#Theme of Gebel

[mediamixs]

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a gothic horror video game that will blow your mind

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a gothic horror action side-scrolling RPG set in 9th century England. The game is a modern take on the classic Castlevania series, with a focus on exploration, combat, and character progression. It was developed by ArtPlay, DICO, and WayForward, with Koji Igarashi, a renowned developer known for his work on Castlevania, at the helm. The game's story follows Miriam, an orphan who has been cursed by an alchemist and is slowly turning into crystal. She must navigate a demon-infested castle, fighting through hordes of enemies and bosses to uncover the secrets of the castle and stop the summoner, Gebel. The game features a large, interconnected world to explore, with a map size almost twice as big as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night boasts high-fidelity 2.5D graphics, with detailed 3D models rendered in a 2D side-scrolling environment. The game's soundtrack, composed by Michiru Yamane and Ippo Yamada, veterans of the Castlevania franchise, is an unforgettable experience. The game also features multiple playable characters, with secret characters awaiting discovery. The gameplay is reminiscent of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, with a focus on exploration, combat, and character progression[. The game has a high level of replayability, with a level cap of 99 and the ability to unlock new abilities and items through exploration and combat. The game also features a crafting and upgrade system, which requires collecting demon parts to craft new items and upgrades.Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was initially funded through a Kickstarter campaign, which raised $5,545,991, making it the most funded video game on Kickstarter at the time. The game has received positive reviews for its faithfulness to the Castlevania series, while also introducing new elements and gameplay mechanics. Overall, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a must-play for fans of the Castlevania series and horror action RPGs in general. Its engaging gameplay, beautiful graphics, and haunting soundtrack make it a standout title in the genre.

The plot of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night revolves around Miriam, an amnesiac girl who becomes a demon hunter after waking up to find herself cursed by an alchemist and slowly turning into crystal. The game is set in a demon-infested castle that has appeared from another dimension. Unlike many other games in the genre, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night takes a more upbeat approach with well-lit environments, up-tempo music, and light-hearted story moments to balance its dark narrative. The lore of the game involves a nefarious plot by individuals aiming to end the world to prove their importance. Despite the somewhat convoluted storyline, the characters are well-written and engaging, providing players with adequate motivation to embark on the adventure. The game features full 3D models, with environments that are visually appealing, and a soundtrack that evokes a nostalgic Castlevania vibe. In terms of gameplay, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night follows the classic Metroidvania formula, emphasizing exploration, combat, and character progression. It incorporates an item-based progression system that unlocks new areas of the map as players acquire new abilities. The game rewards players for exploring the castle by presenting them with areas that require specific power-ups to access, encouraging backtracking and thorough exploration. The overarching narrative of the game involves Miriam's journey to uncover the secrets of the castle, stop the summoner Gebel, and thwart the plans of those seeking to bring about chaos and destruction. The plot delves into themes of demonic possession, manipulation, and the consequences of alchemical experiments gone wrong. Through interactions with various characters like Dominique, Alfred, and Gebel, players gradually unravel the intricate web of motivations and alliances that drive the story forward.

The gameplay in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is reminiscent of classic Metroidvania titles, focusing on exploration, combat, and character progression. The game features an item-based progression system that unlocks new areas of the map as players acquire new abilities. Players are consistently faced with areas they can't reach initially, encouraging them to return later with the necessary power-ups to access new areas. Unlike many modern "Metroidvanias," Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night stays true to the core elements of the genre, offering a rewarding exploration experience. The game's atmosphere is mellow, with well-lit environments and up-tempo music, creating a unique vibe within the genre. The game's aesthetics include full 3D models, visually attractive environments, and a soundtrack that evokes a nostalgic Castlevania feel. In terms of combat, players engage in battles with various enemies and bosses throughout the demon-infested castle. The game offers a variety of weapons, abilities, and upgrades to enhance combat mechanics. Additionally, players can craft new items and upgrades by collecting demon parts, adding a layer of customization and strategy to the gameplay.

