#I really loved this cutscene wish it was more dramatic still

[tt-vision]

"In from the Cold"

[utilitycaster]

I listened to the WBN Fireside on my way to work and there were two things Brennan said, one of which stood out to me as something I really agree with and one of which I really disagree with so I figured I'd make this post (the disagreement one) first and then the agreement one.

The latest episode of WBN had a scene that the characters were not present for nor viewing in any way. It was recorded without their knowledge, though they did listen to it when the episode came out, and on the Fireside Brennan said that such scenes should be used quite sparingly, given the nature of actual play, but (and I apologize, I haven't relistened and the transcripts aren't out) because the antagonists aren't present where the PCs are, it's useful at times to have a scene to keep them in the narrative for the audience.

I firmly disagree. I think that while it's true that actual play has a limited POV (if the characters don't see it, you don't see it), I have, in a lot of actual play fandom, never once seen a situation when it added to the story. Granted, WBN is ongoing, so I may eat my words here, but I am doubtful for a number of reasons.

Speaking as one small fraction of the audience, I am in possession of narrative object permanence. I do not in fact assume that when the PCs are in one part of the world, the rest of it grinds to a halt. In fact, something that skilled GMs do (including, frankly, Brennan himself most of the time) is quietly advance the plans of people who are offscreen. This is also not abnormal for the genre. Lord of the Rings has multiple POVs at different times, but never that of an antagonist; we learn of this through rumors, espionage, and Gandalf's retellings. Sprawling epics like A Song of Ice and Fire or the Stormlight Archives or the Wheel of Time make use of a wide range of third person limited viewpoints as well, not all aligned, but we don't see every move by every faction (and frankly, as a fan of that kind of book...I still think most of them could leave a bit more on the cutting room floor). Limited third person POV is not a weakness of Actual Play; I'd argue it is both a strength and a requirement. The story is driven by the player characters, and they cannot act on something they do not see.*

I'd also add that in this very specific situation, the audience saw the subject of the cutscene, The Man in Black, literally three episodes ago, which was a day ago in-game. He was brought up extensively in the discussion two episodes ago. If someone forgot? That's on them. We have not gone months and months without him making an appearance. I do think it's possible for villains to be poorly developed because they do not cross the paths of the characters enough (this is, as many of the people reading this likely know, a blog that loves to dunk on the cardboard-like nature of Otohan Thull's virtually nonexistent personality and motivations) but The Man in Black is sufficiently a banger of an antagonist as to not be so easily forgotten.

Finally, and this might just be me, but because I know how Actual Play and D&D work, I must admit the second I realized this was a no-PC cut scene I found it pretty hard to pay attention. In fact, it did the opposite of what was intended. Instead of eagerly awaiting news of how The Man in Black was waging war, filtered through whatever information Suvi, Eursulon, and Ame could obtain, I was zoning out while he talked. I think part of why I like Actual Play is that it usually leaves me, even with 4 hour episodes, wanting more. Cut scenes leave me wishing the cut scene hadn't happened.

*brief tangent: this doesn't, in my opinion, apply to the scenes in Downfall that the viewer sees but which weren't captured in the Occultus Thalamus. The story of Downfall is ultimately a story about the gods - they are the PCs - and the dramatic irony enhances the story-within-a-story aspect. It's important to the audience understanding of the gods to see the whole thing, and it's a valid choice that Bells Hells only see what occurred while the avatars were physically in Aeor. It does, however, apply to contemporaneous happenings in Worlds Beyond Number.

**This also doesn't apply to long DM monologues in the presence of players. The C3 solstice scene has been compared to a cut scene, but actually it's important that Bells Hells sees it. If one of the Wizard, Witch, or Wild One had managed to find a way to, even at a low level, scry or similarly learn of the Man in Black's doings? I wouldn't have minded it. I adore the Hakea vision scene. It's specifically that I'm in fact here to see what the characters see.

[macgyvertape]

FF14 Shadowbringers thoughts

checks date from Stormblood post: ok so Shadowbringers took about a year (took a break in December). It's funny that this expansion was the one I was most spoiled on and what I knew about the plot was interesting enough for me to agree to play with my friend vs quitting in ARR, and I'm glad to have done so.

Since I knew the big plot points I didn't really take that many notes and a number of them are comparisons to what I knew from fic and osmosis from destiny 2 people I follow

Also maybe it was just bad luck, maybe the state of the playerbase who have already done this expac (and want a quick easy run) getting put into matchmade Shadowbringers story dungeons in 2024 but the easy ones were easy, the harder ones had people being the most assholish I've seen when my friend or I would mess up mechanics.

Had to get it explained why the Warrior of light shake their head at the red green smart phone looking things in the merchant area. I just play main story quest and occasionally level alts through job quests. I care nothing for tomestones

Nooo why is the target marking game back as I browse wares. All the fanfic left this out and for good reason

Damn Alisaie working at the terminal ward for zombie patients, she’s going through The Trauma. The emotional impact hits harder in game

Holy shit Tesleen’s tragic brutal death and then transformation, as the converted guy stares on and her face fucking melts and she transformers into a horrible monster. Damn that’s a dark note to start the expansion on

I try to have the sound on for cutscenes but off during the rest of the game since I think the soundtrack is a bit repetitive. But I really enjoy Emet Selch's lietmotif

This bad cockney accent and rhyming sure is a choice for the jesters (I didn't like them)

Knowing what meol is makes this so bad

Hmm wonder what the ff14 discussion of fat characters and fat phobia is like. Like Vatuhry is just cartoonish but the noble lady is one of the few fat characters I remember

Hmm is it Emet’s leitmotif that played when Vauthry first appeared? I assume the game is being deliberate here in what music is used. (Edit: seems to just be an Ascian sus shenanigans theme)

Urianger got hot with his new outfit. Also, Thancred still looks more like a 20 year old even though he’s having like a 40 year old single parent crisis about his daughter

Wow Dohn Mheg sure was a difficulty spike. Lots of mechanics and lots of running out of mana as healer

Do the Fauth live in Lake Lanier? (this joke was more relevant when I wrote it)

I’m still surprised by Emet Selch’s accent, not sure how to explain that it’s just kind of scrungly. I’m really amused by just how many Dutch angle scenes he gets

Emet’s “mmmhm no” and “do you expect me to regale you with friendly banter” he’s so cunty I love him. I saw a comment about how he probably awarded himself all his medals after making them up and I find that deeply funny

Wow Thancred is not dealing with stuff well this expansion

A lot of the expansion I’ve been like funny how all the stations of canon fics leave out xyz so I know the plot but am unprepared for annoying carry the owl quest

Dramatic Ysholta moment undercut by me wondering why non one has a grab item spell. Extremely funny for my friend we hit this moment then he went on vacation

Very funny my friend is like “awww not this guy” for Emet Selch and I’m the exact opposite 

I ship Ysholta and big buff catman Runar. Though I’ve been calling M’quite cat people so is he a man cat otherwise it would be confusing 

Damn ghost Ardbert is going through it, surrounded by the dying unable to help

Thancred’s arc is infuriating actually playing through it and I even knew the broad strokes of it, where I wish it was more centered on Ryne and her agency. The control Thrancred fight went on a bit too long

Storge was a tough fight, where I just couldn't do the mechanics and heal, and the 2 other people with us got real pissy. Thankfully the backfill people were good at throwing on a marker and I could just follow the gold crown around and stand where they stood.

Finally got the extreme moral relativism cutscene “Not be murder if I kill you”. From this cutscene its obvious why for a while I thought the issue was with the Star/Sun, so like the solution was leave the solar system (like the Necrons)

The Anaking Padme field meme of like “So if the 13th Shard is broken then the combination plan can’t work anymore right”. Its an obvious logical hole but it doesn’t matter because logic can’t stop the Ascians

For most individual duties since the Shri Lakshmi one, I feel like they’re a waste of my time attempting them on normal difficulty vs just throwing immediately to get very easy. For context I play about 2 hours a week with a friend, so repeating a 15/20 minute event eats up a chunk of time. Its been a notable increase in DPS check challenge or positioning, and it fucking sucks repeating the whole thing because I have 2.5 damage spells or its been a month between the Thancred Ran’jit fight so I can’t clear the trick where the entire floor becomes 1 hit KO

I love how you mention all of your allies and how they’ll join together and help, and then call it “Artist Alphinaud and his assistants”

I liked the speech check challenge,  I’d enjoy seeing more of these

Lmao fanfics made me think we’re be going straight from the crystarium to Amurat recreation but nooo time to deal with a new group called the Ondo

Lmao Emet Selch is wearing lifts

I really love the confrontation at the elevator, its so obvious how weighted down Emet Selch is by living a thousand thousand lives, his absolute desperation. Ironic he judges The Scions would fall short if the final days happened again, but then Zodiark didn’t exactly solve the final days just pause things

emet Selch: “once I have reclaimed my heritage I will expunge your stain from history” seems a lot more like a dude who wants to suicide by WoL than the Ascian party line 

The shadow bringers soundtrack cutting in with the Ardbert and Gr’aha cutscene was great

Me a chronic d2 player: wow so fighting this ff14 dude Hades has a bunch of veiled figures we have to defeat first, and then there’s a bit where we almost die but have to channel the light, then we fight in a circle with AOE killing attacks across the platform, then we channel the light again (this was back when I was running Destiny 2 Salvations Edge a lot)

Emet Selch for best Final Fantasy villain of the decade, I’d be a lot more sad about his death if not for how he isn’t quite dead, and in a sense he’s free

G’raha Tia crying, he’s so blorbo shaped 

I really like the angst of Elidibus occupying Ardbert’s body, as is his rant when he drops the pretense and says there is no common ground 

“What am I supposed to reveal my plans simply because you ask” I rapidly coming to like Elidibus with him doing shit 

The Twinning was a really fun dungeon, great music

Elidibus being so mad at us having killed the other unsundered, the anger in his voice and the flash of him masked, followed by him saying maybe he knew us once but it doesn’t matter

The Faded Memories duty was great, no bullshit mechanics so I didn’t feel annoyed playing it on WHM, thematically its s fun recap of the past through Elidibus’ biased PoV, you get to see how fucked up the dude is with his memories and literal inability to change

doing the post Shadowbringers spectral beserker fight and having a rough go of it, mainly due to runback time. really higlighting how ff14 is very visual cue oriented which I struggle with vs destiny audio cue oriented. especially when as healer my target is another player vs the boss to see a bar charge up.

The Elidibus storyline was my favorite of the post patch storylines for Shadowbringers and up there with favorite patch storylines

G’raha Tia is really so blorbo shapped

I completely missed Eden quest storyline, I don’t do raiding so I’m not really gonna go finish it. 

To be salty another expansion another time an interesting female character is left behind to not really return. I thought Ryne was interesting but it seems like that’s the last we see of her

also dang another ending patch, another dramatic character making an entrance funny how I loved Emet Selch's tired theater queen energy but this Fandaniel I'm not a fan (atleast right now). I don't know how to put it but bbc sherlock Moriarty vibes (per the discord “absolutely devastating read lmao”)

Can’t believe the Zenos storyline has made him more interesting with his obsession. Burn the world down to get your attention. I’m not a fan yet but I’m willing to be convinced

Most of this restoring the scions to their bodies quest is kinda boring to me. Also goodbye forever to Ryne

Now its fixing the beastman racism through stopping piracy, and I think this part just drags for me because I’m not super knowledgeable or invested in the world lore. 

