tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60018493630217335062024-03-05T16:38:46.000-08:00Adventuring Through GamesWriting about games, and the adventures they offerJonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-22785120987454192062021-07-11T14:02:00.000-07:002021-07-11T14:02:34.521-07:00Tribute to Fallen Heroes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>To my two heroes</div><div>Ntsika and Kyle</div><div>I was blessed</div><div>To know you both for a while</div><div>Ntsika with his love of books</div><div>Loving hug and radiant smile</div><div>Kyle with his radiant soul</div><div>To my father, like his child.</div><div><br /></div><div>You both left us way too young</div><div>Your deaths both blotted out my sun</div><div>But in my darkness, there shines your light</div><div>Goodbye my dear friends, and good night.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PrYsAKMkXjU" width="320" youtube-src-id="PrYsAKMkXjU"></iframe></div><br /></div>
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<br /></div>Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-1614275704106446792018-12-28T07:27:00.002-08:002018-12-28T07:27:47.995-08:00Adventuring Through: Freja and the False Prophecy Kickstarter Demo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">I got to play the demo of </span><i style="text-align: left;">Freja and the False Prophecy</i><span style="text-align: left;">, which is currently under development at Unsigned Double Collective, and can be backed at </span><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1769906085/freja-and-the-false-prophecy-norse-platforming-gam/description" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">its Kickstarter campaign page</a><span style="text-align: left;"> until about 2 PM on 1 January 2019. I downloaded the demo from the link on the Kickstarter campaign page.</span></div>
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FULL DISCLOSURE: I have backed the game, so take that as you will. I am not being paid to promote or preview this game, but I am friends with Lasse Manson, the game's developer, and am slightly acquainted with Romy Latter, its creative director. However, I will try to make this preview as unbiased as possible, in the interests of helping you to decide whether or not to back the game on Kickstarter or perhaps purchase it at a later date. This preview may be based on an outdated version of the demo, so please bear that in mind before you make up your mind.<br />
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The demo started off with Freja injured for some unknown reason. This meant her movement and attack abilities were locked until a few non-intrusive tutorials had been displayed. Once I had full control over, she proved to be a nimble yet powerful fighter, with a powerful axe and a rather handy "Spirit Sight" ability, which allowed her to see invisible platforms in an eerie glowing whitish purple colour, accompanied by some equally eerie vocals and music.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like poor Freja drank some bone-hurting juice.</td></tr>
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I progressed through the demo until I came to a boss fight, which creamed me. I will refrain from spoiling the names of the two bosses involved in this fight, but suffice to say, it served as a difficulty spike that felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown onto me. I trust that it will be balanced so as to not be so punishing for Story Mode players, at least.<br />
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In terms of the difficulty of the rest of the demo, I only died a few times, mostly due to my own carelessness, i.e. rushing in to facetank enemies or failing to notice a pit of nasty-looking thorns and falling into it. Knowledge and experience in game design and development are evident even in this rudimentary demo: unobtrusive interface, responsive yet satisfying controls, and difficulty that never feels cheap or a waste of time. The artwork is relatively simple yet pleasing to behold, and Freja's character design is simply perfect. I personally would prefer for Freja's sprite to be a tad bigger, mainly so I could see the details on her clothing and face, but this is a minor niggle. Voice-acting would nice, although not a dealbreaker for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksTJ2IoMgsxzA3joC_npNTb-4xeV6SS91AUsAFyWny2utYpZmMBXbhHkdXf6HNaKI_s08LwwJndjMNSuVoQUgfxsnhHbYPrUU3ZoNzqG8zVtsakN5ZWeXKneLg8a89NYsc2a70ZnEpQQ/s1600/FrejaAndTheFalseProphecy+12_28_2018+16_41_15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1360" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksTJ2IoMgsxzA3joC_npNTb-4xeV6SS91AUsAFyWny2utYpZmMBXbhHkdXf6HNaKI_s08LwwJndjMNSuVoQUgfxsnhHbYPrUU3ZoNzqG8zVtsakN5ZWeXKneLg8a89NYsc2a70ZnEpQQ/s320/FrejaAndTheFalseProphecy+12_28_2018+16_41_15.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This kind of thing is why I dislike spiders. Better her than me.</td></tr>
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Overall, I closed the demo feeling some contentment, albeit mixed with frustration at not being able to beat the boss fight. It's a good enough taste of the game to justify pledging money towards it. I want to see this game succeed and fulfil the Kickstarter campaign's promises, especially as there are hardly any South African game developers, and the industry needs to grow and provide some much needed diversity of characters, stories and gameplay.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>HYPE LEVEL</u>: <b><span style="color: #ea9999;">MILDLY AROUSED</span></b></span><br />
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Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-19952338595400680562018-02-16T05:45:00.000-08:002018-02-16T05:45:59.266-08:00Zwei: The Arges Adventure - Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whoo buoy, here we go again</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DEVELOPER:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Nihon%20Falcom&snr=1_5_9__400" style="color: #67c1f5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Nihon Falcom</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">PUBLISHER:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/search/?publisher=XSEED%20Games" style="color: #67c1f5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">XSEED Games</a>, <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/search/?publisher=Marvelous%20USA,%20Inc." style="color: #67c1f5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Marvelous USA, Inc.</a></span></span></span></div>
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PLATFORMS: <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/zwei_the_arges_adventure?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">GOG</a><br />
<a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/427680/" target="_blank">Steam</a> <br />
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DISCLAIMER: XSEED did not provide me with a free review copy or any
financial incentives to review this game. My opinions are my own and I
am not directly affiliated with XSEED or the game's original developer,
Nihon Falcom, in any way. <br />
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Good day fellow adventurers! Having played <i>Zwei: The Arges Adventure</i> for +/- three hours, I am in the process of recording my thoughts about this lovely little game in the form of a review-in-progress, with a full review to follow once I've beaten the game. Hopefully this will give you some idea of the mechanics and general vibe. Let's start the adventure!<br />
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UPDATE: After +-44 hours of laughing, raging and grinding my way through this game, I have finally beaten the final boss, and hummed along to the jaunty ending credits music. Check out the rest of this review for my thoughts! <br />
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<u>Visuals</u><br />
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This game is draped in beautiful, hand-drawn chibi sprites and watercolour-style backgrounds, combined with lovely old-school anime cutscenes and images (see the tutorial screenshot for an example). There is some minor pixelation here and there, and the 3D models of the bosses look pretty low-poly, with muddy textures, but that's pretty much to be expected of a game originally released in 2001, although XSEED have done a valiant job of updating the visuals for 2018's standards, e.g. with widescreen support and higher resolutions available.<br />
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<b>Visuals Score: 77% (Hey, that's pretty good!)</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">XSEED have lightly garnished the game with a meme here and there. Oh, you!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<u>Audio</u><br />
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From the lively yet stirring score that accompanies the game's anime intro video, to the toe-tapping melody of Puck Village, the hometown of the MCs, Pipiro and Pokkle, I have been thoroughly taken in by the games musical charms so far. The sound effects aren't anything to write home about, and the combat lacks a lot of the oomph of <i>Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection</i> as a result of the lacklustre sound effects. Overall, though, I wasn't too bothered, as I was too busy jamming along to the dank tunes on offer.<br />
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<b>Audio Score: 74% (Mildly spicy)</b><br />
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<u>Story & Dialogue</u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pipiro, the Queen of Shade-Throwing, at it again.</td></tr>
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The story is shaping up to be another fairly standard "save the world" plot, but the tongue-in-cheek humour, peppered with copious puns (that mainly spew from Pokkle's mouth) help to liven it up. XSEED's localisation also appears to be up to their usual standard (i.e. excellent), with every line of dialogue and every description sounding perfectly natural thus far. The almost constant stream of puns and American slang throughout the dialogue (mostly from Pokkle and Pipiro's banter) gets a bit tiresome, and even a bit jarring at times, but it's not a deal-breaker by any means. This is probably one of the most light-hearted stories to be found out of any Falcom game, so don't go in looking for soul-crushing tragedy or profound philosophy, and you'll probably have a grand time.<br />
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<b>Story & Dialogue score: 71% (Light and fluffy)</b><br />
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<u>Gameplay</u><br />
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The gameplay falls very much in line with standard action-RPG fare, although of course, as this is the predecessor to <i>Zwei: II</i>, there is the twist in the form of chowing food down to gain experience in addition to the standard function of healing HP - eating is the only way to gain experience in this game, actually! Thus the player is faced with chowing food as needed in order to avoid getting wrecked by the rather brutal enemies, or saving up ten of each food in order to exchange it for a richer, fancier, and thus more experience-bestowing food at the local bar/restaurant in Puck Village. This leads to flexibility in levelling up as compared to other systems - although players who struggle to dodge enemy attacks well and judge whether or not to fight or run from particularly dangerous foes will find themselves quickly depleting their food supplies. I know I have, multiple times! I have the feeling that things will eventually smooth out a little as I progress - at least, I hope so!<br />