[metamoonshots]

[ad_1] Lately, the gorgeous metropolis of Prague performed host to a exceptional occasion on financial independence that introduced collectively freedom-loving people from across the globe. The “Liberty in Our Lifetime” conference was a vibrant gathering of unconventional thinkers, lecturers, digital nomads, touring households, Bitcoin lovers and entrepreneurs from unique locations, all cooperatively searching for to make the world a freer place. The convention served as a platform for numerous libertarian tasks, autonomous zones and intentional communities to showcase their choices and progress. It was organized by the Free Cities Basis, a non-profit group that promotes the concept of free cities as a solution to obtain extra liberty and autonomy for people and communities. Associated studying: Cypherpunks, Galt’s Gulch, and Bitcoin The guiding spirit of libertarian philosophy was adequately summarized by the inspiration’s founder Titus Gebel quoting Salman Rushdie: “The liberty to reject is the one freedom”. Bitcoin: A Beacon of Hope in Financial Independence The convention was a melting pot of concepts and tasks, with a variety of subjects mentioned, from intentional communities, funding concepts, libertarian philosophy, longevity analysis, the community state, flag concept, to freedom-focused applied sciences. Nonetheless, Bitcoin stood out as a central theme. Many speeches highlighted the way it serves as a software for attaining free cities, an thought explored in depth within the ebook “Strategies for Liberty: Free Cities & Bitcoin” by Alexander Voss. The Austrian thinker Rahim Taghizadegan narrated the historical past of the digital cash’s predecessors, equivalent to e-gold. He additionally talked about that the ebook ‘The Sovereign Particular person’ had already talked about ‘cryptographic cyber cash’ within the Seventies. Associated studying: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto In a memorable quote, he said, “Everyone knows that real estate is a shitcoin”, emphasizing the worth and potential of Bitcoin over conventional property. Highlighting its neighborhood side, he additionally stated: “Amongst others, discovering constructive contrarians is among the most important advantages of Bitcoin.” We couldn’t agree extra. Knut Svanholm spoke about Madeira and its burgeoning neighborhood. He additionally talked about the upcoming Bitcoin Atlantis conference in March 2024, which is ready to happen in nothing lower than an enormous soccer stadium. Concerning libertarian tasks, the Free State Project was highlighted as one of the superior ones presently, with as much as 1% of New Hampshire’s inhabitants being “Free Staters”. One other fascinating and entertaining speech was concerning the hidden treasures of pirate democracy and what libertarians might be taught from pirates, which then tied into the most recent developments of the seasteading tasks introduced by Joe Quirk of the Seasteading Institute. Coincidentally, one such Caribbean pirate hideout gem might additionally  be discovered on the convention:  Guanaja Hills, an up-and-coming intentional neighborhood in tropical paradise aiming to develop into the favourite retreat of freedom-minded people, with memberships, luxurious holidays and villas being obtainable for buy with BTC. A Glimpse into the Future The convention additionally touched upon future tendencies and developments. Longevity professional José Cordeiro expects vital breakthroughs in longevity analysis by 2045, probably resulting in immortality. It actually is exiting to have the ability to witness BTC block rewards go to zero in 2140. One participant that’s positively changing into future-proof is the particular financial zone of Próspera on the Caribbean Island of Roatan, Honduras, which not solely established BTC as authorized tender but additionally hosts a associated training heart specializing in monetary training for locals. The Folks The convention was not nearly discussions and debates; it was additionally about networking and constructing connections.

Attendees had quite a few alternatives to work together with like-minded people and share concepts. A number of Bitcoin tasks have been current on the convention, together with AmityAge and sovbtc.io. A number of fortunate attendees acquired a branded “21M” hat at our BitcoinNews.com sales space as a memento. One of many distinctive features of the “Liberty in Our Lifetime” convention was its family-friendly nature. Kids have been welcome on the occasion, making it an inclusive area for people and households alike. Conclusion The “Liberty in Our Lifetime” convention was extra than simply an occasion; it was a celebration of freedom, innovation, and the ability of BTC. It supplied attendees with helpful insights into the way it can function a software for attaining free cities and provided a glimpse into what a future underpinned by liberty might appear to be. As we sit up for future conferences and developments on this area, one factor is evident: Liberty and Bitcoin are intrinsically linked, and collectively they've the potential to form our world for the higher. We extremely suggest anybody who's excited by liberty and Bitcoin to attend this convention subsequent yr and take a look at their website and whitepaper for extra data. It was really an inspiring occasion exhibiting that liberty is achievable in our lifetime, much more so if we really develop into immortal. Associated studying: [ad_2]

[rainboas]

me trying not to spoil bloodstained for myself

[kidderkat]

I started playing Bloodstained!

