usually worth it to poke down every nook and crevice.

Because of all this exploration, there’s a big emphasis on platforming. This is often the make-or-break part of a metroidvania but thankfully Ori and the Blind Forest does rather well. Ori does feel a little floaty at times but the jumping is precise and the skills you get throughout the game make dancing through this dying forest a delight. I did feel like it let me do things I wasn’t supposed to, however. I managed to climb up a spiked wall without the skill that would’ve made it easy, for example. Or I’d land in spikes and just about crawl to where I wanted to be. My ineptitude aside, the stellar jumping lends itself well to big, sweeping levels.

And these levels are bloody gorgeous. When Ori and the Blind Forest came out, it was touted as one of those ‘games are art’ games. I’m always skeptical hearing that, as there’s a danger it becomes a codeword for ‘looks better than it plays’. That’s not the case here but my God does Ori and the Blind Forest look good. The environments are nicely varied and are accompanied by hand-drawn backdrops. Seriously, just look at the screenshots. This is all accompanied by one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard. It gives me goosebumps.

But let’s plug these gushing waters for the moment, as there’s a couple of rough patches at heart of Ori and the Blind Forest. The first surrounds the combat. Its brutally simple for one thing. You hit a button and Sein autotargets the nearest enemies for you. Without any kind of dodge roll, and enemies firing back on the regular, it becomes a simple case of whoever dies first. Combined with a strange lack of enemy variety, with one of the main enemies being a spiky blob, it makes combat more of a chore than anything actually interesting.

This frustrating combat isn’t helped by the manual save system. I dislike these on principle. I feel saving should be something in the background, so there’s no risk of screwing the player over. At times, I would get too into the game and forget to save, which would end up wasting my time later. Of course, you could blame me for that but I feel an autosave would be so much nicer. Putting down a save point costs energy too, so you can’t always do it. You also can’t do it on unstable ground, which hurts during the set escape sequences.

These bits are the best way to sum up Ori and the Blind Forest. Daring escapes from whatever dungeon you’re in, accompanied with great music, and a healthy layer of frustration. Death is only a spike away. For the most part though, it’s good frustration. Healthy, platformer frustration and it is, in a strange way, the part that made me love Ori and the Blind Forest. They were truly exciting and let the tight controls shine, without any of that annoying combat stuff getting in the way.

Then, of course, we have that lovely storyline on top. Everyone gets a nice ending, some nicer than others, but I will spoil one thing about the ending: it’s a happy one. Ori’s is a story of hope and kindness in the face of adversity. Without that, I’m not sure Ori and the Blind Forest would have stuck in my head. Beautiful to see and listen to, not bad to play but with a story that drives right into the heart. Not everyone will have time for it, but if you’re interested then check it out. It’s worth it. Pros -Excellent Graphics -Beautiful soundtrack -Nice, varied landscapes -Tight platforming controls -Good range of skills and upgrades Cons -Awkward combat -Irritating save system -Limited enemy variety Ori and the Blind Forest Developer: Moon Studios Publisher: Microsoft Studios Release Date: March 11 2015 Play it on: Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Played on: Windows

#Ori and the Blind Forest #Moon Studios #Metroidvania #Gaming #Video Games #Tea And Video Games #Article #review #revisited #2015 #Windows #xbox one #Nitnendo Switch

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osmw1 · 5 years

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Dimension Wave Chapter 30 — A Springboard unto Death

“I bite my thumb at thee, Miss Kizuna!” Yamikage shouted out from the deck.

We’re back at sea, as we usually are. The only thing different was that water surrounded us in every direction. There was no land at all to be seen.

“Oh, picking a fight, huh?” “I can take no more squid!” “I understand, but Sheryl, you too must give due respect to our bounty.” “… I’m not wasting food. Just repurposing it.”

The first glance of yet squid again had Yamikage shrieking, while Shouko chastises Sheryl for loading our lunch into the ballista. But there were two others.

“Ahaha, you guys are hilarious!” “Ugh… why did I sign up for this…?”

Tsugumi had a good laugh, but Alto was far less impressed. How did the six of us sailors end up like this? you may ask. Well, let’s go back to about a week ago, to the day after we beat Dimension Wave.

We decided we needed a day off. Actually, it’d probably be more accurate to say that we needed a day to walk to the Second City to research the newly implemented items. By chance, we bumped into Romina and with the warm support from everyone, I had her make me a new weapon out of the parts I got from gutting Cerberus. Romina eyed me with suspicion when I handed the items to her, but she said nothing of it and forged me some proper equipment. I mean, it was only natural that I stood out just a little when I’m the only one with a huge inventory of Cerberus’ parts.

In any case, what she came up with was the Cerberus Slaughterer—an unadorned blade that like nothing but an oddly matte black kitchen knife. A weapon forged from the mats of a boss monster that powerful, it should be accordingly lethal. Well, should… … but I wouldn’t know. I didn’t even have the Energy to equip it. So, away it went into my inventory, biding time until I can wield its potential.

Then, we went shopping to check out the updated weapon types, Stones of Mediations, and other new stuff in the game. Along with a newly purchased reel, I had a beaming smile plastered on my face as Shouko, Yamikage, Sheryl, and I made our way to the Second City. Then, I saw it.

—The lure.

It was glimmering—no, rather, it was glowing. We came across a merchant selling a lure that would glow in the dark. Or better yet, a lure for night fishing. 10,000 serin was its price. As soon as I showed any intent on purchasing it, Shouko immediately tried to stop me. You absolutely cannot buy this, Kizuna. Do not be swindled, she pleaded, but alas, it was to no avail—my wallet would soon be 10,000 serin lighter.

“You are being completely cheated by the merchant! Please, just listen to us!”

I had no regrets. I still have no regrets because, though it unbeknownst to any of us at the time, I definitely did not make a bad decision. At the end of the day, I went to bed and slept soundly, pleased with a peaceful and successful shopping trip.

The next day. After deciding that I should regain my lost Energy, we set off back to our floating home base of a sailing ship. Things were still fine at this point.

“We may not risk thee taking damage, Miss Kizuna. Thou art best to rest in the cabin.”

Maybe I was still tired from all the shopping I did the previous day, I left the deck to the rest of them and went to a nap as suggested. There are two bedrooms in the cabin. But for some reason, I felt a little embarrassed to be the only one sleeping and so, I locked the door before the Sandman visited me.

“Gah! Help!”

A few hours later, I was awoken by the racket outside. I stepped up and out to the deck and immediately understood the situation.

… my fellow party members were engaged in some sort of act of piracy.

To sum up the bizarre turn of events unfolding in front of my very eyes, my sister, Tsugumi†Exceed, was about to be thrown overboard. In the water waiting for their meal were three Blue Sharks. Honestly, it seemed like a slapstick routine more than anything.

“What the hell are you guys doing?!”

I snapped to my senses and shouted at them. Shouko was the first to respond.

“Executing a stowaway!”

All of my attention was on them. Something must’ve happened while I was asleep, but frankly, I really didn’t want to know. I just didn’t have much of a choice but to talk things over with them.

“Come on! Tsumugi’s my sister! What the hell happened?” “Judgement upon stowaways on our vessel!” “You stay quiet!” “… stowaways are shark food.” “I don’t have a clue what you mean.” “Seajacking shall bring demise unto us!” “I told you to stay quiet, Dark Shadow!”

Our arguing brought me nowhere closer to understanding what was going on, but at least I saved Tsugumi for now. I had to coax them out of their frenzy before I could get a good grasp of the situation. Apparently, while I was sleeping, a group of four that were stowed away in the bilge tried to hijack our ship. Our party members engaged the hijackers at the bow and easily rounded them up, as the hijackers didn’t have any naval combat–related skills. —And then.

“Are you for real?!”

That still didn’t explain anything. Then, they told me they were discussing what to do with the hijackers when one of them called out to Shouko.

“Remember how we were allies?”

He tried to fish for sympathy. It seemed like they were the people Shouko used to run with before coming to us. After seeing how well we did in the Dimension Wave, there were snide remarks about how “the likes of us Spirits” must have played dirty. It made Shouko’s blood boil, and so now, the hijackers were being dangled above the water.

“I’ll make sure to spread rumors.”

His last words were befitting of a heroin in a dating sim game. With one down, it leaves three.

“Goodbye to you two, too.” “We’ll kill you in the next Dimension Wave.” “Wh—aaagh!”

They sure can talk a lot of trash. It was a slog to get through what Shouko and the others had to say too, but I had little choice but to listen. Anyway, it turns out that the hijackers found Tsugumi hiding in a barrel, hoping to pop out and startle me.

“What a bunch of tools!” “Yes, they were quite the characters.” “Don’t pretend like you didn’t go crazy either, Shouko.” “Sorry…”

I never woulda thought that she would flipped out like this. Tsugumi then began to explain why she was here.