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After struggling through most of the boss battles, which are more a test of endurance and resource management than skill and strategy, the gameplay is unfortunately the weakest link due to them, not to mention the simplistic, slightly unsatisfying combat, and the basic bitch dungeon layout (although the last few dungeons do get a bit more interesting). Full disclosure: I'm not the most persistent or skilful gamer, so there were times when I felt like giving up on the game in absolute despair at the boss battles. It was only through sheer bloody mindedness and enjoyment of the game's aesthetics and charm that I managed to push through to the very end, although I still have post-game to tackle!<br />
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The mini-games do spice up things somewhat, although I found them too unforgiving (even on "Easy" mode) to be enjoyable for more than a few minutes, particularly The Typing of Ys, which left my wrists and fingers aching by the time I reached the last level (which I STILL haven't cleared, grrr).<br />
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<b>Gameplay Score: 59% (Note to Falcom: do better next time ;))</b><br />
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So that wraps up this review! My conclusion: if you can tolerate some frustration and challenge in exchange for charming music, humour and graphics, then run out and buy this game from <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/427680/" target="_blank">Steam </a>or <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/zwei_the_arges_adventure?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">GOG</a>, preferably on sale.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>FINAL SCORE: 70% (GOOD - NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS)</b></span><br />
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Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0Grahamstown, South Africa-33.3106292 26.525594599999977-33.4167792 26.364233099999975 -33.2044792 26.686956099999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-37379856908291755322018-01-24T09:43:00.002-08:002018-01-24T09:44:32.028-08:00My Most Anticipated Games of 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There are plenty of great JRPGs, WRPGs and adventure games slated to come out this year. I'm going to list off the ones I'm personally anticipating the most, and why.<br />
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<i>Zwei: The Arges Adventure </i>(Steam & GOG)<i><br /></i><br />
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Hnnngh, so close to release! No pre-order XSEED? Y tho? Day One purchase for me, though, given my love for its sequel, <i>Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection</i>. The graphical style looks even MORE charming, the characters look even funnier, and XSEED are really going the extra mile to integrate and in some cases even improve on the little mini games and apps within the game. Buy this. Do eet.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana </i>(Steam)<br />
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Yes, I know, NISA dun goofed with this, particularly when it comes to the PC release, but even they can't ruin what looks like another grand action RPG from Falcom - right? I loved <i>Ys VII</i> and what I played of <i>Ys Origin</i>, so NISA's fuckery hasn't killed my hype for this game just yet.<br />
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<i>The Wolf Among Us: Season 2 </i>(PC?)<br />
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I don't know much about this, but what I DO know is that I absolutely adored the first season of <i>The Wolf Among Us </i>(and not only because Mr Bigby Wolf is pretty hawt). The first season brilliantly adapted the characters of Fabletown and replicated the vibe of the half fairytale, half urbanised city in game form pretty much perfectly,while giving alternately tragic and hilarious backstory to Bigby and Snow White, amongst many other characters.<br />
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<i>Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux </i>(Nintendo 3DS)<br />
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This was pretty much my jumping off point into the darkly weird and wonderful SMT franchise when it originally released for the Nintendo DS, and goodness what a jumping point! Sure, the integration of the alignment system into the battle system was kind of wacky (and a smidge unfair), and the difficulty was often cheap, but the story was a provocative look into the worst excesses of the human psyche, manifested as various surreal dungeons, and filled with the shocking,often gory moments that have become a hallmark of the SMT games. It is unfortunate, not to mention absurd, that Atlus has refused to provide an English dub for a game with characters of all nationalities and ethnicities, but it is hardly a deal breaker, and the extras - touched up graphics, a new route, a new character, a new dungeon, and new difficulties - make this pretty much an irresistible proposition for a JRPG whore such as myself.<br />
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<i>Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition </i>(Steam)<br />
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As controversial as the original release of this game was, Hajime Tabata and his team at Square-Enix do deserve credit for striving to expand on both the narrative and the game mechanics. The game also has some top-tier husbando material in the form of Ignis and Gladiolus, what can I say? I'm looking forward to experiencing this in glorious HD, remastered lighting and effects and all - no 4K for me thanks, 100 GB is going to be killer on both my HDD and internet connection, never mind 155 GB! Whether it is ultimately deemed as an abject failure or a legendary opus magnum by critical and popular consensus, one thing still remains true - a mainline <i>Final Fantasy</i> game is not to be ignored.<br />
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Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-4059198465295226902018-01-18T11:25:00.003-08:002018-01-18T11:31:01.223-08:00Games of 2017 That Deserve More Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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During the course of 2017, I played many games (mainly RPGs) that were excellent in their own right, but perhaps have not received the attention that they deserve. I'm going to list off a few, in no particular order, and why they deserve more love.<br />
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<i>Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection</i><br />
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An action RPG from Falcom that oozes charm from every pore, particularly in the visual and audio departments, aided greatly by XSEED's sterling localisation. The characters and environments are styled in vibrant anime fashion, and the music ranges from earworm town tunes to atmospheric and sometimes even moving ballads. The visuals and sound effects that accompany every blow the main characters (Ragna Valentine and Alwen du Moonbria) strike make combat particularly satisfying, even if it isn't particularly complicated, and the food system that is used to level up the MCs is inventive and flexible. Zwei: II can be bought from GOG or Steam.<br />
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<i>The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6001849363021733506" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>A follow-up to The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC and SC, this instalment stars a new protagonist, Kevin Graham, who is working for the Septian Church as a Dominion, recovering dangerous sacred artifacts from the likes of Ouroboros, and punishing heretics on behalf of the Church. It can technically be enjoyed on its own but is mainly aimed at fans of the previous two games, as it follows up on the stories of the main and side protagonists from those games, as well as fleshing out the background of some characters. At turns heartbreaking and achingly beautiful in both narrative and music, this is a deep delve into Kevin's psyche as he strives to escape the realm of Phantasma together with Ries Argent, a colleague of his, and uncover the mysteries behind Phantasma's creation and who trapped them there. Yet another excellent JRPG from Falcom, with a wonderful localisation from XSEED, this gem can be bought from GOG or Steam.<br />
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<i>Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony</i><br />
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A visual novel cum murder mystery set in a deadly killing game that takes place at a school that has been taken over by the psychotic bear Monokuma and his Monokubs, this is an incredibly stylish and darkly disturbing game from Spike Chunsoft, developers of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and localised with proficiency by NIS America, although certain parts of the localisation, such as Gonta's dialogue, could be better. Nonetheless, Danganronpa V3 delivers a wild ride, with a very controversial but also thought-provoking and challenging ending. It can be bought on Steam, PS Vita or PS4.<br />
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<i>Torment: Tides of Numenera</i><br />
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Perhaps not quite the spiritual successor to <i>Planescape: Torment</i> that it was claimed or expected to be, this western RPG from inXile Entertainment is nevertheless a worthwhile journey that asks, "What does one life matter?" and answers it in insightful, sometimes surprising ways. The production values aren't stellar and the characters could have done with more depth and development, but the environments that I encountered along the way, such as the Maw (basically an organic, gigantic sentient being that devours souls and has people living in it) are mostly artfully constructed and full of side quests and nooks and crannies. The "Effort" mechanic that involves deciding how much effort (represented by points) you want your main character to put into any activity, whether it is in combat or dialogue, adds an interesting twist, even if it doesn't always make a noticeable difference to the outcome of events. Keep your expectations in check (this is a Kickstarter game after all), and you might find yourself enjoying this little RPG with a lot of heart. It can be bought on Steam or GOG.<br />
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<b>Honourable Mentions</b><br />
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<i>Miitopia</i><br />