1. I’m hardcore crushing on Gebel

2. I am also crushing on Zagetsu’s battle theme

[lawrenceop]

Painting the Paschal Candle

Why paint my own candle?

The thought of painting the Paschal Candle for the Rosary Shrine in London, where I currenly am based, first came to me at the beginning of the year. I wanted to have a candle with the Rosary Shrine coat-of-arms, and I thought at first that I should commission a professional painter to do it; looking at the designs in the religious goods catalogues only convinced me that only a custom-designed candle would satisfy me. However, I knew a few friends who had painted their own, and I enjoyed the idea of coming up with my own design. The only problem was that I hadn’t picked up a brush to paint anything since I left secondary school, almost three decades ago! So, I ordered two Paschal candles so that if I made a mistake with one, I had an alternative candle with a ready made design!

Materials I needed

A little research online, and a few discussions with Facebook friends ascertained that I needed acrylic paints including gold and silver acrylic paints and some wax pens. To these, I would need to add an acrylic paint binder which helps the water-based acrylic paint to bond with the wax surface of the candle. And finally I needed to trace a pattern onto the candle. For this I bought carbon paper and an embossing tool. 

Design: Cosmati and the Cosmos

From the outset, I knew I wanted a candle with designs inspired by the artwork of the great Christian basilicas of Rome. I gave some consideration to a design inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels, but thought this was too complex and ambitious. At another point, I thought of an icon of Christ emerging from the tomb and trampling the coronavirus underfoot! But I thought that it unwise for a beginner like me to try any figural work lest my depiction of the Lord become like the ‘Monkey Christ’ of Borja! So, I returned to the medieval designs that have long inspired me: Cosmatesque patterns. 

Named after the Cosmati family, Cosmatesque patterns are sometimes called ‘opus alexandrinum’, perhaps because they originated in Alexandria. The geometric designs are certainly of Greek and Byzantine origins, and they’re first seen in the Western Church in the 11th century. According to Leo of Ostia, the abbot of Monte Cassino (the influential abbey founded St Benedict) “sent envoys to Constantinople to hire men who were experts in the art of laying mosaics and pavements”, and thus the transfer of knowledge about these Eastern patterns and designs came to the West. Cosmati work flourished in the 12th and 13th-centuries predominantly in Rome, but examples of Cosmatesque work are found throughout Italy, and even in Westminster Abbey in London. Its ‘Great Pavement’ was installed in 1268 on the sacred site where the monarch is crowned. Indeed, Cosmati work is costly, precious, and thus restricted to the most important of churches, often those associated with royalty or the papacy. 

The stones used for laying the mosaic designs are almost always recycled from classical Roman sources, and two precious stones, coloured green and purple, feature in their design. Green porphyry was called Lapis Lacedaemonius by the Romans, and it came from quarries near Sparta in the Greek Peloponnese and was quarried from the Bronze Age until around the 5th century AD. The even rarer purple ‘Imperial Porphyry’, which was reserved to the Roman and Byzantine Emperors, comes from quarries at Mons Porphyrites in the Gebel Dokhan of Egypt’s Eastern Desert, quarried from the 1st century AD until the 5th century. Hence, by the time the Cormati family were active in Italy, green and purple porphyry were antiques that were no longer being quarried. The Cosmati pavements, therefore, accentuate and set off roundels of this legendary stone recycled from Roman spolia.