“I snuck here because you and your party seemed to be having so much fun, big bro…” “What, did you have enough of your permadeath run?” “I muttered that under my breath! You weren’t supposed to hear that!”

Unfortunately for you, I’m not hard of hearing It’d be weirder if I couldn’t hear you since I’m standing right next to you. And it’s not like I have super good hearing either. … not that I know of, at least.

“What’s a permadeath run anyway?” “… it’s a roleplaying thing in VRMMOs.” “Hmm, don’t think I’ve heard of it.”

According to Sheryl, it’s common in virtual worlds where you can’t voluntarily logout, making it kind of like a “if you die in the game, you die in real life” kind of roleplay. The rest of the party would kick you and cut off communication if you die, I assume.

“Wait, I didn’t know they were doing that!”

Well, I’m not about to criticize anyone how they play the game, but I can’t say I’m enamored with the idea. Maybe the frontliners are more dedicated to their role because they play on permadeath rules. Who knows.

“If everybody’s okay with it, maybe we can let Tsugumi into our party.” “But of course.” “We are indebted to your sister for bequeathing us her aid during the Dimension Wave.” “‘kay.” “But I mean, y’all just tried to feed her to the sharks…”

None of them could look me in the eyes. Did you think I’d forget about this? Tsugumi joined our party without an apology from any of them.

True to their words, the hijackers had been spreading false rumors about us back in the cities. Alto caught wind of it, explained the truth, and seemed to have turned the tables back on them. Glad that someone’s got our back.

And those were the events that led to Alto joining us.

contents: /prologue/ /ch001/ /ch002/ /ch003/ /ch004/ /ch005/ /ch006/ /ch007/ /ch008/ /ch009/ /ch010/ /ch011/ /ch012/ /ch013/ /ch014/ /ch015/ /ch016/ /ch017/ /ch018/ /ch019/ /ch020/ /ch021/ /ch022/ /ch023/ /ch024/ /ch025/ /ch026/ /ch027/ /ch028/ /ch029/ /ch030/ /next/

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rexrandomex · 6 years

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It’s Avia’s birthday today! Time for a not so small drabble about Avia looking back on events from the past that helped shape who she. Call it a reflection of oneself now that she’s a year older.

Please keep in mind I haven’t written drabbles and stories for a few years now so I’m kind of rusty to all of this creative writing stuff ;;

Living in Octarian society brought on usual routines for residents living in the underground domes. Those octos living in an army setting were use to the daily routines that had been set before them, never breaking from their daily slog under the fierce eyes of scrutiny. Having lived the majority of her young life under the wing of her mother, a general in the Octarian army, Avia couldn't help shake away the habitual routines of her daily tasks even after she broke off connections.

Her usual mornings started out with a bite of breakfast in the early hours. A couple checks over her gear afterwards and then out of her kettle she would head to scout out the region. While her kettle, an abandoned outpost from the Great Turf War, was situated outside the valley in the middle of nowhere saw no intrusions of threats, Avia still made scouting rounds around her territory just in case. In Octarian society, a second guess was a means of death and assumptions could never be made. Better to make sure for certain than pay dearly for it later. Who knows when rouge Octarians could happen to find her kettle? Attacks on stray Salmonid Tribes who wandered too far inland? Those were threats Avia didn't want to catch her unaware, especially if she couldn't be properly ready.

After her routine checks around her territory were deemed safe, the long tentacles octoling would head into the heart of Inkopolis, the bustling city of squids and other sea folk. There she'd always meet up with her friend Tavian for some round of turf, or if he wasn't about, hang out with some of her other acquaintances.

Today however, she just wanted to seek Tavian out for his company. It was a special day for her, and she was eager to see if her squid friend remembered it's importance. Giving her gear a final check over, Avia slung her Bamboozler over her shoulder and proceeded to jump out of her kettle into the crisp morning air of the new day.

“Of course at this time of day he's still likely be sleeping” Avia murmured, throwing crossed arms over her chest as she surveyed the immediate area of her kettle with fully awake eyes. The dawn in the distance played pink and purple colors across the sky, hints of faint yellow light splashing off the darkened, sleeping night clouds. To an Octarian, an early morning was the equivalent to a late morning, while Inklings considered all types of mornings 'too early”. With a tsk from her lips and her head shaking her tentacles from side to side in laughter, Avia resigned herself to do a bit of scouting before hitting up Inkopolis. Tavian's sleepy head wouldn't be up for another few hours, a good time to kill an hour in double checking her land for just in case intruders. Then she'd hit up Tavian's place whether he was sleeping or not. This wasn't the day to sleep where there was things she wanted to do with him.

“I don't even know how Inklings can sleep in, or stay up so late for that matter...” she pondered as she set off walking the perimeter. Her keen eyes and ears kept sharp watch for sights and sounds that could be amiss, her hand at the ready to pull out her Bamboozler should a threat appear. In her long walk, her thoughts were the only company keeping her occupied that morning. First thought to cross her mind drifted back to her early days of training with the other girls, taking the tests to see if she had what it took to become an elite...

“Halt test!” Step forward soldier!” the rough female voice of an older elite barked through Avia's consciousness. Her gloved hand quickly swept aside a short, ink covered tentacle from her face, the lenses of her goggles equally covered in the same purple ink. Numerous other spots of ink covered her body, whereas the other combatants, girls near her own age or a bit older stood with hardly a drop. Avia's eyes could make out the form of the Elite trainer coming towards her, body posture strict and unhappy. With a grimace, Avia bared her fangs and stood straight at attention, the octoshot in her right hand feeling like a clumsy addition to her body.

“Are you at all being serious about this?” hissed the trainer, eyeing Avia up and down with not so much as changing her expression. The eyes of all the candidates were glued tightly to the scene taking place before them. “Never in my career have a I seen an Octoling flounder so much as you do.tightly You make a MOCKERY of each girl here trying their damnest to impress the heads above you!” the trainer motioned a clawed hand to the rafters above on the scaffold of the training room. Avia could pick out the bodies remaining up there, wincing when she realized the familiar, costumes form of her mother was one of the occupants on the viewing area.

“Your Majesty!” the trainer had taken her attention away from Avia to the costumed woman standing in the top area, issuing a challenge to the woman in a much higher position of authority than she. “With all due regards, I had the assumption you'd send me the best stock of girls to train. I figured your daughter among them would be my top student”.

The female Elite suddenly spun at Avia, grabbing her by the collar of her uniform roughly. Avia cried out as sharp nails dug into her skin as she was abruptly pulled from her standing position, lurching up awkwardly and dragged in front of the Elite.

“What you've sent me is a DISGRACE!” the Elite yelled, her voice reaching a tremendous pitch. Behind her goggles eye’s stared right up at her other, a silent plea to step in and stop the Elite before things got out of hand. Her hearts pounding in her chest, Avia could see that her mother, Angler, kept a deadpanned expression the entire time the Elite raved. “Some future leader of the dome. She can't even hit her targets, she can't even AIM to land a hit. What you have here is a water downed tadpole rather than a lion fish. No matter how many times you've sent her to this test, she's failed it..”

The Elite snapped, a crazed look in her eyes overcoming her as she pulled Avia closer. Avia stared intently back, never letting the facade break for an instant as the two regarded each other. “Today is another to add to that tally” the Elite sneered, tilting her head back as her voice hissed out in perfect tempo “Test. Failed”

A shudder down Avia's back brought her attention back into reality to banish the memory. Back then in the tests, she'd been made a fool in front of her peers and her own mother. A blemish to be pointed out by her trainers time and time again what she lacked. But as she continued to walk her circuit, she held her head high and proud. Those trainers had only fuelled the fire within her, the octoling becoming a stubborn student to tangle with. Avia talked back, questioned the trainers time and time again on their methods, even pointed out flaws in their training regime. She had let her mother down with her numerous failed tests, but the spark had returned to Angler's eyes once she saw the hidden talent of leadership bloom forth from her daughter. A no nonsense girl who'd wouldn't let others push her around, especially those with old grudges intact from eons ago.

In her circuit she stopped by a small creek and took a quick look at the water within, her reflection shimmering back in the streams of gently turning water. A smile bloomed forth on her lips as she regarded her reflection from the watery pools. Not all of her memories from the Valley were bad, in fact, a good handful of her past and recent memories were good ones. She might have failed the elite testings one after the other, but that failure had allowed her to exceed in a little known talent she had. Not able to raise to elite status in ranks, Avia's proficiency continued to develop and soar in scouting. An accidentally discovery by her mother's secondary had proven Avia held a keen awareness to her surroundings, a sharp eye for minute details and a photographic memory that could recall locations without flaw. In time, the long haired octoling rose to become a recon scout, a temporary position in dome's army until she could finally succeed at her testing. Watching her reflection waver in the water, Avia gently pulled the tip to one of her front tentacles as she came to recall what scouting had brought her. Despite failing the tests, becoming a recon scout lead to an encounter with fate...

