#I've been itching to compare their dialogues for a while

[megafreak400]

Mega's Year in Gaming Awards 2024

Hey guy it's the end of the year so wanted to do a quick post highlighting my overall favorite games this year as well as a tier list of every game I played this year. I 'beat' 50 games, though I played way more than that. I'm not gonna drone on too much since I've done write ups for every game I beat already. Without further ado, let's get started with Mega's GOTY Awards Viewer Choice - Favorite one off Stream

Just a note, UFO 50 got equal votes by you guys. But yea you really enjoyed me taking a look at these compilation games this year. Makes me think maybe I should look into more quick burst stream in 2025. Action 52 is not good, but it did make for a fun stream and i'm glad the UFO 50 stream convinced some of you to also check the game out.

Viewer Choice - Favorite Stream Series

Similarly, Pokemon Ranger Shadows of Valentia also had equal votes. But I decided to feature FF6 Pixel Remaster for this spot. My Final Fantasy streams tend to be some of my favorite streams of the year and i'm glad most of you agree. Nothing too crazy happened in this play through but it was a good time and I'm looking forward to another RPG stream in 2025.

Best Song of the Year

Lots of good choices but my pick goes to Sudzsy Swings from Penny's Big Breakaway. The entire soundtrack is incredible, but this one stood out to me the first time I heard it. Shout out also to Kick Club from UFO 50, that song will not leave my head, I love it so much. Biggest Disappointment

As some of you may know I did a Let's Play of Ufouria the Saga over a decade ago. So I was super interested in a sequel, as insane it was that it even exists. While the game looks adorable, sadly game play wise the random level generation just makes the game have no real substance. Add in odd translation issues and easily my biggest disappointment of 2024. Worst game I played this year

Again disclaimer, I played the remake. If the original really has better physics, then I'm sure i'd enjoy it more. But as far as the N sane Trilogy version is concerned, this was awful. Easily the most miserable experience of the year for me, with me only beating this game out of spite to lambast it. At least Crash 3 was cool. Best Old Game of the Year

This game has been on my backlog for over 15 years and I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. With surprisingly hilarious and weird dialogue, engaging game play, fantastic sprite art and a pretty solid soundtrack I had a blast streaming this game. Easily my favorite game that didn't come out this year and it really makes me want to play Guardian Signs. Best Game I haven't finished

Look for many of you, this is my Game of the Year. I played like 120 plus hours, beat over 30 games in the collection. I would not be faulted for just blanket claiming it my game of the year. But I want to stick to my rules and unfortunately I have not beat it by my standards. And since i'll probably beat it next year, I wanted to at least honor it this year because it really is one of the best experiences you can have this year. Don't miss out on what should have been Indie game of the year. Game of The Year

A last minute addition comparatively, but man did this one leave an impact on me. Maybe you could argue recency bias but this game scratched the itch that echoes of wisdom failed to do with clever puzzles that span the entire game, creating a maze you need to untangle. Please check this game out if it at all sounds like your kind of thing, you won't be disappointed.

And there we go. I also wanted to include some tier lists. First off we have a tier list of every game I played this year.

Next just the games that came out this year

And while I haven't beat all the games yet and some of these rankings will change (and I still need to write about most of these,) I did want to give an in progress tier list of the games I beat in UFO 50 so far.

And that's it. I plan on writing about games of 2025 year, One Piece, and UFO 50 still so please give a follow if you want to keep up with what should hopefully be a better year than 2024.

[styrmwb]

I beat Yakuza 3 Remastered

Why can't this poor man have a happy life

I've had the itch to pick up a Yakuza (a LaD) again for a minute now, and I think the announcement of Pirate Majima finally kicked me into gear.

It's been like... 3 years? Since I played Kiwami 2, which I actually think was a good thing for this game. Rather than going from modern Yakuza immediately into old, still growing Yakuza, and feeling that whiplash, I feel like I got to have a pretty fresh experience with this guy, and kinda judge it on its own merits rather than comparing it to the great remakes before it/the Objective Superiority that is 0 (I feel like this isn't a terribly hot take)

I've seen the comments people leave, the rumors, people fuckin hate this game; so it was good to finally get my own feelings on it (and now this is the part where I say those feelings)

Chapter 1: Gameplay 第1章：ゲームプレイ

The Big Controversial Part. The Evil.

To start on a positive, more general note; this is Yakuza. You Cannot Go Wrong With The Formula. It's a completionist's dream/worst nightmare, it's perfect for whatever tone you want, it's tried and true. This is the 3rd time they have done it and they are becoming exceedingly efficient at it. If I didn't like the baseline of this series I wouldn't be at the 3rd entry. I love doing fight, eating food, filling up the numbers on the completion, it's fun, it makes my monkey brain happy. I love being in the same city I've always been in and seeing how it's changed this time around, as well as what hasn't changed. It's such a unique feeling that I don't think other games have.