Ga Bu literally sounds like poor sad orphan form a Dickinsons story. Its a bit overdone on the pathos

Ok I was finding most of the in between patch stuff boring, and I think Fandaniel is too chuuni to enjoy. But yay Fordola appearing, I figured after they wrote her out we would never see her again 

Estonian confusing Alisaie for Alphinaud is fucking hilarious especially with G’raha fanboying 

Wow Alphinaud and Alisaie’s father is shit, and the last duty of Shadowbringers was surprisingly pleasant for me and frustrating for my friend who doesn’t play healer.

Then with the shush Emoji and the Blood Red Moon that’s the end of Shadowbringers/beginning of Endwalker

[0m3g45n1p3r4lph4]

Hello ^.^ for the metroid ask game:

5, 6, 15, 26, and 45?

The Ask Game in question!

I have a lot to say so I'm putting this under a readmore xD

5: Favourite Suit design(s)?

Dread. The Dread Power and Varia are absolute peak, the only complaint I could even *think* of being pedantic enough to suggest is that the Dread power shoulders be more angular than round, and that's nitpicking to the highest degree. I'm not as big as fan of the Gravity - I've always been of the opinion that the Varia should hold title as the bulkiest suit, being specifically an armour barrier, while the Gravity suit is mainly focused on environmental factors and movement unrestriction. Dread's Gravity being thicker and more armored makes sense for the narrative of her suit regenerating armour, but still. Plus I miss the blue lights. Why did we walk back on that.

ESPECIALLY AFTER MERCURYSTEAM DESIGNED THE BEST GRAVITY SUIT IN THE HISTORY OF GRAVITY SUITS WITH SAMUS RETURNS! MULTIPLE SHADES OF PURPLE, DRAMATIC ANGULAR BLUE LIGHTS, WEIRD LOOKING GREEBLING AND MACHINE BITS, 20/10 EASY

Special mention to the Zero Mission base Power Suit, doesn't get enough credit and hardly gets justice in the other games. And also to the specific depiction of the Prime Trilogy Varia in Hunters with the exception of the Arm Cannon. For those unfamiliar, Hunters uses the same suit as in Prime 2 and 3, but the same gunship and arm cannon as in Prime 1, to sell the game being between Prime and Echoes. It's a great detail I love, but I especially adore the promotional artwork showing Samus in battle poses - if you look really closely, you can faintly see her face through the visor. I love that detail and look for it every time.

6: Least favourite Suit design?

As a Base Power Suit fan, I don't like how it's depicted in either Prime or Other M. The shoulders in Prime are so weirdly disconnected from the arms and solidly bolted to the chestplate. It feels wrong and lanky, as though it's incomplete without the Varia. I get why they might do so, but the Base Power Suit is the original Suit. The Chozo wouldn't make it completely shit on purpose. This then goes the opposite way with Other M - there is a decent Base Power Suit model in the game used for a single flashback cutscene of her time with the Federation, and the game uses a recolored Varia Suit like in Zero Mission after getting the Fully Powered Suit. Not a single piece of Metroid media supports this depiction - Super, Prime, or Samus Returns, and ZM doesn't officially let you disable Varia Suit to find out.

Special credit to Samus Returns for my least favourite Varia though - in contrast to Other M's hyper-smooth aesthetic, the SR Varia feels... overdesigned. And the proportions even more dramatically exaggerated, though it looks worse in promotional art than in-game. (Plus there's some details of Gravity I wish carried into Varia, but again pedantic about how Nintendo should handle their suits)

15: Most atmospheric game?

"Atmosphere" is such a tough word to quantify, because some folks are going to be more interested in or cognizant of certain atmospheres, but if I had to pick a single one? Return of Samus

I actually really like the atmosphere in M2RoS - the soundscape exists almost entirely for the idea of an alien world, getting quieter and more unsettling as you venture deeper into SR-388 and see firsthand how their predatory hunting without a balance destroys the environment, a fact I much lament the lack of in Samus Returns. The walk with the Baby and seeing the stars shining little beacons of hope for the future, the dramatic shift in music when you realize the Metroid Hive is inside a Chozo Laboratory, hinting at their connected narrative earlier than anything else would; and of course that ramping in intensity as the Metroid counter rises and some infants mature into adolescent Larva. Vastly underappreciated game, both for its time and still holding up now if you're willing to soak into it.

Special mention to Echoes though, every part of that game helps to immerse in the Luminoth's world, emphasize their struggles through it all and the care it once held. Retro cooked with scan logs, and having additional context to sit with and really feel an area and it's history is so good that I feel it missing from Dread. Lemme scan animals and know what they're called.

I like my worlds feeling alive, and that either needs animal behaviors and living habits (big kudos to Dread for pulling this off even without Scans though like I adore how they made different animals have different degrees of agression *to the point where the Melee Tutorial Muzby is protecting the eggs in thw background hence her heightened agression from the rest of her otherwise neutral species*) or context for developments (scan logs provide so much for the Chozo Ruins, not to say they wouldn't still interest without them).

26: Least favourite Area or Sub-Area?

Damn. Maridia quicksand sucks. They managed to make fear of water level with Wrecked Ship's entryway, alleviate it with Gravity Suit, and then make the water level bad with impossible to escape quicksand. It feels like there's a 50/50 chance you jump normally based on specific frame alternation?? Something stupid I should look up.

Special credits to Sector Zero though lmao getting me all hyped up for GFed Tourian akin to Fusion, only to -*mic cuts away before The Other M Rant begins*

45: Best vs. Worst Final Boss

Gonna real quick separate Final Boss from True Final Bosses, there's a distinction there. A Final Boss is the last challenge of your abilities. The True Final Boss is a glorified story beat. FB in Fusion would be SA-X testing skills and having all the buildup, TFB is the Omega that defies previous canon and contains our first chain of Super Metroid sacrifice references. FB in Dread is Raven Beak, with the buildup and test of skill, while TFB RB-X is a story beat where you basically get free win. I wanted to rip it's arm off, not just -*the mic is once again taken before this becomes the Metroid Dread ending rant*

Best Final Boss goes to Raven Beak from Metroid Dread. Just about every final boss has good story feel, so Raven Beak wins out through sheer combat. This guy wants you dead for defying him and he's still somehow going easy on you. How many bosses will try to bait out certain dodges and punish with combos? Raven Beak does. It makes me wish the counter was more involved, but again that takes me into my How To Further Improve Melee Counter rant. Even now being able to kick his ass feels like a great rush of adrenaline. I should really be trying to beat more Dread randomizers, see how well I can handle him without 100% equipment or extra modifiers.

Special bonus points for Dark Samus 4 in Echoes. I love how she becomes more like the Metroid Prime Essence as she overindulges in Phazon, and it's honestly a shame that didn't happen at all in Corruption.

Worst Final Boss is easily MB, who behaves like an exaggerated TFB. Look at her and someone else takes the kill instantly. Phantoon has more depth and I've beaten that guy without loading his health bar and skipping the dramatic finish by accident, because how fast I was charging beams.

Special bad loser points for every Mother Brain in the series I guess. (Sorry Super MB isn't a super fun fight, it's mostly just spectacle and story drama. I love those of it but there's a reason randomizers let you skip the fight.

That's all of them! Thanks so much for the ask!

[beidoubaby]

my opinion of you based on your favorite genshin character but i’m extremely nice

albedo: oh my god you have amazing taste in characters you’re probably really good at drawing or writing and you’re quiet but really funny

amber: i’m so sorry sweetie people think you’re dumb for liking her but you’re actually super fun and awesome to hang out with

ayaka: TASTEEE you probably join low ar players and wreck their enemies for fun and you’re v helpful

baizhu: i see you are a person of culture as well, and you also have really nice hair that everyone is jealous of

barbara: i bet you love to sing out loud and you’re super cute and always make sure your teammates are fully healed

beidou: HOTTIE ALERT even if you’re small you’re still super strong (mentally or physically) and people are jealous of how hot you are

bennett: you’re so pure!! you love to help out whenever you can, and everyone loves to be around you!

chongyun: you’re super patient (probably because if you main him people tell you he’s bad and you just nod and smile while you hit 60k+ with his burst) also you have excellent taste

diluc: YOU’RE COOL AND HOT DONT LET ANYONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE

diona: you’re cute and everyone loves when you’re around, you’re dependable and have a great fashion sense

eula: you’re really cool and intimidating but also really soft on the inside

fischl: pov you’re hot and dramatic as fuck

ganyu: ilysm you’re so sweet and kind and patient you deserve the world!!

gorou: i feel like you’re the type of friend that can sit around and do nothing or hang out like once a year and it still feels like youre great friends ily

hu tao: you’re really funny and everyone loves your vibe pls be my friend

jean: you’re so underrated!! you always have so much to contribute to whatever you do, so do it!

kaeya: you have IMPECCABLE taste my liege and needless to say you’re a hottie

kazuha: be be be my bff, nah fr i love your vibes and you’re probably a god at video games <3

keqing: I LOVE YOUUU you’re probably a HUGE fan of whatever you’re into and i fw that you’re also super chill and flexible the perfect friend

klee: i fear your power but you’re also cute af

kokomi: CUTIEEEE also definitely a nerd but in a cute way and you wish kokomi had a mona sprint type of ability

lisa: omg a cryptid, there aren’t many people like you in most friend groups but everyone needs one, you’re so chill and smart

mona: you’re just livin your life bestie and you’re doing a great job!! keep enjoying the ride, you’ll find your passion along the way!

ningguang: OMG ANOTHER HOTTIE you’re probably super responsible and intelligent too i respect you so much

noelle: you’re so so sweet and helpful ilysm 🥺

qiqi: YOURE SO CUTEEE ILY you’re probably the foundation of your friend group and people need to appreciate you more it’s what you deserve

raiden: intimidating as fuck but really hot. also probably likes villains from other media because you look past their actions and see them for who they are as a person which is respectable

razor: you’re really funny and down to earth and you see past people’s façades and flaws and that’s an amazing gift

rosaria: omg hi you make me nervous because you’re hot and know how to play the game well 😳👉👈

sara: HOTTIE ALERT HOTTIE ALERT you look so good in turtlenecks just like your fav and you’re also intimidating when you want to be

sayu: you’ve been waiting for another 4* baby and here she is!!! also you love her hoodie and want one for yourself (and you would look super cute in it)

scaramouche: you’re hot but probably awkward and shy and also super patient especially if you’re saving up for him

signora: oh you horny horny motherfucker. hmm idk what nice thing i can say about you. if she’s your fav i applaud you since she has like 3 cutscenes

sucrose: you intimidate me because you’re nice af but you will DESTROY your enemies in video games and then giggle all cute

tartaglia: YOUR HAND IN MARRIAGE? you might be a little crazy but i love that about you and there’s never a dull moment when you’re around

thoma: you would’ve liked childe but he was a villain so you didn’t. but that means you have good morals and won’t simp for villains just bc they’re hot

lumine: don’t feel bad for picking the non canon mc because you’re literally drop dead gorgeous and super smart

aether: ily!!! you give off himbo/bimbo/thembo evergy and i feel like you have amazing taste in shows/anime

venti: you’re super cute and a great listener i bet your singing voice is top tier you hit those high notes bestie!!

xiangling: you’re literally an amazing friend i feel like at least part of the reason you love xiangling is because you also love to cook and trust me your cooking is TO DIE FOR

xiao: hey twinsie!! you’re hot as fuck duh and your music taste is fucking godly

xingqiu: babe don’t doubt yourself you’re so smart and your friends absolutely adore you!!

xinyan: YOUR TASTE IS AMAZING i bet you’re lowkey good as fuck at video games and also give off hot but intimidating energy

yae: you have excellent taste she might have only been in one cutscene but she always has room in your heart

yanfei: bubbly cute and charismatic asf!! you bring all the energy wherever you go but don’t forget to take some time for yourself babe <3

yaoyao: patience of a god also i’m side eyeing you because there’s like one (1) official art and one (1) voice line about her

yoimiya: ily! i bet you love summer and bright warm colors and i also feel like you’re good at doing makeup (or you would be if you don’t do it)

zhongli: the problem is that there are a LOT of zhongli mains/stans so you guys can be very different in many ways but you all have in common the fact that you’re all intellectuals for investing in the most broken character in the game

[adelle-ein]

engage plot thoughts

Finished Engage, here's my plot thoughts, full spoilers for entire game (my spoiler-light "full review" will be along shortlyish)

So tbh I don't think this is as bad and weak a plot as people were hyping it up to be. In theory the basic idea is actually really good! The issue is like…pacing and how the screentime was divided up. We spend wayyy too long wandering from country to country fighting bandits and then everything of significance is crammed into five chapters.

