Persona 5 Delayed...again

"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad"- Shigeru Miyamoto

So as of today, Persona 5 is getting delayed once again, hopefully for the last time, until April 4,2017. Apparently it's to iron out some issues that cropped with localization to which I have to respond, why the FUCK now? The game has literally been finished for months now and has been in a completed state for over 2 months in Japan and over here we're getting word that we're still going to have to wait because Atlus USA hasn't even come close to finishing the goddamn localization yet. Better yet, the report comes that as a result of our wait, they're going to reward us with dual audio, a feature that comes standard with 90 percent of Japanese games with voice acting nowadays. I have no idea how they could be this up so badly. I could understand if this was a smaller company like Aksys games who were recently unable to provide a dub for Blazblue Central Fiction, but this is fucking Atlus! They provided dual audio back on the PS2 for Odin Sphere! Why is it that it is so hard all of a sudden to have dual audio for a game like Persona 5, much less have it localized and ready to ship for a worldwide release? Persona 5's biggest competitor at this point in time has already one on sales alone by default thanks to the fact that it's launch alone will lead to it having a worldwide release later this month. There is no delayed region release and the developer has already confirmed that the game will have a dual audio option. So why is it, that Final Fantasy 15 has already secured dual audio and a world wide release while Persona 5 just barely manages to eke out a delayed release. Hopefully it turns out good and worth the wait but goddamn is the wait turning out to feel like it's just not worth it at this point.

Nintendo Switch: Keep your hype levels at a minimum

The Nintendo Switch was just revealed yesterday and already people are playing it up as the next big thing, thanks in part to how it combines elements of portable and home console gaming. Not only that, but the smooth appealing design plus promise of future Nintendo games is of course going to appeal to longtime fans. Here's the thing though, what games, besides Breath of the Wild, were actually shown for the system? I know people like to act like this is a moot point, but for the past two generations, Nintendo has been having a bad habit of acting all secretive and mysterious in regards to their upcoming titles only to produce underwhelming results or fail to deliver anything of substance.

Based on the trailer, the only new games that have been teased include a new Mario Kart, a new 3D Mario, a new Splatoon, and what appears to be a port of the 5-year old game, Skyrim. My biggest concern in regards to all of these is that none of these were formal announcements. They were all possible teasers for games and concepts that might be but no concrete announcements as of yet. People like to counteract this argument by showing the little graph with all the exciting upcoming third-party support, but remember that people jumped ship just as quickly shortly after sales declined for third party titles on the Wii-U.

Speaking of third-party titles, I know everyone is excited about seeing their favorite games finally being playable on a Nintendo console, but the thing about that is why would you want to if it's perfectly playable on another console. I feel like this is a move that is being done, not so much to appeal to the hardcore crowd, but rather to the people who exclusively buy Nintendo consoles as Nintendo desperately tries to regain their "street-cred".

Regardless of all the negativity I'm spewing, I am still excited for the console. I've been a Nintendo fan since I've been a child so seeing what they can come up with is always exciting. However, due to the fact that I got my Wii U less than a year ago has left me a little burnt out especially since the support for that console was minimal at best. So until I see the full library of games for the Switch, I don't think I'll be getting one soon.

Persona 5's asinine Release schedule

Persona 5 has been one of my most highly anticipated games since it was first announced back in 2013. I’ve loved the Persona games ever since I first played Persona 3 and loved it’s unique anime-esque esthetic combined with its strategic gameplay, social link mechanic which encouraged interaction with NPC’s and a unique story which combined elements of Jungian psychology, and a modern setting which helped set it apart from the traditional swords and sorcery settings.

So it’s no surprise that Persona 5’s release schedule has proven to be complete asinine in terms of having to be released over 5 months after its Japanese release. We live in a world where we have easy access to just about any form of information on the planet so the fact that Atlus chose to delay the release for 5 months makes no sense. We have internet forums that are already discussing the story in-depth,  as well as items, character progression, and game mechanics which could end up ruining the game for people who end up casually browsing the internet.

The biggest question then is why did Atlus choose to delay a completed game for an additional 5 months despite there being no major issues in regards to gameplay or bug-testing in what is otherwise a completed game. The only two reasons I can think of revolve around the issues of localization and making sure that enough copies have been shipped out in anticipation of the game’s big launch. But the issue here is that another big Japanese game, Final Fantasy XV, is scheduled to launch in about two months and it plans on bringing with it an equally large scope, story, and launch period which begs the question, what exactly is it that caused Atlus to decide to delay the launch of their big flagship title as opposed to choosing a worldwide release? All it really does is limit the access fans outside of Japan have to play the game. With the Persona franchise having become Atlus’ flagship franchise, it makes even less sense for the company to place a 5 month gap between release dates, especially considering the fact that it has been 8 years since the original release of the previous mainline Persona game. And if there were going to be issues with the localization that would have prevented the game from being released on time, Atlus should have taken steps forward in order to ensure that the localization along with the necessary bug fixes had been completed in time.

In the end, I don’t mind a game having to be delayed in order to ensure that it is of the utmost quality. However, what does concern me is when a title is clearly complete and is released in one region without any discernible reason. Persona 5 is still my most anticipated game of 2017 but I feel like Atlus could end up hurting their business in the long run should they continue with this attitude. Hopefully they’ll learn from this one situation though if Europe’s experience has shown anything, they don’t plan on changing their minds on this anytime soon.

Death of the Action Game

I recently picked up the Wonderful 101 and have been having a blast with it. The bright colors, lively music, likable characters, and over-the-top action make it a must play. This is despite some areas that could have used a bit more polish such as a few trial-and-error gameplay sections and some difficulties with the game registering some unite morphs. However, in playing this and watching the new God of War reveal trailer, I'm concerned that big-budget action games are going to undergo the same fate that survival horror did a few years ago.

