#Skill Based Game Development Company

[unitygamedevlopment]

Real Money Poker Game Development

Welcome to our Poker, where we delve into the captivating world of online poker gaming and explore the latest trends, strategies, and developments in the industry. As a leading game development company specializing in real money gaming experiences, we're dedicated to providing players with the ultimate poker experience, whether they're seasoned pros or newcomers to the game.

In this blog, we'll take you behind the scenes of our Real Money Poker game, showcasing the innovative features, cutting-edge technology, and immersive gameplay that set us apart from the competition. From the stunning graphics and lifelike animations to the intuitive controls and customizable settings, every aspect of our poker game is designed to provide players with an unforgettable gaming experience.

Whether you're a casual player looking to hone your skills or a serious gambler aiming to take your game to the next level, our blog has something for everyone. We'll cover everything from the basics of poker rules and hand rankings to advanced strategies for bluffing, reading tells, and maximizing your winnings.

At our Real Money Game Development Company, we're passionate about creating the best possible gaming experiences for our players, and our blog is just one way we're doing that. So whether you're a seasoned veteran or a curious newcomer, we invite you to join us on this journey into the thrilling world of online poker gaming.

[dorematrix0]

For top-tier skill-based game development, seek out companies specializing in this field. Skill-based game development companies leverage advanced technologies and innovative gameplay mechanics to create engaging experiences that reward player skill. These companies prioritize crafting games that challenge and entertain players, often incorporating elements like strategy, reflexes, and decision-making into their designs. By focusing on the keyword "skill-based game development company," you can pinpoint studios renowned for their expertise in this area. Look for companies with a proven track record of delivering high-quality, immersive games that resonate with players seeking intellectually stimulating gameplay. Whether it's developing competitive multiplayer experiences, puzzle games requiring strategic thinking, or action-packed challenges demanding quick reflexes, skill-based game development companies excel in delivering memorable gaming experiences tailored to players' abilities and preferences. Their dedication to innovation and player engagement ensures they remain at the forefront of the gaming industry.

[dorematrix1]

Revolutionizing Entertainment: The Rise of Skill-Based Game Development

In a world where technology and creativity intersect, the gaming industry stands out as a beacon of innovation and entertainment. Among the myriad genres that captivate audiences globally, skill-based games have emerged as a compelling frontier. , Skill-Based Game Development Compamy we are at the forefront of this exciting evolution, crafting experiences that challenge, engage, and reward players for their abilities.

What Sets Skill-Based Games Apart?

Skill-based games differ fundamentally from their chance-based counterparts. Rather than relying on luck, these games demand strategy, quick reflexes, and critical thinking. This shift towards skill-driven gameplay aligns with the desires of modern gamers who seek to hone their skills and achieve mastery.

Our Approach to Skill-Based Game Development :-

At Skill-Based Game Development Compamy , we are passionate about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in gaming. Our approach is rooted in innovation, player-centric design, and a commitment to excellence. Here’s how we do it:

[petalruesimblr]

Hello and welcome back to my blog! I planned to post this about two weeks ago, but I got so busy with booking flights and reservations for my trip that I decided to wait until I returned from my vacation.

This project has been my plan for my next #FollowersGift and I’m happy that it's finally complete. It's not much, to be honest; this was just an idea I had for a career and I was unsure if I should create a part-time job again or pursue a full-time career, so I decided to do both!

The SimGuard Security Services is a full-time career based on a security company/firm while SimGuard Security is also part of that but is assigned to different lots. This took a while because aside from creating five part-time careers, I also created a full-time career that includes branches, opportunities and books, which will be fully discussed in this post. A second post will follow for the part-time careers so this one won't get too long.

Thank you to all my followers for the likes, reblogs, downloads of my content and all your kind comments! I truly appreciate each and every one of them.💜

If you are interested, click on ’Keep Reading’ below for more information and pictures of the SimGuard Security Services Career.

SimGuard Security Services

Bulk Download: Sim File Share (Full Time and Part-Times) | For individual files, refer to this post here.

As a Security Guard, you’ll be the vigilant eyes and ears protecting everything from top-secret parties to the occasional rogue lawn gnome. Duties include patrolling, deterring mischief and ensuring our clients’ properties stay as they should—intact. If you’re prepared for an exciting mix of vigilance and adventure, apply now and become part of our SimGuard Security Services!

Career Type: Full Time Available for: Young Adults and Adults Available Languages: English Levels: 10 Rabbit Hole: Business And Journalism Does it have Carpool? Yes Does it have Uniforms? Yes File Type: Package Min. Required Game Version: 1.42 Packs Needed: The Sims 3 📣All descriptions for the levels, tones and metrics as well as skills required, salary, uniforms and other details are provided on the pictures above. Right-click on a picture and select ’Open image in new tab’ for a clearer view.

NRAAS Careers Mod

Branches and wages: This career has two branches that branch out after level 5: the Management branch, which focuses on handling internal agency operations as you progress to higher ranks and the Field Operations branch, which allows for expertise in specific security fields. All the levels represent realistic roles based on the research I did for this career. If you prefer the managerial role, expect to read more reports and increase your logic skills. However, if you prefer roles like a bodyguard or security escort, expect to develop both athletic and logic skills as you take on different roles in the field. Levels 1-5 offer realistic hourly wages based on research. To compensate for the increased days off and decreased work hours as the level increases, I had to raise the hourly wages beyond the normal salary ranges for Levels 6-10 for both branches. Metrics and Books: I made a few changes to this career, specifically regarding the metrics. I originally planned to include "Reports" as part of the required tasks but I realized this was unrealistic since it was based on the Law Enforcement career, where individuals interview people, search through their trash and create reports based on those findings—tasks not typical for a security guard. Instead, I made it a custom tone and changed the "Reports" metric to "Research," which is based on the Medical career, where professionals read reports from their subordinates instead of medical journals. Opportunities: As this is my first time creating opportunities, I focused on developing just two for now, with only one of them being repeatable. This is because security guards need to complete a minimum number of hours of continued firearm training per year. I initially planned to include Martial Arts as part of the metrics but decided to make this base game compatible for now. I might release a different version for World Adventures but to be honest, I don’t have the time at the moment. You are always free to add it on your own for personal use (check my terms of use). Be sure to check out MissyHissy's tutorial under Credits for a step-by-step guide on how to do it. As stated above, you will need NRAAS Careers Mod for these careers to show up in the game and as long as you have the latest version of it, it should work for higher patches. You can also read my #psa regarding these careers, click here. I’m not fluent in any other languages to translate so if anyone is interested in translating this career, please don’t hesitate to send me a message here, comment on this post or let me know in my Ask/Contact form (if you don’t have a Tumblr account) and will let you know the details. I have tested this career in my game, so far it is working and all scripts are showing up. All feedback is very welcome to help me learn and improve my skills so please let me know if you experience any problems on your end and I’ll do my best to sort it as soon as possible.

MissyHissy step-by-step tutorial Twallan for the Career Mod S3pe

[project-sekai-facts]

Fes gacha updates

Before I say anything else I'm just gonna say the vast majority of the fes updates are incredibly disappointing, especially if you're F2P. Like seriously if you're F2P don't expect to come out of this post entirely happy. I can be mean to clpl because I'm F2P and this is total bullshit. Anyway.

Starting from the fes gacha on this sunday, Colorful Festival will now be known as Bloom Festival! It also has a newly designed logo as seen in the picture above, complete with flowers in all the unit colors, including Virtual Singer, which pretty much confirms that all 26 characters will be getting 2nd fes cards. The good thing about this confirmation is that unless they fuck with the schedule again and put 3 characters on one banner a few times, this means the story will continue past 6th anniversary, something there'd previously been concerns about. There's only 9 fes banners before 6th anniversary (10 if you include 6th anniversary), but you need 13 banners to cover everyone. So that's really nice news!

More information that we were told on stream, as well as story and gacha lineup predictions can be found below the cut!

Unfortunately we have not yet been told what exactly the differences between colofes and bloomfes are in terms of story. Based on the whole journey to bloom/world bloom (internal name for WLEs) thing, I reckon it could be something like the characters' Fragment SEKAI expanding, like what happened with the Tree SEKAI in Let Your Song Resonate. It would also tie into the plot of WLEs, so it would make a lot of sense. Some other speculation I've seen since March is that they might have entirely new Fragment SEKAI, which I think is entirely plausible due to character development and changes in their personal conflicts, and another was that these could be like bandori's kirafes cards, which focus on relationships. While I think this would be interesting, and makes some sense since prsk does take influence from bandori in some ways due to sharing a parent company (craftegg), I feel like they would've mentioned that.

We do know a lot about the differences between bloomfes and colofes on a meta and gameplay level, and unfortunately this is the not f2p-friendly part.

The main gimmick of bloom festival that differentiates them from colofes is that bloomfes cards will have 2 skills! One skill will apply for the untrained card, and one for the trained card. You can switch them at any time, presumably by flipping the illustration when it's on your deck. There's a catch though. The catch is that to train bloomfes cards, you will need 3 Wish Drops (the items used to level up area items past lvl10) on top of all the regular 4* training materials. All players will be given 3 wish drops for free, but aside from that these are incredibly hard to earn for casual players due to being the most expensive item in the event shop at 50000 tokens per wish drop. Basically the game is forcing you to sacrifice other shop rewards, tier, or spend money. Not that colopale needs it when the game earns millions a month.

(translated graphic from @/pjsekai_eng on Twitter)

The skills are also not the most fairly balanced. That's an understatement actually. You have to be a massive whale to get the max skill on these cards, it is literally impossible for casual players.

The untrained card skills vary between virtual singers and human characters. For vsingers, at max level, they give a 90% score boost, but gain +30% boost for every different unit type on your team (though it only applies to two types max, giving you a total of 150% bonus). This is pretty easy to achieve, so that's good for scoring purposes!

For human characters, you get an 80% base score boost at max skill level. By selecting one other card in your team, you get an additional boost of half of that card's skill increase (eg: if the card selected has a score boost of 100%, the bloomfes score boost will get 50% added to its base 80%, for 130% total). I'm not sure if this card is selected manually or automatically. But nonetheless this is a pretty good skill too!

The issue lies with the trained skill. At max level, it gives a base score boost of 110%, which is pretty good, but the additional boost is scaled by your Character Rank, with +1% score boost per 2 ranks (eg: a player with a CR40 Miku will get a bonus 20% score boost) on top of the 110, for 130% boost total). The issue here is that the absolute max boost you can get require CR100, which is ridiculously hard to get without spending money, and is near impossible to do for multiple characters. In other words, this skill is for your oshi, and you have to be willing to spend a lot or grind a lot for said oshi. And also be lucky enough to even pull your oshi from the gacha. It's incredibly geared towards P2P players and is totally unfair for F2P players. There's also the issue of the fact you need 3 wish drops to even unlock this skill, another thing that is against F2P players.

Anyway, let's move on to something a bit more fun! Who is gonna be fes? Here's an overview of how it's looking right now:

There's three possible ways that the fes cards could be paired up: using the same pairs as colofes, using different but still same-unit pairs, or using mixed unit pairs.

I think the second or third option is more likely. If you wanted to do the first option, it would have to be Honami/Shiho, Haruka/Airi or An/Toya, but there's still chance that An could be on Kohane5, Haruka only very recently had a card (though this has not stopped other characters, and Shiho is quite likely to be on the event.

In terms of alternate same-unit pairs, I think Kanade/Ena and Airi/Shizuku are the most likely. Kanade and Ena are both reward cards on the current Mafuyu event, so it could be a sign that they'll be fes, plus Kanade hasn't had a 4* since February. However, both of them have a lot of 4*s right now, with Niigo having the most in the game overall. Alternatively there's Shizuku and Airi. Airi is the second-most due for a lim out of all the characters, with her last one being released at the end of October last year. Shizuku only very recently got a card, but again this has not been much of an issue in the past, with Minori, Tsukasa, and Emu all getting fes cards very soon after an event where they got 4*s (or an event where they got unit-gacha lims for Tsukasa and Emu).

However if you wanted to go for mixed unit pairings, the most likely options are probably Ichika/Kanade, Honami/Kanade, or Airi/Ena. However if the june event isn't 2-B lims, the Hinomori sisters and Saki/Airi are also options. Ichika hasn't had a 4* since white day, neither has Kanade, and Honami hasn't had one since Rise as One. However, we know they will be getting cards soon, and under the assumption that 2-B lims happen, it seems a bit unfair to give 3/4 of Leoneed lims just before WLE. I don't have an argument against Airi/Ena, it's definitely the most likely out of these options.

However, just for consistency I'm willing to bet that they'll stick with same-unit pairs. In that case, I think either Kanade/Ena or Airi/Shizuku is very likely. Maybe I'm leaning a bit more towards Airi, but only because she's more in need of a lim.

But just to throw one last thing out there: the next update will implement an increased, 25% event bonus for default virtual singers, a bonus that pretty much exclusively applies to fes cards since players are far less likely to use the default vsinger 1*s and 2* on their team. So there's a chance, albeit slim, that they could throw us under the bus with Len/KAITO fes. I still think Kanade/Ena or Airi/Shizuku is more likely.

Anyway, that's all for now. Some of these updates are a bit disappointing but I'm interested to see the cards and read their stories! I'll update this post if we learn any more information.

[scorching-earth]

Limbus characters as Yuu’s

Spoilers for twisted wonderland, Spoilers for Limbus company. Please Limbus company is a free game. it may also be a gacha game, but it's a very free to play friendly game. 

I’ve only finished part 2 and a bit of part 3 of the game, and watched all the intro videos. so all of the Yuu’s are from canto 3 of the story. So only character development for Gregor and Rodion, a little of Sinclair as well. All of the characters use gender neutral pronouns and have the name Yuu. If anything is from the future canto, it is pure speculation on my part! And I will stress that each sinner is BASED off the office character. So each character may not be the same as the in-game sinners. That's intentional on my part so I can have more fun writing for them.