The plot tries to love its drama but fails to build things up well enough. Veyle only cameos in the early game as a generic Sweet Young Girl, so the big reveal — while it would have been predictable no matter what — just doesn't hit emotionally. Veyle in general just needed more time as a proper deuteragonist. Maybe have Veyle and Alear do a couple solo maps together? They get cornered by Corrupted and fight them off together (with Veyle using a different class and weapons of course), trying to get the player actually attached? Have Veyle hang out with the whole gang in a few longer cutscenes so she feels like part of the team and not a random aside? Maybe have Alear open up to her about Lumera so they have a special connection with her? I just wish they'd done something here. As it is, the only reason to pity Veyle is because she's a young kid being abused, and while of course that's something, she plays such a big plot role and we don't even get to know her as a person. There were definitely better ways, imo, to pull this off. Letting her join your army and leave again intermittently pre-reveal (a la Ninian, maybe) would have improved things.

Getting to the meat of the plot…I very much like that Alear is an adopted Divine Dragon and that this is treated like a good and legitimate thing, to the point of them even gaining physical characteristics of one. If we go through with a real world metaphor, then Lumera loved them enough that they became her "true" family, and that works very well. FE only really ever does found family stuff with its side characters, preferring to focus on Divine True Sacred Bloodlines, and having Alear as a Fell Dragon who became Divine through the power of love and wanting to be "a good dragon" is actually quite nice and helps them feel a little less like a Robin retread. The issue that is unfortunately there is effectively zero buildup to this revelation. Other than Veyle's sibling obviously being Alear, we see no connection between them and Sombron. Alear has a single flashback to 1000 years ago in an early chapter and never again until the reveals start being dropped…in the last handful of chapters. While the single time travel chapter is kinda bizarre, it's a good step from a character perspective, and I wish there was more of that. Why not show more of how they became close to Lumera and how she adopted them? When did they defect, how did that go for then, how did they start calling her their mother? Interspersing flashbacks or hell, even more time travel (as silly as it would have been) throughout the story would have fixed so much of this game's lacking emotional core and let the plot actually work. As it is, it's a good concept that we see barely anything of.

I do disagree with the people insisting that Alear shouldn't have been so upset when Lumera died because they barely know her — they barely know anyone, Lumera has been kind to them and they know she's their mother, they're mourning the possibility of what they lost as much as the actual loss. I dunno, obviously I've never been in that situation, but even if I barely remembered my mother due to total amnesia I think I would still be really upset if she was murdered in front of me and especially if she had died due to using up all her health and strength to protect me. Personally. Feels a bit silly to be defending something like this but yeah. Now I do think her death scene was a bit long and dramatic when a quick sudden death is pretty much always more emotionally effecting, but that's a separate issue. Regardless, the plot hinges so much on Lumera and her relationship with Alear, and we see hardly any of it for some reason. Lumera simply needed a lot more screentime, even posthumously. Hell, let her live for the first half or so of the game, THEN get killed off. It still would have been predictable, but at least we would have gotten to know her.

Alear as the thirteenth Emblem makes sense in a meta way, but it does make me wish that they provided SOME kind of lore as to why and how the Emblems exist. The implication seems to be that the Emblems were created in death separate from their bodies, or when their bodies were already gone? And that all of their worlds exist out there, with Sombron intending to invade them? At the very last minute Marth drops a "btw Emblems are not the same as the actual heroes" but that's pretty much all we get. Idk I'm not looking for a Zelda timeline for all the FE games, I would just like…some kind of lore explanation as to what is up with Emblems and creating new ones. As well as the idea of the new protagonist joining the old ones as an Emblem works on a meta level, we just kinda needed more lore and buildup to make it work. My usual refrain. Personally liked the idea that Elyos was created *by* the rings or is somehow linked to them, because of the way its lore feels like a mashup and homage to so many previous games but…that probably wasn't the intention. Who knows. Fire Emblem. I like that our protagonist *is* the literal Fire Emblem though. Last time it was their *waves hand* blood power, now it's just straight up them.

The Four Hounds show up way too often and only do things in their last few appearances, which is tiring. Constructing them to be semi-likeable from the beginning, and maybe not fighting them and having them easily walk away just fine over and over, would have really improved everything with that subplot. I see what the writers were going for. But they whiffed it.

Alear is fine. They are kinda forgettable and a total dumbass for the first half of the plot, but they do change and grow and become more assertive, which works. They are an actual character, unlike Byleth. And they don't do stupid awful sometimes-evil things and get patted on the back for them a la Corrin. That is all I ask really.

Basically, a mess, but better pacing with more screentime for Veyle and Lumera and more flashbacks on Alear's end could have made it a really nice mess. Alas. I do think, overall, this was a simple but good and heartfelt concept for a plot. The execution was just poor, as usual for FE, and because the plot is so simple it can't hide what a mess it is the way other FE games often do. But I like it better than SOV (I like cat food commercials better than SOV…)

[caicyfer]

Hi! I follow you on Twitter and I really love your art. Your most recent piece is my favorite (scara being dragged by fairytale dottore) I’m really interested in making art of a similar nature, but I struggle with the idea portion of it. I’m not sure if you have artists you look up to, or other media you like to pull inspiration from.. but I’m really interested in how you came up with the concept for it! or your thought process in general ^^

I know that can be a difficult question to answer, and it’s kind of a big ask. So I understand if you don’t have/give a response. Either way, your art has quickly become a huge inspiration for me :] and I appreciate that you are willing share it

Hello! It's no problem at all, i'll try to explain to the best of my ability.

To be honest, coming up with ideas for paintings has been a little rough for me too. That said, i don't always start with a fully fleshed out idea. Before i start drawing, i listen to songs that match the kind of mood i want to capture. I sometimes lay down, listen to the lyrics and imagine some scenarios. When i discover one i find acceptable, i start drawing. I think of some angles which could make the scene more dramatic, color choices to match the mood and if i want to add some dramatic lighting. This method works for me most of the time.

My though process behind the painting with fairytale Dottore was a little different than that though. It was an idea i got while being half asleep in school. When i first saw the cutscene where Nahida was telling us a fairytale, i was surprised at the contrast it showed. The contrast of showing a children styled illustration with the brutality of the actual events that were spoken of. While some people find Dottore's costume cute, it immediately struck me as creepy and unsettling. The initial idea was just the regular Dottore dragging Scaramouche out of the lab, but as i was looking at the canvas, i thought about that fairytale again. Scara at that point was not the Balladeer yet. I'd imagine he was still a little naive when he joined the Fatui. Having Dottore take the image of a big fur monster (taking his initial eeriness into account) would make the scene more morbid and scary. I made the background a tiled hallway with semi-transparent walls. They get more and more transparent towards the light, showing trees and a bit of Inazuman nature. Dottore is dragging Scara away from his origins, from his friends and away from his freedom. I tried to express this with colors too, warm light and the cold hues of the lab and Snezhnaya. I also gave the walls a subtle purple tint near Dottore, indicating Archon Residue and Abyss influence. I was coming up with these as I went, it was not on my mind from the beginning. I can definitely say that it is my most thought out piece yet.

Hopefully that answers the most of it. Music is one of my biggest inspirations (film music among others is wonderful while drawing), and when music fails, Pinterest has my back⟵(๑¯◡¯๑). I feel flattered that you think such about my art and that you are able to pull inspiration from it. I wish you the best of luck on your artistic journey and happy drawing!

P.S.

Check Emilyena (speedpaints) and Adam Duff LUCIDPIXUL (art talks) on YouTube.

[heart-of-the-party]

Ok I can finally post my Thoughts about everything that happened ;w;

Under the cut cuz these posts are long af:

- The steps of faith made me incredibly emotional for obvious reasons. But the actual trial was kinda hilarious because I was dead for most of it lmao. I think both our healers were actual sprouts so they had a tough time with the heals (I saw a few others go down and stay down for a while lol)

- Anyway back to the end of the steps of faith. Estinien calling me aibou still makes me feel things (even if he’s desperately asking for death). I am started to grow incredibly fond of alphinaud now, something that struck me as we pulled out nidhogg’s eyes together.

- WHEN YSAYLE’S HAND ENTERED THE FRAME I SQUEALED!

- I was happy enough seeing her but then Haurchie appeared too and I was so close to crying again. I miss them so much., I wish there was a spot for ysayle too where I could visit and tell her what’s going on.

I love you two so much, you don’t eve know ueueueue. Haurchie’s face always makes me feel so incredibly bittersweet, I love him so so so much.

This was pretty cool. I hope nidhogg finds peace.

- Also hey your idea of “destroying” the eyes is to chuck them into the abyss??? WHAT?? Isn’t there a more reliable way??

- Aymeric and Estinien are pretty gay. Understandable. They’re both very hot.

- I CAN SENSE ESTINIEN FACE REVEAL!!! >;3c

- ngl when that cutscene started and alphinaud was crying I honestly though estinien was dead. I was ready to angrily type to my friend for not telling me HE also will die on me. But then he spoke...

- HE’S SO PRETTY WTF, LOOK I HAD ALREADY SEEN HIM IN FANART AND I KNEW HE WAS PRETTY BUT IT HITS DIFFERENT IN-GAME

- ALSO HE SMILES SO MUCH WTF????? MY HEART WAS NOT READY.

SIR WHY ARE YOU SO CUTE???? I love his slightly upward pointing ears...

- At this point I have to say that while I was already thirsty for him, seeing his pretty face has made me many times thirstier. I think it’s the contrast between his grumpy personality and his handsome face with the luscious locks (it looks so impractical but thank you for growing out your hair estinien. Though imo he’d still look hot even his hair was short)

DRAGON GRANDPA SEEING HIS SON HOME IS SO CUTE!! 

- wowowowow dinner date with aymeric???? GASP

- he looks so cute in his casual outfit (easier to draw too)

- ofc it has to be interrupted.

- ALISAIE!!!!!

-SHE!!! IS SO CUTE!!!! thankfully not a tsundere  (i was very worried about this)

THANK YOU TATARU!!! HER SHOES ARE TERRIBLE!

WAIT THESE AREN’T MUCH BETTER. WTF IS GOING ON AT THE SOLES?? ice-skater alisaie???