Coming from the previous entries, I wasn't used to random battles having dialogue instead of a smooth transition; I was iffy at first, but honestly the rewards having silly adjectives won me over and I was entertained until the end (I don't even want to know why this ¥50,000 is lukewarm). I also actually really liked the running sequences. It took some getting used to for the rhythm of dodging around pedestrians, but once I got the hang of it I actually looked forward to them. I do wish Mack's training came earlier, though, and also came with more diverse benefits other than More Stamina and Strong Tackle.

Minigaaaaaames. As with every entry in this series, they are wide and diverse; some I love, some I despise. My favorites ended up being Karaoke (this is every game though, and I love rhythm games this is no surprise), Koi-Koi (a love I've obtained from previous games), Darts, surprisingly enough (once I figured out The Strat I cleaned house), and Bowling (another classic, figure out The Strat). Least favorites were Fishing (I generally don't like fishing in games though), and that God Damn Batting Center. I HATE the batting center I swear I just could not get that timing right. I also don't like mahjong but I knew that from previous games so I didn't touch it. One day I'll learn but not today. Aroma Massage was frustrating but I didn't need to do it much so it gets a pass (also the baby failure was fuckin FUNNY), and Boxcelios was actually pretty neat but it didn't wow me. Also getting put here is the Hostess Maker; I respect it for being the start of good minigames later, I do not care for it, and I swear I had constant garbo luck.

Alright, now the main part. Combat. I think from the start, I was aware of "Blockuza 3"; and I'm not sure if having that awareness affects my bias of analyzing it at all. Like I said, it's been 3 years since I last played a Yakuza game, so I don't.... really remember the general combat flow of those? I remember bosses have always been a bit frustrating. Start of the game was fine. I didn't have issues, and I felt like I was using grabs, weapons, and heat actions a lot more than I remember doing in the past (I also think me thinking of heat action completion more helped this). I vibed with it for a good while! No issues. Bosses took a little bit, but they always did. However, once I hit late game, especially when I was doing the coliseum, I understood. There's an issue here.

To be blunt, the AI sucks. EVERYTHING ELSE is fine, the AI sucks. There are two things here. Everyone knows the blocks; they're all the time. So ok, I'm gonna work around it. I'm gonna go for grabs, I'm going to tiger drop to negate all damage. I'm going to use the counter mechanics it's given me cause I can't quite get in otherwise. This would be ideal, if the AI did anything. The most egregious example of this, and the summarization of my point, is the final training with Komaki. I need to parry his attack, and then use ultimate dragon king essence. Awesome! ...why isn't he attacking? He's just... dodging. And looking at me. He doesn't do anything until I throw a punch in his direction, which then he freaks out and kicks my ass. How am I supposed to parry him if he doesn't attack? How am I supposed to get around the invincible walls if they won't interact with me? How is tiger drop supposed to negate all damage if there's no damage!?!?! There's workarounds of course. I learned some good rhythms, I figured out the combos that could get in, and When I had weapons they were useful, but those have durability and I can't rely on them forever.

There is a clear problem here, but I do think it is only apparent on the higher level play of the game. Generally, for the most part, I had a perfectly fine time, and I got to do that one scene from Avengers where Hulk throws Loki back and forth and it worked so frequently it was hilarious. I can imagine if I played above normal, I would be more upset (But I didn't cause I'm not looking for a punishing experience and I'm cool with that!).

One last thing, super minor; I definitely prefer the later games' leveling. They give you more stuff more often, where here my leveling really started to slow down giving me less things which made me sad. It's not huge but it's there.

Chapter 2: Story 第2章：物語

This is the REAL treasure of this game. I Love This Story. Kiryu Dad Simulator is the greatest thing ever. How do you make the Father Fantasy even better? By adding several more children, and giving you time with each and every one, letting you love, and appreciate them, so that way you care for this orphanage in the same way that Kiryu does. Honestly if I just left Kamurocho for Okinawa and there was no crime the entire time and it was just take care of your foster children I would be so so so so ok with that.

Anyways, there's two major reasons why I enjoyed this game's story so much more than the rest. 1. The characters were all great, and 2. I think it felt a little more cohesive than some of the previous entries.

Substory 120: Characters

Kiryu - I really felt for the man here. This is a man who has been dragged into bullshit for far too long now, and finally literally got to run away, and spend time doing something fulfilling, only for him to be dragged right back in yet again. You could really tell how much he cared for everyone around him in this game, which only served to make his self-sacrificial nature worse. It makes me think of The Incredibles: "I'm not strong enough to lose you". I love this man, give him a break.