Cosmati designs generally have two geometric patterns: interlaced circular bands called guilloche, and which are said to represent the Resurrection, perhaps because they form a series of infinity loops; and secondly, the quincunx, which is a central circle surrounded by four circles. The quincunx is an ancient symbol, reminiscent of the Greek cross, which stands for the cosmos or an ordered universe. The Cosmatesque quincunx, moreover, with its triangular mosaics inlaid into the whirling circular pattern stands for the created world. As Galileo wrote: “The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics, and its letters are triangles, circles and other geometrical figures.”  Hence, at Westminster Abbey, the Great Pavement uniquely had an inscription around the central quincunx design that referred to it as representing “the eternal pattern of the universe”. 

At the centre of the Paschal candle, therefore, I placed a Cosmatesque quincunx, with triangles of green and purple around roundels of green and purple, evocative of imperial porphyry. I looked online for a design that could be easily traced, and printed this out, put the carbon paper on the candle, and then traced over this design with the embossing tool. 

At first, I had intended to draw a cross in the central circle, and then, on the other four circles, I wanted to draw the ‘Alpha’ and ‘Omega’, and the year in Arabic numerals: ‘20′ - ‘20′. However, it was only after I had painted the quincunx that I recalled that the five incense grains would have to pierce these five circles, thus obscuring these symbols. So, an alternative solution had to be found! Incidentally, the five incense grains stand for the wounds of Christ, or the nails that pierced his body. I bought these golden pine-cones of wax from Italy, where they’re commonly used to pierce the Paschal candle – rather different from the brass pins we’re accustomed to in England, but they seem to work very well with this candle, and they add to the Romanitas of the design. 

It was fitting, then, that this quincunx at the centre of the Paschal candle stand for the Cross of Christ, and for his Five Wounds – an observation made by James Joyce concerning the quincunx symbol. However, the quincunx is a rich symbol: as we’ve seen it also stands for the whole created order, which is now redeemed and transformed by the Risen Christ; or it stands for Christ in majesty surrounded by his four evangelists; or for the four Platonic elements of creation (fire, water, earth, and air) with the fifth element in the centre being aether, the Aristotelian quintessence. This design, therefore, signifies that all of creation is raised up and renewed by Christ rising from the dead; the whole cosmos is subjected to the imperial Christ, and resounds with the joy of his Gospel.  

 Our Lady’s Rosary and the Paschal Lamb

Having decided on the central cross-shaped quincunx, I knew I needed two more roundels that I wanted to add to lenghten the overall design. At the bottom would go the emblem of the Rosary Shrine, which is the monogram of the Blessed Virgin Mary surrounded by the Rosary. 

I needed another emblem that would balance this at the top, and I chose the Lamb of God, a symbol of the Risen Lord. As St Paul says: “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us” (1 Cor 5:7), and this text is used in the Communion chant of Easter Sunday. 

I searched for a medieval design of the Paschal lamb, and found this beautiful example on the ‘Cruz de Bagergue’ that dates from 1200. The Paschal lamb carries a flag featuring a red-cross on a white field, which is traditionally used as  an emblem of the Resurrection, but it also conveniently looks like the flag of St George, i.e., the flag of England, which is the land now rededicated as Our Lady’s Dowry! 

Alpha & Omega

However, what about the requisite signs on a Paschal candle? we needed a cross, and an Alpha, an Omega, and the numerals for this current calendar year. First, I painted a Greek cross in the central circle of the quincunx, using the alternating black and white Cross of the Dominican Order. But I fashioned it as a Greek cross, and around this I wrote the Greek letters IC XC NIKA. This emblem, called the Greek Christogram, has been in use since the 8th century, and it was found throughout Byzantium, notably on imperial coinage. It is a reference to the victory of Constantine at the Milvian Bridge in 312, and the Greek letters spell out: “Jesus Christ Conquers” i.e. through his Cross. By the 9th-century this emblem was believed to be apotropaic, that is to say, it is believed to have the power to drive away evil. 