Now, when I say action games, I don't mean third-person shooters such as Gears of War, Uncharted or Dark Souls. Those games are released on a regular basis and they're pretty much the driving force of the industry. The types of games I'm referring to are the kind of character action games such as Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, Devil May Cry, and Ninja Gaiden. These types of games were known for their brutal difficulty, emphasis on over-the-top action, and grading systems which judged the player's actions based on how skillful the player could go through a level. However, besides the fact that two of these have had subpar games be released in recent years such as Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z, Ninja Gaiden 3, and the highly controversial DmC: Devil May Cry, it's as if no developer outside of Platinum Games has any interest in releasing fun, over-the-top hack n' slash games. This is most evident as the recent God of War seems to be aiming for a type of "high art" gameplay, taking cues from the Last of Us in terms of narrative structure and Dark Souls for the slow paced aggressive gameplay. The thing is, God of War already had it's fast-paced, frenetic style of gameplay. The God of War games have a history of being both fast-paced and steadily improving on the gameplay over time. God of War 1 and Chains of Olympus were a pretty by-the-numbers affair with a focus more on just beating the crap out of everything that moved with some puzzle solving thrown in. By God of War 3, however, the combat had been improved significantly and relied more on player skill especially to clear the higher difficulties. This is why it's so surprising to see the new God of War going in this supposed "new direction". Combat looks to be more "intense" but it appears to have a greater emphasis on button mashing as opposed to player skill and a story.

This is actually something I've been wanting to cover for sometime, but it appears that games have been recently trying to get more focus towards having grand stories and dropping most of their focus in gameplay. The thing game developers need to understand is that most games over the past 30 years have had compelling stories without having to yank control away from the player or dumbing down the gameplay. Games like Devil May Cry 3, Metal Gear Solid, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, and Xenoblade Chronicles all managed to tell fantastic stories without ever yanking control away from the player for too long. My biggest concern is the industry will want to turn all of their games into titles into stuff like Heavy Rain and Dragon's Quest to be credited as a 10 out of 10 gameplay extravaganza while neglecting the core gameplay.

I know most action games don't have deep compelling stories but this is why gaming continues to appeal to me to this day. There are thousands of games in a variety of genres that focus on entertaining gamers with a wide-variety of interests. But until we get out of this comfort zone where everyone feels like their newest title can't appeal to the masses unless it's high art, then I'm worried that we could end up losing several genres. I know there are still plenty of indie developers that will always cater to the niche crowd's tastes and Platinum Games has done a fine job putting out quality action titles. But unless there is that big budget title that can come out and attract the masses, it could be a long time before we see something along the caliber of Devil May Cry or God Hand.

Soulsborne doesn't need an easy mode.

The Soulsborne franchise is easily some of the best sets of games I have played in the past two years and I'm not exaggerating. With the exception of Dark Souls 2, each game is a masterpiece thanks to it's dark atmosphere, brutal difficulty, and extensive lore. However, as anyone can tell you, the part about the brutal difficulty can easily turn people off and it's not helped by it being the driving force of marketing when it comes to the Dark Souls games (Demon's Souls and Bloodborne didn't play up the difficulty as much). Regardless, I have met several people who are turned off as soon as I mention any of the games in the franchise as they feel that it is a franchise aimed at masochists. The biggest issue I have with this is that, once you learn the nuances, the games become some of the easiest franchises to get into.

For starters, the games require several hours clocked into the series to understand all of the nuances, lore, gameplay, and to fully grasp the layout of the environment. This is not a game that is meant to be rushed through as dashing through and unknown area will punish you for failing to take into account audio cues, enemy placements, your own item inventory, and your armor and weapon stats. There is alot of micro-management to go through and stubbornly insisting on one type of build can be a death-sentence for newbies. This is ultimately why I am so against the idea of an easy mode. By removing the challenge and set up of the game, several of the key themes of helplessness and overcoming adversity are lost. There's no reason to feel at odds with the environment or worry about checking your environment because you could easily just run through an area and walk through basic enemies. 

And this is another reason why I feel like there is no purpose in adding an easy mode. Enemies, as whole, have very basic designs to them. Their attacks are often slow, they can be easily dodged, and they can often be baited to even fall off a cliff if the player plays carefully. If a player is struck, the damage is significantly high, but after getting back up and learning enemy attacks patterns most enemies can be cleared through no problem. By including an easy mode, this feature would become a flaw as most players would wonder why such enemies hit so light after performing what appears to be a devastating attack or wondering why enemies hit really hard after winding up for 30 seconds. Bosses would also be turned into complete jokes. Most of the bosses are known for having a high damage output and requiring skill, patience, and endurance to take down. With an easy mode, most of these bosses would be turned into a complete joke with their telegraphed attacks and large frames.

But overall, the online component would be what would take one of the worst hits. The games have massive online communities built around the game's extensive multiplayer which runs simultaneously with the single player experience allowing players to leave notes or assist their allies. The problem with trying to incorporate an easy mode in this situation is how other players could possibly interact with other players. One solution may be to lock out players from the online to provide a better solo experience and to prevent invasions. The catch with this is that there is already a way to avoid this. If the player does not use a humanity, human effigy, or ember, they end up locking themselves out of multiplayer and they can re-enter whenever they want. Another problem is that players can no longer receive assistance from other players were this to be the ideal situation nor would they be able to receive hints as the series has become known for.

Finally, there is the famous attribute of player death. The games have earned a massive backlash due to the heavy emphasis on player death through the marketing. However, the biggest thing people don't realize is that bonfires are easily accessible and they are scattered strategically around levels in order to allow players to quickly recover, level up, or take a break should they be feeling overwhelmed. As a matter of fact, the death system is almost identical to that of Shovel Knight, providing the player with an infinite number of lives and goes a step further by adapting the Metroidvania design and encouraging the player to find shortcuts in order to lessen backtracking and provide quick access to bonfires.

Due to the stigma that the Soulsborne games have received, it will be almost impossible to get people who think the games are to hard into the series. However, forcing an easy mode should not be the solution, but rather changing a player's mindset is. We have been conditioned so much to games having us rush through them or being railroaded to the next location or sidequest that the lack of hand-holding can seem intimidating. Just paying attention to your surroundings or by backing off from an overwhelming challenge, any player can come to see that the challenge is often due to an individual's own mindset. Once you learn from your mistakes and adapt, any challenge can be easily conquered without having to go to an easy mode.