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A thoroughly weird and often amusing JRPG from Nintendo starring the Miis, the virtual avatars that used to be the stars of the Wii, Wii U and 3DS. You get to create Miis or choose from your own or others' Mii collections to star as playable characters in your party and as NPCs, leading to some downright outlandish results, especially if you opt to let the game randomly choose the Miis. The dungeon crawling is very basic and pretty much on-rails, other than allowing you to choose which path to take your party down. Random events and traps spice up the dungeons though, providing humorous moments which sometimes affect your party or their relationships. Your party's relationships are also a big part of the game, leading to various gameplay bonuses as their relationship levels increase, depending on who you pair them up with. It all wears a little thin towards the end of the game as events start repeating and the relationships all follow the same track, other than the occasional quarrel. I still found it to be a relaxing and charming experience, with some pretty great tunes to accompany it. It can be bought for Nintendo 3DS.<br />
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<i>Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome Amiibo</i><br />
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Why, oh why, did I not get this game earlier? Yes, I know, it wasn't released in 2017, but that's when I bought it, and it's an honourable mention, so shush mmkay? Anyway, this chilled and expansive life sim from Nintendo starring a human (played by you) in a village full of animals is an experience that has brought me new experiences and surprises pretty much every time I fire it up, from an oceanic encounter with an otter whose hippie-ish catchphrase "Maaan" cracks me up a little when I read it, to the pleasures of sipping and serving coffee at The Roost with Brewster the pigeon. The Welcome Amiibo update added quite a chunk of content, including the camp-ground, which is run by a hippie dog called Harvey, and brings in many new interesting faces and items. The only pity is that the DLC is no longer in circulation, but this instalment of the cult AC franchise is still quite possibly the best yet, and well worth getting on Nintendo 3DS.<br />
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Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-30238046235118116022017-12-04T21:24:00.002-08:002017-12-06T11:39:43.857-08:00Adventuring Through Impressions - Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Digital Deluxe - Head Start<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>These impressions are based on roughly an hour's time with the latest version (as of writing) of Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Digital Deluxe - Head Start (which is basically a beta version available to those who pre-order). Check out my thoughts after the jump!</i><br>
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</div><a href="https://adventuringthroughgames.blogspot.com/2017/12/adventuring-through-impressions.html#more">Read more »</a>Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-36073487390806687582017-12-02T22:41:00.001-08:002017-12-02T22:41:34.989-08:00Shin Megami Tensei IV Doesn't Do Much With Its Titular Character<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Shin Megami Tensei IV is a dark, intense and atmospheric Japanese role-playing game set in two realms in a post-apocalyptic Japan (I won't spoil their names, just know that they are quite different). The occasionally fierce battles that can be waged with demons, and the tense exploration of ruined areas and surreal dungeons, reinforce the atmosphere expertly, along with the catchy yet sometimes disturbing background music.<br>
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However, the game's story fails to give the player a valid narrative reason to be doing what they are told to do in certain areas, by undermining the plot points and objectives it presents with a lack of characterization and by contradicting its earlier themes and messages.<br>
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MILD SPOILER WARNING: From here on in, this post contains opinions and information that may spoil the events of Shin Megami Tensei IV for new players or players that have not played certain routes.<br>
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</div><a href="https://adventuringthroughgames.blogspot.com/2017/12/shin-megami-tensei-iv-doesnt-do-much.html#more">Read more »</a>Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-63425775441866399692017-12-02T21:50:00.001-08:002017-12-02T21:50:14.855-08:00Sometimes, You Need a Break From Your Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hello, fellow adventurers. I know I've been quiet for a long time. The truth is, other things - work, family, friends, and other ventures pop up. Burnout is also a factor - it can happen with any hobby or interest.<br>
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</div><a href="https://adventuringthroughgames.blogspot.com/2017/12/sometimes-you-need-break-from-your.html#more">Read more »</a>Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-56745234792246475252017-08-16T23:55:00.004-07:002017-08-16T23:55:36.191-07:00Japanese Role-Playing Games That NEED PC Ports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Disclaimer: I'm not a PC Master Race douchebag.<br />
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As of late, the PC market for JRPGs has picked up considerably, with the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy and X/X-2 HD remasters expanding it even further. However, there are still some glaring gaps in the JRPG library on PC. I will be listing a few, and giving my reasons for doing so.<br />
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<li><i>Final Fantasy</i> - this is probably the most obvious candidate, and yet for some reason, Square-Enix STILL hasn't gotten around to porting this milestone JRPG over to PC. Granted, it has not aged well, but that's all the more reason for a nice HD remaster in the vein of <i>Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection</i> (yes, I know that's also not on PC!).</li>
<li><i>Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King</i> - now you may be asking, why not <i>Dragon Quest I</i>? Well, firstly, the Dragon Quest series is still relatively niche, and secondly, <i>DQVIII</i> is one of the best received and best-selling <i>DQ</i> titles in the entire series, so it makes too much sense for SE to bring it over, particularly as they have proven more than capable of doing HD remasters - just look at the grand job they did with <i>FFX/FFX-2 HD Remaster</i>!</li>
<li><i>Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl</i> - yes, yes I KNOW, this is a dual screen game! But just think about it - the 3DS is dying a slow, drawn-out death, and Nintendo has no plans for a dual-screen successor. Where else is the series going to go? Plus, dual monitor setups are a thing, so theoretically, one screen could be devoted to the first-person view, and another, perhaps a touch screen, could be used for the map! Alternatively, the map could be relegated to a (free) phone or tablet app. Just think of all the <i>Wizardry</i> and <i>Might & Magic</i> fans chomping at the bit to play this gem!</li>
<li><i>Persona 5</i> - another obvious choice, I know, but probably the most commercially viable, due to the fact that it was released a mere four months ago, and the PS4 version probably wouldn't be a massive hassle. The sheer amount of buzz in the emulation community surrounding this game should be enough of a clue of the thirst for this game to ATLUS, who seem determined to keep their heads buried in the sand.</li>
<li><i>Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch</i> - with the sequel coming out in less than a year, why not do a cheap and dirty port to keep fans' thirst temporarily sated? This JRPG has its issues, mostly with the combat, but it is still an incredibly charming and sweet game that deserves a larger audience.</li>
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So, that's my wishlist! Do you know any console-exclusive JRPGs that you would love to see PC ports for? Comment below with your thoughts!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347364978504930286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-47671612407984113402017-08-13T08:53:00.003-07:002017-08-13T08:53:58.198-07:00Sunday's Child: Gods and Religion in Games<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A simple Norse village at the start of <i>Black & White</i>.</td></tr>
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Hello, all you "bonnie and blithe and good and gay" Sunday's Children! Today I will be examining what I know is a sensitive topic for many - gods and religion - within the context of two video games.<br />
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<i>Black & White</i> - this is probably one of the more popular "god games", as it was developed by a studio that was headed by the (in)famous Peter Molyneux, one of the visionaries behind gems like <i>Theme Hospital</i> and <i>Populous</i>. This game literally casts you in the role of an all-seeing deity that aims to become more powerful by amassing worshippers, both non-believers and those of rival gods alike. You also have your very own gigantic creature, to use or abuse as you wish. This is a fairly simplistic representation of gods and religion, as no fictional or real religions are ever named in-game, and you can't, for example, set rules and punishments for your worshippers or creature to abide by. Still, the Artificial Intelligence of your creature is impressively versatile and malleable, as is the degree to which you physically shape the world that you hover over.<br />
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<i>Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse</i> - this is a Japanese role-playing game in which you play the "God Slayer", literally someone that can kill gods. How this happens I will leave a secret, so as not to spoil the game for anyone. Along your merry path of myth murdering, you encounter various religious sects and political groups. The three main factions are Law, Neutral, Chaos, and the Divine Powers, aka one of the main antagonists of the game, because they seek to deliver everyone's souls into a recreated universe, even though this would result in billions of deaths. Interestingly enough, you cannot actually side with the Divine Powers, although you can take what is called the Massacre route, which basically allows them to achieve their goal and positions you as the "god" of the new universe. The game comprehensively covers real world religions, mythological beings and deities from all corners of the world in a generally neutral and reasonably accurate manner. What is disappointing is that it never really delves deeply into matters of personal faith, at least not until you face the TRUE final boss. The Law faction, led by the archangel Merkabah, also gets kind of shafted in their depiction, as they are shown to be arrogant and callous, without a shred of compassion for humanity. This makes them seem like rather one-dimensional, unsympathetic enemies. The Divine Powers, especially Krishna - their leader - get a much fairer shake. Krishna is a genuinely devious and likeable antagonist with a fabulous sense of style. I mean, just look at this gorgeous son of a b***:<br />
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Hell, even the Chaos faction, led by Lucifer, are easier to sympathise with, as they stand up to the tyrannical ways of the Law faction, even if their philosophy of the strong running roughshod over the weak is somewhat questionable. However, that relatively minor complaint doesn't shadow the fact that, overall, this game will at the very least educate you about the various religions and mythologies that exist, and will hopefully inspire you to re-examine what you believe in. It is proof that religion and gods CAN be depicted within the context of the videogame in thought-provoking and challenging ways.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347364978504930286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-77572199286335386922017-08-12T04:39:00.001-07:002017-08-12T05:58:20.731-07:00Saturday's Child Works Hard for a Living: How Videogames Depict Work<br />