“Eh? A squid?!” with her back against construction debris, the young Octoling kept from being seen in the shadows cast by the evening light. The sun hung low in the sky, shining it's red and pink rays over everything in it's wake. The closed road of a construction site made a perfect short cut for young Inklings straggling home from late turf games. Once the jelly construction workers went home from their shifts, the site remained completely empty in the evenings and night hours. From what Avia had glimpsed from her few days recon on the surface. Strange then, how the normal pattern broke once an Inkling started to pass through. Never having been caught off guard, this stranger had indeed caught Avia unawares for once, allowing her to scramble and hide in wait to continue her observations.

Avia watched the Inkling's posture as he walked with a roller thrown over his shoulder. He seemed stooped with an air of defeat, his brows furrowed and angled downwards, the frown on his face and ears slightly tilted back to betray his distaste. Angry? No, definitely annoyed, Avia observed as the boy suddenly kicked a stone with his foot.

“Stupid teammates, stupid aerosprays, stupid, stupid!” he cursed, kicking more stones out of his path. Gaining the middle of the site, he stopped to breathe a sign, hanging his head in further defeat. Avia slowly and quietly moved her position closer for a better view of the Inkling, and watched in alarm as he pulled the roller off from his shoulder and slammed the end to the ground with a big “thwack”

“AAAA! I'm so sick of losing!” he yelled with all his heart. The commotion with the roller seemed to have calmed the yellow Inkling a little, and he quickly settled down to a cross-legged position on the ground.

“Interesting...” Avia mused, turning away to hide once again in the shadows to consider her next course of action. It had been drilled in her from a young age that Inklings were no friends of Octarians, a grudge dating back to the time of the Great Turf War. Such enemy here in the living flesh was an opportunity Avia could not simply pass up. If she captured this Inkling and brought him back to the domes she'd be the envy of everyone. Instant elite status, a proud moment in her mother's eyes, and full bragging rights to all the nay-Sayers who'd said she'd amount to nothing. With her mind made up, the long tentacles Octoling lifted her Octoshot into battle ready position and revealed herself from her hiding spot. In three long octo jumps, Avia ambushed the yellow Inkling by striking him down to the ground, the octo shot in her firm hands pointed dangerously at his wide eyed head.

“Don't move so much as a tentacle or I'll ink you!” she ordered, baring the fangs of her beak. Inside her chest swelled with pride. This was all too easy! An Inkling, captured by her own hands! “You're under my possession now Inkling. Do as I say or...”

Avia didn't get a chance to even finish her sentence before the Inkling under her grasp wavered his form to metamorph into a large kraken. A sweep from a huge tentacle crashed into her side, knowing the words right out of her lips. Breathlessly, Avia tried to regain her hold on the prisoner, but no such luck. The Inkling turned kraken had other plans.

“I'd like to see you try with that tiny noob gun of yours” the kraken roared. Changing back into his normal form, the boy reclaimed his roller for defence and took a fighting position. Avia rebalanced herself by taking aim with her octoshot, but neither one made the first move. Each took a long, hard gaze at one another, the Inkling boy's intense yellowed eyes burning with fire, while Avia's glowed under the vision of her goggles. It seemed like moments, minutes, maybe hours as the two stood in the middle of the site without moving a muscle.

Finally like a break in a dam, both parties issued growls and scattered into the gap between. Their cries become formidable as weapons rose to the chance. The roller swung an arc, the octoshot fired a volley...

Both hits landed at exactly the same time. The octo and squid flung fast and far away from one another as they travelled back to their points of entry.

“T-that attack!” disbelief filled Avia's core as her octo form retreated back to the safety of her outpost. How could an Inkling have that much power in one single swing? And a KRAKEN of all things! Rare even among octo society, krakens usually didn't have complete control over their forms until later in life. How could a squid her age have mastered a kraken transformation in a single blink already? This was not the information she'd been taught from her training.

Avia needed more info on Inkling culture. Tomorrow, she'd return and find that Inkling again. If not the day after. She'd not return to the valley until she met that Inkling face to face again.

“Tavian...” she fondly chuckled at the though as she shook her tendrils. He'd come a long way in growth too, both in skills and knowledge thanks to her. Her first friend from the surface who stuck with her through thick and thin. She couldn't imagine what life would be like living without a friend of Tavian's calibre. He brought out the best and her, and she in him. A squid and an octo best friends forever. Probably even friends for life.

“Who'd ever thought I'd fall for the squid I tried to kidnap of all things” she softly laughed, releasing her hand from her tentacle to regard her reflection in the water for a few seconds more today. Her long, unruly tentacles had become more tamed in recent years, growing longer and taking on a personality of their own when they wiggled to betray her motions. In some ways, the reflection staring back looked very similar in form to her mother.

“I'd better get going” she murmured, taking her leave from the water to finish up the last rounds of her perimeter watch. When her kettle returned back into view in the distance Avia easily agreed that her outpost and area were secured from impending threats and malicious individuals. The sun now had risen more into the sky and by now her friend Tavian should be up and awake.

“If I were him, where would I be today” the octoling tapped her lip in thought, mentally bringing up the notes tucked firmly away in her mind. A weekday meant Tavian could be in one of two places; either at the Square to queue up for a game, or about to get ready for a shift in his father's cafe. Judging by the time and the day of the week, Avia could confirm today Tavian had no shift in the cafe and would be heading towards the square. She even went as far to figure out how far along his path he;d travel and the likely area she'd catch him.

With a bounce in her step, Avia flopped into octo form and propelled herself off to the image ingrained perfectly in her mind where she'd find her friend. And like a good scout, she couldn't have hit the point more straight on when the familiar yellow tentacles of Tavian's form hovered into view. With a laugh, the octo directed her form to her target down like a soaring rocket.

“You'd better catch me!” she teased with a laugh, twisting her octo form around and around in the air. A snort came from Tavian as he pivoted on his legs, arms frantically outstretched to catch the show boating octo firmly in his strong grasp.

“How long have we known each other and I STILL don't understand why you have to make weird entrances!” Tavian's lips tried their best not to curl and burst out in a smile as her rolled his eyes. Avia had begun to transform back without so much as waiting for Tavian to put her down. “Octolings!” he exasperated.

“Get use to it because I'm here to stay” Avia teased back, reaching out to playfully pinch his cheek. The gesture couldn't keep Tavian miffed forever and soon his expressions loosened to an amused look. “It's good you're here now” the kraken began “I just got a text from Violet. Your gift was a little late coming, but she's finished all the adjustments....I wanted to know if you'd, uh, wanted to spend your birthday with me testing it out...”

Avia watched as Tavian had trouble issuing his words. Tavian the kraken, always muddling his words when emotions came up. A soft smile crossed her face when Tavian awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and tried to appear cool and collect.

Of all the changes in her life, of the growth, both personal and physical she'd made over her life span of 17 years, Tavian's feelings towards her, and hers to him, was a change she'd never wanted to grow out of.

“Like I'd want to spend my entire birthday playing with fancy new weapons and butting heads with you” she shook her head before scooping her arm between his. “If it's time spent with you, of course. I could think of no better way.”

#OCs Tavian and Avia #splatoon #octoling #splatoon ocs #splatoon oc #octoling oc

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epochxp · 3 years

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The Eastern Front, A Wargamer’s Retrospective

A Soviet Officer leads his troops forward, 1942 | Russia Beyond

A little over 80 years ago, 3.8 million Axis military personnel crashed across the Soviet frontier in a bid to succeed where Napoleon failed. The aim of Operation Barbarossa was simple: crush the Soviet Union by the first snows. Fortunately, this failed and resulted in a titanic struggle along a 1,800-mile front for four years. It only truly ended when the Soviet army raised the red flag over the shattered shell of the Reichstag on May 2nd, 1945. During the conflict, the Soviets lost 27 million people, military and civilian. It was a war without pause or pity on either side as two dictators fought it out in some of the most monumental battles the world has seen. Places like Dubno, Kharkiv, Kursk, Stalingrad, and Berlin have become synonymous with some of the worst fighting of the Second World War.

But as much as the Eastern Front encompassed a pitiless crescendo of violence that also played an unfortunate center stage to atrocity and death, it’s also a hell of a tableau for wargamers who are into World War II. Is there a bit of a moral quandary? There is, and I’d be foolish not to acknowledge it, but I will also say this. The moral thing to do in such cases is to acknowledge it happened and be aware of it in your gaming. Don’t glorify it and honor the victims. But at the same time, don’t be afraid to game it. We can’t learn from history unless we’re willing to work with it, clear-eyed and knowledgeable. I am of Russian-Jewish extraction myself, and yes, I have quite of bit of Eastern Front wargaming paraphernalia.