Continuing to be inspired by Byzantine art, I looked to examples of Crosses which had an Alpha and an Omega, the Greek letters for the Beginning and the End (cf Rev 22:13) hanging from them. The Altar Cross in Westminster Cathedral notably has these letters of the Greek alphabet hanging from its arms, and I researched and found medieval engravings and medallions with the same device. However, in all the old Byzantine images, the Omega was drawn not with the uppercase Ω but rather the lowercase ω. So, on the Paschal candle, I drew two jewelled Greek letters, the uppercase A and the lowercase ω suspended from the Cross-shaped quincunx. Following on from this, it seemed best to put the date above these, but rather than to write the date in Arabic numerals (2020), I opted to stay with the Roman-Byzantine theme, and so I chose the neat Roman numerals (MMXX), inscriped above the horizontal roundels of the quincunx.

Flora and Beasts

Finally, I decided to add a few small elements to the candle so that not everything was centred around the middle portion of the candle. Near the top, I painted some bees, and then I added some to the bottom as well. Why bees? This is again a classical reference: Virgil, too, praised the industry and society of bees, and the Exsultet, which dates to at least the 4th century, says this concerning the Paschal candle: 

“On this, your night of grace, O holy Father, accept this candle, a solemn offering, the work of bees and of your servants’ hands, an evening sacrifice of praise, this gift from your most holy Church. But now we know the praises of this pillar, which glowing fire ignites for God’s honour, a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light, for it is fed by melting wax, drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious.”

Where there are bees, there ought to be flowers, so I added a few pink flowers, a reference to the cherry blossom (sakura 桜) which appear at this time, and which the Japanese enjoying viewing in the Spring (called hanami 花見), as a meditation on transience and impermanence, and the fleetingness of beauty. The exercise of painting the candle, I realised, is an exercise in detachment and impermanence because I would also come to sit in church, watching the candle burn down over the course of the year, and so consume and destroy that which I had painted. Sic transit gloria mundi! 

Finally, I added a skep, the medieval bell-shaped hive made from coiled straw developed by apiculturists, and the hive is dripping with golden honey. It seemed fitting that the bees should have a place to live, and that their hive should be of the kind commonplace in Europe during the time that the Cosmati family engaged in their particular golden industry. 

And then, as a little personal indulgence, I added a portrait of my beloved priory cat Felix. First consulting a book of ‘Cats in Medieval Manuscripts’, I adapted an illustration from the ‘Luttrell Psalter’, c.1325-35, and gave the cat the same colouring and pattern as Felix, who has a fine coat that looks like a Dominican habit. Felix has quite a penchant for sweet things – even though he’s not allowed them – and I am sure he’d love some honey, towards which he’s shown extending his paw. 

Technique

I wanted to avoid seeing brush stokes in the quincunx, so I learnt to dab my brush rather than just paint it in broad strokes. I realised that I didn’t need a lot of paint - often a pea-sized blob would suffice, with an equal sized blob of the acrylic binder: mix these well, and then, let it dry a little; the less wet the paint, the easier it was to paint on the wax. I learnt that, with acrylics, if one made a mistake, one could easily run over it with a wet brush, and the water washed away the paint like an eraser. As time went on, I rather enjoyed painting the candle, and it took me about 2 hours a day for 5 days, which is far quicker than I had expected. 

Final Reflections

As Providence would have it, I began work on the Paschal candle on the Monday of Passiontide. By that time, public Masses had ceased because of the coronavirus pandemic, and then, having more time on my hands, this project became a Godsend because it gave me something to focus on; it took my mind off the worries of the present moment. Painting the candle became an act of love, something beautiful and devotional that I could do for God and for the sacred Liturgy; it became a prayer, and indeed, I would pray as I painted the Rosary, or the Paschal Lamb. Finally, on Easter night, I pierced the quincunx with the wax pine-cones of encased incense, and then I saw it lit and raised high on the Paschal candle stand. And then, I was privileged to be the first to incense the candle, and then, to sing the Exsultet that praised God for it, asking that its 

“flame be found still burning by the Morning Star: the one Morning Star who never sets, Christ your Son, who, coming back from death's domain, has shed his peaceful light on humanity, and lives and reigns for ever and ever.”

Amen.