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Hey all you Saturday kiddos. Today I'm going to be examining how work is depicted in videogames, both on a narrative level and on a mechanical level, with two games that fall on the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of realism and seriousness.<br />
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First, on the more light-hearted, "wacky" end of the spectrum, we have a little visual novel game called <i>Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney</i>, which, as you may have guessed, depicts the exploits of an <strike>evil piece of lawyer-shaped scum</strike> attorney, as he fights to prove his clients Not Guilty in every trial, and eventually moving onto the broader goal of "pursuing the truth" (as if any real lawyer gave a damn about that 😜)! Originally released in Japan as Gyakuten Saiban (lit. Turnabout Trial), this was eventually localised much later for the West, where the game's setting was changed from Japan to "Japanifornia" for some reason - something that has proven to be the cause of some very unique issues in later instalments. Despite having some very bizarre moments, e.g. animals testifying in court, this game is a pretty decent representation of how Japan's legal system was at the time of the game's release. Some "unrealistic" gameplay elements, such as Phoenix, the titular attorney, investigating the crime scene personally - it would have been pretty dull if the entire game had taken place in the courtroom! This is a groundbreaking classic and is a must-play for any visual novel or detective fiction fan. <a href="http://www.nintendo.co.za/Games/Nintendo-3DS-download-software/Phoenix-Wright-Ace-Attorney-Trilogy-942989.html" target="_blank">You can buy <i>Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy</i>, which includes, the first game, here.</a><br />
<b>Realism score: six "Objection!"s out of ten</b><br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/65/Papers_Please_-_Title_Logo.png/250px-Papers_Please_-_Title_Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Papers Please - Title Logo.png" border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/65/Papers_Please_-_Title_Logo.png/250px-Papers_Please_-_Title_Logo.png" /></a><br />
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On the more serious and "gritty" end of the spectrum, we have <i>Papers, Please</i>, a puzzle game which casts you as a border crossing immigration offer in the fictional, dystopian country of Arstotzka, which has a politically hostile relationship with other countries. Your job is to carefully review every single immigrant and returning citizen's passports and supporting documentation against a list of rules that steadily grows as you progress through the game. You will be faced with difficult decisions, such as whether or not to let someone with falsified documents through so they can reunite with your family, and jeopardise your job in the process, or detain them and thereby contribute to their suffering. This game is not easy by any means; it is very easy to mess up and end up getting "fired" through too many mistakes or by deliberately allowing too many people with falsified documentation through. This game is recommended for people with a high tolerance for frustration and a desire to see the darker side of humanity and life. <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/papers_please?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">You can buy <i>Papers, Please</i> here.</a><br />
<b>Realism score: 8 detained immigrants out of ten</b><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347364978504930286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-24341036527677802302017-08-11T07:19:00.001-07:002017-08-11T07:28:26.578-07:00Interview with Zero no Kiseki Fan Translators<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was lucky enough to secure an interview with the very passionate and talented people who are unofficially translating Zero no Kiseki, aka Trails to Zero (not confirmed to be the final translated name).<br />
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<b>1. Have you guys brought this fan translation up with Falcom? And if so, what is Falcom's stance on the matter?</b><br />
Zerker: I don't think we have?<br />
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Gu4n: Nope, we haven’t. There isn’t really any reason to.<br />
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Zerker: Either way, Falcom has been fine with fan translation projects in the past, so I'm sure this is no different.<br />
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<b>2. Any challenges unique to this translating this game?</b><br />
JoseJL: Getting Aerial to run at a proper framerate.<br />
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Gu4n: (laughs) How long did that take again?<br />
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JoseJL: 3 weeks. Sure, not full time, but still 3 weeks...<br />
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Zerker: There are always a few barriers to get over. For example, the format of the spreadsheet we use to edit can be confusing at times. Occasionally, conversations will jump around the sheet and you have to figure out what piece of dialogue connects with what.<br />
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Gu4n: Yup. For example, dialogues that are part of the story are in the bottom half of each sheet. And within that half, the dialogues are chronologically sorted from the last chapter down to the first. It might seem counter-productive, but it’s actually more helpful to start at the bottom of a sheet and work our way up than the other way around.<br />
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Zerker: As for the game itself, the scope of the project was a little daunting at first. There's so many different NPCs walking around Crossbell City and we have to try to flesh out every one. But hey, that's a huge reason why so many people love this series. Another challenge, for me personally, is sometimes editing the younger characters. Getting that kiddy way of speaking is a bit challenging to get down-pat for some of them.<br />
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Gu4n: We each have our own forte. Zerker, for example, nails the enthusiasm of Crossbell News Service reporter Grace Lynn or the bonding moments between Lloyd and Elie. I prefer Randy’s quips or Tio’s deadpan jokes. Sergei, their chief, has this laissez-faire attitude I can also appreciate. Oh, and I love working on ace detective Dudley as well.<br />
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Zerker: Last challenge that comes to mind is trying to keep it consistent with XSeed's writing style. It's mainly grammatical issues, but it's also how they write certain words, like "y'know" and "heehee", just to give a few examples. I've been keeping my eye out for how things are written while replaying Trails of Cold Steel on PC actually!<br />
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Gu4n: Second that. Whenever I’m working on the script, I always have XSEED’s scripts open as well to ensure consistency between the games. Since they have consistenly localised Müller as Mueller, we’re following suit with Sonya Baelz (Bälz) and Joachim Guenter (Günter), for example.<br />
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<b>3. Do you believe this game will ever see an official localisation, and why/why not?</b><br />
Gu4n: Pretty much everything gets localised these days, so I’m sure this will be brought over sooner or later as well.<br />
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Zerker: Honestly, I have no idea if it will or not. I hope it does (after we finish our project, of course), but I don't see it happening before Sen no Kiseki III is localized. Sen III seems, to me, like the most important game that people will want to localize first.<br />
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JoseJL: I think so, too.<br />
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<b>4. Finally, sorry but I'm morally obligated to ask this (😉): any release date, even a tentative one?</b><br />
Gu4n: Nope. 😊<br />
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Zerker: I won't make any promises, but I hope that we'll be able to release the final version of the project before Sen no Kiseki III drops in English. Well, that's the goal, at least.<br />
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To check out the progress of the fan translation for Zero no Kiseki, check out <a href="https://geofront.esterior.net/" target="_blank">The Geofront</a>, which posts occasional progress reports.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347364978504930286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-21068282064019347162017-08-11T03:54:00.000-07:002017-08-11T04:02:17.092-07:00Friday's Child is Loving and Giving: Valiant Hearts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Today, for all the "Friday's Children" out there, I will be looking at one specific game, namely, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and how it depicts love and self-sacrifice in various forms.<br /><br /> As the name implies, Valiant Hearts: The Great War is set during World War I, and at various points the player is put in the shoes of four characters; the Frenchman Emile, his German son-in-law Karl, American soldier Freddie, and Belgian nurse Anna.<br /><br /> Emile undergoes various hardships, such as seeing his entire military unit being wiped out. However, there is a silver lining, as he meets Freddie through the course of his struggles, and together they forge a strong, almost brotherly bond, in which each is willing to sacrifice their well-being and even their life for the other's sake.<br /><br /> Karl is separated from his wife and son early on in the game, and goes to extreme lengths, risking life and limb, to reunite with them. He also stays in touch with his wife via letters, demonstrating just how strong their love for each other is.<br /><br /> Freddie's love for his wife, who was killed in a German bombing raid, compels him to voluntarily join the French army in order to exact revenge on the leader of the bombing raid. However, once he finally gets his chance for his revenge, he realises that it will not bring his wife back or achieve anything else, and he spares the bombing raid leader's life.<br /><br />Anna is a battlefield nurse, who goes to great lengths to help the wounded and sick, even those from the enemy's army. She also has a bone to pick with the bombing raid's leader, who captured her father, and she risks her life to rescue him.<br /><br />All four characters, in their own way, are "Friday's Children" - people with great love and compassion for others; people who put themselves in harm's way even when there is no guarantee that they will be able to protect or save anyone. This game is a brilliant, touching tribute to all who served in World War I with love and kindness. <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/260230/Valiant_Hearts_The_Great_War__Soldats_Inconnus__Mmoires_de_la_Grande_Guerre/">I highly recommend that you buy it.</a></span><ol>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347364978504930286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-73374339067452649602017-08-09T23:53:00.001-07:002017-08-09T23:53:04.523-07:00Thursday's Child Has Far to Go: Character Development in Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, for all you Thursday's Children out there, I will take a look at how "far to go" characters in certain games have, in other words, their character development.</div>