- I was about to make the “i’ve known gu bu only for a day...” meme WHEN SOMETHING REALLY DID HAPPEN TO HIM!!!! I AM SO MAD AAAAAAAAAAAAA

-This scene made me emotional (do not look at me hanging out alone in vc, I forgot to leave when the others left)

- URIANGER LOOKING UP AT THE STARS AS HE TALKS ABOUT MOENBRYDA ;;A;; her name means the moon’s bride, right? urianger..... i feel you ;;A;;

- The warriors of darkness feel so found family, I don’t really wanna fight them u_u

-URIANGER FACE+MOTIVATION REVEAL

he’s so dramatic lmao, also wtf when he smiled i started to feel things again. these elezen will be the death of me i swear

- Okay look I was not the biggest fan of minfilia, I thought she was kinda just there.. but this scene really made me emotional ;;;A;;;;

I will miss her :< And that scene with F’lhaminn made me gasp out loud. ;;;A;;;;

----

Gonna continue in another post cuz this feels pretty long already xD

[peppermintbee]

OMORI has poor writing (Part 1)

OMORI stans, just block the #omori hate tag now because I’m going to use it to vent my frustrations with this game. If you love this game, I am not going to try to convince you otherwise. I am glad you enjoyed it so much. I am glad it means a lot to you. I’m not here to take that away from you. I honestly wish I felt the same way!

However, if you are like me and finished the game feeling disappointed, underwhelmed, and maybe a little frustrated, then I am here to say you are not alone. OMORI--while having the right set pieces for an interesting game--is a narrative mess.

I’m splitting this into two posts. This first post is about problems with the plot. The second is about problems with the message/moral. 

(Note: I use “OMORI” in all-caps for the game title, and “Omori” in title case for the character name.)

Spoilers and criticism below.

Part 1: Plot Writing Lies

There’s a book by Brian McDonald called Invisible Ink which is about how to write a compelling story (you can read this great book online for free here). There’s an explanation of the writing “lie” that I find myself frequently thinking of. A “lie” in this context does not mean something is literally untrue, it means something FEELS untrue, unrealistic, improbable, or unlikely. For example, if a character gets shot in the leg but manages to do parkour, this is a “lie” since it seems unrealistic for that to happen. If a character witnesses their beloved parent’s death and shrugs it off, it’s a “lie” because that reaction seems highly unlikely.

In OMORI, the plot is held together by multiple little lies that--try as I might--I just couldn’t bring myself to believe.

1. Sunny’s friends care about him, and vice versa

A major theme of the game is how friendship can overcome any obstacle. Friendship gets Sunny over his fear of heights, spiders, and water. Friendship is what Sunny remembers before the final boss fight, and allows him to face his guilt and defeat it (and prevent him from committing suicide). With the photobook and dialogue you are reminded over and over and over and over and over again that Sunny’s friends love him unconditionally.

However, I just couldn’t bring myself to believe it. The childhood memories are cute but shallow, boiling down to simply hanging out and eating treats. Plus, Kel and Aubrey fight constantly, with Aubrey even physically hitting Kel when he steps out of line. Hero and Mari behave more like babysitters than true friends to the younger kids. 

But at least the other kids interact with each other. Sunny, on the other hand, showed nearly no affection or consideration towards his friends. He floats through the memories like a ghost--he could have been completely absent from all the photos and it would have made little difference. I was ready to accept this as Sunny being an unreliable narrator and not thinking he was a good enough for his friends, but this never contradicted. Instead we are given even more memories where Sunny just silently exists there being “cute.”

[Sunny enriching the lives of his friends by LARPING as a cat.]

Because of the lack of meaningful interactions between them, there was nothing in the game that made me think that these 12-15 year olds would have a strong enough bond that would survive 3-4 years of no contact after finding their friend hanged. In fact, that discovery only drove them farther apart. The only person who I could believe actually had a close bond was Basil, who almost literally filled that trope of being the friend who would help you bury a body (or in this case, help Sunny cover up the accidental manslaughter).

The writing fix for this would be simple: instead of showing us the same boring birthday and beach scenes over again, give the kids memories of overcoming some age-appropriate adversity together: heartbreak over an unrequited crush, anxiety over homework, sports injury, lost dogs, divorced parents, running away from home, bullying, etc. Set a precedent of the friends supporting each other through good times AND bad times. Without such backstory, Sunny’s friendships allegedly giving him the courage to overcome his guilt feels like a lie.

2. Sunny abandoning Basil in the bathroom scene

One of the most confusing moments in the game was Sunny’s negligence when Basil has his first breakdown in his bathroom. This part of the game is player-controlled, which is a strange writing decision because all you can do is click on Basil and various bathroom amenities over and over which completely saps the urgency out of the scene. When you try to leave, Basil begs Sunny to stay, but (due to a lack of player options) Sunny walks out without a word. With no option to talk to him OR get help for him, it makes Sunny seem exceptionally cruel to Basil. In fact, I was starting to wonder if the game was setting up for some sort of twist that Sunny DIDN’T care about his friends, which would fix some of the confusion in point #1. However, as we know, that is not the case. Therefore, Sunny’s negligence/apathy towards Basil’s pain feels like a lie.

The writing fix would be to make it MORE clear that Sunny is intentionally running away from Basil. Make it a cutscene, or, give a false choice such as “Leave Basil? Yes / Yes”. After Sunny leaves, Kel should make some remark about Sunny looking odd, “You look sort of shaken up, is there something you want to tell me?” then hit it home with Sunny shaking his head. This would make it more clear that Sunny is intentionally hiding Basil’s state, as opposed to just being a bad friend. As it stands, it just felt like a writing mistake.

3. Basil and Sunny working together to stage Mari’s death as a suicide

This is the plot hole that I see the most complaints over, but it’s so big I have to address it. Accidentally pushing Mari down the stairs I understand, but the rest is too absurd. Below are some of the “lies” that the writing tries to get away with:

That Sunny and Basil wouldn’t just claim she slipped and fell.

That either boy would even come up with this sick plan.

That they wouldn’t back out of this idea during the multi-step process (carrying her downstairs, outside, getting the jump rope, tying a noose, putting it around her neck, stringing her up, hiding the evidence... This is a series of multiple decisions, not one quick accident like the initial push.)

That it’s not the image of Mari’s death that traumatized Sunny, but the image of what they chose to do to her body that traumatized them. I understand the image of Mari hanging is more dramatic, but they literally did it themselves so why is that more haunting than Sunny killing her?

That Mari’s true cause of death wouldn’t be immediately obvious to the parents, the police, the friends, EVERYONE. (I’ve seen fans try to get rid of this plot hole by hypothesizing that the parents knew and covered it up, but the evidence of this is circumstantial at best. The father saying, “You’re not my son,” is unreliable since it happens in Sunny’s headspace. Divorce is common after the death of a child, and, at the very least, Sunny’s mom doesn’t show any evidence of knowing what happened. The way it is written, only Sunny and Basil know the truth.)

The ridiculousness of this twist is so extreme that it completely broke any immersion I had left. Frankly, the reveal that the happy, loveable Mari committed suicide is a far heavier and more realistic twist than a crazy murder-cover-up story is.

Additionally, it seems like Basil was only written into this scene in order to make Sunny the true victim of what happened. After all, Sunny may have pushed her, but it was Basil who came up with the demented cover up. (This is apparent from just the photos but the datamined Truth Album confirms it.) By having Basil come up with the plan, the game splits the guilt between the two of them to make the kids easier to sympathize with. It’s problematic because if Basil was not in the scene, there would be no way to justify what Sunny did to Mari. So why is what they did easier to accept when they worked together?

Fixing the writing lie: Sunny lies and says that Mari slipped. Remove Basil from the scene, and instead have Sunny confide in Basil which forces Basil to become a co-conspirator and burdens him with the terrible truth.

4. Sunny’s friends forgiving him and Basil for what they did to Mari

Last but not least, the story heavily implies that Hero, Kel, and Aubrey will forgive Basil and Sunny for what they did to Mari. I found this to be almost as unbelievable as the staged-suicide stunt.

It feels like a lie since the group’s friendship is never established as anything beyond shallow hang outs from 3+ years ago (see point #1).

It feels like a lie because this is hot off the heels of Aubrey being so distraught over Mari and the following fall out that in the last three days she 1.) attacked Sunny and Kel with a nail bat TWICE, 2.) Stole Basil’s photobook, and 3.) Shoved Basil in the lake. This trauma is still very fresh for her.

It feels like a lie because the complexity of the staged-suicide is so extreme, one would be hard pressed to forgive ANYONE for doing that, be it friend, foe, parent, sibling, lover, etc.

I’ve seen fans argue that the ending is not about forgiveness, it’s about telling the truth, and I want to believe that. Really. If the ending was about Sunny starting his redemption arc by telling the truth no matter what the consequences are, that would be a meaningful lesson. But the writing does not support that. The ending headspace segments are focused on assuring Sunny that his friends will support/forgive him no matter what. To do this, the game shows us the shallow photobook memories (again) to show how much they allegedly care about each other. Then, when fighting Omori, Sunny remembers these quotes from his friends, which directly correlate to their unconditional support:

KEL: Friends... Friends are supposed to be there for each other.

AUBREY: I hope you can find some peace... or you know... some happiness.

HERO: We made the mistake of leaving each other when we needed each other the most. This time... we’ll stay together.

BASIL: Maybe one day... things can go back to the way they were before.

The really direct evidence that this ending is about getting forgiveness is this quote from Basil in Sunny’s headspace:

[BASIL: “AUBREY, KEL and HERO are good friends. You have to trust that they’ll forgive us.”]

This is one of the last scenes before Sunny tells his friends the truth, proving that obtaining forgiveness from his FRIENDS is in fact the leading motivation for Sunny’s actions.

Fixing this writing lie is easy. Instead, adjust the writing to be about telling the truth, not about how much the friends will still love Sunny. Have headspace Basil say, “Even if they don’t forgive us, Aubrey, Kel, and Hero deserve to know the truth. It’s the only way to make things right... or close to it.”

Conclusion

OMORI is undeniably a cute game with a strong visual identity, and has a premise that could make for a very compelling experience. However, the sloppy plot and weak character writing cause the potential of this game to be squandered. There are other issues as well that I chose not to cover for the sake of time, such as the poor pacing of the dragged out dungeons and the bizarre, unrealistic behavior of characters in the “real” world. 

However, there are a few more glaring problems with OMORI that I have to address: In part 2 of my critique, I break down what may be the biggest problem with OMORI’s writing: the message.

[ Link to Part 2: OMORI’s Message is Mishandled and Distasteful ]

[mushroom-daydreamer]

Episode Prompto Analysis: Part III/VI

This part is still kinda heavy on the emotional aspects of the episode. I think they did a really good job of how they presented everything, and I have a lot of thoughts on this scene in particular!

The Moving Forward Segment

This part always makes me uneasy when I watch it, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. Then one time I was watching the cutscenes again, and it dawned on me that Prompto is dissonantly calm as he sits down in front of the MT. This is in stark contrast to the borderline hysteria back in the lab with Verstael, and the crying, hyperventilating, and self-harm in the cave. 

This is a huge red flag. When a horribly depressed person suddenly becomes calm after a period of being in a very low place, it’s a very worrying sign that indicates that a person might have made the decision to end their life. 