Haruka - Not a forefront, but one of the best parts of this series so far is seeing Haruka grow; and this game really gave her a huge leap. Putting her in that big sister role was such a good play. I can almost see the Kiryu in her here, the caring for others, with that little bit of stupid self-sacrificing for others being shown in her section with the credit card running.

The Morning Glory Orphans - My children. This game introduced 8 new characters, and (like I mentioned above), through giving you time with each of them, their own dedicated stories as well as their times in the others'; I love them! They did such a good job portraying them all as kids, but also as a family. Taichi was my favorite. This big ol big brother type with a big heart.

Rikiya - MY BRO. MY ANIKI. I LOVE THIS DUDE, I LOVE HOW HE LOVES HIS HOME AND HIS FAMILY. He was such a fun character and I think Kiryu having a brother character is highly needed, something he really hasn't had since (in-universe, not irl) 0. I could feel his fate coming from a mile away, but it didn't make it hurt less. You fucking dumbass you should have just STAYED BEHIND AAAAGH

Mikio - Another bro character; a younger type compared to Rikiya, but still someone I cared about. This dude is full of love, and for a criminal, someone that I would trust around children.

Nakahara - Grandpa. Yeah I know dad/brother is more accurate, but he's old so grandpa. I like him and I loved how him being a positive influence (again, Despite Being A Criminal) spreads to his whole family clearly being beloved in Okinawa (DESPITE BEING CRIMINALS). I'm so glad him and Saki get to be a happy family by the end. (I'm not gonna give Saki a full section but that poor girl went through so much unnecessary pain and she gained a whole family by the end of the game, she deserves the world)

Majima - I think this is where Majima really started to become Friend. He got back into the game for Kiryu, he was loyal and doing what he promised to the end, and he was a great support. I loved the truck scene, and his genuine concern for Kiryu.

Daigo - My favorite princess. He was literally the damsel in distress this game, but his impact is something I appreciated. You can tell that this is a decent man, and even though he's in power, treats those below him as equals. His good character was literally part of the reason of why the final boss was so interesting.

Kashiwagi - :( A very similar role to Daigo, where his character, rather than his actions, set his role in the game. A decent man, setting a good, honest foundation inside of a criminal empire. The fact that he set up an organization to get people safely out of the business was huge, and I'm gonna miss Kiryu's big brother.

Tamiya - I'm going to steal a joke from the other game set in Japan that I beat in 2024: You can tell this is a fictional game because there is an actually decent politician. I actually felt surprised that the angry dude pushing for the military base was like, the best person involved in everything.

Mine - Such an interesting character. A very very hurt man that never learned how to love, finally finding A Purpose, but throwing it away out of pain. I really liked him as an antagonist, and I loved that he wasn't the traitor, that he wasn't some Secret I Planned Everything For Power; he just happened into place. A series of unfortunate events put Mine where he ended up, and I found that really cool.

Joji - He's a bit of an asspull, but not one that ruins anything. Like yeah "character has a secret twin" is some comic book shit, but I actually enjoyed his presence here. He gave an interesting mystery to the story, and became a good support towards the end.

Andre - He's definitely the most... Nothing, in the story, but I didn't hate him. I thought his voice acting was surprisingly decent (hearing that constant SHITTO... in the coliseum didn't give me high hopes). I think every Yakuza needs to have that weird side villain that's the main cause of everything, but this dude didn't feel as disruptive as Jingo, or as insane as the Korean Mafia. He's fine!

Hamazaki - I Genuinely think, that presenting this huge threat with connections out of country, but then having you not even fight him, and having him offed by his own hubris, was SUCH a neat play. Absolutely a twist that I did not expect. He might have seemed as wasted potential, but I kinda really liked how he ended up being off-screened.... and then.... then you bring him back? You bring him back for... a final cutscene... that doesn't mean... anything. A guy that should be dead.... stabs the main character, who ends up being perfectly fine. This dude is like... the one cause, of the one problem, I had with this story. Why couldn't he just stay in the ocean

Kanda - He sucks hard which is good cause I get to beat him up and I don't feel bad about him being a head, you love a character that's easy to hate.

Tamashiro - Absolute scum of the earth, that dude deserved a bullet in his head. I hate you I hate you I HATE you.

I feel like whenever I write a characters section it doubles the length of my already long post, but again, they are such a huge reason of why I loved this story.