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<a href="https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/b/b3/Kanji_Tatsumi_render.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/230?cb=20120401104238" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for Kanji Tatsumi" border="0" height="200" src="https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/b/b3/Kanji_Tatsumi_render.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/230?cb=20120401104238" width="94" /></a><a href="https://wallpaperscraft.com/image/the_witcher_3_wild_hunt_geralt_107975_3840x2400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for geralt witcher 3" border="0" height="125" src="https://wallpaperscraft.com/image/the_witcher_3_wild_hunt_geralt_107975_3840x2400.jpg" width="200" /></a><img alt="Image result for Estelle Bright" src="data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBxIQEBAREBIVFhMVGBsRGBUYGBkWGRcbFRUXFxcRHRkYHSggGxolGxcbITEiJikrLi4wFyA1ODMvOCgtLzcBCgoKDg0OGxAQGy0mHyItLS8tLy0rLSsrLS4tLS01Ly0tNS8tLS0vLSstLS0tNS4rMi0tLy8vLS0tNS0rLS01Lf/AABEIAN8A4gMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAbAAEAAgMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQYBAwQHAv/EAD4QAAIBAgUBBwEFBgUDBQAAAAECAAMRBAUSITFBBhMiUWFxgTIjQlKRsQcUM4KSoWJyosHwQ8LRU2PS4fH/xAAaAQEAAwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAUG/8QAKhEBAAICAgEBBwQDAAAAAAAAAAECAxESMSFBBBMiMlFh8HGBkeGhsdH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/APcYiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiJgmAvMapEZ7ntPCr4jdjsqjck+3/P7iVrGdoSEL96xqc6EZrL5Biu1/yPoZnfLWs69W+P2e9436L7eZlIwXat6dFDVXvnJt9n9fsw0hdXPB3txO7FdsaVE/agqdrpuzrcXsyoGC7Hqd7y3Ov1R7i/pH59lpnyjgi4N+R+RsR+YnBQzig9PvFqoU4vcbH8JHIb05mnI0qFsTWcMi1qgdKbfUqrTWnqI+6W0BtPIvvvcSzPj3tLxEQqREQEREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREBERAREwTAGR+a5gKS7bsb2Htyx9B5/pzOnEV9Nhyx4Ucn/69eko/avPAj9zTIZrhqz8jwm60AOoB3K/BvqYSl7cY1HbbDj52QmaLUrYgKQXrvayb+ANuL/hvz52ufCN2ks47OrhMKtRmNSrqAJ1FQtwfs6SjZb/RfZjrvfYCd3YXBE1K2Ifdvpvzdm8Tm/UgaRf/ABGdPbepqFOkDaxux8tVlA9yGI/mkcYrXfq6ZvNskY469VTpZ93FMU6Snvn8CsPEUS+5UHy2A4F9zxN2GbD6Da5a+mz3sHY2sW4ZyzfNybCYTJapoU61GmKjV2AKtqX7O5CU/DYqLWJu25YywZnkwWlT8AVBoC01F+63L1m1dbhQvp4j6DlnFGu3TOeItqIVDM6DYfEUzSqkDWGADGwOpQTa9r2bn0npeTZ6KxVXUIzLrXxag21yAbDcc28t55pmGB7urRq1NQZmuKbAqVUMgBIIG7KG9PB7zsyrGsdQ+l6bBl9NgVPtcX9jNce69T4VzVjLH3etgzM5MtxYrUkqLwwDW8vNfcG4+J1zpeTPgiIgIiYJgZnyWkZnmf4fBIGxFQLf6V5ZrfhUbnkb8C+5ErGX9qK2ZK/7rSqJZtIY7IF/Gz8Fr38I/wBUnS0UnW/RZcdmrLr7pUbQLszPoW5P0DY3b8p0ZNmAxFFaoFrki3O6sVJB6jbmQGC7GgstTF1nqMCCEXwU1twv4j+YHpLVRpBFCqAFACgAWAA2AAHAiUTr0bIiJCCIiAiIgIiICYMzNOK1aG0fVY2F7XPQX6CBrxeOpUrd5UVL8aiAT7DrIjMc9qfThsPVqE8OUYJ+gv8AJE68qyZKBNQnXWbdqpG+/IA+6J2YrEKi6mNh+u17D4BPoATwImJaRxietqbmzYunQapWqBGbwKq2Lsx43GwUbtYeW2k7ypUsOHJC76So92J2F/QAsT/hEtj0KuZ1ywJTDp4A3nv4it+WPn0sPaZ7LZXTevWemoFGmxC9dZICgk9fAoJ8+8I4JEw935h3xlilJ339uo+ywZDhv3fC0w4sxGthYk6m302AuSBZf5ZwZjkpqpWeqSGcBFtuygmzPt98gkADi9t7yRzPNadIqGVm8aqbAEKWIW7XI2Gq/XiQWMzN61VaWHXQTwRsRfgsQR723NgT0m/wzP6f4cUc/m+qQyLG6MBh3qIS4VEYdbkCzm/mLH5tOjMCmKoVlSoQGBp6luGU2ubWIN/Y/wC82ZhppBRT03CaNLfToQfU/kq+frbrY1Kv2lNmZNL0aGks6gBajs3hoU0H1XI87AXJY2EwrTlbUL8oiOSHxOCD4laFHWaVNSV1EkkMNWxO5uv0nqaxMlO0uB/dsUWA8FRFYH1pqqOv5LTP80+cizUUqtTEYuiwao2ovcGw2IuABfcA32toW3G9g7bPTfA98LMFZKisPJmCt/oZtvbym9qfCnF7RFskanx06exVcGi1O/8ADcj4bxA/J1SyieedlXNKrScfSxqUKm//AKaUir/FyT6CeggxHmGWeury+pi8+XqAAkmwG5J2A9ZHY3NUpjdrX2UkElidgFQeJjHTOI276tYLyfQeZ9AOp9JSO0fbCsapweApO2J+94LlARe9m8I5HiY6RccycpYfEV93LUUPqDXa/S48NMeg39pJZZldHDJoo01QHc25Y/iY8sfUx5lek1rO5jal5L+z81Kn7xmbmtUO/daiy+gdzu9vwiyjjcS+0aKooVQFVRYKAAABwABsBNgEzHSL3tedyxaZiIUIiICIiAiIgJ8VCRwAfS9p9xAicRnBp31YbE/yotS/toY/3tI5e0+ktqwuLKcg9w2oeakHp5Ee3S5s1pi0LxavrCn4ntPiKhC4fDMoP36gJP8ASBsfzm7BZLVrnXi6jMCN1+jUOdGkfSnmOTte1t7RUuBcAn0Fr/3IEjcTRxNUEBloKeovUqH52CfGr0IlOPncztrGWNarER9/VGZ/jW0thMIPEAFqFeKYbZaK2271+ANtIuxsAJ35bg1weFWncXUXZuAWY7sfJbn4A9JuynKxQQDYkXOw0i7ctuSS56sT7WG0jO1y97hqx12RA3hBAFZwCoon/Bc2IHJ2OwIN/Pak2ifhjr/ap47H1cTUelgl72q1qt38K0aNwQCD/wBR7hj18XnN2Aq4pcIr0HVamrvHqEWoldwfG99V9rHfjyN5w5Pgw+GpvTYh3ep3jkspcVeblCDY2Xbj0k9TyZAg1E1GUWXUbhR0UDov/ic1ZrSOOml72tKFy6pWx9IviH1MrsoXQFokobBiFsWN9wTxcWsb34MfVarQVaZRHp4k/ZgaQzKgRXQnZxs/XzkhkeLp06WJpMwDLVqMQSAdDEWcXtcc7DynBgyaamr3ZqU8NiqyvpsxVKjjvCPOwN7eh85GCLe+taf2b55rbBFI/f8AhxZhj8Sx7ishWpa2llKG34rHp6yQqVKtDCnAVnQFmFWmpa7gMDdCig6VLG4LW3vJHKcYtYmsndjDhicOj7MOAMSAD9LC5FO1j4SfOfWd1sPRc4RKNTF4ojvaiK5VVLeK7MASWNweOoJtcX75mOnm4sU0vyiXRl9+4wJA/i1K3hPW9FqNvk/rLzjMwSkL1GAHmdh+Z/TmeZGpmGKqYWhh6H7v3AJOrimGIBBcga1sLeEEm5B6y/YDIACtTEN31RbabgCnTsNglPcD3Nz6zPWo1DpyzEzufzy0d9VxZXukAp2v3tQGwO3ip0zYt1sxt6SUwGVpSJbdqhveo51Mb8i/QegsJ3BZ9SNMpswBMxEKkREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREBETBgc2PDlGFO2o7c6enQ2Nj62nnGa5lh8R34poUdG7l6RAGiooK/UpKsAVJuDsQOLz0iszG4Qb2vfy8vmUajk4q1qrAKtNSx1WAXawZyRuWJHXnTzJiY5RVpWPG0FgSFpvTvYWBsOhFmFv5WX8jN1fPXSkGDAC29+hGxG8rfa6p3GKd8LU7ymypqcAhVqaSO79DpUEC9yDIWjRr4ypTUndmKqSCF1BdRGwN2t0A6j3meTFHKZ9E13PS29j1oZmTTxGtXpM7JUpsab6Kp16CRyDpdfQPtYy91Bg8OgRqlKglJfDSUgaRa4JA3uefM+s87w+TVMpqpV/eE1ujArpsLAqTYlrEgC4v5cG8tNDF4WmiO41srd4y6S5LC6sxHU9d99pjbNFZ1Xp0VwzMblzYerisapp4HCItNm1HFVlKbbX0gWJ3F+vJuBzLhkvZ+jg2rVixatWbXUc8E72VR0UXNhvzPjA5rVxLKKSqqbEk+LSPIgGwa3AuT5iS6YAXu7O3oTYf0rYH5vNp527YWmsS4MRXFSoq0kZnB+sbBP8zf9vJHSTiiYSmAAALAdJ9ya14xpna3IiIllSIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgJrqNPnFVtCs1r2BNvOw4kImeDSKrW0fkRva5uT+X6yl8ladr0x2t0lcTiBTX1P6ykdtq5w+EakCLVNT1B1CcimN+p29b2EsONzGnhwa2JaxA1BOoHQkG1vm357TyvtJnLZlWJpKRTv8AePgGna97XPnbpeRTfzS2jHvxHX1/40YipS7tKYCtTRNQa4K6qioSGLXXw20gBdV18rTq7O51Uwops1G2FKuFdKbWXxqKmIbkk3QLY24WwA2kXmGSVqbaXFz0I4I66QNrW8t5xY/AGlouDYgGxvcEgXHp/wA8o5Uv4me29qTWPFevWUr2nz+jimLDURsBsQQF4O9t/wD5Tf8As7xVKrijQrGoq1ABTbWPCy8KdQI8QsB6qo6yGweTPU3I0r68/lJuhly0VOkAjqDz5X9v0mM5cOOOPbWns+bLO+ntmAwy0qdOmn0ooQeyiw4nTPPsk7aMmmlWTWAotUBs5HFmDbFh1Nxe1+suWW5tSxA+za55KnZh66Tvb1G3rOit636lwZcGTHPxQkImAZmWYkREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREBEReAnyxmHqAC5NhI3M8zWlTLsSoJ0rtdmJ4VU5J9x8R0mI2g+0+aU3Wph6jsoY6RTT+JV0kE2v9zYi1jcdQNpCYfJGV1GJZm3umFpHU5AOxqMDpW2q1wALdRJjIsmANRqdE0y50Nq3YhV063fcs7G5sDza5O0kM4b9xwzPQpqWLoGsVQnW4VmGvYtv4VJtx0mXDlM2s6Ivx1WqE7SCglJFxxp2LB6eGB2BBI7125bY2uSATsSQTKpmOPoX8LIE8K+AXQC3hUsosBb7qg89SbmOzZmNetrctV1uCSS1gGOkaj002+BLl2I7PUzh1LeIVF3vuLMNJQDyIG/nKWrF45TMxDppb3PWplBYeoUrNSNVH0KGNPc3UjUNBPJAN77cW9pTF4IVAjIQ211v1B6AnyPQ+s3Zn+zzug1XDVHapTA7lWtZQpv3ZPLAi6+LgN15kN2bzLSamGxXgdWtYkXRja4vfdSSOPO/HHBm9ntrlTy7MXtdZ7bRhyLrbckf/AJOpcpZ1PT3O+/TyMnEwjW8YuBw19x8+UiKGcU2qNTp1A9t7jg25APB+Jw7t27PeRPiukU2X1qZ0lTcbA2+oe3/OJ9YjEgKyNSGsAlQwsQ1tiNXB9RxLdhtwNrg9OZyZoVYjBoxNSuCFTxErf/q3H3Ra5B5Cn2nTgyzN43H8OfPknjMRray9i6bLgMJrJLGmHNzq/ieO1+ttVviTk0YPDimiU1+lFCD2UAD+wm+e7L50iIkBERAREQEREBERAREQETBaROc9oKGF/i1AG/D19z5D3+LwmKzadQlS04qmYJpZg66V+p7jQtubt1PoPm0otbtPicxY0cvoa1+lqj3Wgn+Y8ufT/SZY8j7Kild8TVbEVWIdiwAphgAAVpjYWAA3vwLWtIiZlpbHFY+KfP0b6eKqYixw48Nv47gheu9ND9XIseD+IzrwWTohLtepVIsaj+JjfkDoq+gt63kkFn1JZzL4VLbD2mrGYOnWRqdVFdG2KsAwPuDOiJO0PPMZ+zKnqY0cQ6JuVpsofSeQNVwSvvc+skMpb9xosmIYfYKSzKDYqBqBAO52IHvtLkRKl+0PJWxGFc0gS4KalHL01qK7DbkqLsPPcdZW1OfhrXLMRO/o+cufE5jSFZqj4ei26CmbVGF/qLHhfjfnYc1XtXkfcVP3ivUdk+k4hRaog8nCABxbhrAg2G+09FyWsrUlVbDSNNhwAOLelprz3ArVovTYAhgVIPG4tIrbVtaViNPJcqyWtXplO/TujtrFXUrADSPs1IJsABZyLW9JtGTLRqoauJpU1TxaqZ1VqgA3C0gDYkbfeG/WdB7CYZjqV6oB3tdSBfp4lJ/Mya7P9jMPSrUdndy2vxNwtMhi2lQARq0LuD9Yl5w45nct49py1rxjxH59v7WXK8gcKpqVCDa5VQLgn7pYkg24vpF7SbwmXU6RuiAMRYva7t7sdz8npOpRPqZ1xUp8saY3y3v807YEzES7MiIgIiICIiAiIgIiIGCZG43OEpsUC1KjixKU0ZyL8An6VP8AmI5HnJFp5/UyjHsO4VFAUsGrkgd7qNzUNiSSb32G55tJ/RasR6sZr2rqtVNEalYkaaFHxVmW3i1Ol7EXvZBcW5tPrL+wKV6i4jGoFNh9hTNl24NRhuzWsDY723J4lqyDI6WEp6aYuxtrc/U5H6DyHS/mSZLASZ0nnMdNOFwqUkWnTRURRZVUBVA8gBsJutMxKqEREBERAT5YT6mDAgcxQ4d1q0x4SwRgOhYgA+xO3oSPWSoYMs48wIqNo+6pDN6sN1T42a/+X44MVV1Hmyjc9B7yLRuWkdOSjhialQW2V2HxqJX+1pPZZhgL1OrAAHyUXIA9ySfkeQlfwmO1Urjl2ABP/uPop/2ZSfaW6koAAGwGwH+0t5RaWwRESFCIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICYtMxAREQEREBERAREQE4s1zGlhqTVa7hEXlj67AADck+Q3nYZ5z+03GLVbDUAfCtUVHPTa66b+Y3B8tQ9YXpXlOkrSx+tSwvZiWF9j4iTx82nFXPet3XK8v7dF+T/AGBkXj83WhSLt04H4j0USXyCndEbkuBUY8XJA/22+JfWl9JCphwP3deprIf6Tq/7ZaklZ+rFYVPwl6p/lQr+tRZZlkT0zt2+oiJVUiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiIHw88S7QYgV8U5s1SmHeooWw+zaq5DDqQTv52tbyPq/anEMmGcJfXUtRW1gQah0lhfa4Ukj1Ank+b5bXC1i1AhbhKe2rSq+FDdQV3LEm5v4j5TPLM+IiHX7LFfMzP5+eH1l/ZpMWlWuoNOjSsnDXqO1rJZtx9QBP+IWvuBfMGdPE0YXDrSy7C00+mowqfy71F/KyCZrVNK7C7MQqjzJNgPzmuOkRWIUyXm1p2luz9IvVq1jwAKK+99VT4+ge6mWITky3C91SRObDc+ZO7N8kk/M7JNp8sJIiJVBERAREQEREBERAREQEREBERAREQEREBERAREQIPtOpFNKm5Wm4dtr+GxGr42/WQeNxmoBVALEFVW99RYWA9F6k8AAnpLsy3kZVyulTWo1KkisUZfCoF9vpsPPb32l4mFonSpYvN8MndU1xFJqeHorT1h1IYmwI2JubU1/qM7OydZMXWaqt9NDwgMCp1uNjY77IT/UJT8qaiMRrKKpSmioQnh1AG7k2tffn/wASc7J08S+Pr1MO4FG6CvqGpXYA7LbfUFsL35vfixyrmmZ1rXh0XwxWszEvSVmZgTMs5SIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICacSCVYA6TYgN5bfV8TdI3tDVKYTFOv1LRqMPcU2I/vJgh4jRwJ0uxpKQgVjYAFdSBgbrZrc8cT1jsDhguDpup2carcm9yCSb7km/sAB0lcwHYoFWNSqCzAL4QSFKix3uNVzfkem/MsvYvDvh6b4V9+6N1ccMlS5B9DqD3HtETOvLoy8fRZhECJDnIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgIiICIiAiIgJpxdAVEdG4ZSh9mBB/sZuiBUcPhq1IlG17cEIXU+RBQH/VY+kkcjpVe9rO99BCqupSpJBYsbHe246dD7yb0zIEtNtrcmRERKqkREBERAREQEREBERAREQERED/2Q==" /></div>
<ol>
<li>Kanji from <i>Persona 4</i> - At first glance, Kanji might seem like a stereotypical thug with an attitude problem. However, the game explores his insecurities that mainly revolve around his hobbies, such as sewing, which are generally perceived as feminine, as well as his attraction to Naoto before he even discovers that "he" is a "she". He slowly but surely learns to come to terms with who he is and who is he attracted to, and realises that it doesn't matter what your hobbies are or who you're attracted to, as long as you're happy and not hurting anyone. Therefore, even though Kanji is never explicitly stated to be bi or gay, he still serves a great message to LGBT people everywhere, which is, quite simply: "Be yourself - no shame, no fear."</li>
<li>Geralt from <i>The Witcher 3</i> - Geralt comes across as very gruff and even cynical at first, but as the game progresses, you get to define how he develops as a character - within the limits of how he was written of course! You get to choose if you want "harsh, tough Geralt", "kind, good Geralt", or "somewhere-in-between Geralt". The best part? The game dishes out consequences for almost every single action or sentence performed on Geralt's behalf, but it never ever judges you with any kind of hackneyed morality system. This makes choice vs consequences framework feel truly organic, unlike, say, BioWare's games.</li>
<li>Estelle from <i>The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC</i> & <i>SC</i> - Estelle starts off as a pretty obnoxious "genki" (energetic) girl stereotype, but gradually matures into a compassionate, wise and determined young Bracer, while never treading into "Mary Sue" territory. All of her growth and accomplishments feel earned, and all of her relationships with the main cast are interesting, or at least enjoyable. Her relationship with Joshua in particular is very bittersweet at first, but they do finally get their "happily ever after" by the end of <i>SC</i>. <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/the_legend_of_heroes_trails_in_the_sky?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">You can buy the first Trails in the Sky right here.</a></li>