Berserk Musou's Marketing Campaign

I can safely confirm that the upcoming Berserk game developed by Omega Force is easily one of my most hyped games for the coming year. While I don’t enjoy the mainline Dynasty Warriors, I am a fan of the anime spinoff games such as Pirate Warriors and Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn. The pacing of the Berserk manga makes it ripe for adaptation into a video game and when combined with the fast-paced, hyperactive, over-the-top of the Dynasty Warriors engine, it seems like a match made in heaven. However, if there’s one thing that’s concerning me right now it’s the way the game has been marketed since it’s reveal, in particular the treatment of the character of Casca.
The reveal trailer opens up with Casca being held by some tentacles while being suspended naked in the air, before the tentacles wrap around her body and lead to the brand of sacrifice. Long-time fans will immediately recognize this as the infamous Eclipse, wherein the Band of the Hawk was sacrificed to Godhand in order to allow the band’s leader, Griffith, to become the 5th member, Femto. Afterwards, he proceeded to violently rape Casca, the protagonist Guts’ love interest, in front of him. This is easily one of the most iconic and disturbing scenes in the history of the series and has resulted in the series unable to be talked about without mentioning this scene. So what does the reveal trailer decide to do? Focus on the scene itself. At first I was disturbed that Koei Tecmo would use such a scene in order to drum up hype for the game. Afterwards, once more information was brought forward, however, I was just baffled as Koei Tecmo decided to have a huge focus on the sexual aspects of the series. Berserk is a violent manga with a huge emphasis on action as well as on world-building, so Hisashi Koinuma’s statement describing the series as a “violent and erotic manga” feels only half true. To add on to that, the fact they even went so far as have a pre-order bonus were Casca wears the smock after she’s recovering from the events of the Eclipse and it’s described as her “bathing suit”. This feels so disjointed compared to the tone that was set for this scene as this is the first time that she shows her fear of men due to what happened to her. This actually leaves me worried for he rest of the game as the developer has gone on record to say that they plan to adapt the Golden Age to Millennium Falcon arcs, especially since towards the end of the Golden Age arc is when the sexual aspects shoot up, before going by the wayside after the Conviction arc.
Overall, while I feel that on the gameplay side of things the game looks fine, especially after the recent gameplay trailer, but I feel that if the developer is not careful on the way that they handle the sexual aspects of the game, they could very easily come under fire for portraying rape in a poor light. I hope this isn’t the case, but they need to find some way to portray as tastefully as possible.

E3 2016-Games: The hype is real.

Another E3 has come and gone and once again I feel like it's time to stop and take a look at what games were announced or gameplay was shown and analyze it based on my overall personal interest. While some people may be against this approach, I feel like it will really help in narrowing down all the games that were shown at E3 as while several of the games looked impressive, many of them just didn't pique my interest. I'll also try to avoid covering games like Yakuza 0, as the game was already released in Japan, so it's quality is guaranteed.

Yooka Laylee- It's a Banjo-Kazooie style platformer being developed by several Rareware alumni and with music composed by Grant Kirkhope. The game looks to be following in the footsteps of its predecessor based off of the available gameplay and looks to rekindle the spirit of the mascot platformers from the 90's with its emphasis on bright colors, whimsical music, and exploration-based gameplay.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night- Seeing as how Konami gave a giant middle finger to fans and converted 90 percent of their properties into pachinko machines, this looks to be a proper follow-up to the Castlevania. It's to the point that the level demoed shows the influence of games such as Symphony of the Night, Order of Ecclesia, and Dawn and Aria of Sorrow. My only complaint so far is that the 3D character models look a little bit off, but otherwise gameplay is fine.

Injustice 2: Being a fan of both DC comics and the new Mortal Kombat games, I can safely say that this looks like a worthy follow-up to the 2013 Injustice: Gods Among Us. The fighting looks fast and it's reportedly running off of the same engine as Mortal Kombat X. The gear system also looks to be fun and from I what I heard it's going to function similar to the customizable characters in Smash Bros. so I probably won't use it. So far the roster looks promising, especially with additional characters such as Atrocitus, Gorilla Grodd, and Supergirl, though here's to hoping for John Constantine, Blue Beetle, and Captain Cold being announced as playable at some point. I am worried about the supposed "aggressive" DLC campaign that Netherrealms plans to utilize so if worst comes to worst, I may just end up waiting for the Game of the Year edition.

Kingdom Hearts 2.8: While I'm still waiting on Square Enix to count to three and to hear something new, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 looks to be a nice tide over in the meanwhile. While I'm happy to be able to play Dream Drop Distance on the big screen, and Kingdom Hearts Chi looks to make the canon even more convoluted, the tech demo which features Aqua fighting through the Realm of Darkness against hordes of heartless definitely looks like it's trying to show off the graphical power of the new engine as well as to give us a glimpse as to what Kingdom Hearts will finally look like.

Berserk Musou: While the game wasn't announced on the show floor, Omega Force didn't reveal anything about until the first day of E3 so i'll count it. Either way, I'm a fan of Berserk and I enjoy the over-the-top action of the Dynasty Warriors games. While the only screenshots released so far don't serve to give an indication of the full extent of the gameplay, it looks to be a fun, bloody, romp. The story will begin at the Golden Age arc and while I'm pretty sure longtime fans are sick to death of seeing the same story over again, it looks like it may go into at least the conviction arc. I wish it would go into at least the Falconia arc so I can play as Isidro, Serpico, Zodd, Mozgus and Berserker Armor Guts, but that's just me.

South Park: The Fractured but Whole: Definitely one of the best looking games of the show. While I did enjoy the first game, combat felt a little too simplistic at times and it was a little too easy to get very overpowered very quickly. Fractured but Whole looks to correct several of these issues while also allowing the player to select their gender as well as continuing the shows witty writing style. Combat has also been revamped to function more on a grid system as opposed to the previous system where characters would stand across from each other. Finally, the game will be having more classes as well as focusing on a super hero theme, which will definitely change up the way the game is played. Here's to hoping Cthulhu is the final boss.

Dishonored 2: The game looks to be an improvement in every sense of the word. Two playable characters, voiced protagonists, new levels and powers, plus a revamped morality system with multiple endings. Another aspect that I'm looking forward to is the revamped stealth gameplay which should allow for more nonlethal kills.

God of War 4: Not sure how I feel about this one. While I enjoyed Kratos' adventures in Greece, this take on Norse mythology is looking more Last of Us than God of War, especially with the camera now being placed behind Kratos' back as opposed to being zoomed out like other games. My biggest concern is the camera itself as it may end up proving to be a detriment the once strategic and bloody combat.

Resident Evil 7: While the new Resident Evil looks like a return to horror in terms of atmosphere and puzzles, I'm personally not a fan of the way the game seems to try and ape P.T. or other games such as Amnesia the Dark Descent or Outlast. I would have preferred a reinvention of the gameplay utilizing the fixed camera angles of the old games, but as it stands now, I'll wait and see on how it turns out.