It’s apparent that Prompto feels like he doesn't have anything left, and I think that one way to interpret the eerie, surreal Moving Forward segment is that it is Prompto going through a suicidal episode. Maybe that sounds kind of dramatic to say, but I think that it makes sense, and is also presented in a very sensitive way- a way that shows a lot of sympathy for and imparts no judgement on people who suffer from suicidal ideation. 

So here is how I interpret this segment of the game, which is quite confusing upon first play/watch. 

In the morning, Prompto leaves the cave and sits down in front of a dead MT. He is dissonantly calm and numb. He might have taken his own life there in the snow, all alone, if he hadn't fallen asleep. 

This is why when I have a freak out, I always take a nap. Sleep is a great way to just slow the heck down when your brain is going to dark places. 

I think that everything between Prompto closing his eyes and Prompto opening them again and going to find Aranea, is a dream/vision. 

First, he has a nightmare about being an MT and being attacked by Noctis. This is quite clearly his mind trying to process everything that’s been going on, and it’s pretty freaky to play that part and be the MT instead of Noctis. Then of course you go back to the main game after completing the dlc and you have to fight all the MTs. Ouch. 

Then, Prompto is led by Pryna (the white one of Luna’s dogs) to an open snowfield. Pryna died with Luna in Altissia, but since she’s a magic goddess dog thing, I think it’s valid to think that maybe it really is her here, and not just a product of his imagination. Prompto has a special relationship with Pryna, as she’s the puppy he rescued when he was a lil kid and bonded with. I think that Pryna is visiting him once again in his dream to help pull him out of the low place that he’s in. 

Prompto encounters a fallen MT, and I actually don’t think that this part takes place “in real life”. When he shoots the MT you can see his face go from horror to despair to steely resolve. He sheds a tear and fires one shot. He might be shaking, but I was struck by just how calm and almost accepting he acts here. 

After the cut to black, Prompto opens his eyes and sees his child self sitting there behind the MT, cowering and covering his ears. This is really significant to me for a few reasons, and is kinda why I think this part is a dream he has while his brain is trying to process everything he’s been going through. 

By shooting the MT (that he sees as himself briefly) he is metaphorically ending his life, everything he hates about himself is embodied by this vision. But then he sees the apparition of his child self. I think this is a powerful visual illustration of the realization that when he harms himself, physically or verbally, he isn’t just harming the parts of him he considers “bad”. He’s also hurting the sweet, innocent kid he used to be. And I think that brings it home that Prompto realizes that he is still the same person as that vulnerable little boy, and that he deserves just as much love (and more) as he wishes his younger self could’ve gotten. Am I reading a lot into the action of Prompto putting his hand comfortingly on his younger self’s back? Probably, but it’s all so beautifully done, and since this whole sequence is about Prompto accepting that he has worth, I think it’s fair to say it. 

Then, he wakes up. Or that’s how I interpret the scene. And in his hands isn’t his gun, but his camera- something that represents his love of his friends and his creativity. Not what he was “made for” but what he chooses to do. 

I will cry now, be right back.

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy IV Review

Year: 1991

Original Platform: Super Nintendo (Originally introduced to Western audiences as Final Fantasy II, since the real II and III were not released outside of Japan at the time.)

Also available on: Nintendo DS, PSP (Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection), GameBoy Advance, Playstation One (Final Fantasy Chronicles), Steam (DS remake)

Version I Played: PSP

Synopsis:

Cecil Harvey is Batman a dark knight who follows orders from King Baron. The king tasks Cecil and his partner Kain with taking the crystals from the surrounding nations and cities. Cecil questions his king’s motives, leading to the revelation of a grand conspiracy. Cecil then goes on a quest to right his wrongs.

Gameplay:

The novel feature of this game was the ATB system – Active Timed Battle. This means that instead of you and the enemy waiting for your respective turns one at a time, each character takes their turn according their respective speed. One character may be slower than the other, so they will take longer to be able to perform an action. Basically, with ATB, if you wait too long to think about what to do on your turn, the enemy can hit you - JUST AS IF YOU WERE REALLY BATTLING IN REAL LIFE.

While Final Fantasy IV introduced ATB, it did not utilize the ATB gauge in actual battles. The ATB gauge is a visual bar during battle that shows your character’s speed. Whenever it’s filled, your character can perform an action. The gauge itself was first seen later in Final Fantasy V. Later remakes of Final Fantasy IV displayed the ATB gauge. Some configuration options were introduced later to give you the ability to change the battle system to active or wait. Putting it on wait would allow the timed battle to pause while you thought about what to do during your move.

Final Fantasy IV forsakes the customizable Job System and introduces characters with individual jobs. Kain is a dragoon, who can jump in the air and deal destructive damage. Rydia is a summoner. Yang is a monk. Etc, etc.

The Super Nintendo and PSP versions are more or less on par with each other in terms of difficulty. The Nintendo DS remake is really hard. Like REALLY hard. Like “throw-your-DS-across-the-room hard”. I myself have had trouble finishing it.

Graphics:

I haven’t played the original SNES version of Final Fantasy IV, but judging by the images it appears to be in this liminal state between NES and SNES. Not quite NES but not quite utilizing the full power of the SNES either.

The PSP version is somewhat reminiscent of the Anniversary Editions of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II, but it still has its own flair that outshines them.

Final Fantasy IV DS is pretty much a 3D remake in the same vein as Final Fantasy III DS, with an awesome opening FMV. The in-game cutscenes however now have VOICE ACTING. 

Now, the PlayStation One version has a FMV sequence that hasn’t aged well at all. We’re talking worse than the Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II FMV sequences from PlayStation One. I can’t even find a good snapshot from Google Images, probably because nobody wants to look at them ever again. You can find it on YouTube though.

Story:

Final Fantasy IV is well known for being the first GOOD story in a Final Fantasy game. Cecil’s personal journey of redemption rung in the minds and hearts of audiences. There’s a nice balance of focusing on individual struggles and an epic adventure to save the world.

The cast of characters is pretty wide. Like Final Fantasy II, several secondary characters come and go. There is one difference but I don’t want to spoil anything. I guess the least I could say is that Final Fantasy IV subverts what to expect after having played Final Fantasy II.

Like Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV includes crystals as an important plot device. This time they hold enormous power that the villain Golbez wishes to obtain for nefarious means.

While the story is infinitely superior in storytelling to Final Fantasy II, there are still some silly moments. I could best describe the bulk of the story as “Cecil and friends are on a race to capture each crystal around the world but something always gets in the way at the last minute.” While for the most part the story is done well, there are seemingly cartoonish moments involving random trapdoors and bewitched dolls. One particular moment I found myself thinking, "So you're just going to stand there while he does that?"

But I think the most admirable part of the story is how they approach Cecil and Rosa’s romance. While most RPGs, especially today, try to hash in a childish romance subplot, Cecil and Rosa are that rare couple that are already together at the beginning of the game. Their love is tested throughout the story.

The most popular quote from this game involves a complicated matter of translation. Western releases of Final Fantasy games (and Japanese games in general) often had awkward translations. “You spoony bard!” is one such awkward translation that originates from this game.

The character who spoke this line, Tellah, is arguing with the character Edward. The translation came out at “spoony” due to the Japanese writers believing it was still used today in English. It’s an archaic term meaning “enamored in a silly or sentimental way”. It technically fits, but clearly, nobody uses that word anymore, and players laughed at how nonsensical it seemed.

While I don’t want to spoil why Tellah is angry at Edward, the scenario in question is dramatic, and so Tellah saying “idiot” or “moron” wouldn’t quite suffice. The original Japanese word that Tellah uses is “kisama”, which in the given context is akin to telling someone they are a “son of a bitch” or “bastard.” Western releases, especially North American, were very often censored and demanded less or no profanity.

Overall, Final Fantasy IV is the first notable story in the Final Fantasy series, way better and much more original than Final Fantasy II.

Music:

 With the Super Nintendo, Uematsu was able to play with more sounds. The drumming that Uematsu had wanted in his battle themes is more apparent. He also added an accompaniment to the Prelude. The main theme of Final Fantasy IV is scattered throughout the score, just like a motif in a movie score. The main theme is the map theme, and I like how, for example, the theme changes to a different beat when you venture into the underworld. The main theme even pops up in the final battle, which to me is awesome because it illustrates the heroes collectively trying to banish evil.

In one interview with Uematsu, he stated he was a huge fan of Elton John. For some reason, after I read that, I totally see the main theme of Final Fantasy IV having an Elton John vibe, especially in the epilogue with the drums and the bass.

Red Wings, which is the theme for Baron’s elite air force of the same name, is notable for its unorthodox time signature. I swore I read that somewhere years ago but now I can’t find it, so if someone happens to come across it – let me know. The theme for the Red Wings sounds both heroic and sinister, referencing Baron’s underlying motives and Cecil’s dual nature.

Cecil and Rosa’s love theme is actually taught for schoolchildren in Japan as part of their music curriculum.

Uematsu pretty much matured at this point, in my opinion.

Notable Theme:

There are so many but my personal favorite is “Dreadful Fight”, a.k.a “Battle with the Four Fiends”.

I’ll also highlight the “Theme of Love”, because it needs to be out there as the first love theme for the Final Fantasy series.

Verdict:

Hands down, the perfect place for a beginner. You want to start getting into Final Fantasy? Start with Final Fantasy IV. The gameplay is easy to pick up. The story is simple and straightforward compared to the rest of the series but still effective. To those having played the later games first, it could seem trite. Unlike most of the Final Fantasy games, the different re-releases can be quite offer a different experience due to the translations, graphical changes, and differences in difficulty. At the end of the day, I would say any 2D version is fine, the best is probably the PSP version, but save the DS remake for later, since it is more difficult.

Direct Sequel?

Yes. Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection was released on the PSP in 2011. This is the version that I played. Square created two sequels for that collection: Final Fantasy IV: Interlude and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. I haven’t played them myself yet, but there is criticism surrounding their stories, which apparently pale greatly in comparison to Final Fantasy IV.

By the way, the PSP version starts by showing the new FMV opening to Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, not the one shown in Final Fantasy IV DS. That’s a minor change but it really irked me, because the sequel’s FMV opening therefore spoils some of the story if you never played it before. I guess they wanted to distance themselves from Final Fantasy IV DS. Even so, why not just play that opening when you select The After Years?

[krismatic]

So. I finished OMORI.

Oh my god. This was amazing. Everything. Just.

I love these characters so much. And I am so happy they got their happy ending together.

Learning that Basil had been denying the truth of that day like Sunny has, but in a different way...... he convinced himself that Sunny didn’t kill Mari. It was Something behind him. Sunny wasn’t the one who blacked out all the photos which led to Aubrey bullying Basil, it was Something. When I saw Basil say that it hurt a ton. He had buried the truth because Sunny is his best friend, he’s a good person and he would never do that. But good people still make mistakes and bad decisions. It’s a part of life. And it hurts a lot, knowing that you’ve hurt others because of your mistake. You can’t bury your emotions, you can’t bury the truth forever. You can’t live in ignorant bliss. It is painful, but you will have to face the truth, and when you’re ready.... forgive yourself. Ignoring it all won’t help anything, you have to actually forgive yourself, help others, do something in order to move on. You can’t simply wait for something to happen, you have to be the one to make the decision. It’s okay to be scared, but it’s not as scary as you think.