As for the cohesiveness, I think the little point I made with Andre is a good summary. Previous entries have had this like, last minute What The Fuck plot twist nonsense that completely go wild and kinda tie together all the plot points. But in 3, I didn't feel that What The Fuck. I got it. I think the Okinawa land, the opposing bills of Resort vs Military Base, the involvement of the CIA, Black Monday, and the Yakuza, as well as the inner turmoil of the Tojo Clan; I honestly think it all tied together pretty smoothly. Andre was just the strangest part of it but he was so nothing compared to the rest that I literally don't care. (I Am Trying My Best To Ignore That Second To Last Cutscene)

I think overall, the general theme I got from this game was love. I felt the Essence of Love (press Heavy Attack at Blue Heat near Family) infused through nearly every part of this game. In Okinawa, with the Orphanage, with the Ryudo Family. In Kamurocho, with Daigo, with Mine, with Joji. Even in some of the substories, they generally felt... kinder? than usual? Like maybe I'm crazy for that, but there wasn't a lot of mean spirited things in the game I don't think. Hell, there was a whole sidequest that literally said trans rights lmfao. It all made me very happy.

Chapter 3: Aesthetics 第3章：美学

I've seen some criticisms on how this game looks (like one time when I was trying to google something one of the suggested was literally "why does yakuza 3 look bad"), but honestly, I kinda like it. It's absolutely the start of what modern LaD looks like, with a bit of that PS3 edge (and I mean that literally, bit of polygonal action). I think the best looking area is Morning Glory Beach, I love the water, the sands, and the greenery there. Music is classic Yakuza, there's not much to say beyond it's good, but doesn't always have tracks that stick out to me (there are some; Fly, Dead Run, and Another Demiworld I think are the standouts (also D2A lmfao)).

Chapter 4: Similar, But Not Equal To, A Dragon (aka the rest of my thoughts and the finale) 第4章：似て非なるもの、ドラゴン（感想の続きとフィナーレ）

Yakuza is usually beloved and infamous for its tonal dissonance. My favorite quote I saw once was "Yakuza is a serious crime drama occasionally interrupted by an episode of The Simpsons". I think 3, for the most part, felt a little bit more on the serious or genuine end. But from my research (light googling) on what the original 1 and 2 were like, 3 is the start of what we know now, what eventually turns into 0. Karaoke is getting its ridiculous start, we have revelations giving us more over the top comedy. But I think the balance it gives is something I appreciated. The serious parts had a genuine feeling to them that really grabbed me, but I still got my silly fix.

It's such a shame that this game has that stench of combat attached to it, cause it really was a good experience. I think it's overhated, and especially because you'll naturally play it after more modern games doesn't help.

While I could absolutely feel The Inevitable Yakuza Burnout towards the end, I still think I'm gonna look back at 3 positively.

8/10. Amazing story and characters in a genuinely heartfelt wrapping, just with kinda clunky gameplay. Fix that AI and my major issues are solved.

also like wasn't it super fucked that Sayama became a love interest for Kiryu, but then just fucking dipped and went to go date an American dude in the side text

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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140. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris--⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-read in 2023!

Screw you, Bill. That's my main takeaway from this one again--my feelings on him being a crap boyfriend remain intact.

I also appreciated Sookie talking about money and how hard it has been for her to keep going and making ends meet. It's weirdly cathartic, especially when we compare the difference of how financially difficult life was in comparison to the financial difficulties of today. But also because I think a lot of the time, in these books (at least in the past), we focus so much on the relationships and the will-they/won't-they themes that we don't focus on the general lives of the characters. I'm excited to see what else comes Sookie's way! So glad I'm doing this re-read!

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141. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beyond the romantic idea that Sanderson essentially wrote this for his wife, this was such a fun and clever story full of adventure and hilarious moments. I enjoyed this so much more than I was expecting to, but I shouldn't have doubted because Sanderson's writing always scratches that one little fantasy itch you never knew was waiting to be scratched.

I loved the characters and how they all came together for this memorable adventure. Especially the narrator and how they spoke to us despite their current self not...being the way we expected them to be.

Also, my favourite and obvious theme was how it is a young woman who essentially saves the day. Sanderson's wife supposedly commented on how Buttercup didn't really do much to save her man in THE PRINCESS BRIDE, and I was curious to see what a more modern-day adaptation might look like. I wasn't disappointed because his mc is a badass who did all she could to save the love of her life.

While there were definitely some slower moments in the story, the dialogue and witty commentary will surely bring you back! Highly recommend it to anyone who wants a surprisingly humorous adventure set on another planet's oceans full of unexpected dangers.

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142. The Encounter by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am genuinely enjoying the heck out of this series!

THE ENCOUNTER is from the perspective of the one kid whose unfortunate actions in book one changed his life forever. Keeping that in mind made this book so incredibly heartbreaking. There's obviously the pain of missing what his reality once was, but seeing his fight to keep the past part of him alive despite his life changing so much made me hurt so much for him. I think his actions during this book were perfectly suited to his age, because he is, after all, just a child.

I really hope we see a better outcome for him in the future. My heart aches knowing that he is the cautionary tale for the other kids in the group.