</ol>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347364978504930286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-76146304272298671112017-08-09T08:07:00.001-07:002017-12-05T21:27:17.628-08:00Wednesday's Child is Full of Woe: Depictions of Suffering in Games<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am a "Wednesday's Child". I have endured depression for the better part of my life, and therefore I am drawn to depictions of suffering.</div>
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Depicting suffering that arises from misfortune or the deaths of loved ones is a common theme in videogames. In this article I will go into four games that I feel depict suffering in sensitive and deeply moving ways.<br />
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<ol>
<li><i>To The Moon</i> - This game is about two doctors' attempts to fulfil the last wish of a dying old man. The gorgeous piano-heavy music and the simple but evocative visuals transform an already moving story into something transcendent. I delve deeper into the game's mechanics and themes in <a href="http://adventuringthroughgames.blogspot.co.za/2015/06/to-moon-quality-over-quantity.html" target="_blank">this article.</a> <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/to_the_moon?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">You can buy To The Moon here.</a></li>
<li><i>Persona 3 Portable</i> - One of my favourite Persona games of <a href="http://adventuringthroughgames.blogspot.co.za/2015/06/burning-my-dread.html" target="_blank">all time</a> (link contains a fairly minor late-game spoiler), mostly due to its moody, ominous atmosphere and the in-depth tackling of themes like terminal illness, family matters, suicide and apathy. <a href="https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-za/games/persona-3-portable/cid=EP4015-ULES01523_00-GPCPERSONA000001" target="_blank">You can buy Persona 3 Portable here.</a></li>
<li><i>Unrest</i> - An <a href="http://adventuringthroughgames.blogspot.co.za/2015/07/walking-mile-in-another-shoes.html" target="_blank">unusual indie game</a> that explores what it means to be a young girl in a society where arranged marriages are the norm, and how trying to fight against that norm can often lead to suffering many forms, e.g. social ostracisation and sexual harassment. The game also explores political upheaval and questions of faith, sometimes a little heavy-handedly, but mostly intelligently. <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/unrest?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">You can buy Unrest here.</a></li>
<li><i>The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd</i> - Last but not least, a game I <a href="http://adventuringthroughgames.blogspot.co.za/2017/08/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-in-sky-3rd-spoiler-free-review.html" target="_blank">recently reviewed,</a> that covers suffering so comprehensively that it sets a new bar for other games wishing to tackle it. I mean, what aspect of suffering ISN'T covered in this game? Let me count the ways: guilt, abandonment, sexual abuse, torture, implied child prostitution, military experimentation (even on minors!), trauma - the list goes on and on. However, none of these themes EVER feel forced - they all arise naturally from the characters' backstories and they are all explored with a deep, deep sense of compassion and humanity. I applaud <a href="http://www.falcom.co.jp/" target="_blank">Falcom</a> for daring to tread where few others would dare to, and I applaud <a href="http://www.xseedgames.com/" target="_blank">XSEED</a> for their absolutely brilliant localisation of what will surely be viewed as a classic, must-play Japanese role-playing game. <a href="https://www.gog.com/game/legend_of_heroes_trails_in_the_sky_the_3rd_the?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">If you loved Trails in the Sky FC and SC, do yourself the favour of buying Trails in the Sky the 3rd here. You will NOT regret it.</a></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347364978504930286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-36200819479696590692017-08-08T03:23:00.001-07:002017-08-08T03:23:21.211-07:00Tuesday's Child: "Grace" in Japanese GamesIt is said that Tuesday's child is full of grace. Therefore I will take that saying and look at how this "grace" is depicted in Japanese video games, i.e. the social and cultural etiquette and customs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Tales of Zestiria bath house scene" height="288" src="https://i.imgur.com/KSguczl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bath house scene from Tales of Zestiria.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Public bathing - public baths are segregated by gender in Japan, and games such as <i>Tales of Zestiria</i> often play up public bathing related transgressions for laughs, with the guys in the cast almost always being the ones transgressing, i.e. sneaking a peek at the girls, often resulting in the girls going apeshit and curbstomping the guys.</li>
<li style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Bowing - this is the most obvious example, and can be seen not only games like <i>Persona 4</i>, which revolves around a (fictional) Japanese town with a blend of rural and modern Japanese culture, but also games like <i>The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel</i>, which at first glance is set in a country that is based on an amalgam of Germany, Britain and other European countries, but also has the main protagonists (students) all doing things like rising and bowing at the end of each class.</li>
<li style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">The power of friendship/bonds - trying to go it alone is seen as big no-no in Japanese culture, and this is exemplified in many JRPGs, such as <i>Final Fantasy XV</i>, in which Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus and Noctis all share an extremely close, brotherly bond with one another, despite not actually being related by blood.</li>
<li style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Praying for good fortune - it is considered polite in Japanese culture to pray for someone's good fortune and even tell them that you will do so - not necessarily praying to any particular god or for anyone of a particular faith though. This custom often pops up in visual novels such as <i>Cherry Tree High Comedy Club</i>.</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347364978504930286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-23168487101767230052017-08-04T05:13:00.001-07:002017-08-04T05:13:14.884-07:00The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd - Spoiler-free Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Although Joshua and Estelle's story came to a satisfying conclusion in SC, this game effortlessly continues their stories, as well as delving deeper into the stories of Kevin Graham and Ries Argent. It also explores matters of faith, love and regret with a delicacy rarely seen in the realm of games.<br />
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💌 I loved:<br />
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<li>The music - some of the best tunes in the Trails series can be found right here, including <i>Cry for Me, Cry for You</i>, and the title screen theme.</li>
<li>The characters - Kevin is love, Kevin is life. Oh, and Anelace is cool too I guess.</li>
<li>The combat - this aspect is the most refined and arguably the most challenging out of all the TiTS games, although the turn effects can feel a little unfairly weighted towards your enemies' advantage, even on Easy.</li>
<li>The story, which has some genuine tears-inducing moments in Renne's Moon Door (not a spoiler!) and the various amusing little moments of banter between your party members, e.g. Olivier and his pervy creeper ways! The party members' and NPCs' constant banging on about the goddess Aidios and how wonderful she is do get a bit grating though - the only people that seem to have any sort of criticism or issue with the church are the villains! What gives?</li>
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😕I was ambivalent about:<br />
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<li>The reused areas from FC & SC - although these are justified by the narrative, it can be a little dull to trek through so many dungeons from previous games, particularly when the developers apparently couldn't be bothered to do anything more than reverse the map or add a few glowing barriers. At least these areas don't overstay their welcome (for the most part), and there are a couple of new dungeons, albeit basic ones.</li>
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💩I disliked:<br />
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<li>Not being able to change the difficulty mid-game - why tho Falcom? I can understand this sort of nonsense in MMORPGs and other online games, but in a single player game? No. Just no. This is exactly why I stick with Easy mode in all Trails games.</li>
<li>The overly random nature of the fishing and gambling mini-games - because screw you fishing lady and Gambler Jack. None of them are required to beat the main story though, and they're actually pretty fun when RNGesus isn't screwing you over.</li>
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<b>OVERALL</b>: A must-play JRPG for those that liked or even loved TiTS FC & SC, and a shining example of how to do a moving, thoughtful narrative right.<br />
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<a href="https://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjjvZCHxr3VAhWGAcAKHQwPDUQQFggmMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gog.com%2Fgame%2Flegend_of_heroes_trails_in_the_sky_the_3rd_the" target="_blank">You can buy this game from GOG! Do eet!</a></div>
Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-74828859786030433812016-01-05T04:30:00.003-08:002016-01-05T04:43:37.218-08:00Common Mistakes in Video Game Storytelling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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WARNING: this article has some (mostly minor) spoilers for various games.<br />
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We all know that games can offer great stories. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely ignorant or has an agenda against gaming. However, there are some commonly repeated mistakes in how games tell their stories. These mistakes hold back the medium as a whole, and often serve as barriers to newcomers, and unnecessary annoyances to veterans. I'll give a couple of them, along with games they appear in.<br />
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<b>Too Much Exposition At One Time</b><br />
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This occurs when a game decides to dump exposition the player in a long, often unskippable, ream of text, voice acting, and/or cutscenes. It almost always destroys the pacing of the game, because of the unnatural and excessive method of clueing the player up on how the world works. I understand that sometimes exposition is necessary, but it should be spaced out evenly, and given at appropriate times in the story, via appropriate methods. For example, to inform the player of the game world's history, an in-game book would be far more appropriate than a character spouting off endless lines of historical facts, unless these facts are so crucial that they cannot be conveyed in any other way.<br />