Death Stranding: I have no idea what the trailer was about, as it mostly consisted of dead sea life, a naked Norman Reedus, a baby that dissolves into oil, finished off by Norman Reedus staring off into the distance. I have thoroughly enjoyed Kojima's games in the past and I'm looking forward to any new information that I can get from this new title. Fingers-crossed it turns out fantastic.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Easily one of, if not the most impressive looking new games at the show this year. The gameplay has been expanded upon by going back to the design philosphy of the original Zelda, as well as adding in some new spins such as a wide variety of equippable items, the addition of voice acting, and freedom to go wherever you want. The expanded world looks to breathe new life into the series as a whole.

Persona 5: My game of the show. It may not be a brand new title, but after waiting since 2014 and now knowing that the game is scheduled for release on Valentine's Day 2017, I can't help but be excited. The gameplay is way more dynamic than in previous games such as adding in elements of stealth gameplay, as well as turning normally static pieces of gameplay such as the part time jobs or school work into fun little mini-games. Enemies are back to being demons as opposed to the shadows from previously in the franchise so I'm looking forward to seeing how the demon negotiations have been expanded upon. The story is also a nice change of pace, featuring a delinquent main character as opposed to the squeaky clean, goody-two shoes from Persona 4. All-in-all, I can't wait until Valentine's Day.

Overall, this E3 was a good one, with several titles being announced and the focus being on the games. Here's to looking forward to next year's show and whatever exciting prospects may come.

Dark Souls 2 Review (PS3 Version)

I really wanted to like Dark Souls 2. I really did. Darks Souls 1 is one of my favorite games of all time and Bloodborne is one of my favorite games of this generation. Fromsoftware did an excellent job combining high difficulty with expansive worlds brimming with atmosphere, creative bosses, and compelling lore that made me want to keep playing despite dying over and over again. However, despite all this, I can safely say that Darks Souls 2 is one of the most disappointing sequels I have ever played. By stripping away the environments, simplifying the storyline, and focusing too much on the difficulty, the game is proof that if a developer fails to understand the basic tenets of what makes a game work, then it can spell failure for the remaining structure of the game.

The story of the game is overall a step down from the previous one. The opening cinematic gives us an idea as to what we're in for in regards to the story which involves the curse of the undead, and going to the land of Drangleic to find a cure. However, the issue here is when they introduce the theme of forgetting about oneself within this first cinematic. A big deal is made about how thee player character is at risk of forgetting about who they are and what their purpose is, but this concept itself is almost immediately dropped for a rehash of the plot for Dark Souls 1 wherein the main character had to link the fire. This feels like a lost opportunity as it would have been an interesting take on a new theme and new ideas. However, it instead turns into just a repeat of the plot from the first Dark Souls.

Basic combat is almost exactly the same as it was in Dark Souls 1, as the controls have not changed much from the first installment. Weapons still have a feeling of weight to them and it is incredibly satisfying to strike an opponent and weapons have a satisfying crunch to them. However, there are several areas in the gameplay department that feel like a step back. A new attribute has been added in to the game called Adaptability which affects your character's agility, which affects your character's invincibility frames while performing a dodge roll. As a result, it is far too common for a character to try to roll out of the way of an attack only to be struck by a weapon that should not have hit them at all if you haven't been leveling your adaptability. Another change comes in the form of humanity. While being human determined whether or not you could be invaded in Dark Souls 1, in Dark Souls 2, you can be invaded at any time and humanity works more like it did in Demon's Souls, where being human gave you a health boost. One thing that hasn't changed is that being human still allows you to summon aid from another player, so on the bright side, you can go to the nearest summon sign near a boss and call for aid there after using a human effigy. Healing has also received a change and, in my opinion, not a good one. In the previous game, after receiving the Estus Flask, the main source of healing, the flask automatically began with 5 charges that the player could use at anytime. However, once the charges ran out, the only way to recharge was to get to a bonfire. The charges could also be increased up to 10 or they could be increased even further after getting an item from a certain boss. In Dark Souls 2, however, the player starts off with a one Estus Flask and can only increase the charges by finding Estus Flask shards in the overworld that can be used to increase the amount of charges, As such, the Estus Flask is borderline is useless in the early game and instead, the primary form of healing comes from lifegems, which function similarly to the grass in Demon's Souls. However, the result is that healing is incredibly unbalanced. This can often result in a late game scenario wherein the player can have an almost infinite source of healing if they pace themselves properly. Fighting enemies in-game is also an issue. Several of the enemies have a problem where they are hyper-aggressive to the point where the AI seems to enjoy swarming the player in an attempt to create more difficult scenarios which end up coming across as more frustrating than like a well put together challenge. This is ultimately the biggest issue with the game as a whole, as the game's combat is designed to deal with enemies one at a time, so whenever groups of enemies with a large amount of health show up, it can be difficult to deal with them all it once. Aggroing these anemies one at a time also proves to be ineffective as it is very easy to accidentally trigger one group of enemies to attack you as opposed to having the group come after you one at a time. Another change  is that enemies will frequently track the player's movement, which makes it almost impossible to find an opening when going in for the backstab. Not only that, but some enemy's attack patterns are set up to the point where it can be impossible just to find an opening such as the turtle-like enemies encountered early on. On the positive side-however, enemies will stop showing up altogether after they have been killed a certain number of times. While this may make it easier to reach some areas after having died multiple times over, it also encourages the player to recover their souls as soon as possible, for as soon as these enemies disappear, so does the player's chance to grind for more souls.

Presentation-wise, the game is all over the place. The music is mostly uninspired and forgettable and many of the enemy designs are either just regular knights in armor or some type of other bipedal humanoid. The bosses suffer from this as well, with many of them being straight-up copy pasted jobs from Dark Souls 1 or Demon's Souls or feeling like oversized versions of normal enemies. The environments also feel like they are lacking something with many of them feeling like either genric hallways or boxed rooms stacked on top of each other, poorly organized together, failing to form a cohesive world. However, some of the environments look absolutely breathtaking from offer and it makes me wonder why the same level of polish hadn't been applied to the whole game.

Dark Souls 2 feels like one giant misstep. Every time the game had a chance to do something creative with itself, the game felt the need to remain anchored to the past. With uncreative enemy designs, a poorly developed story, and questionable changes to the basic mechanics, I highly recommend sticking to the original Dark Souls over this one.