Yes, these books are fun and full of adventure and I love that they are actually meant to be read in order. But I think that in between those suspenseful moments, the reader needs to remember that these are kids fighting a very non-kid friendly war.

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143. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a bookstore employee, I'm enjoying reading these books because I can give better explanations to my younger customers! Also, these are just really fun bite-sized reads.

The titanic was a massive tragedy, so it was interesting to see it from the perspective of a child who had a better chance of actually surviving the sinking (a wealthy child). It made me think of a very, very condensed version of REFUGEE.

If you want a quick and eye-opening snack of history, I'd recommend this series!

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144. Monster Blood by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️

I don't even know anymore. LOL this book was something. Not the worst I've read in the GOOSEBUMPS series, but I do wish it had a bit more character development because, honestly, is it normal for kids who have just met to trust each other so thoroughly in the case of human-eating slime? Would you, as a precocious child, put your life in danger for the random kid you literally just met?

This is why I should have read these as a child. As an adult, my stranger danger alarms are just shining bright like a diamond.

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145. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went into this book with way too many expectations and that's my fault. I expected a gory and disturbing horror story set in a camp, what I got was a deeply disturbing exploration of the toxic world of cult-like religion that sent gay teens and young adults to Camp Damascus so they could be "cured" by any means possible...even if those means may be out of this world.

The book had it's moments of spook and legitimate chills because some of the language is deeply disturbing. Massive trigger warning for anyone who has trauma related to a religious upbringing. I wasn't raised in this way and I was deeply disturbed.

I wish I'd gone in with no expectations because I think I might have enjoyed it more. Was it fun? Absolutely! But I was very sad to see that it wasn't the setting I was hoping for. I know that a lot of other people will enjoy this book way more, and honestly that makes me happy!

That ending was great though--the explosion of build-up from the rest of the book was well worth the wait!

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146. Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are only a few books where I can say I related a little too much to the main characters. Usually, it's books exploring my immigrant background, or growing up plus-sized, but this is the first time I've read a LGBTQ+ book where I related so much to the mc and her journey to understanding her sexuality and who she is as a person.

I grew up surrounded by heteronormativity. Any moment in my childhood where I was one step away from realizing my sexuality, something or someone was there to remind me that I can't stray too far. I had a friend who wasn't the greatest of allies and I still believe that set me back a million years. Coming to terms with who I am in my late 20's and early 30's was a massive mind-fuck. Suddenly, I started thinking about all of the signs and moments I ignored so I could stay in my little bubble. Reading IMOGEN, OBVIOUSLY by Becky Albertalli was like having a mirror put up to my face with a character yelling, "I told you so" (and plot twist, that character yelling is my younger self who always argued against me hiding my truth.)

Imogen, the mc, has a friend in this book who is the personification of doubts a new member of the LGBTQ+ community may feel when they finally let themselves step out of the closet. "Am I queer enough? Do I have a right to be queer when I haven't experienced half of the things other people in the community have experienced?" This friendship was toxic and a reminder that every community has its darker side. I wanted to hug Imogen for the doubts this friend seeded in her. But I wanted to celebrate her childhood friend who helped her understand that she is valid.

Yes, there is an incredibly adorable (and quick) romance in this one, but I think more than that, what needs to be celebrated is the support of non-toxic friends, and the personal growth Imogen experienced despite the storm brewing inside of her.

This book was difficult to read because of how incredibly relatable it was and because I know this is also something Albertalli wrote from her own experiences. I often worry about what others think of me when I approach the topic of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community and thankfully, I have some amazing friends who help support me. But I can't help but think of the other kids or younger adults who don't have that support, or guidance. This book could genuinely help so many questioning readers.

Through quick, witty, personable, and deeply emotional writing, Albertalli has created a novel that I recommend to everyone--whether they're a part of the community or an ally. Words and assumptions have more power than a lot of people seem to think.

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147. Far From True by Linwood Barclay--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As always, Linwood Barclay entertained me and kept me hooked. I'm always amazed by the twist and turns and the moments where my jaw genuinely drops because of the reveals.

I'll hopefully be reading the third one in the series soon--I'm curious to see why 23 is so important and who is behind it all! I'm totally reading this series out of order, but book four thankfully didn't spoil it for me!

Onto the next one!

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Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts?

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Happy reading!