With that, I have some Eastern Front board games and computer games I recommend. Are they the ENTIRE Eastern front experience? Nope. Like many of the major engagements of the Second World War, the Eastern front has spawned a lot of books and wargames.

Board and Computer Wargames

Board Game Geek

I played the heck out of this game in my twenties, and when I found a copy cheap at a hobby shop auction, I snapped it up like a penguin does mackerel. It’s got all the joys of a Standard Combat Series (SCS) game, and while I admit the 2nd edition is better, I happen to have a weakness for the 1st edition myself. Call it nostalgia. It reflects the limits of the Soviets in 1942 (they had some issues advancing as far and as fast as they did when they launched Operation Uranus) and a competent German player can do a lot better than Von Paulus did. The SCS is awesome as it comes with a standard set of rules that bridges all the games in the series and then game-specific rules to cover special case stuff unique to a game in the series. I own quite a few SCS games, and they’re my favorite MMP titles. The rules are solid, make sense, and play fast.

The best part, the 1st edition is cheap to come by. 2nd edition, not so much. I do wish MMP would reprint this, but they did do Storm Over Stalingrad, so perhaps I should give this a try. It’s a bit more like the old Avalon Hill Turning Point: Stalingrad.

As for a VASSAL module, it’s only available for 2nd edition, but at least it’s available.

Board Game Geek

This one is as tense a game as I have ever played. I mean, this one does come down to the last turn. GMT has a masterpiece in Backhand Blow. It’s easy to play and very hard to master, especially as the Germans are operating on a knife’s edge for most of the conflict. I love the 3CI points system. It really does a good job of limiting your options while reflecting the difficulties both sides had coordinating the actual battle in 1943. I really do love this game, and I lucked out finding it at a Congress of Gamers event a few years ago for a real steal.

The best part is the game is available for some pretty reasonable prices on Board Game Geek and has a VASSAL module.

Board Game Geek

I am not usually someone to trumpet the Tactical Combat Series (TCS). While I like the detail and gameplay, I am not nuts about the order system. You practically have to write an operations order before you begin play. Yeah, I know there are people out there who love that sort of thing. Hey, whatever floats your boat. I do like the fact that the orders you write are often invalidated by circumstance, and you must improvise like real commanders.

I rather like MMPs approach to series rules, though, and it works well here. Plus, in my “Jason likes gonzo subjects” column, the game is centered around one of the most vicious battles involving the Spanish “Blue Division.” As casualties mounted for the Germans in the east, they tried to internationalize the war as a “crusade against communism.” To varying degrees, it worked, and many volunteer legions joined the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. To be honest, and feel free to correct me, this is the first wargame I’ve seen with these guys.

I’ve played the game once, and it is a tough slog for both sides. Both sides have good troops, and it’s in marshy terrain near Lake Ladoga, so it’s a real close-range barn burner. It took a friend and me a week to finish it, but it was one of those wargaming journeys that made it worth it. The game does an exceptionally good job of reflecting German and Soviet doctrines. If you want a playable monster game about a little-known action on the Eastern front, find this one.

Sadly it’s a bit hard to find on Board Game Geek, but when you find it, you can get it for a reasonable price. There’s also a VASSAL module, which will do a lot to make life easier.

Amazon

Told you I’d slip a computer game in there! Slitherine put out in my mind one of the best operational games I’ve played in a while. It’s also one of the best computer games on Barbarossa, bar none. The game is fairly simple on its surface, with pretty cookie-cutter movement and attacks over a very nicely implemented map. The live combat results are a nice touch. What makes this game special is the ability to work with your subordinates and superiors. Every decision you make is going to make someone happy …and tick someone else off. This is especially so for the Germans, who have a ton of competing personalities. You also have to pay attention to logistics, and woe be the commander who ignores things like rail infrastructure and captured Soviet trucks!

The Soviet AI is good, makes you fight, and does a better job of avoiding encirclements than the real Soviet army did in 1941. I haven’t actually played the Soviets yet, but I’ve been told by other players that your main worry is not to screw up too badly that Stalin shoots you.

I really can’t say enough nice things about this game. I keep coming back to play it again and again, and to me, that’s the mark of a good computer game. If you don’t have it? I’d get it. It doesn’t need a high-end PC to run, and it does a lot in a very capable package. It’s currently available on Steam for $16.49, which is a real steal for this game.

Conclusion

The Eastern front is a huge tableau to wargame on, with titanic battles that have written their name across history. There really is something for everyone here. I do hope this article has been an inspiration for you to dip your toes into this tableau. As always, Good Gaming, Everyone.

At Epoch XP, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch XP's service on our parent site, SJR Research.

(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)

#Wargame Battles #wargames #wargamers #historical games

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bloodthirstymoonstone · 6 years

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Walter in FE Heroes

So I’ve been toying around with the idea of making a mock-up of how Walter would function in Heroes, since that’s the verse most of his interactions happen in. For comparison’s sake, let’s take a look at Valter’s max stats.

Hp: 42

Atk: 32 (50 with Cursed Lance equipped)

Spd: 31 (33 with Cursed Lance equipped)

Def: 34

Res: 19

This adds up to the pretty average BST total of 158 with his weapon unequipped.

As for Walter, his stats would be...

Hp: 33

Atk: 17

Spd: 22

Def: 7

Res: 45

This would add up to the paltry BST of 124 -- the lowest, by far, in the entire game. He also has the lowest attack stat in the game, beating Azama who has 21 atk, and he has the lowest def in the game, beating Delthea and Lucius, who both have 13. However, he would have the highest Res stat by far in the game, handily beating Halloween Henry and Winter Tharja, who have 36.

Would that be enough to make him viable? Probably not.

His weapon would be a legendary, non inheritable tome called “Worn Fire Tome”. It would have 3 Mt (which is actually a point less than the regular fire spell you could go back and equip him with), and the weapon description would be “+1 cooldown charge. 33% chance 0 damage will be done to opponent”.

Like Halloween Henry and Winter Tharja, he will be an armored magic user, which might make him slightly more useful since he won’t be limited to special summons. If someone equipped the highest spell available to him -- Bolganone (which has 9 Mt), it would bump his attack up to 26. And with hone armor, he could get up to 32 Atk. Still not a lot, but enough to chip the paint off of some low res units, which might be handy for armor emblem.

The skills available to him right off the bat would be:

Support: Ardent Sacrifice

A: Close Def 3

B: Watersweep 3 (learnable at 4 stars)

Watersweep seems like a pretty good skill for him to have, but since you have to be faster than your target for it to kick in, it would probably only be useful against Winter Tharja, Sophia, and maybe -Spd variations of normal Henry, normal Leo, Reinhardt, and adult Tiki. That’s literally it.

And with Def as bad as his, Close Def 3 would only maybe be useful against dragons. Bumping 7 def up to 13 would be basically useless, not to mention most units also outspeed him. Chances are, he’d just get foddered for his skills, seeing as they’re both somewhat rare and he can learn Watersweep 3 at such a low rarity.

So I’m sure most of you are probably asking, “Munstone, WYD??? Why would you literally make a character that’s this useless, that’s basically only usable as a fodder unit?” Well, the answer is that it’s basically the point of his entire character. He’s frail, he’s slow, and he’s bad at basically everything, but he tries his hardest. For those who have the patience of a saint, they can actually help him achieve pretty impressive heights!

His Res is beastly -- so high, that even blue tome users and dragons would probably struggle against him unless they’re packing some significant heat (Odin would be practically worthless against him, despite the weapon triangle advantage, outspeeding him and having access to Moonbow). If you gave him Glacies, he’d do a whopping 36 damage with the bonus alone, which would give him incredible nuking potential. He could easily kill most frail mages with that special, and even some of the less chucky physical units like Kagero, Summer Tiki and Gaius, and Innes. Assuming he doesn’t die to them first.

And then you get to the weapon refinery. Amazingly, “Worn Fire Tome” isn’t just a joke weapon designed to just troll players. If there’s someone out there patient enough to send him through hundreds of battles, for 1,200 SP (three times the normal amount), 200 Divine Dew, and 500 Arena Medals, you can refine it into the weapon “Shining Bolganone”.

It would have 14 Mt, just like other legendary tomes, and its weapon description would be, “+1 cooldown charge. If user’s health is 100%, attack, speed, and defense are doubled. Does not include weapon might or buffs. Unit takes 4 damage after combat.”