I have a twitter now!

Just a quick update, I now have twitter account where I will be posting any and all updates as well as games I'm playing, updates on reviews, and any other information that may be pertinent to the blog. You can find it @ https://twitter.com/PeanutButterMon. So if you have any questions, please fell free to post them there.

Splatoon Review

Nintendo has had a long history of creating some of the most beloved and iconic video game characters of all time. From franchises such as Mario, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, and Kirby, Nintendo always manages to craft memorable gameplay experiences which feature bright and cheerful visuals alongside upbeat music. Now, with Splatoon, Nintendo is proving that they can continue this tradition despite taking on a new genre outside of their usual area of expertise by incorporating unique gameplay elements alongside and unique Squid-like character designs and 90's urban setting.

The story is actually surprisngly complex, or as complex and intricate as one can get given the nature of the game. The main plot of the game revolves around the player character, a custom-created Squid-kid, being tasked with saving the source of the city's power, a giant electric eel, which has been kidnapped by another race of marine-based creatures known as the Octarians. From then on, the main story is a fairly by the numbers rescue plot that focuses more on the action as opposed to the narrative. While the occassional cutscene will play following boss fights to set up some exposition and provide context for the player's actions, don't expect any sweeping revelations or shocking plot-twists to keep you invested in the story. However, for those who are truly curious as to why marine life has all of a sudden taken to walking on two legs and why there is a random cat who sleeps in the the main hub area, there are collectible scrolls that can be found in the single player game that serve to provide additional context to the setting of the story. It's not much, but it does serve to flesh out the world.

There are two primary game modes: multiplayer and single player. Single player mostly consists of going through various obstacle course-like levels before reaching the end and collecting the zapfish at the end. It's a very basic set up and you'll find yourself completing it in only a few hours. However, the real attraction comes in this game's extensive multiplayer modes. Matches consist of teams of four players going up against one another in order to see who can cover the most terrain with ink. While this may sound simple at first, matches can quickly become chaotic. When you factor in the fact that each weapon also has three different abilities, one of which is a super move that can quickly change the tide of battle, and you realize that there at first seemed. Another layer of depth to the gameplay, lies in the ability to transform from a kid into a squid. At the push of a button, your character can turn into a squid, and by doing so, it allows you traverse across the map at insane speeds while lying in allied ink. Not only that, but by tapping on an ally on the Wii U touch pad, you can launch yourself across the map in an instant. However, you want to be careful as so much as touching enemy ink will damage you, so going too fast can prove problematic. As you play more matches, you level up your character which allows you to buy more clothes and weapons. What clothing you have equipped can also alter the way the game is played. While it may seem purely cosmetic, each article of clothing has a different special effect attributed to it. Furthermore, higher leveled clothing has more abilities to it than lower-leveled clothing and as such, there's a balance as to whether you want to spend money on new weapons or new upgrades for yourself. One downside to all of this, however, is the stages. While none of them are poorly designed, the stages are set up on a rotation schedule, meaning that only two stages are playable every week. While this means that there will always be variety in the stage selection, it also means that you're not allowed to play on you're favorite stage until it pops up on rotation. Another concern of mine is how Nintendo plans on handling this feature when the servers inevitably go down.

Finally, the presentation is outstanding. The environments are peppered with lively music and bright colors. All of the stages are vibrant and designed to accommodate maximum mobility for your characters. The music is all heavily-influenced by J-pop and goes so far as to feature two of the game's main characters, Callie and Marie, as J-pop idols. Furthermore visuals are also a mix of the 90's and Japanese pop-culture giving it and identity all it's own.

As a whole, if their's one word that can best be used to describe Splatoon, it's personality. The game oozes personality from the visuals to the music to the gameplay. There are some drawbacks such as the limited stage selection and the weak single-player campaign, but the music, the colorful graphics, and the deep gameplay makes the game more than worth picking up.

Konami...Just Konami...

Earlier today, Konami revealed a new trailer for their newest Metal Gear Solid game, a pachinko machine with backdrop of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater as the theme for it. My only response for this is: why? Why, Konami? The visuals look gorgeous. Each of the character models has been stunningly recreated using the FOX engine and it all opens up with the gorgeous view of the climactic battle between The Boss and the man who would later become Big Boss. But all of these wonderful visuals are wasted to what amounts to nothing more than a paltry gambling machine. And why, I ask again? So Konami can make a quick buck while ruining the legacies of all of their once great franchises? I've heard an argument state that the whole idea of westerners getting angry about Konami changing their focus from being about video games to being about pachinko is out of control and it shouldn't be something that we concern ourselves with. However, what these people fail to understand is, gaming history is being lost here. Several titles under the Konami name such as Metal Gear Solid, Snatcher, Zone of the Enders, Goemon, Boktai, Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Suikoden are at risk of being lost forever due to Konami's sudden and jarring shift over to the world of pachinko. And the problem here isn't the fact that Konami wants to produce pachinko machines, but rather that they want to produce pachinko machines while burying any and all traces of their past as game developers. Sure, they like to pretend that they're paying homage to titles of previous years, but with the way the pachinko machines are marketed, such as focusing on a sultry succubus' breasts for the Castlevania machine or the loud noises and bright colors produced by the Silent Hill machine, they end up appealing to the lowest common denominator.

But do you want to know what the wort part is? Konami is pretty much pushing themselves into a corner and is by all intensive purposes making their brands unrecognizable. The majority of these franchises have not had games released on a regular basis since the 6th generation and as such many of them have become unknown to younger generations. While Konami believes that they can keep their properties alive by releasing pachinko machines or free-to-play games with the same characters, they don't realize that by doing so, they are inadvertently devaluing their own properties. People will see the characters on the screen and think of them as someone doing something cool, but without context it's nothing more than flashing lights being projected onto the viewer. New generations won't understand the reason for the conflict between Alucard and Dracula. New generations won't understand the intricacies of the Metal Gear saga or even experiments such as Boktai. With a business setup as they have now, Konami is ensuring easy money for themselves in the short term, but in the long-run, with all the ill-will they've built up, I guarantee that they shouldn't expect to have much support should they fall into a pinch.