[decadentbelievereagle]

Hey everyone, if you've followed my setup for a while, you know I've been rocking the original XGIMI Horizon projector since back in 2021. Got it with the early bird deal, and honestly, that 1080p projector has been a workhorse, used nearly every single night on my 100-inch screen. It served me well, but I was itching for that 4K goodness. Enter the XGIMI Horizon S Pro. I've spent some quality time with it, and here are my thoughts on this 4K, 1800 ISO lumen, Harman Kardon-equipped upgrade. (First Impressions & Design) Right out of the box, the Horizon S Pro looks premium. It’s got this sleek design that genuinely looks good just sitting there. A cool feature is the integrated stand – it feels really solid and lets you tilt the projector up or down quite a bit. Plus, when you turn it on, the lens cover automatically slides up, which is a nice touch to keep dust off. The back panel houses the essentials: power button, an HDMI port (with eARC support), and two USB 2.0 ports. The power brick even matches the projector's color! One slightly quirky but useful feature is the base – it rotates like a lazy susan, making small adjustments easy. It definitely has some heft to it, which speaks to the build quality. (Setup: Smooth Sailing with ISA 5.0) Setting up the Horizon S Pro was ridiculously simple, thanks mainly to XGIMI's ISA 5.0 (Intelligent Screen Adaption) technology. It runs Android TV 11.0, so the interface is familiar if you've used Android TV before. The magic really happens when you move the projector. Point it roughly at your screen, and the uninterrupted auto keystone correction and autofocus just work. Within seconds, I had a perfectly square, sharp image without fiddling with menus. You can turn these features off if you have a permanent setup and prefer manual control (which includes digital zoom, screen shift, etc.), but for quick setups or moving it around, it's fantastic. (Picture Quality: 4K Brightness That Shines) Okay, the main event: picture quality. This is a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) projector using DLP tech and XGIMI's Dual Light 2.0 source, rated at 1800 ISO lumens. I tested it on my 100-inch screen from about 9 feet away. Even during the day with some sunlight sneaking past my blinds, the image was impressively bright and watchable. I measured around 590 lux near the center, dropping a bit towards the corners, which is pretty solid performance. Colors looked vibrant and accurate straight out of the box (it supports HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision). I tried the different picture modes (including Game Mode and Dolby Vision modes) but found the standard settings quite pleasing. Close up, the 4K resolution is evident – no visible pixels, just sharp, clean detail. Nighttime viewing, as expected, is where it truly excels, offering that immersive, cinematic feel that's hard to beat. For a projector, the brightness holds up surprisingly well in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. (Sound: Harman Kardon Steps Up) Built-in projector speakers are often an afterthought, but the dual 12W Harman Kardon speakers in the Horizon S Pro are genuinely good. Compared to my old Horizon, the difference is night and day. There's actual bass presence, which adds a lot of punch to movies and music. Dialogue clarity is excellent, and the overall sound profile is well-balanced. I cranked the volume pretty high, and there was no noticeable distortion. Honestly, while I have a soundbar, the onboard audio here is good enough that I might not even bother hooking it up for casual viewing. It supports DTS-Virtual:X and various Dolby formats too. (Performance: Quiet and Cool Operator) One of the biggest annoyances with some projectors is fan noise, especially during quiet movie scenes. I'm happy to report the Horizon S Pro is impressively quiet. Even running at max brightness for a while, the fan noise was minimal. I measured it at around 41.5 dB standing right next to it (in a room with ~37 dB ambient noise). From viewing distance, it's barely audible.

This seems linked to how cool it runs. Using a thermal camera, I saw temps staying mostly below 40°C, even the hottest spots were around 37°C. That's great thermal management. (Pros and Cons) Pros: Excellent 4K picture quality – sharp and detailed. Impressive brightness (1800 ISO lumens), handles some ambient light well. Fantastic built-in Harman Kardon speakers with good bass. Super quiet operation, stays cool. Very effective and fast auto keystone and autofocus (ISA 5.0). Premium design and build quality with integrated stand. Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG. Built-in Android TV 11.0 is convenient. Cons: Digital zoom only (no optical zoom). Auto screen features might need disabling for fixed installations if minor adjustments occur. Price point is an investment (though competitive for its features). (Conclusion: A Definite Upgrade) Coming from the already solid original XGIMI Horizon, the Horizon S Pro feels like a significant and worthwhile upgrade across the board. The jump to a bright, sharp 4K image, the drastically improved and genuinely usable built-in audio, and the incredibly quiet operation make it a fantastic all-in-one home cinema solution. The ease of setup with the ISA 5.0 features is just icing on the cake. If you're in the market for a high-performance, user-friendly 4K projector that looks as good as it performs, the XGIMI Horizon S Pro should absolutely be on your shortlist. It handles movies, TV shows, and likely gaming (thanks to the low latency mode) beautifully, delivering that big-screen experience without the usual projector hassles.