[earthstory]

Cave of the Swimmers Helps Uncover Ancient Lake Beds

Wadi Sura of southwestern Egypt is rich in rock art; in fact, its name loosely translates to “Valley of Pictures”. It’s also one of the driest places on Earth. Even so, the 5,000 to 9,000-year-old pictographs have inspired scientists to search the area for signs of abundant water.

Ancient artists painted giraffes, ostriches, cattle, and other animals; suggesting they had those creatures around them to inspire their art. Cave of the Swimmers even has paintings that were originally thought to show a person swimming, floating, and diving; although recently this interpretation has been called into question. Regardless, the “swimmers” and other paintings were enough to make scientists think the area once had a stable water supply. Scientists went in search of these ancient water sources and found mineral deposits that looked similar to bathtub rings in two separate valleys about 5 kilometers (3 miles) apart in the Gebel Uweinat region; about 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Cave of the Swimmers. The horizontal alignment of the deposits suggests standing water, leading researchers to conclude both must have been relatively stable lakes.

It’s not certain that these two lakes are the source of the painters’ inspiration: the mineral deposits are 8,100 years old for one lake and 9,400 for the other, but most of the paintings are thought to be younger; meaning that either those lakes dried up before most of the artists were born, or the pictographs are older than most scientists currently think. Dating rock art is difficult and there is a wide range of opinion on the age of the art. It’s also not clear how the lakes could have formed and maintained their water levels. More research is planned to try and resolve these issues.

RE

Photo Credit: Roland Unger http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WadiSuraSwimmers.jpg Read More: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-art-scientists-ancient-lakes.html http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/all_current_projects/african_rock_art_image_project/themes/wadi_sura.aspx

[gravedice]

Found out you can use pictures as keyboard themes on Google Keyboard, so now I have Valefar Vs Gebel as a keyboard too.

[anniekoh]

instagram city

After I read Anne Helen Petersen‘s 2018 Buzzfeed article on how bachelorette party goers (who took over Nashville) wait an hour or more to take their Instagram photo in front of a mural of giant angel wings, I’ve been obsessed with how Instagram is shaping urban life. Here is a round-up of related articles. 

Your Entire City Is an Instagram Playground Now Byrnes, Hurley, Sneed, Capps, and Schneider (2017, CityLab) 

Adam Sneed: As one mural booster told LA Downtown News: “...developers are looking to attract a buzz and activate building plazas and create a storyline for their projects, they are looking for artworks that are interactive, unique and ideally have a functional component.” That’s not how people talk about Banksy.These murals are interesting because they resemble the edgy stuff. The average young passerby treats them the same way: stand next to one, look nonchalant, snap a pic, and post it. It’ll look cool. It’ll probably be a hit among followers. It might even encourage one or two of them to check out a part of town they hadn’t considered before. For a new luxury apartment building looking for renters, what’s not to like?

HOW INSTAGRAM IS RUINING TRAVEL David Annand (2016, CondeNast Traveller)

Which is amusing to watch as just the right amount of casualness is central to the Influencer aesthetic which aspires to a kind of auto-paparazzo feel, as if they've been snapped in a moment of artless (but really awfully pretty) contemplation as they quietly go about their astonishingly glamorous lives. This conscious inversion of the deliberate artifice of the fashion shoot is designed to convince the 'influenced' that they're getting a fly-on-the-wall perspective on how these people actually live. Photography no longer encourages seeing; it simply encourages projecting, turning the world's great vistas into mere backdrops for the self.

SELFIE FACTORIES: THE RISE OF THE MADE-FOR-INSTAGRAM MUSEUM Arielle Pardes (2017, Wired.com) 