The problem with Nintendo

The Problem with Nintendo
I really want to like Nintendo. I really do. However, lately they’ve been making questionable decision after questionable decision which concerns as to whether or not they’re going to be heading the way of Sega within the next couple of years. With the upcoming NX ousting the Wii U in less time than most Nintendo Consoles and their arcane censorship practices from the era of the NES making a comeback,
I already established my thoughts on Nintendo releasing the successor the Wii U this soon, but to reiterate my thoughts ever briefly, the Wii U as whole is a failure. While it does have a few stand-out titles such as Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Wonderful 101, and Bayonetta 2, the number of retail titles comes it at under 20. This is not counting ports of last-gen PS3 and Xbox 360 titles or Indie games. Another concern is the fact that Nintendo chose to focus all of their development energy on the 3DS and while I don’t hate the little handheld, it ultimately resulted in the Wii U having almost no first-party titles. Couple that with the fact that Nintendo has chosen to focus on a select group of first party titles and it’s clear to see that the poor little console never stood a chance. It didn’t help either that third-party developers were hesitant to provide support for the console. While I’m still hopeful for the NX proving to be a successful successor for the Wii U, I hope that Nintendo learns from their mistakes with the Wii U and applies them here. I’m less hopeful, however, for the company’s sudden censorship policies.
In this regard, Nintendo has proven to be more of a problem than many other video game companies. The issue seems to have arisen all of a sudden with the releases of the Fire Emblem Fates, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and the upcoming release of TMS #FE. Most notably, Fire Emblem Fates had several of the characters aged-up, the removal of the face touching mini-game, and some other risqué content. While I don’t mind the aging up of the characters or the removal of the one scene where the character was given a drug to make her like men, which has really creepy implications, what does concern me is the removal of the face-touching mini-game which actually had an effect on the gameplay. It had a similar function to the Pokemon-Amie in Pokemon X and Y which, as a result, affects the gameplay and also encourages you to develop a relationship with the characters on your team. The most damning form censorship, however, comes in the form of TMS #FE. While most of it comes in the form of content, my concern is the fact that it was done without understanding the source material. The game was created as a crossover of Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem and while I can understand Nintendo wanting to censor the content for the sake of appealing to younger audiences, this game already had a very niche audience, that Nintendo is alienating by choosing to censor it. Not only that, but the Shin Megami Tensei games were well-known for utilizing sexuality both for fan service and to challenge gamers’ comfort zones as they would frequently give disturbing features to things that were originally intended to be sexy. By eliminating that, the game loses the Shin Megami Tensei element and becomes more in-line with games in the Atelier and Hyperdimension Neptunia series that seek to use bright colors to attract players without having any substance to them. Furthermore, Nintendo choosing to censor many of their game’s more risqué or challenging themes harkens back to an era when video games were seen merely as toys as opposed to a brave new medium that was pushing the boundaries of storytelling and entertainment. Not only that, but if Nintendo continues with these practices, they will continue to push their audience away. So while they may hold on to the younger demographic, my question is, is it really worth it to lose the older demographic that has been so loyal to Nintendo for so long?

Pokemon X review

Pokemon X Review
For the last twenty years, Pokemon has been an unstoppable multi-media juggernaut that shows no signs of slowing down. If there is one video game franchise everyone is familiar with, it’s Pokemon. From TV to movies to comics to stuffed animals to the card game, it’s everywhere. With the recent reveal of the seventh generation and its starters, I’ve decided to go ahead and take a brief look back at the most recent release, Pokemon X. Why Pokemon X? Because it’s the only version I played at the time.
Story-wise, there really isn’t much different from previous entries in the franchise. You play as a kid on a journey across the Kalos region (based on real-world France) in order to capture Pokemon, battle them with other trainers, collect the 8 gym badges, battle the elite 4 and become the champion. The game does try to spice it up by adding in more characters to function as rivals of sorts, but aside from the default rival who will always be the opposite of your starting gender, these new characters never feel as developed as Blue from Gen I or Silver from Gen II. The new antagonists this time around are the flamboyant Team Flare. While they make grand statements about beauty and talk about how they wish to destroy the world and leave only the beautiful things around, they come off as fairly one note. On the other hand, their leader, Lysandre, receives a bit more character development, but he’s still nowhere near as memorable as Giovanni from Gen I, Archie and Maxie from Gen III, or most notably, N and Ghetsis from Gen V.
The core gameplay hasn’t changed much since the original generation; however, little tweaks have been made in order to improve the overall experience. For starters, HM’s now have a diminished role as it is actually possible to complete the game using only minimum number of them, but if you really want to get some of the more useful TM’s, you’ll have to go out of your way in order to discover them. Other exploratory aspects that have seen a shift include the addition of roller-skates. However, this has the unfortunate side-effect of making the bike borderline useless, as while the bike is faster, you slip on the skates just by moving the control stub. There also moments where you can ride a Pokemon in the overworld. However, these moments are brief and they come across as more gimmicky than unique.
Battling is where the real changes have occurred. Horde battles are a major addition to the series, in which of groups of 5 of the same species of Pokemon, often lower-leveled than your Pokemon, will attack you at the same time. Also new to the franchise are sky battles. In these, trainers send out only flying types or Pokemon that have levitate. Ground-type moves are rendered useless and your move pool is limited. Unless you’ve been training at least one or more flying types, don’t expect to run into these very often. The biggest game-changers are mega-evolutions and Fairy-types. As the eighteenth typing and a sweeper for dragons, fairy types completely change how the game is played as you’ll find yourself having to evaluate the new strengths and weaknesses in order to succeed against these types. Furthermore, several older Pokemon have been given a type change so you’ll often find yourself coming up with new strategies just to deal with these new typings. Mega evolution is the other game changer. By equipping certain Pokemon with a certain hold item, they’ll be able to Mega evolve into a temporary new form. These new forms can completely alter the flow of battle as they don’t just offer a simple stat boost. More commonly, you’ll find yourself with a new ability and a new typing which gives a new layer of strategy to battling. Another new element is the fact that TM’s are now multi-use items instead single-use as before. While some may argue that this makes the game too easy, it allows you to more easily create your Pokemon dream team. Speaking of dream team, Pokemon from all six generations can be captured in this game, providing the largest variety of Pokemon to build a team with. To further this, you’re even given a choice of one of the Gen 1 starters early in the game so the possibilities for your dream Pokemon team expand that much more. The last two major additions are the Pokemon-Amie and the Super Trainer. The Pokemon-Amie is a small mini-game that allows you to better build your relationship with your Pokemon team. While it may seem like just a silly touch-mini game, it actually allows you to better improve your relationship with your Pokemon and as result it can allow certain Pokemon to evolve faster and it also grants an experience boost the more your Pokemon like you. The Super Trainer on the other hand, is a series of mini-games dedicated to boosting your Pokemon’s base stats. Playing these mini-games can actually over power you Pokemon and, along with the Pokemon-Amie and the Exp. Share you get early in the game, you can find yourself easily sweeping through most of the other trainers in the game, especially since just about every trainer in the game only has 3 Pokemon in their team.
Graphics-wise, this is easily the most impressive looking game in the series’ 20-years so far. While there have been 3D games in the past such as Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness, and the Pokemon Stadium games, Pokemon X triumphs through clever art direction and an art style that knows how to combine the art of previous games with some elements of the games. Furthermore, every single Pokemon is brimming with personality. The animations are vibrant and while they could use more variety, they do make the battles more interesting to watch. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the overworld. Several of the towns feel largely interchangeable and only have a few buildings and features to differentiate them. The individual trails leading to each town also feel bland with a few exceptions such as one that has Pokemon popping out of the ground in the desert and another one that is constantly covered in rain.
Sound is another area that has received a major overhaul. The music is detailed and fits every situation with a particular favorite of mine being music that plays against the gym leaders. Attacks also have a satisfying crunch whenever they hit and it makes it clear when you get that super effective hit. Finally, several Pokemon sounds have been updated from their previous incarnations in the series which really serves to give a sense of newness to the older generations.
While the story and the characters are the weakest in the series and the overall exploration aspect feels toned in comparison to the rest of the series, this game comes recommended on the strength and improvements of the overall battle system alone. Along with Pokemon Y, this is the definitive Pokemon experience.