[maulthots]

genuine veilguard ama question: what do you find so compelling about it? I ask because veilguard gives me crazy motion sickness, and thus far I've found the game itself to be pretty boring and not worth pushing through the pain. but again, this game makes me so sick that I've probably played for a max of 20 hours, and haven't even picked up my fifth party member yet. does the game get more exciting at a certain point? does the dialogue ever stop feeling like a terrible boilerplate YA novel??

thank you for asking! this is a fun and interesting question because i think veilguard is a bad game, straight up. it's not good. i don't want to get into all the things i didn't like, because the list is long and i don't want to yuck anyone's yum any more than i'm about to, but in summary: almost everything about veilguard is done better in other games, and we would probably all be better off playing those.

that being said, i have spent many hours playing it, and i can tell you what i find compelling:

the world of dragon age is interesting to me, even if the game never explores most of the world like it should. therefore, it's up to me to use my mind palace to put my little guy into situations that don't exist in the game. what would they think about this event or that event? what if my little guy's backstory didn't suck and was different? and so forth. while frustrating, it's also so good for my imagination. it is enrichment in my enclosure to think about these things.

love to pick up items. love to open chests. love to kick down ladders for a shortcut that i will literally never use again. these mundane tasks are dumb as hell and pointless, and yet they scratch an itch. your mileage may vary.

gray wardens. my second playthrough, i picked the gray warden faction, and i actually really enjoyed myself. while much of it was not nearly as fleshed out as it should have been, i thought it was uniquely compelling compared to all the other factions so far, mostly because the game is about the blight, and your experience as a gray warden is directly relevant. again, if you put your mind palace in overdrive, you can fantasize about how your romance might mercy kill you someday. wonderful content that is totally made up and not real.

genuinely, it is beautiful. it's nice to look at (assuming you don't get motion sick!). me and my companions and all our little outfits look so nice and move so nice and don't creep me out.

idk how far you've gotten so i don't want to spoil it too much, but you have to make a choice between one city and another. i don't know how to say this without spoiling it but i picked one city the first two playthroughs and picked the other city on my third, and it was Way more fun and interesting to me. depending on what you pick you'll gain a quest and lose a quest, and i really liked the quest i gained. so. for whatever that's worth.

latching onto some nothing side character is also enriching. it didn't happen until my third playthrough, but when it did....oh boy.

as far as excitement goes, i would say definitely yes it gets more exciting once you get all your party members. there's a very big and exciting battle at the end of act 1 that's a lot of fun, imo. i think it happens not long after you get your whole party. that being said, you also start to run into significant pacing issues around companion quests, most of which are not super compelling. in addition, because veilguard has a limited number of enemies and is not focused on unique bossfights, the combat starts to feel repetitive. i love repetition so this isn't much of an issue for me, but it's a long game where you only fight a handful of the same enemies over and over.

tldr, no don't bother lol if it makes you sick. don't be a masochist, it's fine, i promise you're not missing much.

[todayimgonnaplay]

Today I'm gonna play: Final Fantasy 7 Remake

If my previous posts aren't obvious yet, I love RPGs, specifically JRPGs! First one dating all the way back to FF 1 itself, but on the PSP. I fell in love with the cute yet cool sprites, and this feeling of exploring a fantastical world filled with adventure. I watched the original FF7 on YouTube as a kid, and Cloud was my favourite protagonist for the longest time! I still love him, but after playing more FF titles over the years, I'm actually on the fence because there's a lot of great protagonists in this series! My memory's hazy with the plot but I know the main points, so I can't do many comparisons with the original. So far I've reached chapter 11. Despite the total gameplay time being approximately 33 hours which sounds short, there's quite a bit to do in the game. The main campaign takes its time, while periods of ''rest'' allow you to take on side quests that add onto worldbuilding. I'm not a fan of side quests in general for the repetitiveness of ''go to X place'' or ''fight X monsters'', and FF7R still has this, but the narrative gives this community spirit that thrives in the slums of Midgar. Dialogue and characterization is massively fleshed out compared to what I recall in the original. And from what I've also seen in FF16 (even though the dialogue is divisive), I think both games can be considered a new standard for writing going forward in the series.

I don't need to get into character designs for this game, they're iconic as is and are nicely enhanced. The new characters Leslie and Rosch are also nicely designed for their purpose (and characterization too), although I do think Leslie stands out quite a bit compared to the other NPCs, I wonder why.

Combat wise, in terms of post FF X (I've watched 16 but not played) or their turn-based systems, this is the most decent combat they've put out so far. Comparing to their other titles I've played (15, Strangers of Paradise, Lightning Returns), I think they've nailed it. It's not my favourite action combat in general, but it does its job. Cloud moves swiftly when I thought he'd be slow, and the other characters play smoothly too, even if there are mechanics that try to slow you down such as charging attacks and the ATB system which provide a nice sense of strategy for those that like turn based combat. I can't say that this does satisfy that turn based itch though, as I found myself needing to do the action bit despite the Classic system settings turned on. I'm not complaining though, as I do tend to enjoy action RPGs more than turn based.