So, just to reiterate, that means his stats would increase to

Hp: 33

Atk: 34

Speed: 44

Def: 14 (still pathetic)

Res: 45

This would put his BST at 170, which puts him just under Amelia, overall. Which is terrifying.

But wait! There’s more. Shining Bolganone prevents the weapon’s might or any field buffs from getting doubled, BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE FOR SKILLS. Yes. You could slap Life or Death on this guy, which would bump his base attack to 44 and his speed to 54, at the cost of lowering his Def to 4 and Res 40 (which is still plenty).

If you gave him Bold Fighter along with it, he would raze entire countries. And that’s not even factoring in IVs. So a +Atk LoD Walter could get to 50 BASE atk. A +Spd LoD Walter could get to 60 BASE speed. Alternatively, you could give a +Def Walter Fortress Defense, which would lower his base attack to 28, but would raise his defense to a chunky 30 for one turn!

Also, yes, seals also get doubled.

(Decided to get rid of the “Skills get doubled as well” thing because I kind of forgot to take into account that merges will probably be easy to come by for a 3 star unit. There’s no way even I’m insane enough to put a unit with like 80 base possible speed in the game. Slight exaggeration, but you get me--)

(Merges will count towards the multiplication factor since they ARE technically a part of the BST. But skills and seals will NOT be. The doubled effect will be calculated before any of those get taken in effect.)

Yes, this makes Walter ridiculously broken, but only for one turn. The player would have to ensure he stays healthy and be sure to shuffle him out of danger zones since there would be no way for him to net a kill after the first phase of combat. And even then, it would be up to the player to get him to that point, anyway. They would have to endure the dull slog of leveling him up past a 3 or 4 star unit and have to endure relentless grinding to even get the weapon upgrade, and even more grinding to get him to the point where skills could come into play. So I think it’s fair.

I think the beauty of him would be the fact that he’s simultaneously the most broken and the most useless units in the game. That’s how I try to play him. He’s bad at everything not because he doesn’t have potential, but because his life has beaten him down to the point where he doesn’t think there’s anything worth saving. If he was around people that were encouraging and allowed him to grow on his own terms, he’d grow almost exponentially.

Comparing that to Valter, who’s definitely not a bad unit by any means, but who is more of a well rounded, jack-of-all-trades, Walter would be a heavily specialized unit that can only do one job, but who can do it exceptionally well. That’s because he’d be taking subjects that actually interest him. But that’s a story for another day.

#fe heroes #fire emblem heroes #some of my math might be off #but i think i did okay with it #mega meta #walter meta #walter post #meta post

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thecoroutfitters · 6 years

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Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: Another guest contribution from R. Ann Parris to The Prepper Journal. As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award as well as be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today.

Get In Shape

No, really. With absolutely nothing to your name, you can be better off than a quarter if not half the preppers with gear, land, and partners. Want a little ‘for example’? How about the huffing and puffing we hear when folks run from the cold or rain? Or are forced to hustle to catch mass transit of some kind?

There’s the muscle injuries and heart attacks that get warned about ahead of winter storms. There’s a lesser publicized set of aches that even active homesteaders work through at the beginning of spring or late summer and autumn as we get back in to full swing – doing more than shoveling snow, poking in checking on things, hauling feed to the (usually) closer barn than to and around pastures. Every year, there are hikers who end up overextended and in distress.

We shake our heads at news stories when people put themselves in sucky situations. Let’s make sure we’re not one of them sometime in the future.

Get in Shape for WORKING

General physical ability can be helpful, and it’s a leg up, for sure. However, there’s gym fit and there’s street-woods fit. Gear your “workouts” to things you’ll be doing. You can also find exercises that directly relate to activities you expect.

Mix up your walking/packing/jogging/sprint surfaces. If you live rural and plan to cut cross-country if you’re away from home, sure, focus on the “natural” surfaces around you. Don’t ignore hardtops, but they’re less important for one-time, single-digit day-count packing. If you live or work in a lot of urban environments, though, make your training more fifty-fifty.

Walk on the sides of ditches and in loose leaves to build your ankles up. Sandy beaches offer a variety of challenging textures that can also help seriously strengthen legs and ankles depending on where in the tide line or above it you exercise and run. It’ll be helpful in snow and ice as well, and in tilled gardens or hand-harvesting hay and grains and big bean plots.

Those strong ankles will also be an aid in keeping your balance anytime you lose it – like if you anticipate ever getting shoved or tripped.

If you live somewhere floods are a risk or where you get a fair bit of snow, start plowing through some water if any’s available. You may be able to find times of day or parts of parks where you won’t attract attention slogging through a little stream or knee-deep in lake, bay, or marsh water. You may also be able to find an affordable YMCA or similar pool, although you’ll be “stuck” with waist-high instead of the more-unique pulls of calf- and knee-high slogging. (Please watch for snakes that will be annoyed with you and wear good sneakers.)

Go slow – this isn’t a sprint, it’s preparing you for winter work and bug-outs, not a footrace. Steady, certain steps are the biggie, and developing the muscles. Don’t be too ambitious at first. Rushing is a broken ankle or wrist and be careful waiting to happen. Be smart in cool weather – hypothermia doesn’t require freezes.

You can find gym equipment or band workouts that can help you build muscles for raking and shoveling, swinging an ax, or hauling and pushing carts and wagons. Bands require an investment, and there are contrasting opinions about them, but they’re affordable and compact – exercise anywhere.

Boxing and kick boxing exercises abound on the internet. Both build an enormous amount of core strength.

A gallon of water weighs about eight pounds. (Start with a half-gallon or liter, please.) If we get milk, we can get weights at home without spending an extra penny or having to build in time to go somewhere. When you’re ready for more, look around your environment for pipes, golf clubs, sturdy pruned limbs, etc., that can be used to create a bar. (Duct tape them – sliding weight, even “just” 8-16 pounds, is a recipe for an injury.)

Do Exercises Correctly

Do weight, stretching, and isometric exercises slowly. Use a mirror to check your form. When your form is muscle memory, close your eyes and concentrate on the feel.

Bucking, rocking, kipping or whatever you want to call them are not only cheating yourself. They’re also an injury waiting to happen. You also work more of your muscles, longer and harder, by working them slowly.

Build the Right Strengths

Start with low weights and high reps. Keep those high reps and slow motions even when you advance in weight. Practice holding at each point, and stopping midway for holds, too.

There are the instant-action parts of homesteading and camping/packing/paddling, absolutely: that moment when you heave the pressed hay up and over, to stack or to carry, or slinging a bag of feed up and over your shoulder, shoving off rocks or getting flipped backwards. There are “power pops” when you stress your tool maintenance guy and your body taking bypass pruners to tough wood and at funny angles.

However, many of our tasks are endless repetitions – raking, forking, shoveling, paddling, hauling a rope of a beaver slide or pulley lift to get hay or straw to a loft or hoist an animal for butchering.

In low-power or no-power situations, and low- or no-noise situations, there’s also hand sawing – which is a fast action, but a lot of it. There’s things like rocking a garden weasel back and forth, and push-pull lawn cutting with a rotary mower. There’s the bent or crouched schnick-schnick-schnick-turn-toss-schnick-schnick-schnick of harvesting grains or hay or straw, or gathering small branches or vines, or trimming down tree feeds for livestock.

Do, absolutely, work some of the hand-and-footwork speed drills, too. There are times when higher weights and quick motions do come into play.

I have to have the “snatch” strength to catch that ladder before it tips, or to snag a tree when rotting stuff gives way underfoot, to help somebody on steep trails or slipping on ice, or the harness line when my goofy dog accidentally bounces another dog over the edge of something (most recently it was her brother off a boat dock).

My medical supplies do me no good if I can’t heave my heavy dog over my shoulder and get it somewhere, or drag my family and partners out of something or into something. Maybe it’s a house fire, maybe they slipped off a bridge, maybe a bookshelf tilted. Maybe it’s a large animal, and being able to slam and brace and hold a gate to keep something out and away from them.

Even so, most of those have an endurance aspect. Catching for a moment is only half the battle.

I have to sustain that hold, and I have to be able to pull without losing my grip. I have to scramble with that hold sometimes, or not lose my footing.

Maybe today there’s an earthquake or tornado that starts a fire, some nut-job shooting, or a 500-year flood strikes. If I can’t carry or drag my loved ones all the way out of harm’s way, I lose them.

Maybe today’s task is sitting on the ground or edge of something, digging in heels, straining against a rope and “climbing” to haul something to a loft or my kid/partner/lover/parent out of a well or somebody’s deer pit. If I can’t hold onto that timber we’re hauling, if I slip as belay anchor or lose my grip on that rope, I hurt somebody.

Initial adrenaline will only take us so far. It’s worth getting in shape for.