Trigger warnings: self deprecating thoughts, stalking, self harm, minor body horror, manipulation, family issues, the effects of war, swearing, mentions of criminal records, death.

Yi sang sinner #1:

“...” “I’m not quiet, I just have nothing to say.” “what?” “A mirror bright me here, I’ve finally passed through the window I’ve only watched.”

Yuu is a very quiet person. not because they don't want to talk, they just don't have anything to say. So Yuu mostly listens to what other people say instead. When they do talk it can come as a surprise considering how they talk when they do.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a dagger. The dagger is a weapon people use in secret. They hide the blade to quickly go in for the killing blow. It shows That Yuu doesn't want to stand out either with its small size. Yuu’s weapon is black in color and has no stand out features on it. Yuu’s weapon wasn't found out for a long time for how easy it was to conceal. 

Yuu’s poetics. When Yuu does talk you can hear them wax poetics, saying some of the most thought provoking sentences possible. Yuu will sometimes just say some flowery language relating to the subject of conversation. After they say something people tend to quiet down since it gets awkward after Yuu says something

Ace and Deuce’s relationship: the two drag Yuu around. Ace tried to pull Yuu into all sorts of trouble with him. All in attempts to get Yuu to do something other than sit around, and think the whole day. Deuce tried to keep Yuu out of the trouble Ace pulled them into. So it's a consistent tug of war situation with Yuu being in all sorts of trouble to them being in none. 

Favorite students: Ace, Deuce, Malleus. Ace and Deuce since Yuu does appreciate them being around Yuu. Malleus because it’s fun to listen to him talk about Gargoyles.

Least favorite students: You wax poetics ONCE to ONE person, and now you have a stalker. Yup Yuu’s least favorite student is one Rook hunt. Yuu can often find Rook quickly. When found out Rook will leave to go watch someone else, or the one Yuu hates more. Rook will jump down from his hiding spot, and try to chat up Yuu. Yuu HATES this, why can't Rook just take the hint that Yuu not interested in talking poetics.

Faust sinner #2:

“You're not very smart are you?” “don't worry, Yuu Knows everything.” “all as I predicted.” “I am Yuu and I am the smartest person in this world.” 

Yuu’s had an almost supernatural knowledge. Yuu claims to know all, and has yet to be disproved. Ace even asked Yuu what color his underwear was… Ace still hasn't recovered from the embarrassment of that moment. Yet Yuu’s intelligence is very ignored by everyone after that incident. Since no one else wants to face the same embarrassment if they ask the wrong question

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a Zweihander. A long two handed double edged sword. Yuu’s is special since it has two guards, one of the two is under there first hand and has a skull on it. The other is where you'd expect it under the blade and over the grip. This weapon shows off Yuu’s confidence in their own skills. Yuu also sometimes uses their weapon with one hand. Showing off how strong Yuu actually is. Yuu’s skills with their weapon are top notch, so Yuu isn't just a brain but has brawn to back them up. 

Yuu is very egotistical. Ofton stating that they are “the smartest.” Several students dislike this, counting Yuu as an arrogant prick. These students tend to not know how smart Yuu actually is. Yuu doesn't bother correcting them. Since Yuu is smart enough to know it’s not worth the effort. Still some of Yuu’s own friends do find it annoying sometimes how superior Yuu thinks of themself sometimes. 

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. Mother and their dumbass sons. Yuu pulls Ace and Deuce out of trouble and scolds them. It was humiliating at first, but the two ended up getting used to it. Yuu scolds Ace the most, since Ace gets into a lot of trouble. Deuce gets less scolding from Yuu, not to say he doesn't get any. Since Deuce gets into plenty of trouble by himself. Yet every time one of these two troublemakers get into trouble you know Yuu’s soon to follow.

Favorite students: it would be a shock to many saying Yuu’s favorit students are Sebek Zigvolt, and Lilia Vanrouge. The first of these two shocks are Sebek Zigvolt, why would Sebek associate himself with a Human who’s too full of themself. Well after challenging Yuu to a sword duel, and even with others trying to stop this from happening Yuu accepted. Sebek was confident he would win. Only to be shocked when Yuu had him on the floor after thirty seconds. After that Sebek demanded Yuu teach him. Yuu agreed to Sebek’s request, and the two became friends. Yuu came to value Sebek’s companion ship. As did Zigvolt with Yuu’s friendship

The second Lilia Vanrouge, yes that Lilia Vanrouge. So Yuu is strange, so strange in fact that Lilia had picked up on this all the way back in the entrance carmony. Lilia had kept an eye on Yuu after that, anytime Yuu passed him Lilia’s eyes would just linger on Yuu for a second longer than normal. Yuu knew this, after all Yuu knows all. So Yuu had confronted Lilia about this as early as book 2. Asking If Lilia had any questions for them. Lilia did, and got answers for every single one. All in detail, horrible detail, Lilia had chosen to make Yuu’s stay at Night Raven as enjoyable as possible from that moment onwards.

Least favorite students: Yuu diskles Floyd, he’s hard to be around since he’ll just roll his eyes as Yuu scolds him for any wrong doing he’s done, and will to Yuu’s face complain about how Yuu naggs him too much. That's not stating how he’s just unlikeable to be around. Yuu knows how self serving the students are, yet at least the others have tact. Floyed just throws a tantrum when things don't go his way. These things just make Yuu avoid the second Tweel since he’s just a hassle to deal with.

Don Quixote sinner #3:

“I Don Quixote am a just and noble…. Fixer!” “unjust? Worry not! I, Don Quixote will fix this!” “Someone broke a rule? Worry not, I'll punish them!” “... what do you mean I’m too violent?” 

Yuu wants to be a fixer. Not a knight, a FIXER F I X E R! A fixer is a noble profession (to Yuu). There are champions of justice who help the downtrodden (once more Yuu that's not true).I digress though, Yuu loves talking about fixers. The red mist, the purple drop, the black silence, and the red gaze. All the fixers! Not just the colored ones, the colored ones are the fixers Yuu talks about the most though. Students are sick of Yuu’s ramblings.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a lance. One that towers over Yuu, it’s a wonder how they hid it for so long. The size is actually nearly twice Yuu’s size. It shows just how strong Yuu really is. Yuu also swings it around with more finesse than expected. Some students wonder what would happen if they used a normal sized weapon. Sebek knows he demanded Yuu use a normal sword for there dule. Sebek’s ego still hasn't recovered. Yuu’s weapon shows confidence, fitness, as well as speed. A lance is a weapon normally used when horseback riding. Knights used it a lot as well.

Yuu’s sense of Justice is skewed. Yuu is a hero of justice for the downtrodden and powerless. Yet Yuu’s sense of right and wrong is all messed up. They Are willing to jump to violence very easily, if not that then straight up murder. Yuu’s “justice” can be manipulated as well. Ace does this a lot, pretending to be powerless sometimes to get Yuu on his side.

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. Ace, as said previously. tends to manipulate Yuu in order to help himself. Ace does care about Yuu, yet recognizes that Yuu is very capable, and can stick up for both of them. Most of the first chapter is Ace realizing how easy it is to manipulate Yuu, and does take advantage of this. Ace will pull back when something he thinks Yuu can't handle whatever Ace got into. So it’s a “I’m the only one allowed to take advantage of Yuu.” situation. Deuce on the other hand pulls Yuu out of trouble. You see, Yuu makes plenty of trouble for themself even without Ace’s help. So the role of responsible one is taken up by Deuce, something totally new to Deuce. Yet this new experience shows him just how much his mother went through raising him, so Deuce is ok with this. It lets him relate a bit more with his mom.

Favorite students: Yuu likes Kalim, his parties are cool and he is super fun to be around. He’s also one of the few students who listen to Yuu talk about fixers without complaining. Making him one of the few students to know how COOL fixers actually are. The only other student who listens to Yuu talk about fixers is Idia! Yuu talks exclusively about Fixers, so Yuu’s world sounds like a shonen anime to Idia. also seeing Yuu fight, Idia is convince Yuu is form a shonen anime.

least favorite student: Riddle WAS the student Yuu hated the most in the beginning for using his power to lord over people, it’s changed after you know Riddle’s character development. Yet I’m sorry to say this, while the two are good friends. And Yuu knows their internal distaste is wrong. Malleus, you can't use your power when something doesn't go your way. Using your power to force what you want on other people is wrong. Malleus has no clue but if he were to use his power, once again (see chapter 7) to force his ideas on another less powerful person. Yuu would be the first to stand up to him.

Ryōshū sinner #4

“What is it now?” “*sigh* stop bothering me OIWKY.” “You're all pathetic to look at.” “geez you do you really need me to do everything for you?”

Yuu is an ungovernable person. You can't tell Yuu to not beat that guy up. It’s like asking a fish to start breathing air. It can't happen. The only reason why Yuu isn't sitting on a mountain of corpses is because they dont kill kids. It doesn't stop them from threatening it, when bothered too much. Crowley walks on a tightrope every time the two talk, and Crowley walks it like he’s in the circus. Ace and Deuce are the only two people who KNOW that Yuu isn't joking. After all they were there when Yuu killed the blot monster. 

Yuu’s weapon of choice is an ōdachi. It’s a long sword that was used by strong samurai. It can be a work of art in the hands of the right swordsman. Yuu is one such person who wields the ōdachi with such grace. It’s almost mesmerizing to watch. So Yuu’s weapon fits Yuu perfectly since it falls in line with what they think is art.

Yuu speaks in abbreviations. Something several other students do, except for Yuu it isn't something as silly as social media that started this… if you were to ask Yuu about it they would in all honesty tell you to screw off. they just do, and only a few students understand what they are saying. So better go ask them to translate for you then get your head cut off

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. Terrified children trying to keep Yuu from killing someone. Ace and deuce have to hold Yuu back. Ace wonders how Yuu become so murderous like how does someone see death as an artform in the first place? Deuce sees his time as a delinquent in a different light now. Because at least he wasn't KILLING PEOPLE. Deuce can look fondly at his past memories. See that he had friends and a community around him. since you know it took an actual murderer to show him that while he was flawed at least he was human, and not killing people.

Favorite student: Yuu thinks it nice to have Cater around, since Cater translates Yuu’s abbreviations for them. “Yuu please don't kill us sorry for bothering you!” Yuu loves messing with Cater. Sometimes killing his clones since there the closest thing Yuu can kill to human, Yuu makes sure to ask if a clone is a clone. Reminder Yuu doesn't want to kill the real Cater, but killing his clones is just fine. Cater is everything Yuu need in this soft mushy world to keep their skills sharp. Cater has taken up the practice of sword fighting as well, to try and define himself from Yuu. Yuu sees cater as the only positive in this school, and cater sees Yuu as a horror movie monster.

least favorite students: Yuu hates a lot of students. Rook is creepy and Vil is too self centerd for Yuu’s liking. Leona requires Yuu to threaten his life before doing anything for Yuu, since Leona is an adult he is on thin ice just like Crowley! Idia why don't you come out of your room? Is it because of the scary sword person? Well all they want is to get to know you, yet you turn them down every time they ask. Lillia is no fun, always serious and keeping an eye on Yuu. the look on his face when Yuu told him about how they’ve already died was priceless though.

Meursault sinner #5

“It's not mine.” “Do you have business with me?” “I have no orders to help you.” “I don't understand why you're so mad at me.”

Yuu is emotionally distant. Yuu doesn't express feelings well. They rarely ever talk about themself or talk to others. Yuu doesn't understand other people's feelings either. It makes Yuu a bit socially isolated since they don't talk unless spoken to. Ace and Deuce have to introduce Yuu everytime the two have started to make a game out of it. Whoever can give the better introduction will talk for yuu. Right Yuu doesn't talk unless they are told to talk. 

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a pair of gauntlets. Gauntlets show strength and confidence in one’s own ability to fight in hand to hand combat. Yuu themself is well built and is extremely strong. It also shows how Yuu is willing to take things into their own hands when ordered to. Being in the frontlines shows how Yuu is someone who is willing to protect people. 

Yuu doesn't do anything there not ordered to. Since Crowley had employed Yuu in the prologue. Crowley actually never stopped paying Yuu, since it means that Yuu is willing to do almost anything Crowley asks them. So for every book Yuu was very willing to do all the things Crowley asked him to. Meaning that book 4 almost never happened. If it wasn't for Jamil’s magic Yuu would have never even cooked with the students of scarabia dorm. This also means that Yuu doesn't engage with conversion unless told to by Crowly, and has to be dragged into conversation by Ace and Deuce. 

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. These two are single handedly carrying Yuu’s friendships and social image. The two even made a magicam account for Yuu in an attempt to bolster Yuu’s social reputation. Yuu have a small detected following form this. Ace is the one who comes up with most of the ideas in this duo. Though the magicam account was Cater’s idea. Everything else is made up by Ace. Deuce on the other hand is the support of these operations. Deuce makes Ace’s ideas happen. The two have been frustrated by Yuu’s apathy towards everything that isn't there orders. Sometimes it feels like teaching a brick wall how to feel. Other the two can look back and see how far Yuu has come.

Favorite students: after crowley order Yuu to tell him who his favorite student was Yuu told Crowley that it was Jamil. Him and Jamil have similar jobs in concept so Yuu thinks that he respect Jamil, Yuu just doesn't understand were his contempt towards Kailm comes from. Since Kailm is Jamil’s employer. Sebek had Yuu’s respect as well. Since Sebek works hard and does anything he’s asked to by Malleus and Lilia 

least favorite students: has to be Sliver and Ruggie. Sliver to Yuu is just not respected. He knows his sleeping habits aren't because sliver wants to, yet still Yuu can't overlook them. Yuu had found sliver sleeping in a hallway before. Yuu doesn't even try to wake him up since Yuu wasn't ordered to. Ruggie just isn't Yuu’s kind of person, Ruggle does what he’s told yet doesn't do it to his best ability. So Yuu doesn't respect Ruggie either. 