I see that Masashi Hamauzu has returned to work on the music, and hearing the new arrangements have been great so far! Not one track has disappointed me so far, and I like the variety of instruments and versions used for tracks too. Like the motorcycle chase level.

Apart from all the praising, I do have a few gripes. I've noticed a few transitions that occur such as when you rest on a bench, which take way too long to complete before getting back to the overworld. I've also seen some repetitiveness with these slow segments in the level design too, such as going through small spaces, or walking on a thin plank/pipe. I was okay with it a few times, but with the amount of times this occurs, I wasn't too sure what the point was of adding them other than to pad the length, or create an artificial loading screen, or it could be an artistic choice in which then the last two are valid. A game that I've seen that does this well is Mirror's Edge. Small spaces are used often but don't take long to go through, and you're required to balance on pipes to provide some challenge while quickly getting to the other side. I've also noticed that there's no memory cursor in the commands, which RPGs pretty much have as a cursor. It's a bit irritating especially when healing, to have to manually navigate to the party member and select them, rather than automatically have them as the selected option first for quicker input. It's not like FF has never had this before, so it's a strange decision to leave it out.

But apart from that, I've been having a good time! I'll probably have to take a break from RPGs after this though, and go for other genres or shorter games, I'm sensing a RPG burnout coming up! Also, Wall Market was amazing. Terms exclusive to the game: ATB (Active Time Battle) - A type of turn based system that existed in the original FF7 and uses gauges as turns. Classic system - A game mode in the remake that allows your characters' actions to be automated while you can focus on the ATB aspect.

[iloveabunchofgames]

#JakeReviewsItch

Aerannis

by ff

Price (US): $4.99

Included In: Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality

Genre: Action

Pitch: A stealthy action-platformer with a 32-bit pixel aesthetic about a pink-haired assassin in a purple-drenched, matriarchal future.

My expectations: It's incredibly hard to stand out in the crowded world of indie, pixel-art metroidvanias. I hope that's the only reason I've never heard anything about Aerannis. If the game matches the quality of the screenshots, this could be something special.

Review:

Reviewing a different indie game every day can be exhausting (see: most of the reviews on this page), but then, out of nowhere, comes a game like Aerannis.

Aerannis claims to be a game like Metroid or Castlevania, and I can see the connection. It’s a side-scrolling platformer where new powers are acquired, which can be used to reach previously inaccessible areas, but that’s only a sliver of the pie.

Most of the action takes place in discrete, linear stages. Some focus on fast-paced jumping and shooting, along the lines of Metroid or Mega Man, while others are strict stealth challenges. Most often, they’re a blend of the two—stealth is the safest approach, but a quick trigger finger is usually a viable alternative when things go bad. Just don’t expect to make it through a fair fight without taking some hits.

Aerannis ate most of my day, and if I hadn’t forced myself to stop and write this review, I wouldn’t have quit until I reached the end. It’s a successful blend of genres, with terrific variety and style, and it hates bigots who think we can’t tell the difference between feminism and fascism.

+ An incredible blend of stealth and action. I haven't even mentioned the boss fights! + Looks great, sounds great. + I'm hesitant to comment too much on the story since I haven't finished the game, but I can't wait to see if it answers all my questions. If it ends up with some kind of both-sides, horseshoe-theory garbage, I'm coming back and re-writing this whole review, but I think it's commentary on fascism—whether it's addressing litigious transphobes or the Bush administration—is going to land on the correct side. + New abilities, new environments, new enemies, and new types of stages give the game fantastic momentum, hour after hour.

– Despite nailing a million little details throughout its enormous world, there are a few basic oversights that really bother me. The main character should have one more animation pose when launching into a jump. There's a stamina bar that recharges after dashing, but it's this teeny thing way off in the corner—it should make a noise when it's full, or the character could blink, or anything that would let me know she's ready to dash again. Switching between different types of grenades through a radial menu makes the character walk left and right. – Navigation. Characters tell you where to go next ("west of here"), but if you don't retain that dialogue, good luck making sense of the pause menu's clue ("go to the office"—okay, but which office, in which city?) Fast travel locations are often in weird spots. The radar's useless. The space between action levels provides a nice reprieve and good world building, but a map would have been nice. – Could probably stand to be an hour or two shorter. I can't think of a specific section I would cut—none of it's bad—but i know some of these rooms could go, and I wouldn't miss them.

🧡🧡🧡🧡🤍 Bottom Line: Play the danged game. This isn't "good compared to most of the Itch games I play." It is good. Play it. Buy it for your friends. Jumping, shooting, sneaking, and making fun of bigoted fascists—Aerannis has it all.

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