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze Review

Donkey Kong Country Returns was one of my favorite games on the Wii and it is easy to see why. The plat forming was fast-paced, the graphics were well-animated and vibrant, and the tough-as-nails difficulty served to remind people that not only could Retro Studios pick up the slack after original developer Rareware left, but they could also continue the series into the modern day. Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Retro Studios’ second shot at the franchise, not only serves to improve upon the game mechanics of the last entry, but it shows that lightning can strike twice and Retro Studios has more than what it takes to continue this venerable franchise.

The story begins the same as any other Donkey Kong game, Donkey Kong is enjoying some down time with his friends, when all of a sudden a group of bad guys show up to ruin his day. It’s the same standard formula that has been seen multiple times across the other games in the franchise. One difference is the new villains, the Snowmad tribe, which serve as this game’s replacement for the Kremling clan. While it doesn’t serve to replace the previous villains of the series, they do offer significantly more personality than the previous villains, the Tiki Tribe, who had little to no personality to speak of. There is little to no story to speak of, outside of the intro and ending cutscene and most boss fights begin and end with a brief interlude showcasing some kind of humorous interaction between the Kongs and the bosses. Overall, this minimal approach to story works and doesn’t intrude upon the gameplay.

Gameplay has been improved upon significantly since Donkey Kong Country Returns. Gone are the motion controlled rolls which could easily send you plummeting into a pit and have now been replaced by button presses. This allows for improved precision in the controls and tighter gameplay. The level design also continues the proud tradition of tricky jumps and varied environments. Also back are the underwater levels, absent from the previous game. Unfortunately, they don’t fair as well as the regular levels. While the underwater sections serve to aid in the pacing of the standard levels, the levels that are strictly underwater can often feel sluggish and it can be difficult to maneuver around in them. A returning feature from the previous game is the ability to have another Kong ride on your back while traversing a level. While Diddy Kong makes his return, Dixie Kong makes her playable return since Donkey Kong Country 3 on the SNES and Cranky Kong makes his playable debut. Each of the three Kongs comes with their own unique ability such as Diddy’s jetpack which allows for a steady descent, Dixie’s ponytail which allows for a steady hover, and Cranky’s cane can be used as a pogo stick to cross hazardous terrain. Because of this, each Kong acts as more than just two additional hits and adds a significant amount of depth to the way that each level can be tackled.

The game world consists of a total of six areas and a seventh secret area that can only be accessed once you’ve collected all of the KONG letters in each world, including the two secret levels, as well as completing the hidden temple level which unlocks after having collected all of the KONG letters. The secret levels are often difficult to find and can require one to replay the level multiple times. Also back are the puzzle pieces from DKCR, and once again they serve as a means to unlock extra content such as artwork. Unlockable figurines can now be purchased using in-game currency directly from Funky’s flights which feature both the allies and enemies from throughout the game. Also purchasable include extra lives, Squawks the parrot who can help you find missing puzzle pieces throughout the levels, extra health for vehicles, extra health for the Kongs, a potion that grants a form of pseudo-invincibility, and even barrels of the other Kongs themselves. However, this game does not feature anything like the super guide from the previous so if you want to complete a level, you’ll have to continue going through it until you can complete it.

Finally, the presentation of this game is top-notch. The textures themselves haven’t changed too much from DKCR but thanks to the graphical power of the Wii U, the environments look much more vibrant than before. Furthermore, almost no assets are re-used from the previous game making everything in this game stand out that much more. Each individual level is covered with detail and makes the world pop out that much more. Returning is composer David Wise who originally worked on the classic Donkey Kong Country games. As a result, the music does an excellent job of fitting each world’s theme and setting the atmosphere.

Overall, Doney Kong Country Tropical Freeze is one of the greatest platformers made in recent memory. By improving upon the foundation set by Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is definitely a game made for fans. Just don’t expect a super guide to save you this time.

Thoughts on NX and Zelda Wii U Delay

Recently, it was revealed in Nintendo's latest financial results that the Wii U's successor, code named the Nintendo NX, is currently scheduled to be released March 2017. Furthermore, it was stated that the previously much-hyped and much-anticipated Zelda Wii U which was scheduled to be Nintendo's killer app for the 2016 holiday season has been pushed back even further. While the official press-release states that it is being done for the purposes of quality, it is no doubt being done so that the title can launch simultaneously for the Wii U and the NX. Furthermore, there are also mentions of production for the Wii U ending in 2018 which ultimately bugs me. 