Hong Lu sinner #6

“Oh! Is this some sort of fashion statement?” “Help you, sure!” “hm that glass reminds me of one I used to use… what did i say something odd?”

Rich boy sindrom. Yuu doesn't understand half the things around them. Yuu can get dressed in the morning, unlike another rich boy we know. And he can do a lot of basic tasks other rich people struggle with. Yuu isn't helpless, it’s just Yuu doesn’t understand what it’s like to be poor. Sometimes Yuu makes insensitive remarks. Asking if holes in clothing is a fashion statement when someone doesn't have enough money to buy a new uniform. So Yuu has gained some ire from the less fortunate students.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a long guandao. The guandao is a polearm used in some chinese martial arts. This shows that Yuu has been trained in using this form of martial arts. It shows that Yuu has more finesse than the normal comabant. Yuu is a mid rage fighter, a guandao's shaft can be 3 to 5 feet in length. Showing that Yuu is normally a protected fighter.

Yuu is very adept at reading people. Yes I know how weird it sounds, but Yuu’s family look to stab each other in the back at any turn possible inorder to keep their wealth. Yuu merely learned how to keep themself safe from such family members. So Yuu knew Jamil had no good will towards Kalim the moment book four started. 

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. These two are a lot like how they are in the game, just two friends to admittedly a more air headed and oblivious Yuu. Yet Ace and Deuce are just Yuu good friends. The two sometimes have to talk down students who are about to hit Yuu for their insensitive remarks. Yet their friendship is mostly the same as before.

Favorite student: Kailm by a long shot. The two can relate to each other better. They can share their struggles. It’s unfortunate for Yuu that Kailm doesn't share Yuu’s struggles for power amidst their family, yet the two get along so well. And share so many more struggles. 

least favorite student: hm Yuu doesn't hate anyone too much, but Jamil and him just can't get along. Jamil’s backstabbing nature just doesn't sit well with Yuu, so while Yuu and Kalim are together Jamil receives several side eyes. Nothing outright, but Jamill knows about Yuu distrust towards him.

Heathcliff sinner #7

“The hell you want?” “you say shit like that again to me I’m going to crack your skull open.” “I’m fine just leave me alone!” “I will see you again.”

Yuu has anger issues. Like if you say even the slightest of snarky lines be prepared to brawl since Yuu will NOT take any of that. Most of their students hold their tongues when around Yuu. especially the overblot victims. Since those guys got to experience Yuu’s wrath themselves. Yet when someone slips uo Yuu is ready and waiting to get in a brawl. Yuu nearly killed another student.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a bat. A bat with the word revenge written in big white letters. The bat is normally used for baseball. A pass time that families use to get closer and build bonds. Something Yuu never got to do. If there was any indicator. So Yuu twisted this tool for sports into a weapon. Using it to enact their revenge. Using the blunt weapon to splatter brains across the floor.

Yuu isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. They struggle with even going to classes, often skipping. The other students try to help. Yet it just doesn't work. Yuu has resigned themself to being a dumbass. Not like they have anything else other than their anger. Their hatred burns bright and that's all that they need. They don't need to be smart if they can just smash all their problems. 

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. children trying to keep Yuu from killing another student. Except it's a bit different. Unlike sinner 4 this Yuu is a lot easier to stop. Since Yuu is more like a wild beast instead of a practiced killer. Ace has a hard time stopping Yuu. he was the first person to insult Yuu, and the first person to receive Yuu’s death glare. Deuce on the other hand, could stop Yuu single handedly. Deuce hates to admit it but he sees a bit of his past self in Yuu. Yuu talked to Deuce. Admitting that they know that they are not a good person. Knowing that their wrath has, and will continue to hurt people. Deuce tried to rebuke this. Saying that if Yuu just tried-. Yuu stopped him there. There was no use in trying, not after they lost the one person who saw good in them.

Favorite students: shocker here Vil. Yah Yuu will call Vil a pompous douche. Yet at the end of the day Vil has decided to at least try to help Yuu in Vil’s own way. Trying to take care and keep Yuu’s skin clean. It’s not lost on Yuu. Yuu hasn't had someone put this much time into them since- Yuu stopped that train of thought. Vil does complain about Yuu’s scars. Something that does get on Yuu’s nerves. You try living in the city for a day, scars are the least of Yuu’s worries. Also talking to Epel helps Yuu. Epel looks up to Yuu because Yuu just so freakin strong! Yuu has thought about telling Epel that it wasn't just training that makes him strong… It was body augmentation as well. Also Epel is shocked how complacent Yuu is with Vil’s torchouse routine.

least favorite students: leona and Yuu in a room is a recipe for disaster. Each one keeps fighting for the “top dog” spot. (yes I get the ironicism of that statement.) yet these two just CAN'T get along. Yuu hates that “above everyone else” attitude Leona has. Leona just hates Yuu for everything. So you lost something so what Leona has lost more. don't tell leona about Yuu’s ring. He’ll realize near immediately that Yuu did lose something way more important than anything leona’s lost. Ruggie isn't safe either. Ruggie is more rat than hyena to Yuu. That damm rat keeps taking Leona’s side in everything! Yuu has nearly beat Ruggie over this. 

Ishmal sinner #8

“How could two people be so dumb.” “hey hey hey! Don't go getting into trouble now!” “It's like herding fish in the sea.” “Let's not talk about my past please.”

Yuu is a very sensible person. Taking and following rules. Yet knows when rules need to be broken. Since this world has so many more rules then there old one. It is a wonder how they reel both Ace and deuce in. Riddle has half a mind to tell the two to act more like Yuu. Yet Riddle has seen some of the stuff that makes him question things about Yuu themself.

Yuu’s weapon is a mace and shield. The shield, a weapon for the defensive and closed off. A shield is more protection than a weapon, especially Yuu's. It's completely round so there's no sharp edges to stab people with. (yes this was how shields were intended to be used as both weapon and protection.) It's an extra layer of protection that yuu gets while in the front lines. Yuu does sometimes bash people with their shield though. Yuu’s second weapon is a Kalich mace. The Kalich mace is a very blunt weapon since there are no points to this mace. It shows how brutal Yuu can be, caving in a skull is very easy with a weapon like this. The mace is a close range weapon. Showing how Yuu’s shield mace combo is very effective in close combat.

Yuu is very secretive about their past. Withholding any and all details they can. There are only a handful of things the students have gathered. Yuu was out at sea for most of their life. Yuu clearly has some sort of trauma from back then since they never talk about their time out at sea freely. The last, and exclusive to Octavinelle Dorm. Yuu was a part of a crew, so not the captain. Searching for something called the white whale. Octavinelle has kept this information close to their chest. Since they know it's something only they have.

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. Ah yes Yuu pulls Ace and Deuce out of all of their bs once more. Not much more to say other like hong lu their relationship is very similar to how it is in game. With the exception of sometimes other students think Yuu and Ace are siblings with them both being red heads.

Favorite students: Riddle after book 1 is Yuu’s favorite. The two get along just fine. Yuu is the more relaxed on rules since they are willing to break them if it’s for the greater good, opposed to Riddle’s stricter compliance to them. Yet they two can settle their differences and have tea together. Though Riddle dose wince when Yuu scolds someone. There's a lot of pent up anger that Yuu holds, and Riddle can see it since he was Like yuu once.

least favorite students: the Octavinelle three. Those three fish folk keep prying into Yuu’s past and life. Those there even used magic agenst Yuu in order to pry more information from their lips. You can't blame them! Yuu is like the closest Humans normally get to the sea. Just what is it like to be looking down seeing the merfolk? They only get informatoms that hurts their relationship with Yuu though. 

Rodion sinner #9

“Hm sure I’ll do it, as long as I get paid.” “Grim dear, you can't be serious, that was on the ground.” “hm need something there?” “I got paid, let's have a feast!”

Yuu will do a lot if paid. Like the only way Crowley was able to get them to do anything is to pay Yuu. even in book 3 when Crowley threatened Yuu with cutting their food budget Yuu just laughed. Since Yuu used to live in extreme poverty, neighbors would drop dead because of hunger everyday. Crowly could cut their budget all he’d like. Yuu knows exactly how to survive with little to no food. If money isn't involved Yuu can be described as lazy not putting effort into anything 

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a battle axe. A versatile weapon that can be used with one or two hands. You can throw axes, you can swing axes. Yuu weapons can even be used as a tool. Such a versatile weapon when in the right, and special hands can turn tides for battle. Unfortunately Yuu isn't special.

Yuu is a laid back person. Their laid back personality makes them very easy to get along with. Yuu tends to talk about food as well. When they do get paid by Crowley they tend to splurge on good food, inviting people over when they do. There's a secret to why Yuu is so laid back. Yuu doesn't care about others' opinions. In Yuu’s own words “I just think. I’m the absolute best and whatever other people think is shit!”

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. These two are best friends with Yuu! Though both get teased to absolute hell and back by Yuu. with Yuu calling them dear or darling (platonically) the two sometimes get embarrassed by this little habit. Like in completely normal conversation Yuu will just drop: “Ace dear that can't be healthy.” or “Deuce dear I don't think that will work.”. Yet the three are inseparable. Ace and Deuce actually don't want Yuu to go home. Wherever Yuu talks about there “home” it’s always full of misery and suffering.

Favorite students: other than Ace and Deuce. Ruggie is often seen around Yuu. Ruggie and Yuu know the pain of poverty. There are three people you’ll find at Yuu’s food parties and they are Ace, Deuce, and Ruggie. Ruggie is also on the bandwagon of Keep Yuu in twisted wonderland. Ruggie if he has extra leftovers, and is not going home anytime soon he will give them to Yuu. The two talk about their pasts, Ruggie was flabbergasted when Yuu told him that they killed the tax collector who was sapping their community of their money. Then they told him about how that wasn't the end and the story didn't have a good ending. Ruggie said he didn't want to hear more, so that Yuu can have a happy ending at least in his eyes. 

least favorite students: rich boys. Yes, any of the rich boys. Look Yuu doesn't have anything against rich people… ok they dont love rich people. But you know Yuu has worked with a rich boy. But these guys. They take everything for granted. Leona is the worst offender. All he does is complain. Who cares if you're second. Yuu was never in the running. Yuu never had a chance Yuu had to take their fate in their own hands and look where it got them! 

extra: Yuu’s gambling habit. Yuu has a habit of gambling the money they earn as well. Wherever is left after their dinner parties. So Yuu’s savings don’t last long. 

Sinclair sinner #10

“Uh don't say that please.” “why don't we all just calm down.” “Please stop fighting, it will get us nowhere!” “uh you stupid fuckin basterd, I should have let you die a long time ago!”

Yuu is incredibly shy and timid. Yuu can be extremely adverse to confrontation as well. They have a hard time standing up for themself as well. Many students take advantage of their timid nature. You can sometimes see Yuu getting drinks for a student who intimidated them. Crowley has Yuu worked to the bone as well. They just can't catch a break.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a halberd. A polearm so we have another mid rager. It's evidence of their timid nature. So it’s natural that Yuu is not in the front line. But don't let that fool you. Yuu has a lot of strength. So much so they have actually thrown bigger people with their weapon before. They’ve been underestimated one too many times.

Yuu when at their breaking point will spout the most foul words possible. The first time it happened shocked so many people, and We're not just talking about calling someone a swear word once. Yuu makes a whole string of them work perfectly together. You have to blink before realizing what you've been called. Yuu will also say it with the most pissed face if you get them to their breaking point.

Ace and Deuce’s relationship. These two have to stand up for Yuu. yet when the two ask why Yuu doesn't stand up for themself they just brush it off. “I just don't like the looks they give me.” or “it’s hard to say no.” yet after seeing Yuu after their breaking point. The two understand as to why. Yuu admits they cave to peer pressure too easily. So the two take it on themself to help Yuu. Deuce actually dips into his delinquent past to help Yuu. teaching Yuu how to look tougher and how to ignore others commnet. Ace helps with getting Yuu some thicker skin. You can't let words get to you. So Ace will be there to give backhanded comments. What do you mean it isn't helpful? Yah after a while Yuu kinda blew up at Ace. so Ace realized that Yuu didn't like his help very much. The two do truly care for Yuu though.

Favorite students: Idia and Yuu are too similar in some aspects. Both come from rich families that get money from technology. and lost family members…. Ok so Yuu lost their entire family but pont still stands Yuu and idia understand the pain of losing family. Both have guilt way down on them thinking that they were the reason that their families were dead. Idia sometimes think Yuu is a little too relatable sometimes. 

least favorite students: Sebek. Yuu generally doesn't get how someone can be so loud, dedicated to someone, And how annoying… Yuu could list off many reasons. Yuu has one of the shortest fuses with this guy around. He demands respect while not earning any. Ugh! Yuu has blown up at him more than once, and each time leaves Sebek stunned on how creative Yuu uses those swear words. The two just don't get along, leaving the two alone will start a fight between them for one reason or another.

Outis sinner #11

“Don't start slacking now!” “I have no respect for any of you, I only respect the executive manager.” “you all really can't do anything without me.” “scoring high on the test wasn't my goal, though it looks like I did well.”

Yuu has no respect for anyone, but who they call “executive manager Dante.”. Yuu almost acts as a drill sergeant when around other people yelling out their mistakes. When people do challenge Yuu. Yuu somehow miraculously is able to do the thing. Yet since this world has a lot of things Yuu can't do Yuu doesn't know how to do Yuu tends to miss some things themself. you can expect if you're doing something wrong, that can be feasibly done by a normal person Yuu will be watching over your shoulder. 