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EXAMPLE: <i>Super Paper Mario</i>, in the form of TWENTY minutes of cutscenes and dialogue right at the start of the game (possibly the WORST time to have an exposition dump).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9oCTbfVEAUC4sNTJZ_VLgmTFRwoL8O-3X4Em50CPIrSURsjfS3CjTmsSzGwtG1jwZDW9QW-8pQU1Zdb54wH6PBQUOHlrjwIUm0x8VPXsCdOl7S-qByn-JltgxeAOmnswnwHjLPOHpqA/s1600/spmopening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9oCTbfVEAUC4sNTJZ_VLgmTFRwoL8O-3X4Em50CPIrSURsjfS3CjTmsSzGwtG1jwZDW9QW-8pQU1Zdb54wH6PBQUOHlrjwIUm0x8VPXsCdOl7S-qByn-JltgxeAOmnswnwHjLPOHpqA/s320/spmopening.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Unskippable Cutscenes</b><br />
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This is one of the most IRRITATING mistakes a game can make, ESPECIALLY when replaying it, even for ten minutes. Christ, just let the player get on with the bloody game! I know you want players to experience your "masterpiece" of a story, but don't prioritise it over fun.<br />
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EXAMPLE: <i>The Walking Dead</i> - this game NEVER lets you skip a single cutscene, even when playing through it for the umpteenth time. This really discouraged me from playing to see different choices, simply because it's too damn tedious to do so. What's worse is that Telltale Games keep making the same idiotic mistake in ALL of their games! FFS.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsF6KbHpKRsm1GAlq-k-vd0ePUDzsHFWHtHib5hKsFdc7NbQSrTwDyrlVKBwyKhzi024Hw175r5YKEKz8vgwQRn8i4YcP2FKBNyB6QyN8OetyOZe1OmeHxXJ1jgkTdX_8E10c9et6utF0/s1600/Walking_dead_telltale_game_characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsF6KbHpKRsm1GAlq-k-vd0ePUDzsHFWHtHib5hKsFdc7NbQSrTwDyrlVKBwyKhzi024Hw175r5YKEKz8vgwQRn8i4YcP2FKBNyB6QyN8OetyOZe1OmeHxXJ1jgkTdX_8E10c9et6utF0/s320/Walking_dead_telltale_game_characters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Making Gameplay Worse Because Story</b><br />
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Okay, so this is a bit of a general one, but it basically means any time the actual gameplay is hindered in some way in order for the game to tell its story. What's sad about this one is that it is so easily AVOIDABLE! I love a good story as much as the next guy, but PLEASE don't make it so inconvenient for me to make progress in the game that I just want to give up!<br />
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EXAMPLE: <i>The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC - </i> as awesome as this game's story is, it makes this unforgivable goof: it disables all the airships in Chapter 8, AND all the orbments, forcing the player to walk everywhere on foot!
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<b>Poor (English) Voice Acting</b><br />
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This mistake is self-explanatory, and unfortunately occurs frequently in Japanese RPGs.<br />
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EXAMPLE: <i>Final Fantasy Type-0 HD</i> - one of the most egregious and most recent examples of shoddy voice acting. Most of the characters just sound WRONG. The rest of them speak like robots speaking English for the first time. This is pretty sad because the game actually has an interesting story.<br />
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<b>A Lack of Diversity</b><br />
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Okay, so this point is a bit controversial, but screw it - it's important to me, mmkay? Far too many games have middle-aged, bearded white guys as the protagonist. It's really boring and lazy. Why not try a different protagonist? Variety is the spice of life, after all.<br />
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EXAMPLE: <i>Prototype</i> - a game with an extremely vanilla protagonist, about as generic as you could possibly get! Oh well, at least he has interesting superpowers.<br />
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<b>Too Many Damn Power Fantasies</b><br />
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Too many games focus on making the player feel like an overpowered badass, instead of challenging them thematically and narratively. This is the easy way out for most developers, and it's been proven to sell a shit ton of games, BUT it's SO boring!! The irony is that the more power fantasy there is in the gameplay, the less choice there is in the story - the player basically has no option other than to become the saviour of the whole world/universe/human race.<br />
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EXAMPLE: <i>Mass Effect 3</i> - as much as I LOVE the <i>Mass Effect </i>games, what I hated is that they dumbed down the narrative choices available to the player, to the extent that there is no "evil character" option - you can't choose to fuck over the galaxy or join the enemy; you can only choose between being a "nice guy" hero or a "douchecanoe" hero, i.e. Paragon and Renegade, respectively.<br />
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Feel free to comment or even give your favourite examples of mistakes in video game story telling!<br />
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Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-75795262004189461382015-10-29T01:50:00.001-07:002015-10-29T01:59:55.659-07:00Adventuring Through Sexuality Part 1: Excitement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sexuality, i.e. the depiction of sex, nudity and sexual themes, has long been a hot topic when it comes to videogames. I'm going to take a look at the past, the present, and the future of sexuality in video games in this three-part series of articles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Leisure Suit Larry Collection Series.jpg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/93/Leisure_Suit_Larry_Collection_Series.jpg/250px-Leisure_Suit_Larry_Collection_Series.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Leisure Suit Larry</i> box art (Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leisure_Suit_Larry_Collection_Series.jpg)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Leisure Suit Larry</i>, released in 1987, is one of the earliest, and arguably the most famous, examples of a video game that featured sexual innuendo and sexual humour, albeit no actual sex. It was very much a heterocentric game (nothing wrong with it), and featured detailed portraits of the various attractive women that Larry met, who often had their boobs prominently displayed. It clearly didn't try to portray sex in any meaningful or explicit way, and instead treated the topic with (often adolescent) humour. The game was subject to a fair amount of controversy upon its release, with much clutching of pearls from the media and religious "watchdogs" alike. It wasn't a particularly special game, either in terms of mechanics or visuals, but its content was still fairly novel (if slightly greasy and creepy at times).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Screenshot #17179" src="https://s.vndb.org/st/79/17179.jpg" /></span></div>
Screenshot from <i>Dōkyūsei </i>(The Visual Novel Database, https://s.vndb.org/st/79/17179.jpg)<br /><br />The depiction of sexual content and sexuality took a leap forward in 1992, with the release of <i>Dōkyūsei</i> in 1992, which was one of the first, if not the first, "dating sims". As the genre name implies, the game revolves around learning where various girls will be in a town, and then choosing which virtual girl(s) you want to date. This is one of the games that arguably may have contributed to many straight/bi male gamers viewing women as rewards for doing well, or objectives to be reached.<br />
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Publishers such as SEGA had already implemented their own (voluntary) ratings systems prior to this, but due to the threat of federal regulations regarding the growing number of sexually-themed games and games containing sexual content, a group of publishers, including Acclaim Entertainment and Electronic Arts, formed a political trade group called the Interactive Digital Software Associaton in 1994. Things reached a boiling point later that year, with the formation of the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), which was partially in response to the growing number of games that contained sexual content. The ESRB's ratings system is fundamentally flawed, as it puts the depiction of sex and nudity on the same level as that of violence and swearing, when, in fact, sex should not even be a factor in a game's age rating, unless rape, molestation, pedophilia, bestiality, and other harmful sexual activities are depicted. But that is a topic I will delve into later in this series of articles. Please look forward to these installments, and feel free to leave your comments on this topic.</div>
Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-59153129801964540062015-10-11T07:29:00.000-07:002015-10-27T01:21:43.256-07:00Adventuring Through Consent With Hurt Me PlentyThere aren't many games brave enough to explore the issue of consent and rough-play, especially with partial nudity and sexual overtones involved. Hurt Me Plenty is one of those games.<br/><br/>The game started me off by shaking the hand of a man with my mouse as a means of introduction. It used the speed and frequency of my virtual handshake as factors in determining how hard I was allowed to spank this virtual guy's buttocks, as well as giving me a randomly-generated safeword which the guy would use when he'd had enough.<br/><br/>Once those things were out of the way, the actual action began. I was required to spank by moving the mouse up and down. Unfortunately, I did so rather too vigorously and ended up causing the guy to cry out in pain and shout the safeword multiple times. Once the action halted, I felt strangely guilty because of how downcast and resentful this virtual being seemed, and the accusatory language he used whilst discussing what I put him through. It really resonated with my prior life experiences regarding consent and consideration for others. Consent is one of the most important factors in relationships and emotional and physical interactions with others, and it's great to see a video-game tackle the subject, even if it's in a rather surreal and perhaps clumsy way. It may not have a set narrative per se, but it forms a convincing, if fairly succinct, narrative between the game, the player, and the guy who gets spanked, depending on the player's actions.<br/><br/>Hurt Me Plenty can be downloaded (for free, or for a donation of your choice) at <a href="http://radiatoryang.itch.io/hurt-me-plenty?ac=797nDwRF" target="_blank">its page on itch.io</a>.Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-48482516354477898912015-10-09T04:23:00.000-07:002015-10-27T01:21:43.245-07:00Five Awesome Story-Rich JRPGsThere is an almost overwhelming abundance of JRPGs with great narratives out there, but I'm going to list off five really memorable/worthwhile ones (in no particular order):<br/><br/><strong>The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky</strong><br/><br/><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nth9hrrORUs" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><br/><br/>A modern classic, with cheerful, jazzy music, and a narrative that burns slowly at the start, but soon builds up the tension and drama. It also has enough difficulty options (e.g. retry offset) for players of all skill levels. <a href="http://www.gog.com/game/the_legend_of_heroes_trails_in_the_sky?