Prepare Your Body, or Prepare to Fail

All the gear in the world isn’t going to help somebody who can’t get out of a building or down the road, who can’t escape a fire or flood, who can’t evade a mob and then put enough distance between them to beat the police barricade lines.

The best bug-out location on earth won’t help somebody who can’t get to it and keep it going – who can’t lift their kid and that fancy bag up over a fence, who can’t build a shelter against cold, wet weather to keep their family from hypothermia, who can’t lift enough water in big buckets to keep livestock and gardens watered, let alone bathe.

The expensive spotting scope and fancy rifle that found and took a deer doesn’t help the guy who then can’t get it up a hill or across the flats – at all, without injury or heart attack, or “fast enough” in some parts of the world where bears, hogs, and human scavengers like to check out gunshots.

Side Benefits to Exercise

Exercise is also incredibly good for the brain, both in combating stress and depression, and in sharpening our minds and senses. Tired bodies help us sleep better, with sleep hugely important to stress, recovery, mood, and decision making.

When you feel stronger and fitter, you’ll also find your confidence increasing, which in some cases actually decreases aggression and combative attitudes. (Lack of confidence tends to lead to those small-dog yappy-snappy, argumentative people who take everything as a personal insult and a direct challenge to authority.)

That’s going to make a disaster of any scale a whole lot easier to deal with, no matter how active or sedentary it is.

Prep for Retaining & Regaining Strength

If you’re lucky enough to have a bunker, a storm cellar, or a tight compound, don’t forget to stash ways to stay in shape while you’re locked down. You only need a little space and some things that – besides bands – are probably already there. Make sure you also have a variety of exercises, stretches, and drills printed out and stashed.

Not only is endurance and raw strength important, and something that can be easily handled at little to no cost, work on flexibility. Exercises for seniors can be an excellent source there.

Physical therapy exercises are beneficial as well. Don’t forget to print up what they apply to. It can range from post-stroke and nerve damage recovery, to knee replacements and torn ACLs, out to oddballs like whiplash and dislocated fingers and wrists. Not only are many actually pretty fantastic stretching, mobility, dexterity, and strength-building regimens, if there is an accident or injury, you’re prepared for full recovery.

The One Irreplaceable Prep

Every disaster and evacuation, we hear of refugees surviving incredible hardships and long journeys, and people managing incredible physical feats to save their loved ones. But for every feel-good victory, there are losses. Not everyone makes it fast enough, far enough.

Increasing physical ability can be done in two, three, or four 10-20 minute sessions a day, a few times a week. It can cost nothing.

Some of it can be done pumping our fuel or during regular shopping trips, adding less time than we’ll stand in a checkout line or lust over goodies behind glass. Some of it can be done one hand at a time, reading or scrolling the internet with the other. We can keep up with weekly shows/sports doing cals and Pilates and physical therapy on the carpet and kitchen chair, or using a bar hung from a sturdy doorway.

Your body is the one thing there is no backup for. There are no excuses. Not time, not money, not current physical limitations. We can get stronger, and by doing so, improve our chances of survival.

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superfamigos · 7 years

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los juegos de 2016 de oli

My inaugural post on el Super Famigos punto com! Cool beans! :D

So here's my 2016 games list. These are the games I liked most in 2016. In lieu of ranking, I'll list them in alphabetical order. I'll also add some honorable mentions, since I did enjoy them and don't want them to be left out. ;)

The List

Breath of Fire III

(heartthrob credit: BoF wikia)

Fitting that the first on my list would be a SuperFamigos classic!

I picked up Bofee ("Breath of Fire III" -> "BoF III" -> "BoF3" -> "Bofee") after some prodding from my friend Chris. I’ve wanted it for a while, and even played it once, but… I don't have as much patience for JRPGs as I used to, even ones as good as Bofee or Chrono Cross. This time, though, ♪ I had a little help from my friends ♫.

Since SuperFamigos was just starting up, I downloaded OBS and gave streaming Bofee a whirl. And sure enough, broadcasting and interacting with friends via chat is way better than grinding alone. Chris shared all his expert secrets, and I flew through the slogs that stopped me before. And we spawned a whole slew of inside jokes too (oh man Teepo's flowing locks *o*). I haven't played/streamed much recently, due to a combination of old hardware and busy schedules, but with luck I can fire it back up in 2017.

As for the game itself: it's great! Top notch pixel art, animations, and music. Story's a bit slow, though Chris assures me it gets better. Definitely more fun with friends. ...smells burnt

rating: "9/molotov"

Chrono Cross

(stunning opassa credit: Chrono wikia)

Frickin' Chrono Cross! What a sweet game. Beautiful scenery, amazing music, and a genuinely enthralling and mysterious story. I'm still not fully sure what's going on! The battle system can be intense too: trying to fend off the Fire Dragon with only two Revives? Are you kidding me??

I must confess, I got Chrono Cross three Christmases ago. The game has a couple of the same JRPG issues that Bofee has. So my tactic is to whittle away at it, every once in a while. And it's a bit like turning down the lights and sitting back and listening to Kind of Blue on vinyl; you come away feeling well fed.

So why is Chrono Cross on my games of 2016 list? Partly because the OSSC got me hyped to play it on my new HDTV (it was disgusting before) (and it handles the 240p <-> 480i switch quite well), partly because Chris again got me through some tough parts (he’s a boss, seriously), and partly because it's an awesome game and it won't come off my "games of <year>" list until it's beaten. So there.

rating: "poshul4mayor"

Downwell

I finally beat Downwell (normal mode) and unlocked all the palettes in 2016. Even then, I haven't stopped playing.

Downwell is the one mobile game I actually enjoy. For all the critically acclaimed mobile games I own, none have kept my attention like console and handheld games do. Except Downwell.

The mobile qualifier is important. Often I was chilling in a café, or waiting in line for a sandwich, or unable to sleep on a redeye flight, or trapped on a god-forsaken Snowpiercer Amtrak to Portland that was 6 hours behind schedule because snow somehow broke the signals and freight trains rule the rails and "we can't tell you if it'll be 30 minutes or 3 hours"

…Anyway. Downwell kept me sane in 2016. I don't even mind the touch controls.*

By the way, here's my fav strat: Floaty. Attract gems + popping gems + gem recharge. Laser if possible, or machine gun / burst / puncher. Combo as much as possible, but only to 25 each.

rating: "10/10/10"

Open Source Scan Converter

(razor sharp credit: Rex Warden)

I know, I know, it's not a game. But it counts as one, because it gave my PS1 a new lease on life.

And what a lease it is! I kid you not, I had serious goosebumps whenever I first fired up wipE'out" XL with this puppy. It was ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ. I noticed background textures I had never noticed before. Colors popped, not bled. I could read the menu text in wip3out! And no noticeable lag! Game after game, I was amazed at the difference. A major reason these old PS1 games are on my list is the OSSC.

Granted, YMMV; the results aren't nearly as drastic on other TVs I tried. But on mine… There's no going back.

rating: "I could cut my veggies with that PS logo"

Pokémon Sun

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (I really like this game.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (A lot.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (There's too much to say.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (Do yourself a favor and give Pokémon Sun/Moon a try.) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

rating: "AAAAAAAAAA/AAAAAAAAAA"

Pokkén Tournament

(sassy credit: chipsprites)

Taking a step back for a sec.

Moving to Seattle was hard. It’s still hard. I live by myself, it's my first time working out of college, and sometimes even cooking food is a chore. My life has certainly gotten better now, but those first few months were…hard.

Pokkén was what I played when I wasn't at work. It's a great game, with bumpin' music and satisfying mechanics that I could really get into. But more than that, it was a game that helped me get through a rough time. For that reason alone, I would definitely recommend.

rating: "Weavile's playmate? HECK YES"

Splatoon

(manual or automatic credit: Syfy Games)

"But Oli, Splatoon came out in—"

Whoa there. Listen up. If you haven't already guessed, this is MY list o' 2016. It doesn't matter when such-and-such game came out. If I played it in 2016, it counts.

…but you do have a point. I didn't get Splatoon until Christmas 2015, which led to me missing a good amount of the summer unveils and hype and such. And online games stress me out, so I had the most fun when I stuck to my niche: off in the corner with my paintbrush, flinging paint errywhere, firin' off torpedoes to the other side, occasionally ninja-ing peeps.

In any case, still played it enough and had fun enough to include it! Very refreshing to see some color and friendly competition in a shooter. Good music and 1P campaign too. I even picked up my first pair of Vans Slip-ons because of this game. Fashion help 10/10.

Splatoon is also one of the Famigos' go-to online games! Several times we'd host a private match and not even battle, but just hang out on the stage, swim around, go explore, etc. Kinda like what we do in real life…except as squid kids.

rating: "18/12 overture"

wip3out

(let’s be friends credit: infoxicated via wipeoutzone)

Until I got the OSSC, this game was literally unplayable on my new HDTV.