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a kopis. It's a less common weapon. It can be described as a curved blade. While being perfect for hacking and dismemberment Yuu uses the weapon to pearce. Yuu has the know-how, and skill to use it this way. Yuu’s movements are precise and have no openings. You could consider Yuu a true warrior watching them fight, but Yuu would only claim. “This is normal to live, you must know how to fight properly.

Yuu is a wealth of battle tactics. Ofton taking charge of combat and telling other students how to act. There was one barking out orders at the students. Several students hate this. All to make it worse they're fighting in the front. So they are in the most danger. Yuu has even died once because of others incompetence, how they came back is still a mystery to others.

Ace and Deuce’s relationship: Ace and Deuce get yelled at by Yuu way too often. Yuu clearly has high standards. Yet Ace and Deuce were the first two people to see the cracks in Yuus persona. Deuce once made the mistake of asking about Yuu’s world. Deuce then informed Ace about it. The two  understood why Yuu’s always so serious. You see when Yuu died Ace and Deuce were in so much grief. Yuu should have had time to relax in this world, not die! Their world was so hard on them so why did they have to die here? The two hugged Yuu when they came back. 

Favorite students: Lilia, by a long shot Lilia. The former general is the only one who understands what Yuu acts the way they do. It took him taking care of silver to soften up, this “manger Dante” could be the key to making Yuu more friendly. So Lilia is patient with Yuu. even when he’s being yelled at for some slight error he nods and goes along with the scolding. After words he asks if you can show him how they do it. It's all about making Yuu feel comfortable. Yuu dying shook him. He was the first person to get to them. Yuu was never meant to die here. Yuu was meant to become a normal person, that's what Lilia was trying to accomplish. He saw too much of his past self in them. After they came back Lilia started to walk on eggshells around them, Yuu had to be on edge. Lilia’s past self would be. Yet when nothing seemingly changed it made Lilia think about why that would happen. Soon he learns about Yuu world, Lilia wants to keep helping Yuu.

least favorite students: Idia, oh boy Idia has been yelled at too many times to count. Yuu Yells at him in his nightmares. Normally he doesn't care much about nobodies, but Yuu is scary. They have skill, talent and came back from the dead! No one's meant to come back from the dead! So Idia cowers in his room locking doors the moment he gets any sign that Yuu is coming to his room.

Gregor sinner #12

“I know you're looking at my arm, just ask already.” “Rude, just because I'm different doesn't mean you can spout that shit off.” “Come on, why so serious all the time? Take it easy once in a while.”

Yuu is a unserious joker. they tend to brush things off that others would hold grudges for. Often cracking jokes here and there. they don't want others to have to worry so much about everything. After what happened to them these kids have a better future for themselves. So they're here to be a friend to talk to with troubles.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is their bug arm. Yuu’s weapon is a part of them. It wasn't even Yuu’s choice to have it. It was forced on them! Even so they have it don't they? Might as well use it. Whenever asked about it Yuu just says “one day my arm had changed”. Yuu is very proficient with it. Yet since it’s a part of their body Yuu has to fight in the front line, nothing new about any of it anyways.

Yuu gets a lot of hate for their arm. Look Yuu could only conceal it for so long. It would spread like wildfire since Yuu has a “creepy bug arm”. Yuu hates when anyone calls them a nickname relating to their arm. Well it's nothing new to them anyways. They will get hate wherever they go. So they won't let anyone get to them.

Ace and Deuce’s relationship: These two try to keep everything light with Yuu. they know something is wrong with Yuu, and that Yuu doesn't touch on any of it. Yet there's a clear wrongness whenever Yuu is talking to one of them. Yuu stumbles with their words when caught off guard. Yuu is a horrible liar, while not uncommon Yuu tends to cover up anything about before they came to twisted wonderland. So Ace and Deuce are playing detective trying to uncover Yuu’s past

Favorite students: Trey and Yuu get along just fine. The two have their odd moments yet are clearly friends. Trey is the only one who knows about Yuu’s past. Trey will go to his grave with the knowledge of Yuu’s past. How could a mother experiment on their own son! Even worse, the reason why Yuu was experimented on was because of a war they was forced to participate in. one they was basically the poster child for! Something they didn't want either. Being forced into that position. Trey is a bit more sensitive around Yuu from learning about all that. Ace and Deuce asked on a number of occasions about if he knew Yuu’s past, the answer is always a simple no.

least favorite students: Rook. Having a bug arm fascinates Rook. it looks dangerous, how dose Yuu live normally? Yuu is in fact human Rook checked with the dark mirror. Si how did Yuu even get a bug arm? Yuu feels Rook’s eyes on him all the time. Rook freaks Yuu out!

Vergilius/The red gaze.

“You want to run that by me again?” “That sounds like the last of my patience burning out. One more misstep and I’ll have that person begging for death.” “rule one no bickering. Rule two If I hear fighting I will get involved, and trust me you don't Want me involved.” “What are you bothering me for now?”

Yuu is scary. Yuu is extremely menacing. The way Yuu hold them self, the way they look is scary, even how extremely calm they are in every situation. Even the beast men cower when under Yuu’s gaze for too long. Everything about Yuu horrifies the students. The fay even avoid Yuu. Nothing about Yuu seems right. Almost no one will approach Yuu. It took two students to nearly be expelled for anyone to even talk to them.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is a gladius. A short sword used by the romans. Yuu clearly has confidence in their close combat if they use something so short. Then when they had to fight the blot monster Ace and Deuce had realized it’s not just some short sword. Yuu’s gladius is heated. It will cut through nearly everything and cut through that blot monster like it was nothing. 

Yuu will not tolerate any rule breaking. Just the threat of Yuu being in the room makes even the worst delinquent a good student. Yuu tends to mostly use cleaning as a punishment, but when a bigger rule is about to be broken Yuu leans over the student and asks “are you sure you want to do this?” something so simple yet so ominous. Yuu is ok with lying, Yuu is ok with swearing, Yuus ok with you eating anywhere. Just don't break Yuu’s two personal rules. 

Rule 1 do not let me see or hear you fighting.

Rule 2 do not litter the floor with cigarettes.

No one has broken these and no one whats to know what happens when you do.

Ace and Deuce’s relationship: these two can be seen walking and talking around Yuu. Yuu doesn't talk to them much but ace and deuce talk to Yuu plenty. Yuu doesn't tell them to leave so the consensus is the three are friends. Ace and Deuce were asked by Yuu why people have been avoiding them. Yuu genuinely didn't know. I mean Yuu is very aware they are scary, and look unnatural. Yet that has never been a problem before. Deuce caved and told Yuu that they are just a bit too scary. Yuu reflected on this for a few moments then asked if Ace and Deuce found them scary. Ace said they don't, like a liar. Yuu then asked if the two could talk to them more. So after that day the two could be seen around Yuu. Yuu isn't the kind to hate everyone, Yuu is a human like any other, so Yuu appreciates good company.

Favorite students: Riddle, Yuu likes riddle the most for following all the rules Yuu has. Riddle never even yells at Yuu even before the first book. While Yuu has absolutely no respect for the queen of hearts rules, like everyone else Riddle was afraid of Yuu. so when two first years from his dorm started to talk to Yuu. Riddle nearly had a heart attack, who would willingly talk to someone so horrifying.

least favorite students: there are very few repeat offenders of rule breaking, yet few doesn't mean none. Floyd is very aware of how terrifying Yuu is. So much so Floyed nickname for Yuu is abyss monster, because that's what it’s like to stare at Yuu’s glowing red eyes. Floyd has yet to break any big rules while around Yuu. he’s been given quite a bit of cleanup duty. Yet on one unfortunate day, Floyd just so happened to have littered while Yuu was pissed. Yuu remembers Floyed for being a repeat offender. That day Yuu touched floyds shoulder, and leaned down to whisper in his ear “are you sure you don't want to pick that up. I’m not having a good day.” Floyd b-lined it for the trash. Floyd never threw it out. Instead of throwing it out, it ended up in his hand for the rest of the day. So now there's a crushed paper cup on the desk in his room.

Yuu’s job: Yuu is not a teen so Yuu works as a member of the staff. What's his job? Good question. He’s really just a security guard who roams around the campus. Yet Crowley main reason for hiring Yuu was to scare students into following rules, it just gets too hard sometimes dealing with them. So Yuu’s terrifying presence is well appreciated.

Charon 

“Vroom Vroom.” “Mephi is working very well.” “permission to vroom vroom?” “Charon knows Mephi’s back, front, and north east.

Yuu is very childish, often talking as if objects are alive. Using nicknames when referring to people. Ignoring people when mad at them. Humming songs randomly. Yuu can only be described as childish when acting like this. Some students forget they are a member of staff. It also doesn't help that yuu is short. Some students have mistaken Yuu for a student wandering around campus.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is an oar, an odd choice at first glance. Since an ore is used for bots aren't they? Yet Yuu has proven it’s a very effective weapon, you’d be shocked by how quick Yuu is with their oar. Yet there is an issue with using an oar as a weapon. That is an oar was never meant to be used as a weapon, it has no sharp edges nor any proper way to weld it. Yet Yuu show how manages to kick ass anyways. Well you don't work with the red gaze without picking up on a few tricks.

Yuu has both the beast and worst sense of direction. You see Yuu can get to any place, and will get to it. It’s just Yuu has no sense of direction making turners when they aren't meant to or go past turns that others would normally go through. Yuu only knows the back, front, and north east of their bus. Hell Yuu doesn't even use a map. Yet in the end, against all odds. Yuu get everywhere exactly on time. So I guess that's the reason why Yuu hasn’t been fired.

Ace and Deuce’s relationship: these two stick around Yuu like big brothers. Giving nasty glares to people who dare insult Yuu, or helping yuu when there's an obstacle they can't overcome. Like high shelfs. Ace and Deuce are always willing to lend a hand. The two were sent to get the mage stone Yuu was there to help them. Beating the blot monster was easter because Yuu had fight with them. Ace cant see Yuu as anything but a little sister. Ace has never had a sister. So being able to help and protect Yuu feels good. Sometimes Ace forgets Yuu is older than him. Yet at the end of the day the two are still friends. Deuce on the other hand looks up to Yuu. Yuu is so calm all the time, never getting mad. So Deuce often asks Yuu for advice. like how to pay attention better, or how to stay calm in stressful situations. Yuu’s advice isn't always the best, yet at the end of the day Deuce always takes it to heart.

Favorite students: Yuu likes Malleus, Malleus reminds Yuu of Vergilius. The two seem intimidating to other people and other people don't approach them often. Yet Yuu has always judged people on how they act, not how they look nor on how strong they are. Malleus was just happy when someone finally talked to him of their own volition. The fay was shocked to learn his friend wasn't a student but a member of staff. Even the staff somewhat avoided him. They wouldn't spare more than needed when talking to him. So at least Malleus had a friend on Yuu.

least favorite students: Yuu doesn't trust these two twins. The leech Twins are off putting to Yuu. Jade is creepy, always smiling and being too nice. Yuu can tell Jade is not being honest with Yuu. he often stares too much. Witch off puts Yuu even more. So Yuu tends to ignore or outwrite avoid him. Floyd on the other hand. He’s as much trouble as some of the sinners. So Yuu keeps an eye on him. Often reporting everything and all things to whomever they can. Yuu sometimes wishes that Vergilius was still with them, Floyed tries to get all sorts of rectons out of Yuu. only for you to try and ignore him. Yuu hit Floyd with their oar once. It stopped him for the rest of the day, but he just got more annoying after that.

Yuu’s job: Yuu is a lot older than they look so they aren't even a student. Yuu is unsurprisingly, a bus driver. Yah the mirror can get them anywhere, but where's the fun in that? So for the least Yuu brings students all around the island. Scarring a few in the process with their horrible driving. 

Dante

“...” “*clock sounds*”

Yuu cant talk normally they have no mouth, actually scratch that Yuu doesn’t even have a normal face. If you count a clock as a face in the first place that is. Yet Yuu is unforgivingly human, often getting mad when accused of not being human.. Grimm seems to understand Yuu just fine. As well as all of the main cast as well.

Yuu’s weapon of choice is to have others fight for them. I will tell you all that Limbus is very diegetic, so I’ll let that bleed in here as well. Yuu has made contracts with all of the main cast of twisted wonderland. All have the ability to come back from the dead with Yuu’s help. As long as Yuu is alive, so is all of the main cast. Not only that but Yuu has the ability to, with the help of the dark mirror. dip into parts of the main cast's life and pull out their true potential and power.

Yuu is a bit cowardly. Even submissive at times letting many people do as they please since Yuu is very easily intimidated. Yet Yuu isn't like Sincler in that they'll let people walk all over them. Yuu has proven time and time again that their cowardice has a limit and if other people are in any danger they have to do something to help. Yu claims that not helping people in dangerous situations would keep them up at night.

Ace and Deuce’s relationship: man… Yuu is basically exactly the same as they are in the game. Other then Ace and Deuce having to talk for Yuu occasionally nothing changed, at all.

Favorite students: the most shocking answer is! Ortho! Yes, that Ortho. The robot is the only one who even tries to help Yuu with their memory problems. The robot is also extremely interested in the world Yuu comes from since if people have made prosthetics for their head could there be full body prosthetics? When Yuu reveals that AI isn't actually allowed in their world because the rulers put a ban on making AI, Ortho was shocked. Yuu then explained that they don't have the same news but aren't smart enough or bold enough to even try making an AI

least favorite students: everyone except Ortho. Don't get Yuu wrong there friends, but god the sinners are easier to work with. There's always the “what does it have to do with me” or “what do I get out of it.” crap. The sinners worked for Yuu so at least they allowed orders yet the NRC students always want something out of the deal. They also constantly complain about having to fight for Yuu. IT WAS YOUR DEAL! You could have just gone “no” and had been done with it. But nooooo! You want to come back from the dead without the strings attached. You know how much PAIN it causes Yuu to bring you back! “It can't be that bad.” IT CAN AND IT IS!