OMORI really reminded me of things that have happened in my own life— and a decision that I made that led to me losing someone I loved. I wish I could say I am just joking or being over-dramatic, but I’m not. Seeing a part of my own life reflected in this game.... it hurt. It made me cry, and it made me think about everything that’s happened. I tried to bury my feelings. I tried to move on and forget. But those feelings kept coming back, and I don’t think I ever will forget. I really loved them, and I’m so happy I met them. It hurts, knowing that if I had just changed one thing we might have been able to stay together. But... I have to forgive myself and move on. Simply burying my feelings won’t help. I can move forward. I know that I can, and I know that they would want me to move forward as well. I miss them, and that’s okay! It’s not bad to have those types of feelings, but you can’t let them stop you from moving on. There’s a lot more to life than just fixating on one mistake. There’s a lot more people you’ll meet and friends you’ll make.

So.... the duet. I was crying during that entire scene!! Seeing the story of their meeting... and how much everyone really loves each other. I can’t even describe the scene it was just so emotional and I really loved it.

And the OMORI fight... remembering what your friends said to you, their hopes, wishes, and dreams... and using that to destroy OMORI and Headspace too.

Memory Lane leading up to that too was so nice to see... I loved seeing full cutscenes about the photos. And Basil’s hug!!! He didn’t have his flower in his hair though :( And at the very end at the concert stage with Kel, Hero, and Aubrey waiting for you... it was so nice!!

The violin was in the toy box... I don’t have anything else to add on but the description of it and how there was hair entangled in the strings and blood on the sheet music.... ouch.

Oh also the dialogue box of “Do you want to save Basil?” is so impactful... it’s repeated from Blackspace and just. I want to save Basil. I’ve wanted to this entire game. And the end credits scene with him waking up and the Somethings disappearing.... awaggahhhhdbsjaja

Also I am so happy that we got a small scene of Sunny telling them all the truth, I’m glad that he did!!

And the very end... the tree. With the pinwheel Aubrey added and flowers surrounding it.... wow.

This entire story was an experience and I’m so happy to have played it. I am planning to replay it with my friends, we’ve planning to go through the entire game together for months.... I had just already started watching a let’s play of OMORI when they suggested the idea so I wanted to finish it and also help them out when we get to playing the game to help them find like secrets and stuff (like the bread twins boss fight!)

I also want to say thank you to everyone who’s been following my posts about this game!! And also specifically thanks to @sirenshadows because her posts about the game were what made me interested in it in the first place!! <3

Now I’m gonna go cry and also reblog a bunch of OMORI posts now....

I also have a project due in a day that I’m only half done send help /j

oh and I guess basil stabbed our eye out too thanks bestie I kinda forgot that happened with everything else that was going on

[dazais-guardian-angel]

I finished Curious Village again the other day, so here are some random thoughts. This is my first time replaying the main series since my... mid-to-late teen years? (though I guess it was later than I thought, if AL didn’t come out till 2014... I’m 25 now) so my memory of the fine details of them is a little hazy.

Flora really is wasted in the next two games, isn’t she... She’s introduced as part of the crew by the end of the game, especially with the additional epilogue cutscene in the hd version, but she literally gets the Kairi treatment, being left behind or used as a damsel for no discernable reason, when she could easily be just as capable as Luke... I mean she’s older than him, there’s no reason she couldn’t handle herself on their adventures if he can. -___- And like Kairi, I want to be more invested in her, but she barely has any focus and development, and it’s just ugh. I kind of like that it makes sense why Hershel would be so distant with her/not know how to parent properly, but I wish that was actually explored, and it’s not, so everyone ignoring her is just annoying and unnecessary-feeling instead. Tbh I’d rather her have just stayed behind altogether in the next two games instead of showing up just to be kidnapped or impersonated, if she wasn’t going to be made a main party member permanently.

People have said this before, but the main trilogy is honestly made so much better with knowledge of the prequels, in both emotional and absolutely buckwild ways, and it’s the funniest with CV - going from Azran Legacy straight into the mundane Curious Village is absolutely fucking HILARIOUS, as completely unintentional as it was by Level-5 lmaoooo

Hershel, after the shitshow that was Azran Legacy: “oh thank god, just an inheritance dispute.” Luke, who is easily impressed and apparently gets selective amnesia after every game: “THIS IS THE BIGGEST MYSTERY WE’LL EVER SOLVE-” Hershel, this close to murdering Luke a second time:

Can we make some connection between Bruno’s robot-making abilities and the Azran technology. And does the whole robot thing seriously trigger the boys as soon as it’s revealed because DEAR GOD NO NOT THIS AGAIN-

And related to that, I’m sure that was why Hershel could easily guess the robot thing early on; like seriously, nothing should faze this man anymore after what he’s been through (and yet, hilariously, the most ridiculous has yet to come, depending on how you look at it)

But he doesn’t have the faintest idea why Don Paolo would want revenge on him, which, like, even if he can’t think of anything specific... my dude, your family history is fucked up a;lsdlf;fd, there’s PLENTY OF OPTIONS (even if the actual reason is much less severe lol)

I’m sure we also all headcanon Descole to be slinking around in the background of the three main games somehow just because it’s more fun that way, so now that he’s no longer the rival, he’s the rival-turned-secret helper who makes sure everything goes right for Hershel (but he doesn’t do everything obviously cause he knows he can handle things himself), and probably bitchfights with Don Paolo some because that mental image is hilarious to me lmao

Post-UF scenario where Desmond helps Bruno with the robots with his technical prowess

and while we’re on that idea, Uncle Randall nerds out over everything robot in St. Mystere because let’s be real he would (Azran 2.0: Electric Boogaloo, But Without The Danger Or Trauma)

That scene when the tower is collapsing and Flora almost falls and Hershel catches her. Level-5 how could you completely accidentally and unintentionally create something so utterly painful out of such a small moment; I lie awake at night thinking about this!! :)))

Also Hershel yelling to Luke in that scene “I HAVE AN IDEYAHHH!” with his accent going off the rails on “idea” is an underrated iconic moment

Am I the only one who got the quiz question about Chelmey’s favorite food wrong because the answer was cakes something, and whatever the newspaper said it was was definitely not what I’d consider a cake

I love the implication that Pavel(?) is the only person in St Mystere besides Hershel, Luke, Don Paolo, Flora and Bruno who’s not a robot, and he just somehow ended up there by unknown means while trying to get to America??? and then somehow ends up on a high floor of the LOCKED tower, and still has no idea where tf he is. what a madlad

I never liked Luke’s squeaky UK voice, but I’m realizing his US one isn’t much better... and Flora’s voice in the new epilogue cutscene with the same voice actress years later is oof. why do the PL games just. reuse the same vas constantly for different characters. It’s obviously a thing in anime and games, but it’s especially noticeable in this series imo

fuck those puzzles with troll-y answers. also fuck that one with the chocolate bar and the coded letters with the bite marks

Matthew is probably one of my favorite npcs now; he’s just adorable <333 his little arms waggin’

Gordon needs to get a life

Pauly why are you the way that you are

“I’m not a detective”, Hershel continually says, as he unveils ridiculous plots that no one could have thought up in their wildest dreams, while gathering everyone together and pointing out the culprits dramatically, Agatha Christie style

I was tapping around for the exact pixel on painting Flora’s neck because it was ridiculously precise on the mobile version, and I never knew that if you tap her chest area, Hershel scolds Luke for not being a gentleman I-

Luke’s chubby head in the anime cutscenes sure is something... so glad it didn’t last. along with the front-facing Hershel sprite.

The ferris wheel attack is so great, I never really appreciated it before. The music, and the rain at the end with the rainbow 👌

We needed more of Hershel constructing things from random objects he finds lying around; iirc the only other time he does it is in Eternal Diva, though I guess the slot machine gun in UF counts too

I solved every slider puzzle in this game without a walkthrough, even the bonus ones. I do not expect this to last in the next games.

Overall I like Curious Village, though it remains one of my least favorites; there’s nothing wrong with it, and it was the very first so I’m not surprised it’s not very complex, with the mechanics and style still not fleshed out yet, but it doesn’t really hit me with The Feels™ as the best ones do, so it’s just okay. it started this wild ride of complete emotional devastation off, so I can appreciate it for that at least.

[shades4dogs]

i had a SUPER tiring day i mite talk abut later but RIGHT NOW i wanna talk about the make it sweet! album for Um Jammer Lammy because i listtened to than a couple days ago, and just today i showed it 2 my little brother, and i wanted to write down what i thought about the tracks!!

i wrote down my personal thoughts on each track and gave it a rating out of 5 Dashies (-= It’s because i’m autistic plain and simple

if you read all of this you’re officially a legend

[1/2) Let’s Jam Together!/KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!!] - waow!!!

I LOVE THIS SONG <3 i really liked this song when i heard it in the credits and was wondering what its name was, it was nice to hear it in the album as the very first track!!

i love the additional dialogue at the start, the “Hey, do you play the guitar? Let’s jam together!” really represents the ragtaginess of the band just kind of throwing themselves together to make music so naturally... like little jigsaw pieces... it makes me want to know exactly how they interacted before the formation of MilkCan, how long they’d known each other/how they had known each other, or if they met right as they made the band.

the playful and funny lyrics of this song are really great, and i like the way it trails off in the middle. like the song was just Katy Kat truly venting off her frustrations and heartbreak about someone she used to like.

i wonder who exactly Katy Kat is talking about here in this song... well anyways she’s got lammy now so all’s well (-=

the second portion’s lyrics sound a little dopey and off-key, but i think it reflects katy’s mood regarding the lyrics of how easy her life used to be, and it all comes together beautifully for the chorus reprise with some pretty strings (i love strings in rock music!)

i bet this kind of music really resonated with some young girls listening. Can’t relate however as I hate men.

overall this is a 5/5 dashies! “Amazing!”

[3) FRIGHT FLIGHT!!] - LOOK UP IN THE SKY.

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SONGS IN THE GAME! when it started obviously i was expecting fussenpepper, and it was shocking to hear katy kat singing it

i think this is one of the covers that katy kat’s voice matches the most! her voice really fits shouting like that, it’s really hyped up

my favourite line from her cover is the “Now it’s time to move on, it only gets much harder, so carry on!”

and obviously i love hearing her say “Now do you like munchies? I wonder where lunch is!”

i do think that captain fussenpepper’s voice suits the song better than her, because it was made with him, but her voice definitely shines on this track!

overall this is a 4/5 dashies! “Really Good!”

[4) BABY BABY!!] - Imagine kids singing this on a car trip with their parents looking dead inside in the front seats.

I USED TO NOT LIKE THIS SONG. but playing it myself really warmed me up on it, and this version on the album made me like it even more!! i love katy kat’s additional lines between the baby’s, she suits giving those secondary vocals and they add a whole additional layer to the song.

i also like that the baby’s lyrics kind of echo over lammy’s guitar parroting, like you can hear the “... ma ma ma ma” coming in at the end of her first part, it sounds really nice!

this is the song i can really imagine kids shouting the lyrics to at a birthday party or something and i think they knew that when they added it O_O

overall this is a 4.5/5 dashies! “Almost Perfect!” i think it would’ve been cooler if the lammy and katy kat parts were more integrated with eachother. don’t ask me how exactly, because i don’t know, and maybe they didn’t either... it still came out REALLY nice!