Nintendo has not done a good job of supporting the Wii U. While early on in the console's lifespan it saw alot of support from third-party developers, most of this was in the form of ports of PS3 and Xbox 360 games with tacked on features to take advantage of the gamepad. As time went on, however, third-party support eased off and now we're lucky if we get any kind of information on a new Wii U game that isn't published by Nintendo and isn't exclusive to the e-shop. First-party support has been just as barren, which is odd given the fact that Nintendo will frequently go to great lengths to differentiate themselves from the competition. Even worse is how few killer app titles are on the console. There is no equivalent to Super Mario Galaxy or Metroid Prime and even what looked to be the best reason for owning a Wii U is going to be ported to the NX. So few big name titles have even been developed for this console it makes me wonder why Nintendo even bothered to put it out on the market. But then when I looked closer, and the answer became simpler. 

Developing for a handheld is not only more cost-efficient, but it also allows for more experimentation with little risk. Hence why there are more original and creative titles on the Nintendo 3DS handheld. But as a result, I feel that many of these titles, while still excellently done, suffer from the lack of power that they could have otherwise benefited from where they on a powerful console. The titles that stand out in particular are Kid Icarus Uprising, which could have benefited from a more fluid control scheme, Fire Emblem Fates which could have featured all three story lines on one disc as opposed to having to spread them across one cartridge and finally Super Smash Bros., which not only could have utilized the development time towards more interesting features, additional characters, improved physics, but also could have added smash run to the console version.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my 2DS (I'm about 15 hours into Pokemon X and I plan to have review up eventually), bu I feel that one of Nintendo's biggest strengths in the past was knowing how to balance portable and console titles. While some may disagree with me, I feel like in past generations, if a year went by without any notable titles on consoles, there would usually be a title on handhelds to keep us occupied. However, it seems that ever since the 3DS and the Wii U have been released, the entire focus has been on making sure that the 3DS has the unique and varied titles with the third-party support, while the Wii U has been left to languish in the dust with barely a mention. 

Overall, this announcement has made me skeptical of Nintendo's plans for the future and I'm hesitant to say whether I'm excited for the new console. All I can say is that Nintendo needs to plan for the future better and they need to have a better outline as to what it is that they're going to be doing if they don't want a repeat of the Wii U or, worse yet, another Virtual Boy.

Berserk Anime Series Review

Having recently played through both Dark Souls and Bloodborne recently, I felt the need to explore the source material which is the Berserk series. Anyone who is familiar with both franchises will immediately spot references left and right coming from the weapons such as the Greatsword, to enemy designs suchas the wheel skeletons and the Capra Demon, to items such as the Behelit being similar in appearance to the ever-popular Red-Eye Orbs which are used for invasions. As such, I chose to jump straight into the series through the most popular method which was the original 1997 anime. 

For those who are unaware, Berserk tells the story of Guts and his journey with the Band of the Hawk as they fight in the 100 year war between the kingdoms of Midland and Tudor. Along the way, there are several twists and turns ultimately culminating in what can easily be described as the single most shocking ending in anime history. Overall though, what really sells the series is the writing and the overall development and relationships that these characters have with one another. As result these characters feel unique and like actual people with genuine flaws. Guts is an unstoppable badass who makes a habit of going through and mowing down any enemy that's in his path but he has trouble connecting with people. It's pointed out at one point that he has spent his whole life fighting that he has no idea how to do anything but fight. Casca is another good example of a deconstruction of a basic character type as while she is painted as the warrior woman, the show isn't afraid to paint her in a more vulnerable light. Finally, there is Griffith, the leader of the Band of the Hawk. While he is portrayed as being calm and collected and a brilliant strategist, he is also shown to be quite a sadist and he will frequently go out of his way to commit rather questionable actions.

The supporting cast is all incredibly likable and serves to further enhance the world and give more credibility to the world. The best characters are easily the other members of the Band of the Hawk, all of whom play off of the strengths of the main characters. The villains, meanwhile, are a bit of a weak spot of the series. The generals of the Tudor empire, while entertaining, are fairly one note and while one character in particular who I dare not spoil alludes to bigger things sadly doesn't get enough screentime to really do anything.

Music is another thing the series does incredibly well, especially in terms of setting the tone. The downside is there only about  songs total. The upside is that they are all used to the fullest extent possible. Susumu Hirasawa, the composer for the series, really did an outstanding job with the series as he did not hold back and whether it is the soothing melody of the song "Guts" or the ominous nature of the song, "Behelit", it all fits the mood perfectly. The only complaint I have in terms of music is the opening. While the song itself isn't terrible, it is incredibly ill-fitting Engrish along with images which consist of Guts posing for the camera as if he were on the cover of Vogue. Contrast this to the more somber ending which has images of the main characters going by slowly, as if to foreshadow the fate of the Hawks. 

If there is one downside, it's that the show's animation budget is pretty abysmal. The uses stills and reuses animation cycles as a means to save money and it's pretty obvious to see where the show cut corners wherever it could. In some scenes, however, it actually serves to add significantly to the atmosphere while in certain battle scenes it makes them awkward and disjointed. 

One final issue I have is with characters that were cut which pretty much ended up shooting this adaptation in the foot. In the first episode, Guts ends up saving a young woman from a couple of soldiers. However, in the manga, he ended up saving an elf named Puck who becomes instrumental to the plot of the series. While some might argue that this was purely for stylistic reasons, this also meant that the series could not grow beyond the first 26 episodes that aired. The second character who was cut was an even worse choice was an even worse choice to cut because by removing him it opens up multiple plotholes towards the end of the series.

Ultimately though, despite all of my nitpicks, this a fantastic series that no one should pass up. Currently, the best place to watch it is YouTube, though it's looking to be re-released later this year on Blu-ray in anticipation of the new series which is set to cover the Black Swordsman Arc. Tune in Next week for my next review when I'll hopefully have my review of Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze up.

Update for future posts and the state of the blog

Well, considering that this blog hasn’t really been active in the past three years I’ve finally decided to come around and provide an update as to what’s been going on with my life. Well for starters, I recently got another full-time and I am now living with my girlfriend. As such, I don’t have as much time to really do much of anything as I used to. However, I plan to update this blog more regularly whenever I get the time as well as to provide updates on games that I am playing and anime that I am watching (yes I do anime reviews now, how original). I’ll try to post something new at least once a week, if not at least every two weeks so I can have something going down the pipe on a regular basis. The next update should come out by the end of this Friday so please look forward to it.