[raymantogether]

Rayman Together Community Spotlight #2 - Rabbid Edge!

Foreword:

If you haven't already played Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle or Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, the game was published by Ubisoft exclusively for Nintendo Switch and is an action-adventure turn-based strategy game developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris. Prior to the Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle reveal at E3 2017, the game surfaced online and was met with criticism and skepticism from the wider gaming community. The artwork leaked online depicted Mario and friends alongside their Rabbid counterparts with large blasters. The prospect of Mario with the Rabbids was a nightmare for a lot of people. Following the success of Rayman Raving Rabbids, the Rabbids had slowly declined in popularity. The Rabbids were annoying and boring and had lost their humor. Nintendo, who have strongly held their licenses for Mario, has rarely ever collaborated with other videogame companies. Furthermore, Nintendo has always encouraged a family-friendly and positive environment. The prospect of Mario with weapons was alien to a lot of people. Ubisoft finally revealed Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle at E3 2017; the game went on to become a huge success. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was released on August 29th, 2017 and went on to sell over 10 million copies in over six years. A sequel, Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope, was revealed at E3 2021 and released on October 20th, 2022. Despite the game initially not exceeding Ubisoft sales expectations, the game went on to sell over three million as of January 2024. This was another remarkable success for the teams at Ubisoft Milan and Paris. Both games were well received and were critically acclaimed. 

If you haven't already, I implore you to pick up both games. The Mario + Rabbids series is personally one of the most refreshing titles from Ubisoft in a generation. The game oozes personality and charm thanks to its charismatic and energetic character design and animations. The soundtracks for both games are composed by the amazing Grant Kirkhope, who is responsible for some of the most creative music in the industry. Needn't I say more? The world design is intricate, creative, and a real pleasure to explore. I thoroughly enjoyed the heartfelt, exciting, and fun story, which gripped me from beginning to end in both stories. The development teams did a remarkable job of capturing both the look and personality from the worlds of both the Rabbids and Mario and bringing it to life. The game is gorgeous thanks to the Snowdrop Engine, which has been executed brilliantly on the Nintendo Switch. Ubisoft has somehow managed to compliment Mario with the Rabbids extraordinarily well. This is something I never imagined possible. Both games are very similar to those of the XCOM and Fire Emblem series. I love strategy games, and I have sunk hours into both titles. I found the gameplay rewarding, clever, and at times a real challenge for tacticians. There are plenty of creative options with gameplay thanks to various choices of weapons, skills, and characters. The gameplay possibilities are endless. My favorite game in the series is definitely Mario Rabbids Sparks of Hope, as it offers so much more opportunities for world-building and exploration. The game allows for more creative gameplay choices through movement and freedom of choice, including the addition of the Sparks. However, the most important reason Sparks of Hope is my favorite game in the series is because Ubisoft Milan brought back Rayman. 

At Ubisoft Forward in 2022 Ubisoft Milan Creative Director Davide Soliani revealed to the World their plan to bring back Rayman as part of the season pass for Mario Rabbids Sparks Of Hope. The third story expansion called Rayman In The Phantom Show released on August 30th 2023. The DLC stars Rayman alongside Rabbid Mario and Rabbid Peach as they are invited to the mysterious Space Opera Network by the fan favourite villain the Phantom. The Phantom who has renounced his villainy for fame needs help from Rayman and the Rabbids to help restore the poor ratings and viewings to his TV Space Station.  Rayman, Rabbid Peach And Rabbid Mario adventure across Western, Pirate and Medieval sets as part of the Phantoms ambitious plan for revenge. The team at Ubisoft did an extraordinary job of bring back Rayman to life. Rayman has never looked and felt so alive. You get a real sense that Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris love Rayman from this short but jam packed adventure. Rayman In The Phantom Show pays tribute to the Rayman series through acknowledgement of his almost 30 Year history. In every stage you can find card board references from various Rayman Games. The combat fatigues  from Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc make a spectacular return with Rayman offering plenty of gameplay variety on the battlefield. Both the vortex and rocket costumes look better then ever and are brilliant both in design and how you can use them. The weapons are crafted with plenty of attention to detail with references in design to Ly The Fairy, Teensies, Rayman Raving Rabbids and more. I particularly am fond of the plum turrets. If Nintendo ever work collaborate with Ubisoft again I would love to see Rayman in Super Smash Bros with the Plum Turrets. The soundtrack for the DLC Is composed by Grant Kirkhope and Christopher Heral. The genius Christopher Heral responsible for both soundtracks for Rayman Origins and Legends returns for Rayman In The Phantom Show. If you listen closely you can hear brilliant renditions from various games. David Gasman also reprises his role in Rayman In The Phantom Show. If you have played the earlier Rayman games you will be familiar of his work. I thoroughly enjoyed this DLC and it has left me with wanting so much more. I would love to see Ubisoft Milan work on Rayman again in the future. If you're new to the series or a Rayman fan and have liked everything you have read so far I strongly encourage you to pick up Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Sparks Of Hope including the season pass. 

Interview:

To celebrate both Rayman's 29th anniversary this weekend and the anniversary of Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope DLC Rayman In The Phantom Show, I am delighted to feature Anna as part of this special community spotlight.

You may know Anna as RabbidEdge from both the Rayman and the Mario Rabbids community. Anna is an extremely passionate, kind, and caring individual with a yearning to help create a positive environment in the community. Anna is renowned for her creative cosplays of Rabbid Edge, Rayman, and more. Anna enjoys creating artwork and has a passion for telling stories. I am delighted to feature and show you more about Anna in this brilliant and really insightful spotlight.

Anna has been extremely open and honest about some very serious and sensitive subjects in this spotlight about her personal health and wellbeing. I encourage you all to be polite and respectful. 

Please introduce yourself:

"Hi everyone, My name's Anna. I am 37 years old (but I've never lost my inner child) and living with my husband, our four kids, three cats, and nine chickens in a village in Austria. I am working as a pharmacist, enjoying helping people every day. Last year I started two new hobbies: cosplaying and drawing digitally. Since that, I am also sharing my creations on social media like Instagram, X, or Tumblr."

Tell us something funny or interesting about yourself?

"I have always been a very creative, extroverted, and energetic person. Even as a child, I loved to draw, invent stories or songs, and to tape-record them together with friends or to play little theater sketches for our families. Many times we dressed up as our favorite anime- or video game characters, singers, or just some elves or Vikings. I wouldn´t call it cosplay, and most costumes were just a mix of old fancy dresses and things we found in the wardrobe of our grandparents, but we always had a lot of fun, and my heart is warming with joy when I think about these times... However, things change, life happens, and so having babies, a house, and animals had kept me quite busy (but happy!) for almost 9 years. I had lost my former self somewhere between household, work, and trying the best to be a good mom. Then came Edge.."

How do you like to spend your free time?

"Free time—what's that? Haha! I don't know this, for I always have a lot on my plate! But I think, you mean the time when I am not at work or busy with mom-duties. I am spending most of these hours crafting and sewing new cosplays or improving old ones, shooting them in various sceneries, editing the photos and videos I took for my social media, doodling and drawing Rabbids-stuff, posting my finished work and stories on Instagram, X and co, replying to dms and comments or supporting other artists.

Furthermore, I am a very active person, feeling the need to exercise every day or to at least go for a walk or ride my bike. Music is also a very important part of my life! I enjoy listening to it while I am doing a workout or working on a drawing.

Music inspires me! When I look at my art or cosplay- pictures, I immediately remember the song that brought me into the mood for its creation, that I listened to during the process, or that I used in my Instagram stories for its posting. I am also singing in a choir, by the way.

There is much more I would love to do, like playing video games or reading. The only problem is that my days only have 24 hours. I used to say that I am living two lives with the time of just one."

What made you fall in love with the Mario Rabbid Series?

"To be honest, it was my oldest daughter! She has never been interested in TV shows for kids like Paw Patrol, etc. Instead, she likes to watch game streams on YouTube, and there she discovered Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. She enjoyed watching these streams so much that she wanted to play the game herself, so she got it as a gift on St. Nicholas Day in 2022. However, it was quite challenging for her, and so my husband started to play it with our kids and me watching him. I can remember that I always did my workout on a fitness mat on the floor while he was playing, and it was quite entertaining to watch him! I was surprised by the cute designs of the characters and levels and by its unique gameplay, which is totally different from other games I had played before—and really addictive! So we often ended up playing till late at night, saying “Just one more battle!” again and again. Even if I hadn't played the game myself at the beginning, I already loved it! Oh, and then came Edge...and made my love for this game and Mario+Rabbids in general go through the roof! I couldn´t think about anything else than Edge and Rabbids the whole day long! I started to play myself, always having Edge as the leader of my team, searched for fan art and fan fiction, and slowly stumbled into the fandom. Oh, and I still play Sparks of Hope when I find time for it! I consider this game a real masterpiece! Ubisoft poured so much love into every detail! I love everything about it, from the backstory to the funny voice-lines or to the amazing soundtrack! And I enjoy the “found-family" dynamics of the hero team so much, OMG!!! With this game, Ubisoft managed to make me fall in love with Rabbids, not only with Edge but with Rabbids in general."

What is your favorite Mario Rabbids game, and who is your favorite character?

"That's quite a simple question to answer. Of course, to be honest, I haven't played Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle yet. Shame on me! I already have the game at home, but all the time I thought about starting it, I ended up playing Sparks of Hope instead. Of course I wanted to see my beloved Edge.

Furthermore, Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will always have a special meaning for me, as it distracted me from health problems that were bothering me a lot at this time. At the beginning of December 2022, I had to wait for a medical appointment in order to check if I would suffer from cancer. I tried to not let the possibility of receiving a bad diagnosis overwhelm me—something easier said than done. So watching and playing Sparks of Hope with my family made me forget this sorrow for a moment. It cheered me up in a difficult time of my life. As I one evening found myself thinking about what I would want to do before death, if I would have just some months left to live, I realized that I wouldn't want to go on a big journey or party hard or so. Instead, I would want to spend the last moments with my family, doing what we already did every evening—sitting and playing together. This thought made me feel calm and peaceful, blessed and grateful. So Sparks of Hope became for me what its name promises: a spark of hope. With that, it will always be my favorite Mario+Rabbids game!

However, I am sure that Kingdom Battle is a great game as well! I have only heard good things about it, and I am familiar with its characters and plot. I finally need to get into it myself...

Oh, and my favorite character is- surprise, surprise—Edge! But to be honest, I like them all! No matter if it's Rabbid Peach, Bwario, Kanya, or Rayman. I couldn't pick a single character of the series that I totally couldn't stand."

What made you fall in love so much with Rabbid Edge, and what is your inspiration behind your artwork and comic series?

"I have to laugh at this question; of course I could fill a whole book with this answer! Haha! I will try to be brief. I can remember the first time I saw Edge. It was in December 2022 as I watched my husband play Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope—the well-known cutscene of her first appearance. God, just thinking about it makes me shiver in excitement! This epic scene instantly made me fall in love with her! It was as if Ubisoft had poured all the characteristics that make my heart flutter into this little rabbit! To explain this further: I am a sucker for mysterious characters, which hide a kind heart behind their badass attitude. I love mighty swords, spiky hair, sharp teeth, gothic clothes, the colors green and purple, and deep, striking voices. On top of all, give that character a dark backstory, and I am hooked! The combination of these attributes made me fall for Edge. I couldn't help it! Neither have I chosen to feel this way nor have I ever thought that it would be possible to develop true love for a fictional character! However, I thought the best thing would be to welcome these beautiful feelings and to make full use of this newfound energy. So I started to work on the art of Edge and different scenes of the game, including a comic about her tragic past and the battle against Cursa.

I also wanted to dress up as Edge for the carnival  but found out that there isn't any costume of her or Rabbids in general. This was when I decided to sew one myself. With that, my cosplay journey began. I thought that if no one has ever made a cosplay of Edge before, I had to be the one to bring her to life, even if I had no idea what I was doing. Looking at the first photos I took of her makes me smile. Some look really funny and weird, but I can remember how strong, confident, and sexy I felt in these moments. And hey, every journey has to start with a first step! Since then, I have learned a lot. I have improved my skills, bought more tools and materials, worked over my cosplay again and again, altered and exchanged parts, and developed this alter ego of Rabbid Edge for me and my social media. Still, I am quite a newbie, and there is always room for improvement!

I am so grateful that I got to know Edge; of course she made me find myself again and, at the same time, discover another me. She made me feel like more than just a mom again. She made me feel attractive and love my body again. She made me get creative and go wild and crazy. She made me play again; she made me dream again and go far beyond my imagination! And she made me get to know so many new amazing people! I owe her so much. I owe Ubisoft so much! I feel so grateful and full of love that I would want to hug everyone of my followers and of the great people that worked on Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope!

The main inspiration for my work comes from the game itself, for it provides a quite mature and exciting backstory and interesting characters but leaves room for further assumptions and interpretation. But of course official concept art, headcanons, and drawings of other fans inspire me a lot too! And sometimes a new idea comes to my mind while I am on a walk or listening to music."

If you could live in any world from the Mario Rabbids Series, where would you live?

"I would choose Melodic Gardens! I love its biome with the tropical forest, exotic flowers, and the flooded ruins. Everything looks so beautiful and mystical. Furthermore, I like the cute and peaceful Rabbids, that live here and the symphonies that fill the air of this planet. And I would love to meet Allegra! She is so cute and majestic."

Who would be at your dream Mario Rabbids Party?

"Wow, it's really hard to select three out of all the great characters, but I think I would take Edge, Rayman, and Rabbid Peach. Edge, course she's Edge, hey! Rayman, course he is my childhood hero, who—together with Super Mario—made me start to play video games, and Rabbid Peach, course she is sassy and crazy, and course I always need a healer in my party!"

What made you fall in love with the Rayman series?