Okay, not literally. Seriously though, wip3out** has some of the most succulent graphic design in the industry, and that stinkin' yellow composite cable rendes it muddy, meh, and unreadable. Yuck. wip3out was the second game I tested with the OSSC, and it's easily the best demonstration of the power of upscaling.

But enough about that. wipE'out" (the series) is the beez kneez. What's not to like? Cream-of-the-crop electronic soundtrack, mouthwatering tDR design, spicy-smooth tracks, and rich chocolatey weaponry. That feeling when you tear down the track, barely grazing the wall as you unleash a Quake Disruptor…

wip3out makes my list this year, not just because of the OSSC, not just because it's a filet mignon of a game, but because I freakin' beat Venom Tournament mode for the first time. Even with unfair AI in Sampa Run! ( *｀∇ ´ ) And I plan to keep playing for a long time.

Interestingly, although XL/2097 and 3 have very different physics and handling, I can maneuver them both just fine…as long as I don't play them both in the same night. I get so used to one game, that I can't immediately swap discs and play the other without crashing into everything.

rating: "Excuse me, I think I need to return this steak, it's too delicious"

Honorable Mentions

Digimon World 3 I inherited this from a neighbor. Popped it in to admire the pixel art with the OSSC. The battle system is confusing, the FMVs are loltastic, but it has some surprisingly good music.

Hyper Light Drifter I really want to like this game more.

I love the music. And the art and atmosphere seriously gave me chills. Absolutely beautiful. But I just couldn't get into the combat: too visceral. I felt...almost dirty playing it. I understand that's kind of the point, but…

Maybe with time I'll get into it.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime Had a ball playing this at a work game night. Don't have many others to play with though.

Nuclear Throne Lol both Sam and I got the Humble Indie Bundle this year, so we both played lots of Nuclear Throne. Fun (3D glasses Eyes is my man), but a bit too stressful/addictive for me. Had to stop playing for my health.

Pokémon Black 2 I grabbed Black 2 as a birthday gift for myself (I did the same for White in 2015), and to tide me over until Pokémon Sun. To try and mix it up this time around, I played with only three Pokémon for the entirety of my run: an Ice Punch Weavile (bred in White), a Dewott, and a Growlithe. I only caught maybe another five. In the end, though, I didn't level enough and I ground to a halt at the seventh gym.

I think one of the many, many reasons I loved Pokémon Sun was that I dived in headfirst, catching Pokémon, playing minigames, getting invested. Guess I didn't do that as much with Black 2. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

That being said, Black 2 definitely has its moments. There's schweet music, and I still, still prefer the animated sprites to 3D models. (Some of the new Pokémon's models are great, but some are horrible.) Super satisfying to wreck newbs with a Ice Punch to the face. Just sadly overshadowed by Sun.***

Pokémon Emerald Lots of Pokémon on this list, huh? ;)

Got this along with a Game Boy Micro from my friend Cole. Similar with Black 2, I only used a party of four. Again, the music is top notch, and some great battle animations. Unfortunately petered out at Ever Grande City when I stopped taking the bus to/from work (my main time to play).

River City Ransom Lolololololol

Seriously, so silly and fun. Didn't play it much though (maybe an hour when Sam was in town).

* That much. ** Yes, I'm going to do this for the whole article. I don't care. tDR 4 LYFE *** See what I did there?!? ;)

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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25 Best RPGs Ever Made

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It’s almost cruel to talk about the best RPGs ever made. Not only is it the kind of topic that inspires especially heated debates, but even a shortlist of the greatest RPGs ever may leave you desperately trying to find the time to somehow play them all.

Then again, the thing that separates the best RPGs from the rest is that they never really make you feel like you’re in a rush to “beat” them or move on to the next thing. They grab you by the hand and take you on a journey defined by character building, storytelling, world design, and, most importantly, the very convincing idea that you are no longer simply yourself but rather have the chance to truly become the kind of legendary figure you used to only be able to daydream about.

Whether they’re JRPGs, CRPGs, Tactical RPGs, or ARPGs, the best RPGs ever made are united by their ability to ease the escape from your burdens, your worries, and your world by taking you on an adventure the likes of which you simply won’t find in any other game.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

25. Disco Elysium

It may be the newest game on this list, but in less than two years, Disco Elysium has changed the way some of the industry’s best creators approach the art of video game writing and RPG design.

Though it lacks a proper combat system, this hard-boiled detective adventure is never lacking in intensity. With its fascinating moral dilemmas and incredible writing, Disco Elysium raised the bar in terms of challenging us to define who we are in its intoxicating world. If that isn’t role-playing, what is?

24. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Tactical RPGs don’t always get the love some of their genre cohorts enjoy, but it’s nearly impossible to not respect everything that Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance does so well.

Fire Emblem’s “rock, paper, scissors” style combat shines brighter than ever in this 2005 GameCube classic, but it’s the way this RPG’s incredible plot highlights the thrills of Fire Emblem’s high-risk permadeath system that puts it over the top. This is a simply brilliant blend of tactics and raw emotion that few games in this genre have come close to besting.

23. Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar

There’s a healthy debate to be had about the best Ultima game ever, but Ultima 4 gets the nod here by virtue of this sequel’s sheer audacity.

Free of nearly every overused role-playing trope, Ultima 4 tasks you with finding yourself in an age of enlightenment rather than battling some great evil during a dark time. Ultima 4 deserves more credit than it typically receives for its plot that focuses on internal struggles in a time of peace, but it’s this game’s Virtues system, unusual character-building mechanics, and truly open nature that make it special to this day.

22. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines

Look, Vampire: The Masquerade was a tragically broken game upon its release and is only really playable today thanks to fan updates. However, so many of Masquerade’s problems can be attributed to its incredible ambition.

Some of the best tabletop-style RPG mechanics ever perfectly complement a truly unique RPG world where vampire clans battle for control of an extensive underground society. At its best, Vampire: The Masquerade is even better than that premise makes it sound.

21. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey Of The Cursed King

Ranking the Dragon Quest games is a tall enough task in and of itself, but there’s something to be said for how Dragon Quest 8 so perfectly captures most of the things that make this series great while adding a few necessary improvements.

Here’s a Dragon Quest game that offers a 100 hour+ journey packed with the incredible settings and memorable characters this series is known for that still manages to make the whole thing just accessible enough to encourage even the timid to participate in a truly epic adventure.

20. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

What is there left to say about KOTOR? After all, you probably know about its all-time great Star Wars story, its memorable morality system, and certainly its incredible twist.

Instead, let’s focus on how BioWare managed to break down the wall that divided PC and console RPGs by releasing one of the most well-crafted, best-written, and surprisingly deep PC-style RPGs ever exclusively for a console. It’s as if millions of gamers cried out in joy at the collective realization that it suddenly felt like anything was possible no matter what platform you owned.

19. Secret of Mana

It’s really a testament to the quality of the SNES’ JRPG library that Secret of Mana isn’t even the first SquareSoft RPG that people usually think of when they think of that console.

Still, Secret of Mana is something close to a video game design miracle. Few other games have come this close to packing this much depth and heart into such a substantial RPG experience that never feels like a slog and even allows you to play with a friend. This is one of the most entertaining RPGs ever made.

18. Earthbound

For years, Earthbound fans had to beg and plead for gamers to go out of their way to give this initially overlooked RPG the chance it deserved. I even spent quite a few years preaching that same gospel.

Now, though, many gamers know that Earthbound is one of the weirdest, most creative, and most surprisingly emotional JRPGs ever made. From its bizarre story to its soundtrack that refuses to stick to a genre for more than a song, Earthbound is a truly unique creative vision the likes of which many weren’t prepared for at that time and likely won’t see again.

17. Vagrant Story

Vagrant Story is another one of those games that were initially overlooked by many of the people who may have enjoyed it most. Even positive reviews said that Vagrant Story was too complicated, too dry, and maybe too much of an investment.

Years later, some of those criticisms remain, but they’re often quickly drowned out by praise for Vagrant Story’s unique take on the dungeon crawler genre and the ways that it juggled a pleasantly deep combat system with a dark, subtle, and mature narrative. There’s a world in which Vagrant Story achieved Dark Souls levels of fame, but it’s still rightfully remembered as one of the best dungeon crawlers ever.

16. Persona 5

There are very few misses in the Persona franchise, but Persona 5’s story and style arguably elevate it over the other Persona titles that could have easily appeared on this list.

Alright, if I’m being very honest, Persona 5 gets the nod here for its style alone. This title’s design team took no piece of on-screen real estate for granted and managed to turn even the most mundane piece of UI into art. The worst part about this game is spending almost 100 hours with your jaw on the floor.