[5) FIRE FIRE!!] - Aweome where is chief puddle? )-=

i think that this is my favourite song in the entire game, altho that will change depending on what day you ask me it, and a big part of it is fire chief puddle’s vocals and the brass and sound effects of the song

it kind of sucks that a lot of that seems lacking in katy’s version, although i like that it kind of seems like theres more emphasis on the percussions of it!

i don’t like the distant whispery vocals on the “Put it on the fire, feel good, Put it out cold and feel good”, it sounds really weird. because those lyrics are one of my favourites in the original song with chief puddle. i’d definitely rather listen to his version

overall this is a 3/5 dashies! “It’s Good!” i like katy’s vocals, but they definitely come out better on other tracks, and i miss chief puddle.

[6) PJ Berri Jam] - Much Love To The Funny Bear That Make’s Me Smile.

title made me a lot more excited for this song than i ended up feeling about it... OBVIOUSLY NO INSULT TO PJ’S JAM BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL TO HAVE A BEAT WITH ORIGINAL LYRICS instead of just lines from the one cutscene...

it’d have been cooler if it was longer too, but i understand why it wasn’t, because the instrumentals work best in this little snippet instead of long-term where they’d definitely require more lyrics

i like that it sounds like the Fire Fire! parappa version considering that’s his first stage! i don’t know if there’s any verification to this, but it makes me think that the beats for all of parappa’s songs in Um Jammer Lammy are made by PJ, which is just really nice to think about... he’s so skilled ;_; PJ and parappa’s iconic collabs...

i don’t know how to rate this at all, but for the headcanon it gave me, i’m giving it a 4/5 dashies! “Really Good!”

[7) BIRTH SONG] - i wouldn’t play for someone else

EXTREMELY FUNNY NAME

i think i like the choir vocals of the song in the cutscenes, but i definitely love katy’s voice in this one, it sounds really sweet

i can’t remove it from the weirdness of the scenario (the first time i saw that shit i was so goddamn baffled) but this does actually Make It Sweet!

i love how her voice sounds in the chorus, and the last line (“Our newest little baby!”) sounds really nice in her voice!! 

IDK EXACTLY HOW TO DESCRIBE IT... her vocals just seem... sweetly genuine? like not that she’s really invested in what she’s saying, but just that she’s really enjoying singing it in a small and cute way? IDK... EITHER WAY i like it!

i like the additional lyrics as well! extensions to parappa/ujl songs should always be welcomed i think.

overall i rate this a 3.5/5 dashies! “Pretty Good!” weird song made fun and sweet by katy kat, thank you so much!

[8) THEME OF RAMMY] - music that makes you cause problems

yesssss YESSSSSSS YESSSSSSSSSS

WHEN I GOT TO THIS TRACK IT BECAME ONE OF MY NEW FAVOURITES OF THE WHOLE GAME!

i love the ditzy yet cool lull of the electric guitar, it sounds playful and silly, but with the aesthetic of the instruments used in the song it sounds awesome at the same time.

the strings throughout the song following the rhythm of that guitar add a slight classical feel to it as well that i really like, a level of elegance in contrast to the next part i describe

the muffled and staticy electric guitar parts sound so discordant, yet perfectly in control at the same time, and very In-Your-Face as they just come and go at random over the base sillysong. i really really like that, and it shows off Rammy’s fiery attitude!

i really love how the violent clash of the instruments seems to come together so well in this. it is a really well-made song that made me like Rammy more than i did previously. i think people who know me well will understand that i really like strings in otherwise intense songs, like violins and stuff, so i was really happy to hear some!

FULLY HONESTLY, MY ONLY WISH? is that it was longer. LOL

as an aside, the lull i described reminds me way too much of the theme for sam and max’s office in the TTG series. which obviously is a very personal reason to like the song more, but it is a reason for me NoneTheLess.

overall this gets a 5/5 dashies! “Amazing!”

[9) CASINO IN MY HAIR] - texan ear worm signs.

PAUL CHUCK COME GET YOUR SONG

ALSO THIS SONG BELONGS TO SANDY CHEEKS.

katy kat’s voice fits this song EXTREMELY SURPRISINGLY WELL! i like that she puts on the accent and everything, the rhythm of the lyrics and her enthusiasm go together so NICE!

i like the expansion of the lyrics and the repetition of it is one of its strengths, like any song of that kind (hopefully)

it’s a really big earworm for me, and every so often ill just sing out “Where’s that place that comes in pairs whenever I’m aware? Casino here, casino there, casino in my hair!” VERY SIMPLE YET VERY CATCHY

Yee Haw!

overall i rate this a 4.5/5 dashies! “Super Cool!” it couldn’t be better, but i wouldn’t say it’s one of the best, just for the sheer quality of the other songs i’ve given 5/5 to so far

SIDENOTE - [10) Radio Signal Jam] - F*ck you

OK. i like the presentation of this as if it’s playing live on a radio. it’s a nice little additional flavour to the whole thing that i enjoy immensely. HOWEVER.

nothing can match my disappointment at the next song not being Master Onion’s song. My heart will forever be broken by this traitorous deception. I was promised Tamanegi Sensei. Where is he! WHERE IS HE!!! WAS HE TO BUSY GAMBLING?? COME BACK I LOVE YOU

O-K let’s move on

[11) TASTE OF TERIYAKI] - songs that have mood swings

this song baffles me. i definitely get what they were trying to do with the intro portions with the dramatic quiet, the focus on the vocals and guitar with the creeping and echoing drums and reverberating electronic sounds

it could’ve been really cool, but for the most part it frankly sounds sh*t.

if they could’ve gotten some line re-dos from Teriyaki’s singer to match the lower tempo, it definitely would have sounded most excellent. But the use of the lyrics from the high-tempo song here is just jarring. when i showed this to my brother he genuinely just started laughing from how bad it sounded.

BUT HERE’S WHERE I CAN’T JUST RULE IT AS A BAD SONG.

THE SUDDEN SHIFT INTO THE HIGH TEMPO. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. IT ADDS SO MUCH EXTRA POWER TO THE CHORUS OF THE SONG. i like the song more with the brass and the backup singers, but this genuinely sounds so goddamn cool.

i LOVE the additional lines from teriyaki, it makes them sound even more like an idol! they sound amazing!

And then it stops. Back to the slow nonsense. I am left to dream of what could’ve been. i will say this one sounds better than the other one. Possibly because it’s shorter.

AND THEN THE AWESOME SONG COMES BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I’M LIKE YEAH WOO!!!!! i love the additional discordant sounds in this version, and i like that they did sometimes include the cool SHHH-PSHHH slap-ish sound in the chorus for this portion. the da da da DA DA! being with guitars instead of brass used to disappoint me, but the more i hear it here, the more i like it.

and then my favourite part of the song: the backup vocals combined with a fast rattling-off of teriyaki’s vocal lines from parappa’s version. this sounds godlike. This is the best. I roll around in circles listening to and thinking about this part. the fact that it fades out right as it gets to that breaks my heart into little pieces.

and then it’s over...

i think it’s very fitting that the song that takes over the album out of nowhere and is literally from hell is the most baffling and loved/hated by me. i don’t think i’ve ever been able to truly say that i both love and hate a song.

if someone was good enough at editing to combine this with the actual version of the song, as well as the vocal lines from parappa’s version, into an essentially extended cut of the album version without the weird slow parts, i would be forever indebted to them.

overall i rate this a ???/5 dashies. ”Help!” it flipflops way too much for me to give a number. Thank you Teriyaki Yoko.

[12) POWER OFF! POWER ON!] - HYYYYYYPE

i need to say it. this song has the coolest sounds in the entire game. this is one of the songs that i might abruptly decide is my favourite for a day or so and then go back to Fire Fire! or Taste of Teriyaki (game version). the guitar is most exquisite in this song.

my little brother adores this song, and a big part of that is credited to the silly vocals of Paul Chuck. he’s like Goofy but extra lethal. i love him

ANYWAYS. after Fire Fire! i was concerned that this song’s vocals would be replaced entirely by Katy, but it seems like they understood Paul Chuck’s integral nature to the charm of the song, and so we get a back-and-forth of them both singing lines, with lammy playing in between. it sounds REALLY good!

i like the additional lines by Chuck at the beginning during the intro. they’re a nice little bonus for the three Paul Chuck fans that exist (two being me and my brother)

as always, gotta love katy kat’s vocals!! they definitely benefit from being combined with the vocals of the original song. the chorus parts where they both sing in unison sound AWESOME!!! i wonder if the Fire Fire! cover would have benefited from this alternation....

the filter over the “NEVER USE JOE CHIN’S CHAIN’S FOR THEM!” really adds to it as well! i like that addition.

by the way my favourite line from this song is the “All I wanna hear is you’ve come over here, there’s no fooling around with gears!” it just has such a good flow. not really explicitly related to this version specifically, maybe less so since i prefer it with Chuck’s voice over Katy’s, but yeah.

this song is really hard for me in-game. like, more than any other song i think, apart from Taste of Teriyaki. which i would like to thank this song for allowing me to escape from (-=

this gets a 5/5 Dashies and a “DA-HYUCK!” from me!

[13) WE ARE MILKCAN!!] - Woaah My Head Is Spinning!

another original that only plays during the cutscenes, understandably without the vocals. i liked it then, and i like it even more now!

katy’s lyrics add SO SO MUCH to the high-tempo intensity of the introduction to this song, and the chaos of the entire thing makes it really fun to listen to

i do still enjoy the slower parts of this song! i can imagine katy singing this as the events she describe happen in real time. i really like listening to her try to encourage lammy and ma-san to get it together and play with her. 

the bouncing between the full music of her lines contrasting with the quiet and dinky replies of ma-san and lammy makes this track really fun to listen to!

after that part, it goes back to sounding like the intro portion again, but increases in tempo drastically overtime, before suddenly slowing down again and then launching into high speed at random. it’s a really fun and theatrical and dramatic piece to listen to!!!

personally though, it’s not so much my thing based on the sound alone. it’s definitely a great song but i like things a little more relaxed and orderly than this. the quality of it comes from the lyrics and the emotions they manage to carry through with the instrumentals. its a really good glimpse into the nature and personality of MilkCan!

i give this song a 4/5! “Really Good!” there’s nothing i’d suggest to improve this song. it’s just a little to hectic for me, and feels more like music for a theatrical play than any other track. i generally don’t like that kind of stuff (altho there’s definitely exceptions)

SIDENOTE - [14) Jam Chin] - F*ck you eggplant head saunaman.

You disrespected Parappa. You disrespected Sunny Funny and her sweet smile. You have disrespected MilkCan.

Thank you Ma-San for killing this man. I love U.

[15) GOT TO MOVE! (Millennium Girl)

the final song... i knew it would be Got To Move... it makes COSMIC sense

i like the additional little part before the song begins giving some time to breathe in before my head starts screaming in excitement at this song.

this is an AMAZING song and another one of my little brother’s favourites! he likes to sing it! it’s not one of my favourites but it’s definitely revered with me. it’s a sheer quality song and the one that best captures the soul of MilkCan!!

and i have to say. this album version made me like it EVEN MORE. at first i was enjoying the regular song, but then in the second part PARAPPA comes in with the alternate lines from his version in-between Katy Kat’s lines. it is SO SO SO cool. i often think about how songs in the game would sound with parappa’s versions incorporated in some fashion like this and it comes out so EPIC!!

it seriously made me pog SO hard when i heard him coming in. SOOOO exciting!

some thought notes about this song:

i really like the guitar during the portion leading up to the chorus, it sounds really cool.

katy’s singing in the chorus itself is the best of ALL her singing! her voice blends perfectly with the tone, the pitch shifts, the vibes... angellic truly

parappa‘s lyrics in-between add such an awesome additional energy, especially the lyrics that go on a little longer, like “But let me give you a word of advice, it seems like a waste of time, but it’s nice!” those lines shine the most to me.

my other favourite part is the rapid backforth in the later part of the chorus, especially the “GO! ON! MOVE! ON!” between katy’s lines. it goes together IMPECCABLY

it should be obvious, but this song gets a 5/5 Dashies from me! “Amazing!” it truly blew me away, just like the 5/5 Dashie portions of Taste of Teriyaki did. i love the fact that Parappa’s lines are slightly more muted and behind a bit of a filter to make sure the focus is on Katy’s iconic lines, but are clear enough to be enjoyed.