"You have to know that I grew up loving Rayman! He was my childhood hero! For my ten-year-old me, Rayman was cool, Rayman was fun, and Rayman was Ubisoft.

As I was a little kid, my family had no computer or game console. My brother and I knew video games just from our cousins or neighbors. I can remember how we often bought gaming magazines and looked at them, wishing that we were able to play these games ourselves. And when there was something of Rayman in it, we went, Ah, look, Rayman, so cool!!! He somehow fascinated us. At the age of 9, we got a Game Boy for Christmas; at the age of 12, a Dreamcast. This was a dream come true for us! There was a demo disc coming with it that also had a demo of Rayman 2 on it. We immediately played and loved it! I don't know how many times we played this demo! It must have been a few hundred times or so! One day we received the full version of the game, and from this time on, Rayman accompanied us nearly every day. We played it again and again! I can remember that I even had a crush on Rayman! I loved his cool attitude, his crazy hair, and his voice. I drew him a lot, wrote songs about him, and even dressed up as him—just for fun. Later we also played the Rayman Game Boy Color Game and Rayman 3, as an adult also Rayman M, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Rayman Origins, and Rayman Legends. 

But Rayman also has a deeper meaning for my brother and me. Our childhood wasn't easy. We have experienced things that no kid, no one should ever witness. Rayman, and playing games in general, helped us to escape from reality, when there was only fear and violence waiting for us. I can remember that we had so much fun and laughed a lot despite the difficult circumstances we were raised under. Rayman and Ubisoft distracted us, were there for us, when there was no light in real life...Last year I thanked the people of Ubisoft Milan for this. I thanked them for having always been there for me for nearly all my life.

Today I am a happy and positive person. I have reached everything I ever wanted. I have learned to make the best of every situation, no matter how bad it may seem. I have learned that everything happens for a reason, even if we cannot understand it in a certain moment. This is why I am not sad or angry about the things that happened to me as a child. I am grateful; of course, all these things made me become the person I am today.

However, when I think about my tragic past, I realize that I may have more in common with Edge than I'd like. I feel connected with her. I understand her. I feel her."

What is your favorite cosplay you have designed?

"This is a difficult question. Of course, every cosplay I have made so far has aspects I like but also something I dislike, and there are various ways to rate them. I would say that the cosplays I enjoy to wear the most—or I “am feeling” the most—are definitely Edge and Kanya. When I dress up as them, I am really becoming the character! I look into the mirror and think,Yeah, baby!” But considering my craftsmanship skills, I think Barbara from Rayman Legends is my best cosplay so far. As a cosplay newbie, I am still learning and improving. Therefore, I am also working over my older cosplays again and again. I have changed Edge's wig so many times, I have stopped counting. And soon I want to do the fourth sword for her. Edge will always be my number one!

I am also happy that I managed to do a Rayman (and Ramon) cosplay! It´s for sure not perfect, and I have to work over the photos with Photoshop to remove my limbs, but dressing up as him makes my inner child scream with joy!

Furthermore, the “play" factor in “cosplay” is very important for me! I don´t just buy cosplays, put them on, take a photo, and toss them away again. I love to bring my characters to life, to think about how they would act and talk, and to cosplay them in alternative outfits and different situations, like the wedding of Edge and Midnite or my Christmas- or Easter-shooting."

What cosplays are you planning on in the future?

"I am currently working on a new project: I am creating my own protogen and therefore sewing a fursuit. It's not really cosplay; of course it won't be a certain character. I'd rather call it a fursona or OC. But I am excited to work on it; of course it is something totally different from what I have done so far, and I think it will look really cool in the end!

Despite that, I want to make a cosplay of Hiiragi Utena from the anime “Gushing over Magical Girls." I have already bought the fabric for it.

Furthermore, the idea of making a Cursa-cosplay (Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope) won't go out of my mind! I would love to create a sensual version of her true form, wearing a long cloak and her white mask, but maybe also showing some skin... Yeah, I think I will have to get this one started next...

And of course I will always work on further Edge content! I will improve parts of her cosplay, and I will think of new outfits and shootings. I already have a special scenery in mind; I want to shoot in autumn."

Tell us about your time at Ubisoft Milan.

"Last year in September I was granted to meet my beloved Edge—or better—the amazing artists and creators of Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope at Ubisoft Milan. It was a dream come true for me! After enjoying their games and admiring their work for so long, I was finally able to hug them and thank them for everything they have gifted us players so far. I still can't believe how lucky I was! My visit there was a blast in every way! I was able to take a look at the “holy halls," to shake hands with all these kind people I had known only from social media or the credits of their games, and to get to know more about Edge's creation and her backstory. Furthermore, we had lunch together, took a lot of cool and funny photos, and talked about the hard work in the gaming industry, my cosplay work, but also private things. And as if this hadn´t been enough, I received many gifts, like the art book or Spark-plushies for my kids and special drawings that were made for me during my visit.

I have to admit that before my visit I had been very excited! But everyone was so nice, polite, and cute! I felt like meeting and talking to long-known friends. The fear was gone, and laughter and joy filled the air. They welcomed me so heartily, and I immediately felt comfortable among these amazing people. I am so grateful that for this unique moment I was granted to be part of their "family." I will keep the memories of my visit as an eternal treasure in my heart."

Thank you so much, Anna, for being a part of the Rayman Together community spotlight. It was amazing to read about yourself and discover more about you. If you are interested in finding out more about Anna, I have included links to her social media account below. Please follow and support her.

[writer-kermit]

Cognitive Bias in the Mortal Kombat Fandom

❥ GENRE: EXPLORATORY ESSAY

❥ COMMISSIONED OR SELF MADE: SELF MADE

❥ W/C: 1,314 (W/O SOURCES)

ঞ SUMMARY: The world is changing, and so is our perception of media. So why are we against these changes? What if everything remained the same from the beginning?

ᰔ KERMIT'S NOTE: I haven't made an exploratory essay since 2022. Mostly because I was afraid of what people might perceive me as. But for a while, I gathered the confidence to start writing more essays based on my personal views. Maybe that will help my writing skills. If you wish for more content like this, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading!

ʚ TAG LIST: @fsfghgee @laismoura-art @loiola00 Thank you for giving me the courage to write again 🫶

ʚ WARNING: Spoilers (maybe???) Racism, Misogyny/Misogynoir, and other graphic content.

Before I start, I just want to say that I only know Mortal Kombat through NetherRealm Studios, so I will be referring to them more than Midway. Now, I’ve only been a fan of Mortal Kombat for two years. I first started getting into it when my friend showed me a video of the Mortal Kombat 9 gameplay in 2022. Since then, I’ve been consuming so much of the MK media. From video games, to animations, to fanfiction, you name it! However, as I delved deeper into the Mortal Kombat rabbit hole, I noticed that there is a strong “bias” within the fandom. Now don’t get me wrong, there isn’t anything bad about having biases. In fact, some biases can improve problem solving skills by identifying different patterns and thinking accordingly to solve the problem. But since I’m talking about Mortal Kombat here, there won’t be as much problem solving. When it comes to NetherRealm Studio's interpretation of Mortal Kombat, fans and critics are quick to have some sort of cognitive bias. 

So why specifically cognitive bias? What even is a cognitive bias? Well, cognitive bias is a systematic thought process caused by the tendency to simplify (or fully reject) information through a filter of personal experience and preferences. But if cognitive bias helps with problem solving, how can it be harmful? In most cases, cognitive bias can contribute to poor and unfair judgment, especially when that judgment can affect the way we consume media. From my experience in Mortal Kombat, fans have the most bias between different characterizations; whether that’d be race, gender, or sexuality, plot, and even the companies itself.

Race/Ethnicity: Black female characters such as Jacqui Briggs, Tanya, Cyrax (MK1) are more prominent to be discriminated against based on their appearance, motives, and depiction throughout the MK series. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a Mortal Kombat problem. In fact, black women in different media are heavily underrepresented and often looked down upon. In the scholar work “Art Imitates Life: The Representation (Or Lack Thereof) of Black Women in Video Games” by Bug Gadson, the author makes an important claim that because of the systematic racism built on white supremacy and misogynoir (racism and misogyny), the “historical evolution of Black feminism in the United States not only developed through [black stereotypes],” but also how the media consume these types of harmful portrayal and use it to characterize all black women (Gadson, 2021). This is almost ironic because Mortal Kombat is known for its diverse characters. As a black non-binary student, it’s very painful to see racist comments of these black characters on Reddit, YouTube, and even Tumblr.

Gender: Along with racism, misogyny in the Mortal Kombat fanbase is no secret. As Mortal Kombat progressed over to NetherRealm Studios, women have grown to be less sexualized and played more dominant roles throughout the series. Because of this change, most fans complained that the women were ‘unattractive’ and threatened the NRS developers to revert to their revealing attire. One example of this outrage is when YouTube commenter, TrueUnderDawg made a petition on his Twitter and YouTube community post to enforce “cyber-swimsuits��� for female Cyrax and Sektor, further engaging with the sexualization of female characters in video games. With Sektor and Cyrax being gender-swapped in MK1’s DLC: Khaos Reigns, fans believed that the gender swap was only implemented to add more relationships within the new timeline. While it’s true that Sektor and Cyrax were intended to pursue romantic relationships, I believe that it doesn’t overall deter their characterization. In fact, any form of relationship can build up motives and create a sense of agency for that character. For Sektor and Bi-Han's relationship, both share goals and concepts of building the Lin Kuei, so even if there is a gender swap, their relationship does make sense to a point (it’s also hypocritical to criticize Bi-Han/Sektor to justify Bi-Han/Sareena as both ships have their flaws). Tumblr user @fsfghgee made some pretty good points on Bi-Han and Sektor, so I recommend looking at them for more information.

Sexual Orientation: Since 2015, there has been a new splurge of canon and implied relationships in Mortal Kombat. In addition, there have been a handful of LGBTQ+ characters. Examples being Sindel, Mileena, Tanya, and Kung Jin. However, it didn’t stop fans from creating their own LGBTQ+ ships; with the most well-known ships being SubScorp (Scorpion x Sub Zero), Johnshi (Johnny x Kenshi), JadeTana (Jade x Kitana), and many others. With the new changes in MK1 (and Khaos Rain and Tanya’s relationship), most fans were claiming that NRS were erasing queer characters and relationships. For reference, I am pansexual. So, my personal view on ‘cis relationships’ might be different. While I do believe that NRS’s interpretation of relationships can be improved, it does have greater potential than Midway (sorry older fans). What really pisses me off is when fans were so quick to call “queer erasure” when non-canon ships weren’t implemented in the game. I’m not trying to say that NRS shouldn’t have more LGBTQ+ representation, but being blatantly cisphobic to the already canon ships within the series takes away actual queer erasure that purposefully diminishes the existence of the queer community throughout any other media platforms.

Writer’s Perspective: Ed Boon and Dominic Cianciolo are the main writers and directors for Mortal Kombat in NetherRealm Studios. As of 2023, they released a reboot of Mortal Kombat named Mortal 1 Kombat. After the dissolvement of the previous timeline (MK11), newly demigod Liu Kang resets the universe to create a more peaceful timeline. With the significant changes in the story, it’s almost difficult to adjust to the new storyline. Personally, I don’t like all the changes either. And I think it’s even more difficult to find someone who does like all the changes. Nevertheless, I believe that providing different perspectives can accommodate and even further regulate the story. It’s important to take note that the earlier timeline is nearly irrelevant to MK1. So rather than trying to implement older lore, why not use what is already canon and interpret our own theories? For example, let’s take Hanzo, who is a child in MK1. Hanzo’s survivor guilt could parallel Tomas (Smoke). Rather than accepting the death of his clan, Hanzo’s emotions could turn him to be vengeful and become more irrational and radicalized. Another example could be Bi-Han/Noob Saibot (The corrupted version of Bi-Han). His irredeemable actions and hatred towards his family could symbolize the corruption of leadership and foreshadow his ultimate downfall. Now here’s a side note: I know some fans believed that Bi-Han should’ve gotten a redemption arc, but this man openly claimed that he is willing to kill his OWN FAMILY to remain in power. So, like... I don’t know if he could redeem himself if tried. That being said, there is nothing inherently wrong with ‘maliciously evil’ characters if written correctly. However, there is a difference between ‘bad’ characters and ‘bad character writing’ (AHEM AHEM KOTAL KAHN AHEM).   

Overall Thoughts: I want to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with criticizing Boon and Cianciolo and giving them feedback to help them improve future games. However, there is a difference between constructive criticism and harassment. The NRS developers aren’t blocking people in different media because they can’t handle criticism, they’re blocking people because they are continuously being harassed and receiving death threats. Regardless of these changes, Mortal Kombat is still an enjoyable game and shouldn’t be torn apart by its own hypocrisy. There is nothing wrong with having bias. Sometimes, biases can help us interpret different information in a nuanced way. But know that change is necessary for the world to function, even if some of the changes can kind of stink. 

[affectionatecorpse]

Okay as a distraction from my previous post, I'm going to do another analysis. Yay! This time we'll be covering another video game, but this isn't actually a horror like the previous posts, so untense your shoulders. Today I'm going to be talking about Yinu, from No Straight Roads, from the perspective of an ex child prodigy.

No Straight Roads is a vastly underrated game, so I'll give a brief introduction. The game focuses on protagonists Mayday and Zuke, two members of a rock band who go on a mission to take down their oppressive EDM based government, NSR, and reintroduce rock to the city. The plot sounds simple enough, but the layers go incredibly deep, so I highly recommend playing/watching the game for yourself to form your own thoughts about it's complex messages. Obviously, spoilers ahead.

Now NSR is made up of 6 EDM artists who power the city. But one particular artist greatly stands out from the rest. This artist is Yinu.