15. Final Fantasy 9

You’ll soon discover that Final Fantasy 9 essentially “beat” Final Fantasy 7 for a spot on this list. They’re obviously both great games, but there are just so many little things that separate Final Fantasy 9 from the series’ revolutionary 7th (numbered) installment.

Final Fantasy 9’s characters, story, world, and music are simply among the best in franchise history. While it certainly doesn’t hurt that Final Fantasy 9 returned to a wonderful medieval setting, this incredible swan song for the original PlayStation ultimately gets the nod for the ways that it so perfectly utilizes and improves on so many of the things the FF franchise does so well.

14. Deus Ex

Deus Ex may owe a lot to the System Shock series, but when it comes to executing the ambitious concept of a narrative-driven first-person RPG series that emphasizes environmental storytelling and character building, the original Deus Ex arguably stands alone.

While Deus Ex’ bionic implant system and the way it offered multiple solutions to almost every situation are just brilliant bits of roleplay excellence, the game is arguably best remembered for its conspiracy theory narrative and how it sent you across the globe in search of something close to the truth.

13. Suikoden 2

While many RPGs (including an especially famous one we’ll be talking about in a bit) are built around assembling a party, few do it better than Suikoden 2 and its cast of 108 “collectible” characters with unique personalities, abilities, and stories.

That large cast of character is understandably the game’s highlight feature, but what’s easy to forget about Suikoden 2 is how its incredible political storyline, castle building minigame, and surprisingly enjoyable combat system so easily ensnare you even if you aren’t especially interested in finding every available party member.

12. Planescape: Torment

For years, I’ve heard Planescape Torment fans argue that it features the best story in RPG history. Well, you know what? They…might actually be right.

Planescape: Torment’s story of the “Nameless One” quickly evolved into a philosophical meditation on the nature of existence that never feels as pretentious as that description may make it sound. This masterpiece expertly forces you to confront the implications and impact of every decision you make in a way that feels pleasantly organic. This is a nearly unrivaled example of choice-driven storytelling.

11. Baldur’s Gate 2

There’s a strong case to be made that Baldur’s Gate 2 is the best “pure” D&D style RPG ever, but what’s really so impressive about this title is how it translated D&D’s most complicated concepts to a digital medium so easily that you’ll likely find yourself wondering why other games haven’t been able to pull that feat off with such apparent ease.

Of course, there’s nothing easy about Baldur’s Gate 2‘s design. Its choice and consequence-based storytelling and stunningly deep character-building systems have often been replicated, but it’s hard to top one of the best RPG developers ever working at the top of their game.

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10. Dark Souls

It’s always a little controversial to label Dark Souls as an RPG, but the two things that this game does better than most in terms of classic RPG genre conventions are class distinction and character building.

To survive in the world of Dark Souls, you have to understand your character and your own abilities in a way that goes beyond knowing which button to hit. The bond you form with your character by the time that you finish Dark Souls is something that the best RPGs strive for but rarely achieve. You truly feel like you have become your in-game persona and belong in this game’s wonderful yet horrifying world.

9. Pokémon Red and Blue

In case you’re wondering, this spot nearly went to Pokémon Gold and Silver based on quality alone. Ultimately, though, the cultural impact of Red and Blue was too great to ignore.

There’s a very good chance Pokémon was the first RPG that many people lost themselves in, which is all the more impressive when you consider that it’s a shockingly deep RPG in its own right rather than a simple “introduction” to the genre. Adventures are supposed to feel magical rather than cumbersome, and few RPG adventures are as consistently magical as this one.

8. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

Look, I know Skyrim is the blockbuster best-seller, and I’ve even argued that Oblivion is the best Elder Scrolls game ever, but much like Pokemon Red and Blue, it’s hard to argue against the impact of Morrowind and how it forever changed our expectations for the scope of an RPG.

Morrowind‘s status as one of the first modern open-world RPGs (at least based on how we use usually that term today) is impressive enough, but what’s so shocking about this game is that few RPGs that followed in its footsteps have come close to topping Morrowind‘s visual creativity and lore. It’s so easy to forgive so many of the ways that Morrowind hasn’t aged especially well once you’ve fallen down the shockingly deep rabbit hole of its character-building possibilities and world-building.

7. Fallout: New Vegas

The debate over the best Fallout game will go on, but for the moment, let’s put down our swords and talk about all of the things that make Fallout: New Vegas so unbelievably brilliant.

Rarely have we ever seen an “open-world” RPG that puts this much attention into its side quests, out-of-the-way locales, and minor characters. Most open-world games try to sell you on the idea that you can go anywhere and do anything, but Fallout: New Vegas is one of the few that will encourage even the most focused gamers to see it all. More importantly, it manages to offer a variety of potential paths forward that only reveal themselves based on how you navigate its complex web of choices. It’s the kind of game that makes you want to stand up and take a bow.

6. Mass Effect 2

There are some who will say that Mass Effect’s core promise of a galaxy that’s fate will be impacted by most of your choices was always too ambitious. There are others who will argue, “It wasn’t. Just look at Mass Effect 2.”

Mass Effect 2 is arguably the closest BioWare came to realizing their most ambitious design ideas. Despite working with (often against) a scope that would make most studios weep in the corner, BioWare packed this sequel with a legion of memorable characters with their own complicated arcs that slowly reveal themselves as you brazenly explore a galaxy that feels ready to open up or crumble at your feet at any time. Mass Effect 2 does all of that and still manages to be a blast to play throughout.

5. The Witcher 3

The first two Witcher games are incredible, but if you find that most people don’t seem to be able to put The Witcher 3’s impact into words, that’s probably because even the first two games couldn’t quite prepare them for this masterpiece.

The Witcher 3 has side stories that would be worthy of campaigns in lesser games. I honestly still can’t quite explain how this game remains so fresh and exciting even after dozens of hours of play. Many of us grew up dreaming of being thrown in an elaborate medieval fantasy world where we truly felt like the hero that could shape the fortunes of all, and The Witcher 3 might just be the ultimate piece of sword and sorcery fantasy wish fulfillment.

4. Final Fantasy 6

Look, I could sit here all day and talk about the virtues of Final Fantasy 6 or even how its best moments are still capable of reducing gamers to tears. I could tell you about the heroes, the villains, the plot beats, and all the other things that make this game the classic that few will debate that it is.

Instead, I want to talk about how Final Fantasy 6 changed how so many of us look at gaming. This title’s prestigious nature was so prominent that it almost feels like developer Squaresoft traveled into the future and brought something back with them. This was the kind of game you begged people to play and it was the kind of game that made you pledge your allegiance to the very concept of gaming.

3. Diablo 2

In an earlier article, I talked about how Diablo turned RPGs into an addiction. Somehow, that brilliant game managed to retain all the deep qualities of the greatest D&D adventures and wrap them around a simplified combat system that had many of us playing until the wee hours of the morning completely unaware of what was happening in our own world.

Well, Diablo 2 did all of that and made the whole thing so much better that you rarely even hear people talk about the original Diablo anymore. If the highlight of an RPG is that moment when you so completely lose yourself in its world that the troubles of your own existence leave your mind, Diablo 2 arguably reaches that point faster than almost any other RPG ever made.

2. World of Warcraft

I often wonder how I would explain to a child of the ‘80s or early ‘90s that a game like WoW exists. I suppose I’d just say “See, there’s this persistent world filled with wonders that you and your friends can spend thousands of hours exploring as you work together to defeat overwhelming threats and write your own adventures.” They’d probably understand the appeal of that idea but may not be able to comprehend how such a thing could be possible.

WoW may require one hell of a commitment to get the most out of it, and the game has had some ups and downs over the years, but the fact of the matter is that there is really no other RPG that can offer what the best moments in WoW history have to offer. It’s a truly magical experience that you’ll willingly sacrifice your free time to for the simple fact that it offers experiences you could only previously dream of.

1. Chrono Trigger

Maybe this is an oddly appropriate statement for a game about time travel, but I’m fairly certain that Chrono Trigger will forever remain a timeless masterpiece.

Chrono Trigger is an almost flawless game that not only combines so many of the things that we love about RPGs but arguably perfects them. Assembled by a dream team of some of the best JRPG creators ever, Chrono Trigger makes even the most seemingly mundane elements of its adventure feel absolutely joyful. When this game wants to go big, though, it does it in a way that few other games could ever dream of topping. Here’s a game with over 10 endings and a multi-layered time travel plot that moves with the effortless pace of a game of Tetris.

Chrono Trigger is simply one of the best examples of curated RPG design that has ever or will ever be crafted.

The post 25 Best RPGs Ever Made appeared first on Den of Geek.

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