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">Buy it from GOG.com</a><br/><br/><strong>Shin Megami Tensei IV</strong><br/><br/><a href="http://adventuringthroughgames.siterubix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TM_3DSDS_ShinMegamiTenseiIV.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-122" src="http://adventuringthroughgames.siterubix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TM_3DSDS_ShinMegamiTenseiIV-300x253.png" alt="TM_3DSDS_ShinMegamiTenseiIV" width="300" height="253" /></a><br/><br/>A dark, somewhat brutal game, but with a fascinating, choice driven narrative of Law, Chaos and Neutrality, set against a post-apocalyptic background, and buttressed with addictive demon negotiation and fusion mechanics. <a href="http://www.nintendo.co.za/Games/Nintendo-3DS-download-software/Shin-Megami-Tensei-IV-930107.html" target="_blank">Buy it from the Nintendo eShop</a><br/><br/><strong>Final Fantasy X</strong><br/><br/><a href="http://adventuringthroughgames.siterubix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/8578842887_c5aeecea6d_b.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-123" src="http://adventuringthroughgames.siterubix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/8578842887_c5aeecea6d_b-300x169.jpg" alt="8578842887_c5aeecea6d_b" width="300" height="169" /></a><br/><br/>A somewhat divisive installment in the Final Fantasy series, perhaps, due to its linearity and occasionally cringeworthy acting, but still a very worthwhile JRPG experience, with a deep Sphere Grid system for character customisation, and an engaging narrative centred around faith, doubt, and duty. <a href="https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/final-fantasy-x-ps2/" target="_blank">Get it from the PlayStation Store</a> (Note: US PlayStation Store link provided)<br/><br/><strong>Persona 3 Portable</strong><br/><br/><a href="http://adventuringthroughgames.siterubix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/p3p__simple_and_dirty_by_dodomir23-d3li8bd.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-124" src="http://adventuringthroughgames.siterubix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/p3p__simple_and_dirty_by_dodomir23-d3li8bd-300x225.jpg" alt="p3p__simple_and_dirty_by_dodomir23-d3li8bd" width="300" height="225" /></a><br/><br/>A slightly stripped down, but still very worthwhile, PSP port of Persona 3, with refined game mechanics and the option of playing as a female main character, which opens up new Social Links. A narrative themed around facing death and making the most of life is enhanced by compelling characters and a sense of urgency. <a href="http://adventuringthroughgames.siterubix.com/burning-my-dread" target="_blank">This article goes into the game's narrative a bit further.</a> <a href="https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-za/games/persona-3-portable/cid=EP4015-ULES01523_00-GPCPERSONA000001" target="_blank">Buy it from the PlayStation Store</a><br/><br/><strong>Costume Quest</strong><br/><br/><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VDmV2F7MqPs" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><br/><br/>Technically not a JRPG in terms of its origins, but certainly in terms of its battle mechanics and overworld. Cute and charming as all getout (how can you not love those costumes?), and doesn't take itself seriously at all. Plus, collecting all the Creepy Treats cards is a rabbit hole into addiction. <a href="http://www.gog.com/game/costume_quest?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">Buy it from GOG.com</a><br/><br/><em>Feel free to comment below - give your thoughts on my choices, or even your picks for great JRPGs.</em>Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-2261749302019744152015-09-14T04:20:00.000-07:002015-10-27T01:21:43.220-07:00Five Great Modern Adventure Games on GOG.comThe adventure genre has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in the past few years, even if the adventure games of today are quite different compared to those from the '80s and '90s. Here are five titles that are especially great for people new to the adventure genre.<br/><br/><strong>To The Moon</strong><br/><br/>It's a short, sweet indie adventure with a narrative and beautiful music that will likely have you reaching for tissues to wipe away salty tears.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/to_the_moon?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">To The Moon on GOG.com</a><br/><br/><strong>Broken Sword 5 - The Serpent's Curse</strong><br/><br/>This entry in the Broken Sword series is a return to form, in terms of the 2D graphical style and the series' humour and characterisation.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/broken_sword_5_the_serpents_curse?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">Broken Sword 5 - the Serpent's Curse on GOG.com</a><br/><br/><strong>The Walking Dead: Season One</strong><br/><br/>This is a streamlined take on the adventure genre, and is based on Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic series. Plenty of tense situations, tough choices and heart-wrenching moments to be had.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/walking_dead_season_1_the?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">The Walking Dead: Season One on GOG.com</a><br/><br/><strong>The Wolf Among Us</strong><br/><br/>Another adventure with Telltale's signature gameplay (i.e. lots of Quick-Time Events and the occasional impactful choice). It's a well-written, engrossing prequel to the Fable comics.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/wolf_among_us_the?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">The Wolf Among Us on GOG.com</a><br/><br/><strong>Gone Home</strong><br/><br/>This title's lack of overblown action sequences and direct character interaction have led many to deride it as a walking simulator. However, I enjoyed the way it let me discover the story based around love and family at my own pace.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/gone_home?pp=ff0cb26418950ebc233178323fdf9c1a67a7dfac" target="_blank">Gone Home on GOG.com</a>Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-72462377874751257502015-09-10T17:58:00.000-07:002015-10-27T01:21:43.267-07:00Adventuring Through FriendshipAs I type this, my hands shake with barely restrained emotion, and my heart aches with bittersweet memories.<br/><br/>The memories of my friend and I are one of strongest sources of joy and strength for me. Allow me to recount a few...<br/><br/>I remember watching him play DOTA, and later DOTA 2, with curiosity, even though I never really got into it myself. I enjoyed learning about the terminology and techniques through him, and celebrating his victories with him.<br/><br/>I remember him and my other friends ribbing me about my taste in games. However, it can't be said that I never ribbed them in return. ;)<br/><br/>I remember hopping onto the hype train with him about various upcoming titles (especially from the Fallout series!). He even got me hyped for titles that I might never have given a second thought, e.g. Don't Starve.<br/><br/>I remember sitting with him, watching a game being streamed, but not really focusing on it because I was focused on how thin and weak he seemed.<br/><br/>I remember playing through some of The Walking Dead Season 1 for him because he struggled to play it himself with the cancer ravaging his body...<br/><br/>I remember, after his passing, missing him desperately, even as I still miss him and our many wild and wonderful discussions.<br/><br/>But most of all, I remember our friendship, from the start of the adventure to the end.Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-81770629616704309942015-07-16T06:11:00.000-07:002015-10-27T01:21:43.271-07:00Sale at GOG.comGOG.com has some promising titles on sale, including <em>Trine 3</em> and <em>Shadowrun: Hong Kong</em>. <i>Shadowrun Returns</i> and <em>Shadowrun: Dragonfall</em> are both excellent, polished RPGs with tactical combat, and <em>Shadowrun: Hong Kong</em> looks to improve on them in every respect.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.gog.com/games##sort=bestselling&price=discounted&page=1">You can check out the titles on sale here</a>.Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001849363021733506.post-39276020810937140662015-07-07T08:58:00.000-07:002016-11-11T21:48:36.471-08:00Walking A Mile In Another's Shoes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is rare that I come across a game that actually encourages me to examine my own beliefs and principles, and challenges me with multiple perspectives on situations that I would probably never experience in real life. <em>Unrest</em> is one such game.<br />
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From the start, I was put into the shoes of someone in a difficult situation - a peasant girl whose parents had arranged a marriage for her. There were various ways of dealing with the expectations and attitudes of her parents, relatives and friends - violent, accepting, defiant or even sometimes light-hearted. No single choice or approach was ever really pushed over the others, although violence carried more risks than the other approaches.<br />
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One thing that kept sticking out in certain dialogues and situations was the difficulty of deciding which approach or choice was the most appropriate. Was it better to defiantly assert her individual rights and risk alienating her friends and/or family in the process? Or was it wiser to simply accept her lot in life and sacrifice some of her individual freedoms and happiness?<br />
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Other characters, with equally challenging circumstances, were presented: a priest working at a local temple in the city to feed his family, a Naga (snake-like mythical creature) diplomat sent to negotiate on behalf of their empire, a princess whose parents are murdered in a brutal coup, a mercenary working for the perpetrators of the coup.<br />
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Questions of faith, loyalty, economic status and racism/speciesism are raised. The priest is faced with the challenge of whether to keep working at the temple even as uncomfortable questions regarding his superiors and their activities arise. The Naga must deal with near-constant racism/speciesism and xenophobia directed at their species and empire. The princess is forced to flee for her life and must decide how she will deal with the people who murdered her parents, as well as how to take back power. The mercenary has to grapple with the knowledge of what he supported and what his employers have perpetrated in order to gain power.<br />
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There was no "perfect", neat, happy ending. No triumphant fanfare or celebrations. Only more uncertainty and unrest.<br />
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<a href="http://www.gog.com/game/unrest">You can get Unrest from GOG.com here.</a></div>
Jonathan Brownlee D'Urban Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088983577483687439noreply@blogger.com0