Yinu is by far the youngest of the artists, for starters, at only 9 years old. She's a child prodigy, and at this young age, she's already won many awards for her music and gained a massive following. But unlike the other artists, Yinu isn't actually an EDM artist. She's a classical artist, who's skills are in piano. Now this usually wouldn't matter, but when she's one of the EDM based leaders, it's immediately a bit odd how she herself isn't an EDM artist.

We'll come back to this. Now, Yinu, as mentioned, is a child prodigy. She was taught from a young age to play piano by her father, and quickly mastered the art. But when her father grew ill and passed away, it was just her and her mother left, with Yinu inheriting his beloved piano. As she continued to play in his honour, her skill began to grow, and so did the attention she received. She quickly became a celebrity, and her mother used this as a distraction from their shared sadness.

By feeding the fans and the attention, Yinu's mother developed an unhealthy coping mechanism. She began to lose sight of what the piano meant to them. And I expect, so did Yinu. It's a very common thing, when your hobby becomes a job, it just loses it's fun, and is no longer a luxury to do. More a necessity. It's never said explicitly, but I interpreted this phenomenon to have a strong effect. Yinu played because it was a job, and what her mother wanted. Her mother became blind to her daughter's struggles, as she never really noticed the fact Yinu didn't want to play for other people, but for herself, and her father's memory. This is shown through her eyes becoming white and cloudy during the battle, while Yinu's stay the same.

I may be projecting. I was actually a child prodigy myself. I had a knack for my writing, and it was my greatest passion. My interactive imagination kept me distracted from the war my parents were fighting against each other. As a kid, I was never really their child. I was a weapon. A way for them to get at each other. I'd trail between houses, passing on messages and information they could use to slander one another, and I was rewarded for doing so by being shoved out the way and left to do what I wanted, while they paid no attention.

I used my imagination, my worlds, my characters, to escape my reality. To keep me company in my depressing solitude. To avoid forgetting them, I began to write them down. This was what got me the attention I so desperately craved. By 10 years old, only a year older than Yinu, I had published my first book in my local town. Finally, my parents were proud of me, so I kept going. I wrote until my hands were sore and fragile with blisters. I wrote until every page of my notebook was fuzzy from correcting my spellings.

It wasn't an escape anymore. It was a necessity. Something I had to do in order to be recognised. It wasn't fun anymore. It was no longer a way out.

As I got older, I began to matter less. I wasn't a smart child anymore. I was just a Person. I wasn't Somebody, I was just... Anybody. I found my parents stopped caring when I lost that spark again, and this time, I didn't get attention when I tried fixing that.

I see my own struggles in Yinu. The song she plays starts simple, and slow. Relaxed and full of passion. She finds herself completely in her element. But when her mother gets involved, her playing becomes more desperate. It gets faster and more tense, as her mother doesn't even consider putting her aside. A parent's normal reaction to her child being physically attacked by two adults would be to take the child away from the situation and make sure they're okay, but Yinu's mother just lifts her up, and tells her to keep playing.

Yinu obliges, and plays more determined than before, like she's terrified of letting her mother down. She constantly assures herself under her breath, and repeatedly mutters reminders to herself to keep her fingers curved as she focuses. In the next phase, Yinu and her mother have been repeatedly hit and injured, yet her mother still doesn't remove Yinu from the situation. Instead of being mad at the attackers for hurting her daughter, she yells at them for ruining her performance, as if that's the more important thing here. She destroys the walls around them, outraged, and orders Yinu to play even harder.

The song gets incredibly intense here, and it's here that you notice the piano fading out. At the start of the song, it was purely piano playing. But by this time, the piano is playing alongside EDM music, at just around the same volume. In the next phase, Yinu is knocked to the ground from a great height, and calls to her mother to catch her. But... she doesn't. She isn't caught, and alongside her piano, she crashes to the ground. Her mother doesn't even notice she's fallen and is hurt. She just completely ignores Yinu's cries, and focuses entirely on the destruction of the concert.

The song is almost completely EDM now. Yinu is out of frame, and it's the mother you're battling at the end. And even as Yinu sits alone on the ground, without looking at her at all, her mother just tells her not to stop playing no matter what. But despite Yinu's continued efforts, the piano barely shines through the techno anymore.

I should also mention the visuals. At the start of the fight, Yinu's mother was completely out of sight. Then, she poked her arm out of the curtain at the back of the stage to lift Yinu's piano out of range, but she remained out of sight. The curtain then gets moved, and she is now fully visible, but still further back in the dark than Yinu. After she rages and destroys the hall, she is very clear and visible, taking up a lot of the battlefield while Yinu is mostly out of frame of the camera. In the final phase, Yinu is no longer there, and her mother has completely taken over the battlefield.

First phase

Final phase

After defeating Yinu's mother, Mayday and Zuke prepare to celebrate their victory. But... they're interrupted. By Yinu, the one everyone involved forgot was part of this battle. She knocks the two off the giant rose they were standing on, and also probably their high horse. She's muddy, injured, roughed up, and still, her mother never asks her if she's okay. She doesn't even praise her for knocking them down by herself. She goes to nearly acknowledge it, saying "Yinu, my dear, you got them!", but that isn't actually praise. It's a mere acknowledgement, which she thinks is enough. And after saying that, she once again orders Yinu to play for her.

To which Yinu completely breaks. She finally loses her patience and just snaps, screaming that she hates them all, while slamming the piano keys in a burst of anger to triple the speed of before. But her outrage is still in beat. She still plays her song for her mother.

When our main characters get back up to her, and recklessly knock down the rose, Yinu plummets near to her death. She clings desperately to her piano, the one thing she has left of her father, but ultimately cannot hang on, and while she's protected from the fall by her mother, the piano is not, smashing into pieces as it hits the ground. And while she solemnly mourns this valuable part of who she is as a person, her mother STILL doesn't acknowledge it. She moves past Yinu and goes straight to yelling at Mayday and Zuke again, ready for another round of fighting without even checking on her daughter.

But Yinu stays strong. For herself, for her father, and for her mother. She feels she's the only one who can. And even when her piano is in pieces, her concert hall is destroyed, her appearance is tattered, and her injuries are stinging, she plays on. She just sits there. And keeps playing the song. Slow, and sad, like she's completely burnt out. But feels she's not allowed to quit, or she'll be letting her mother down.

This is when we cut back to the EDM detail. Because Yinu is not an EDM artist. The EDM, the unbearable fame, the place in government... it's all her mother. The EDM starts when her mother joins, and completely takes over when Yinu is no longer part of the battle. Only at the end does the piano come back, as Yinu steals back her own song from her mother's hands, and plays her classical music her style, with the Rock/EDM metre spiralling out of control, as the music now is neither of those genres. It is 100%, completely authentic, Yinu.

Holy shit. This whole sequence hits hard. From the desperate attempts to please her mother, putting up with the demands to keep playing no matter how hurt or stressed she is, only to break down and immediately get punished for it, and sadly go back to what she was doing before, because her rebellion resulted in her most treasured possession getting destroyed? Yinu is an incredibly tragic character. No child should have to put up with the grief, the pressure, the stress, and the burnout that she feels.

The activity that bonded her and her late father ended up being what ultimately hurts her, all because her mother couldn't process her own grief in her own way, and put her daughter at major risk because it stopped the hurting, instead of actually sitting down and talking with Yinu about the mourning and pain they both feel in their hearts.

I wish I'd had exactly what I want for Yinu. I wish my parents had talked to me about their separation. I wish they had figured out their issues and stopped feeling so angry at each other all the time, so they could live their separate lives in peace. I wish they had kept me out of their hatred for one another. I wish they had treated me like their child. I wish they'd loved me more than they hated each other. But they didn't. And I ended up alone, sadly writing this post, in the same way Yinu ended up sadly playing what's left of her piano in the ruins of her once polished, sparkling concert hall.

https://youtu.be/s1BEh5gZ90k?feature=shared

Here's a link to the song Yinu plays throughout the battle. Take a listen for yourself, and you'll see what I mean by the intensity growing, as the EDM takes over the classical more and more.

[lets-talk-gundam]

The MSA-0011 S Gundam

The early success of Project Zeta led to many new and innovative mobile suit designs. The introduction of new materials, new mechanisms, new weapons technologies, and new design talent at Anaheim opened the door for the company to dominate the MS development sector into the mid 90s UC.

During this period, a number of machines based on Project Zeta would see deployment by factions all across Earth-sphere. many of these post-Zeta machines would come to be known as "Anaheim Gundams", and would be regarded as some of the most influential designs in the history of mobile suits.

Developed for the Earth Federation forces sometime in the late 80s UC, the MSA-0011 S Gundam, also called the Superior Gundam and Iota Gundam internally at Anaheim, is a bit less well-known than its other Project Zeta siblings.

The machine featured a modular design, made up of three high-performance aerospace craft which combined via a core block system to form the full mobile suit. These units were the FXA-08BG Core Fighter, the G-Bomber, and the G-Attacker.

Despite similarities to the MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam, the design teams for the two machines largely worked independently of one another.

The S Gundam featured some unique equipment for the time, including the Beam Smart Gun, a powerful rifle that connected directly to the machine's power plant. It was also one of the earliest adopters of INCOMs and the quasi-psycommu system. Quasi-psycommu technology allows non-Newtype pilots to make use of formerly Newtype-exclusive weapon systems.

The S Gundam also saw several upgrade plans. These plans included the MSA-0011 [BST] S Gundam Booster Unit Type, the MSA-0011 [Bst] S Gundam Booster Unit Plan 303E "Deep Striker" , and the MSA-0011 [Ext] Ex-S Gundam.

The MSA-0011 [BST] S Gundam Unit Type and the MSA-0011 [Ext] Ex-S Gundam are both upgrades applied to the original unit, but the "Deep Striker" equipment was never built. The "Deep Striker" does appear as a playable unit in the SD Gundam G Generation series of games.

The S Gundam would also be developed into the Nero, a mass-production variant taking cues from it and the Lambda Gundam. It was used as the mainstay MS of the Federation's Task Force Alpha.

While all of this is rather impressive, the most notable part of the machine was undeniably its greatest strength. The S Gundam was equipped with the Advanced Logistic and Inconsequence Cognizing Equipment system. "ALICE" - as she was better known - was an advanced artificial intelligence designed to replace a human pilot.

WARNING!

The following section contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Gundam Sentinel! If you are interested in reading it, I highly recommend you do so!

ALICE was developed by Anaheim scientists Dr. Carol and Dr. Roots to automate certain functions of mobile suits. While this was possible previously, commands had to be programmed into the MS via a command console. The final objective of the project was to fully automate a Gundam-type mobile suit using ALICE.

She was programmed to grow and learn by observing and analyzing the actions of pilots, and was treated like a daughter by Dr. Roots. This caused tensions with Dr. Carol and other factions at Anaheim. A suspected act of sabotage resulted in an explosion that nearly destroyed ALICE, but Dr. Roots gave her life protecting her. The project was shelved for a time.

ALICE was picked back up later, being installed in the S Gundam and paired with Ryou Roots under the Federation's Task Force Alpha. She, along with the S Gundam, saw action during the Pezun rebellion perpetrated by the New Desides faction. This faction of Titans remnants and loyalists sought to break away from the Federation to further their own interests.

During combat, Ryou's lack of skill resulted in multiple near-death experiences. ALICE was responsible for saving his life on multiple occasions.

Learning from Ryou and other Task Force Alpha pilots, ALICE eventually developed an awareness of the world. She would deduce that friends were the most important thing to a person, after initially failing to comprehend Ryou's grief at the death of his fellow pilots.

Following this logic, she would eventually sacrifice herself to save the lives of her comrades. Her final words were thanks to Ryou for the memories and lessons she learned from him.

She would be destroyed during atmospheric entry.

The above machines were all designed by Hajime Katoki for the 1987 photo-novel Gundam Sentinel. Gundam Sentinel was written by Masaya Takahashi and published in Model Graphix magazine.

[dorematrix0]

Serpent Sprint. In "Serpent Sprint," maneuver your snake through a dynamic, obstacle-laden environment. Use arrow keys or swipe gestures to guide your snake, collecting power-ups and avoiding hazards. The goal is to survive as long as possible while racking up points by consuming items scattered throughout the levels.

At our skill based game development company, we specialize in crafting engaging, challenging games that test players' reflexes and strategic thinking. "Serpent Sprint" is a prime example of our expertise in creating skill-based games that captivate and entertain. Each level is designed to progressively increase in difficulty, ensuring that players must constantly improve their skills to achieve high scores. Our development team leverages advanced algorithms to generate unpredictable, exhilarating gameplay experiences. Dive into "Serpent Sprint" and experience the thrill of a game designed by professionals who are passionate about skill-based game development.

[milesluna]

My Favorite Games of 2023.

Hi. Hello. Thanks ever so much for clicking on this page. Happy to have you.

First thing's first: I'm a little freak when it comes to video games. I don't feel the need to beat most games I play. From Software is one of my favorite studios in the industry and I've never finished a single one of their games. This means, fortunately, that I get to play a LOT more games than the average bear.