Truly Thank U so much if you read this far... i love u so mach.... thank you for listening to me ramble about my current hyperfix <3 (-=

[sparrowsabre7]

Ok fought my way through to Deadman's cabin. So fool put a timefall shelter right by the spiritualist cave meaning I couldn't easily zipline up the mountain. Get to the cabin and it looks like another Chiral storm and Deadman's been sucked in with BB.

We're in WWII now, more metal AF imagery, just seen a tank made of organs. Also forgot to mention that creepy dolls appear whenever Mads shows up as well, this is relevant because the dolls have one eye closed and one open and when Deadman connected to BB Lou she mirrored this behaviour which was creepy as hell.

This battlefield is another fucking beautiful trip. Why weren't there any MGS missions like this? The gun fights always felt like you were in a game with artificiallyplaced antagonists, but the sound design, the visuals, the atmosphere here is so immersive, it really feels like living in a battlefield.

Jeez, into the sewers... this is fine. I'm okay with the things that are happening now. Found Deadman, Lou seems to have taken a shine to him. Guessing it's about Mads murderin' time. Wish I had something better than a bola gun and some blood bombs.

Clearly a big fan of Spider-man 3, Mads has set himself up in a web in a bell tower but wole up upon Sam reconnecting to BT. God this level is good. Even better than the last battlefield, I love the cat and mouse feel of it, O managed to get the drop on him a few times and it's much more satisfying than open combat in MGS because there, even in boss fights, you feel on the back foot and that open combat is a fail state. With this, it's out and out war but being able to still surprise him with a grenade and then bind him briefly with a bola while tending to the skelington soldiers is lit.

Man, I really should have taken the sunglasses off before the dramatic cutscene... Mads and Sam grappling over BB with a dramatic zoom on Sam's face doesn't really work when he's wearing ray bans (I know it's actually jf rey but if I say ray bans people have a better idea of the style). Got his dog tags so should learn his name now besides "Combat Veteran" though I wouldn't put it past Kojima "Fatman, Vulcan Raven, Sniper Wolf, Quiet, Deadman, Heartman, Vamp, Big Boss" Kojima.

Back in my private room now. Oh jesus fuck!! Went to check on Lou but when the screen opened it was a horrific nail doll inside. Scared the shit out of me. Wake up from that nightmare to see that's all it was.

More backstory time, turns out Lou was the name Sam was going to give his unborn son.

Oh snap! That's actually a surprising twist: his wife died suddenly and he hid the body, causing a voidout and being left the only survivor as a repatriate, that's why he left Bridges, to avoid the bad press for the organisation and slip away to start a new life. That's actually a really good hook, having played with Sam this long we feel like we knew him but then we find out this, it makes you reevaluate him.

And now Deadman's dropping his own story. He's a proper Frankenstein*, a homonculus with no soul, no beach, or family. Hard to feel emotional about it as Deadman's largely never really been presented as otherwise, or maybe that's just because I knew that already from the reviews.

Ah time to read the dog tags.

U wot m8.

Mads Mikkelsen's character name is Clifford Unger!? Who looked at Mads "chiselled from marble by god himself" Mikkelsen and said "oh yeah, he's a Cliff". Most ridiculous thing in the game so far.

[kaialone]

Spirit Tracks Translation Comparison: Link’s Journey Begins

This will be a comparison of the original Japanese version and the US English localized version.

Specifically, this will cover the cutscene at the start of the game that first introduces Link.

You can also watch this cutscene for yourself in English and Japanese. If you want, you can check out the EU English version, too.

For the comparison, the usual points apply:

Bolded is the original Japanese text, for the reference.

Bolded and italicized is my translation.

Italicized is the official NOA translation.

A (number) indicates that I have a specific comment to make on that part in the translation notes.

As you read this, please keep in mind that with translations like these, it’s important not to focus on the exact literal wordings, since there is no single “correct answer” when it comes to translations.

Rather than that, consider the actual information that is being conveyed, in which way, and why.

--

Character in this part who had their name changed between versions:

Cirokuni = Alfonzo.

--

At Niko’s House:

Niko:

どうだい？ わしの作った 「実録！神と魔王の大バトル！」は？

So, what do you think of my creation? "True Story! The Great Battle of the God and the Demon King!"  (1)

Well? Do I know how to tell a story or what?

I call it "Spirits and Demons...at War!"

Niko:

こいつは数年に 一度の 傑作...いや大傑作だよ！

This is something like you only see once every few years - it's a masterpiece... no, a great masterpiece!

I only do this show once a year, you know!

It's a blasted masterpiece! A...a...a blasterpiece!

Niko:

なんだ また寝ちまったのかい？ リンク

What's this? Did you fall asleep again, Link?

What's this? You fell asleep during my magnum opus?

Niko:

やれやれ...

一緒に住んでる お前だから 最新作をタダで見られるんだよ？

わかってんのかい？

Good grief...

You know, because you're living with me, you actually get to see my latest works for free.

You understand?

I can't believe this! You know, Link...

A lot of people would love to be in your position.

As my roommate, you get to see my work for free!

Niko:

わしも もう歳だ これが遺作になるかもしれない

少しは真面目に年寄りの作品を 味わって欲しいもんだよ...

I'm already pretty old, so this might end up being a posthumous piece.

I really wish you'd at least try a little to appreciate your elder's work...

Plus, I'm not getting any younger here.

This story might be the only thing that proves I existed.

Can't you pay attention for one minute...

And listen to an old man's final creation?

Niko:

聞いてんのかい？ リンク

Are you listening, Link?

Are you listening to me, Link?

Link:

ながいよ / あきたよ

It's so long... / I'm bored...

Sort of. / Zzzz...

Niko:

そうかい そうかい   そりゃ すまなかったねぇ

Alright, alright, I get it. Sorry 'bout that, then.

OK, OK, I can take a hint. Sorry for boring you.

Niko:

おや お前の 師匠が来たようだ

久し振りだね シロクニ

Oh, looks like your teacher's here.

Long time no see, Cirokuni.

Look, here comes your mentor.

Hello there, Alfonzo!

Alfonzo:

呆れたもんだな まだ ここにいたのか...

You gotta be kiddin’ me. You're still here?

Why are you still here, Link?

Alfonzo:

ん？ 寝ぼけてるのかよ？ リンク！

Hm? Are you even awake? Link!

Come on now--wipe the sleep out of your eyes!

Alfonzo:

起きろ リンク！

Wake up, Link!

Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!

Alfonzo:

今日は大事な謁見の日だ 分かってんのか？

Today's the day of your important audience, don't you know?

Today is a very important day, you know!

It's your audience with the princess!

Link:

なにそれ？/ わすれてた

What's that? / I forgot

What?! / Uh, right.

Alfonzo:

なんと情けねぇ そんなだから いつまでたっても 半人前なんだよ

This is just pathetic. If you keep this up, you're gonna be a rookie forever.

Don't tell me you forgot!

You won't amount to much if you don't pay attention.

Alfonzo:

お前は今日 正式な機関士に なるために 城へ行くんだろ！？

ゼルダ姫さまに任命して頂く 大事な日じゃねぇか！

You're supposed to go to the castle today, so you can become an official engineer!

You know? That important day where Her Highness Princess Zelda is gonna appoint you as one?!

Don't you want your engineer certificate?

Well, the graduation ceremony is at the castle.

Princess Zelda herself is going to do the honors!

Alfonzo:

俺は先に駅で待ってるが 寝ぼけたままで来られるか？

迷子になるといけねえから 一応言っておくぞ...

駅は道沿いに上の方だ わかってな？ 早く来いよ

I'm gonna be waitin' up ahead by the station, if you can manage to get there half-asleep.

Just so you don't get yourself lost, I'm gonna tell you this once...

The station is along the road. Got it? Then get movin’.

I'm heading to the station now, so meet me there.

Remember, the station is up the road. Don't get lost!

Got it? Good! Then get a move on!

Alfonzo:

ニコじい お邪魔さんです

Pardon me, Old Man Niko.

See you later, Niko.

Translation Note:

The title Niko gave his story is done in a dramatized style, similar to anime episode titles and the like, particularly ones from 90s shōnen.

--

Comparisons & Thoughts:

The localization in this cutscene is pretty faithful, so this section won’t be all too long. But there are still a few things I want to point out.

-

First of all, something you will probably notice from this point on is that the English version will sometimes take about two text boxes to say something the Japanese version did in just one.

This is because in Japanese, you can write more words with less characters, due to how the writing system works.

When it comes to English localizations of Japanese games, an additional hurdle is having to work with limited text space that was originally tailored to Japanese writing.

Typically, the older a game is, the bigger this problem will be.

So, localization choices can’t just be based around being accurate, but also what they will be able to even fit.

-

In the Japanese version, Niko says that his picture story is "something like you only see once every few years” , but in the English version, he instead says “I only do this show once a year, you know!“.

So in Japanese, Niko uses a figure of speech to describe how great his creation is, while in English he says he only does one show like this per year.

I think this is probably a minor translation error, rather than a deliberate change.

And technically, you do see Niko doing another picture story show like this during the credits, which suggests it’s an at least somewhat common thing for him to do.

-

Something that might be hard to spot in this cutscene in particular is that we got a slightly different characterization for Alfonzo in Japanese.

It only comes up at the very end here, but the idea with him is basically that he talks in a very informal, gruff manner, but completely changes his tone when addressing someone with authority, switching to a far more polite, formal speaking style.

In this cutscene here we see him chew out Link in an especially harsh manner, but then he politely says goodbye to Niko, which makes for a stark contrast.

This gives us a bit of an early glimpse into this character, whom you might first expect to be a simple tough guy, but then shows that he has a more cultivated side as well.

I feel this kinda hints at his past, which we learn about later, and contrasts his character a bit with his ancestor Gonzo, who’s a nice guy, but not formal at all.

But in this case here there is only one line that shows off this contrast, so it’s easy to miss in any case, and it’s a bit harder to get across when writing in English, too.

-

Overall, the localization in this cutscene is great.

The two points I mentioned aside, it makes sure to include the information that is conveyed in the original version, even if it does it slightly differently.

The writing of the characters’ dialogue feels natural and clever, exactly what you would want from something like this.

A specific example I want to highlight are the lines: “It’s a blasted masterpiece! A…a…a blasterpiece!”

I find this bit to be a nice example of retaining the overall feeling of a portion of text, while still changing it in some form.

The line “it’s a masterpiece… no, a great masterpiece!” from my translation is technically closer to the original, but it also doesn’t get across how the slight escalation of Niko’s description can come across as humorous in Japanese.

So taking the funny escalation of “masterpiece” -> “great masterpiece”, and coming up with the equivalent “blasted masterpiece” -> “blasterpiece” is quite smart, I feel.

And with that, this part concludes. Feel free to check out the next one!

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