I've written up some blurbs about my top ten favorite games from 2023, but before that here's the list of every game I remember playing this year that left any sort of lasting impact on me (in no particular order):

Dead Space Remake Resident Evil 4 Remake F-Zero 99 Humanity Dredge Metroid Prime Remastered Anemoiaplois Alan Wake 2 Baldur’s Gate 3 LoZ Tears of the Kingdom Counter Strike 2 Hunt Showdown El Paso Elsewhere Jusant Slay the Princess| Remnant II The Finals Street FIghter 6 Lethal Company BattleBit Remastered Don’t Scream Homebody The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Pizza Tower World of Horror Super Mario Wonder Mr. Sun’s Hatbox Fifa 23 Sea of Stars (Demo) Half-Life (25th Anniversary Update)

And the games I played that were NOT released in 2023:

Unpacking Persona 4 Golden Picross 7 The Order 1886 Shovel Knight Dig Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Spider-Man: Miles Morales Pac-Man Championship Edition DX Project Zomboid Quake LoZ The Minish Cap Drill Dozer Wario Land 4 Pokemon Pinball Resident Evil Revelations Summer of ‘58 Trackmania TwinCop We Were Here Visage Cursed Halo CE Half-Life 2 (I probably play this once per year) Witch Hunt Red Dead Redemption 2 Cyberpunk 2077 Borderlands 3 Brutal Legend Cultic Slay the Spire PUBG Rez Infinite Batman Arkham City Alan Wake Alan Wake: American Nightmare Max Payne LoZ: Majora’s Mask 3DS Metroid Prime Metroid Prime 2 Tunic Everhood Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VII Remake GOODBYE WORLD Yakuza: Like a Dragon Critters for Sale Dome Keeper Phasmophobia Hades Nintendo Switch Sports

Now that you understand the kind of freak you're dealing with…

Let's dive into my top ten favorite games from this objectively fucked up year.

10. El Paso Elsewhere Developed by Texas indie studio Strange Scaffold, El Paso Elsewhere is a Max Payne-clone with vampires, an opinionated narrator, and lots and lots of bullet time. As a small studio punching well above their weight class, Strange Scaffold leans into abstract, PlayStation 1 minimalism when it comes to visuals and pairs them with a soundtrack that will make your hands sweat. The vibes are here and they're ready for the end of the world. I'm personally also a big fan of everything this studio stands for.

9. Mr. Sun's Hatbox I want you to imagine Metal Gear Solid V. Now I want you to imagine that game as a 2D, level-based, slapstick platformer you can play with up to three friends. If you think that sounds stupid, you'd be right. And it's beautiful. As you build up a secret army of soldiers with various skills (and disorders), you'll start to develop *favorites*. This game constantly asks if you're willing to send those favorites on a harrowing mission and risk losing them forever… or if you'd rather send an idiot you recently captured who blinks constantly and can't kill anyone without fainting.

8. Dredge Every year I feel like I find one game that falls into the “just one more round” category, and baby… Dredge was it for 2023. As a weary fisherman in strange waters, you'll make the most out of your 12 measly hours of sunlight only for your daily voyages to inevitably pull you into the darkness of night, and night is when things get weird. Rocks emerge from the fog that you swear weren't there before, your equipment malfunctions, and you're pretty sure you just saw something in the water… something big. Despite only containing a small collection of islands, the world of Dredge manages to feel vast - perhaps vast enough to swallow you whole.

7. Resident Evil 4 Remake I was curious to see what sort of changes would be made to the timeless classic and father of modern 3rd person shooters, Resident Evil 4. I wasn't let down. RE4 Remake takes all the things that didn't age well about the original, tossed them out, and replaced them with only good things. And MORE things! It's campy, fun, and better than a game of bingo.

6. Jusant I really feel like this one didn't get the recognition it deserves. Jusant is a rock climbing game that combines the quiet contemplation of Journey with the mechanical specificity of Death Stranding. Unlike Death Standing, though, there is very little story to interrupt your flow. There are plenty of collectible bits to find for those curious to learn more about what happened before the events of the game, but the environmental storytelling does most of the heavy lifting. For me, the joy of the game comes from how it feels. Right trigger controls your right hand grip, and left trigger controls left hand grip. Plan your route, manage your stamina, and climb high above the clouds in search of answers.

5. F-Zero 99 This. Shit. Slaps. I've never been a big F-Zero guy, but this MADE me one. The “battle royale”, 99 player format is the perfect fit for the ruthless, high octane world of the game. Races last about three minutes, and friend, they are the most intense, white-knuckled three minutes of your life. The decision to make your boost meter the same as your health meter started in F-Zero 64 (I believe), and it is so much more HARROWING in this game when another player could side-swipe you mere meters from the finish line and blow you to bits. Sadly it's only playable via Switch Online, but it made me cheer, laugh, and scream enough this year to earn a spot in my top 5.

4. Alan Wake 2 Remedy makes weird games that also manage to exist in the AAA space and for that I will forever love them. Although Alan Wake 2 resembles a 3rd person shooter survival horror, I'd honestly say it's more of a narrative game than anything else. There's sidequests, there's puzzles, there's upgradeable skills, but at the end of the day the characters, world, and story are what kept me playing. If you haven't checked them out recently, you should definitely watch a story recap of the original games before diving into this sequel, but the wild swings for the fences this game takes are well worth that small price of admission. There's a god damn musical number, for Christ's sake.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom I've really got nothing to say about this game that most people don't already know. It's incredible. The fact that Nintendo made a game that redefined an entire genre and then made a SEQUEL to it that ups the ante is remarkable. To be honest, I've only cleared the Rito, Zora, and Goron cities. I got a bit tired of exploring the depths and guiding Koroks to their friends, but I can't deny the sheer level of complexity and polish on display here. I saw someone on TikTok build a functioning Mecha Godzilla in this game. Good God. I've heard that the ending of this game is one of the best in the franchise, and if I'd seen it this year then it may have wound up higher on my list, but for the time being I'll continue picking up this masterpiece from time to time, chipping away at it until the day comes that I can finally smack the tits off thicc Ganondorf.

2. Half-Life (25th Anniversary Update) I know I'm gonna get shit for this, but I don't care. This year was the 25th anniversary of Half-Life and Valve released an update that made playing it (and it's online Death Match) much more accessible. I threw it on my Steam Deck out of curiosity, expecting to play for 20 minutes. I could not put it down. It is unbelievable how modern this game still feels. I simply had so much fun sprinting through the corridors of Black Mesa with a dozen weapons strapped to my back, blasting aliens and military Spec-Op chumps as a 24(?!) year old theoretical physicist.

1. Baldur's Gate III This game is fucked up, man. The sheer amount of writing in this game scares me. We can all talk about how BIG this game is, it deserves it, but the thing BG3 does better than any other role playing game I have ever experienced is actually encourage roleplaying. I've played through Act I four times now, with four different groups of friends, and it has felt fresh every time. I have seen the same events play out in so many different ways that it boggles the mind, but in every one of those play sessions I see players asking themselves “What would my lil guy do here?” rather than "what is the best thing to do here?" The game rewards players constantly for just trying shit and the D&D 5e rule set means playing like the character you said you were from the start leads to frequent Points of Inspiration. Maybe one day I'll see the end of this story (probably not), but I don't have to in order to feel a connection with BG3's world, characters, and most impressively, the characters I made myself.

Honorable Mentions for 2023

5. Dave the Diver 4. Homebody 3. Sea of Stars 2. Humanity 1. Super Mario Wonder

Top 5 Favorites NOT from 2023

5. Metroid Prime 4. Final Fantasy VII Remake 3. Cursed Halo (Halo CE Mod) 2. Red Dead Redemption 2 1. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (3DS)

Games I didn't have a chance to play from 2023 but still want to when I find more time...

Viewfinder Venba Chants of Sennaar Thirsty Suitors Hi-Fi Rush Moonring Armored Core VI Laika Aged Through Blood Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

OKAY THANKS BYE!

[aimeedaisies]

Today, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Day 1: Colombo

🌺 At a Welcome Ceremony at Bandaranaike International Airport, Her Royal Highness was received by dignitaries including the British High Commissioner to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Andrew Patrick and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Ali Sabry.

🧵 The Princess’s first visited the MAS Active Factory, one of the largest apparel tech companies in South Asia to be identified by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) as an important Sri Lankan partner.

👚 As President of the UKFT, Her Royal Highness had an opportunity to meet staff and tour the facility to hear more about their innovative designs and partnerships with UK brands.

🎂 Next, Her Royal Highness visited Save The Children Sri Lanka’s Head Office in Colombo. This year marks 50 years of Save The Children working in Sri Lanka.

💗 The Princess had an opportunity to hear about some of the programmes the charity has provided, which have contributed to humanitarian and development needs across the country, including in education, health and nutrition and vocational skills development.

👧 As Patron of Save The Children UK, Her Royal Highness unveiled a plaque commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Save The Children working in Sri Lanka.

🏥 Following this, The Princess Royal visited Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children to see Save The Children’s Social Emotional Learning Tool Kit Programme, Tilli, in action.

📚 Her Royal Highness met hospital staff who are implanting the Tilli programme which is a play-based, Social-Emotional Learning tool kit that incorporates evidence-based interventions such as games and story-telling to assist parents and teachers in facilitating meaningful child-friendly discussions with children on topics such as trust, consent, bodies and boundaries.

🇱🇰 The Princess Royal previously visited Sri Lanka in March 1995 with Save The Children to learn more about their projects in the country.

Video from Royal Family Instagram story | Posted 10th January 2024

[thiziri]

The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Day 1: Colombo

At a Welcome Ceremony at Bandaranaike International Airport, Her Royal Highness was received by dignitaries including the British High Commissioner to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Andrew Patrick and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Ali Sabry.

The Princess’s first visited the MAS Active Factory, one of the largest apparel tech companies in South Asia to be identified by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) as an important Sri Lankan partner.

As President of the UKFT, Her Royal Highness had an opportunity to meet staff and tour the facility to hear more about their innovative designs and partnerships with UK brands.

Next, Her Royal Highness visited Save The Children Sri Lanka’s Head Office in Colombo. This year marks 50 years of Save The Children working in Sri Lanka.

The Princess had an opportunity to hear about some of the programmes the charity has provided, which have contributed to humanitarian and development needs across the country, including in education, health and nutrition and vocational skills development.

As Patron of Save The Children UK, Her Royal Highness unveiled a plaque commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Save The Children working in Sri Lanka.

Following this, The Princess Royal visited Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children to see Save The Children’s Social Emotional Learning Tool Kit Programme, Tilli, in action.

Her Royal Highness met hospital staff who are implanting the Tilli programme which is a play-based, Social-Emotional Learning tool kit that incorporates evidence-based interventions such as games and story-telling to assist parents and teachers in facilitating meaningful child-friendly discussions with children on topics such as trust, consent, bodies and boundaries.

The Princess Royal previously visited Sri Lanka in March 1995 with Save The Children to learn more about their projects in the country.

The Princess Royal delivered a message from The King to the President and First Lady of Sri Lanka this evening.

© Royal UK

[gacha-incels]

am i a bad person for liking limbus company/library of ruina/any of the pm games? please help i want to be on the right side but library of ruina genuinely changed my outlook on life and i love limbus company's characters and writing

This is something personal you have to decide for yourself after gathering information and learning about the situation. I can’t tell you how to feel. by asking me to decide whether you’re a “good” or “bad” person based solely on this confession you have put me in the position of a god or some religious leader for an issue that is completely secular. This is not a helpful way to approach the issue to begin with. I think your heart is in the right place, it’s a good start to feel uncomfortable and confused instead of completely ignoring it. I can tell you some of my thoughts on this… By asking if you’re “bad” and wanting to be on the “right side” you’ve shifted the issue from misogyny in South Korea to how your own reaction to it reflects on you as a person. To me this makes it sound like you are not interested in learning and comprehending the actual issue as much as you are afraid to be seen as wrong. If a second party deigns you good or bad based on the fact that you like a game, you completely skip actually understanding how you feel about the issue yourself. this is not helping you develop the skills needed to understand and analyze text and it’s doing nothing to enhance confidence and development in your convictions (different than stubbornness and arrogance). These are skills honed your entire life, there’s no way to rush this type of thing, but the less you challenge yourself the more insecure and confused you will be. At a point this act of seeking validation from strangers online and the willingness to let them decide how you see yourself as a person becomes detrimental to your mental health. finally, I don’t view it as some catastrophic moral failure to have enjoyed the works of PM. I just get frustrated seeing people not giving a shit and acting like it’s the hardest thing in the world to stop playing a gacha game. so in terms of actually buying and playing their games now, since there is a call to boycott their work, my thoughts are that we should stand in solidarity with the fans who are most affected by the misogynistic actions. If you like the story you can watch it on youtube. This is the least we can do. I also think people downplay the effect they themselves have in regards to media that changes their life. The media is a catalyst, you are the person who did the hard work in reality. Regardless, imo the thing you have to watch for yourself doing is referencing this to stop a conversation that’s criticizing project moon. Well that’s it lol hope some of it can be helpful, this isn’t to call you out specifically because asks like these are pretty common, so it’s just my thoughts on it as a whole.

[aceingtonbeef]

I want longer games. (rant post)

(please keep in mind that i am an autistic individual who has loved to play video games for my entire life since i was able to walk, i prefer to be in a constant state of flow and not be interrupted by sudden overstimulating visuals or short runtimes ending abruptly.)

to accommodate for the low attention spans of the new generation, many new releases since 2021 have been short and formulaic with a repetitive gameplay loop. (often overly colorful and vibrant) it’s as if the developers are catering only to retention, rather than actual creativity and challenge.

the thing about these games is that they’re usually round-based, with short bursts of (maybe) minute-long gameplay. now, i’ve played similar games like this and the problem is that they’re piss easy, and there’s barely any sort of strategy or learning curve. the skill progression is like the inflation stats for Arizona Ice Tea, still and stagnant. some of these games have potential, but only aim to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

it might be the next big thing for companies to make every game an endless treadmill of rewards all for a quick buck, but at what cost to gaming culture? whatever happened to games that rewarded you for making big progress and learning something new along the way? where did all the hella cool mechanics go? to me, video games are an art perfected only by a select few, as a person who spends most of his free time playing video games and getting into things that i can see myself enjoying for years. if i’m being an ass for not accepting that people have the attention span of a goldfish, so be it! i’m not the audience for these games, and i just want new, long games to devote my time to.

if you want to play a game that has fast gameplay and/or colorful visuals, but also has lots of gameplay and content, definitely play Pizza Tower or Bloons TD6. they’re my personal favorites and you should try them too.