The Rain Room wasn't designed for social media, but its raving success online demonstrated a hunger for these types of exhibits. In some cities, people waited in line for as long as eight hours for their chance to get a photo inside. To some, it proved there was a market waiting to be served. “I was noticing that exhibitions like Yayoi Kusama's 'Fireflies on the Water' were all of a sudden garnering these big crowds,” says Piera Gelardi, the Executive Creative Director and co-founder of digital media brand Refinery29. "I thought that was an interesting opportunity for us to expose people to new types of artwork and concepts, but also create a space in which they could kind of be the star of the show."This year marks the third year of Refinery 29's pop-up installation space, 29Rooms, in New York. (The exhibit will make its way to Los Angeles this winter; tickets, ranging from $19 to $85, have already sold out.) The exhibit features things like a human snow globe and a "cloud pool" made from blocks of blue foam, spread throughout 29 themed rooms. Maybe the question is not whether or not these spaces contain art, or even what their relationship to social media says at all, but instead: What do we get out of these spaces? Do they make us think and reflect and see the world differently? Or does the experience inside amount to the little square photo you post online?

Instagram Feeding Frenzy: How 'Influencers' Are Changing the Food Scene Michelle Ruiz (2016, BonAppetit)

“If a restaurant doesn't have Instagram... it weirds me out,” Gebel said.

Stefan Sagmeister offers up his Instagram account as a design clinic Ali Morris (2017, Dezeen)

In an Opinion piece for Dezeen, architecture and design critic Alexandra Lange argued that architects should encourage dialogue on social media accounts such as Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr. "Social media can make criticism, interpretation, dialogue and history part of daily life," she said. The photo-sharing app has influenced the way Dezeen covers major architectural projects, as it allows us to publish roundups of new buildings before the official photos have been released. Recent stories include images of Jean Nouvel's National Museum of Qatar and Zaha Hadid's 520 West 28th condo building in New York.

[digital-elixir]

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an action RPG by Koji Igarashi. You play as Miriam who has the power of crystal shards coursing through her body. Battle through a demon-infested castle and defeat its master to save yourself, and all of humanity!⁣ ⁣ Bloodstained follows the tried and true Symphony of the Night approach. Various weapons behave differently and a large selection of armor and accessories allow one to create exciting builds. I mostly used the sword, but enjoyed the Spear and Whip. The Shard system is the best part of the game. Almost every enemy has an ability which can be used once their shard has been obtained. Some are silly, others are incredibly powerful. I loved the way Miriam voiced each spell with fervor.⁣ ⁣ While some might criticize the cartoon / cell shaded visuals and slightly low res textures, I found the characters, environments, enemies and spell effects to be wonderful. Bright, saturated colors are everywhere and fit the gothic horror theme. Miriam’s and Gebel’s design are top notch.⁣ ⁣ Michiru Yamane, Keisuke Ito and Ryusuke Fujioka composed many pleasing and beautiful tracks in ROTN. “Lost Garden”, “Gears of Fortune”, “Forgotten Jade”, “Autumn’s Desolation”, “Theme of Gebel”, “Theme of Johanes”, “The Executioners” and “Silent Howling” all deserve a listen.⁣ ⁣ I enjoyed my time with Bloodstained. If you’re in the mood for a Castlevania style game, there is plenty of content, customization and challenge to keep you occupied for quite some time. Greatly looking forward to the sequel!⁣ ⁣ #bloodstained #ritualofthenight #rotn #505games #artplay #keisukeito #ryusukefujioka #michiruyamane #kojiigarashi #igavania #castlevania #metroidvania #sotn #konami #vampire #videogame #videogames #gamer #gaming #gamecollector #gamecollection #kickstarter #ps4 https://www.instagram.com/p/CT0eONPJyVc/?utm_medium=tumblr

[edvonstein]

Ok, time for my crackpot theories on Bloodstained Ritual of the Night given what we learned in Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 2. Before the cutoff for spoiler reasons, two notes:

Yes, there’s probably a million reddit threads about this now, reddit can burn.

Yes, I know RotN is not connected to the CotM games except having the same characters. Heck, the CotM games are barely connected. but this does deal with a surprising connection they do have.

More below the break beware lotsa spoilers for all three Bloodstained games.

I didn’t realize how much I’d ramble, there’s a tl;dr at the end.

So first of, if you came in here not knowing what’s what but don’t mind spoilers, let me talk about the RotN big twist real quick.

The shop keeper, Dominique, an exorcist from “the Church” turns out to be the true villain all along, working alongside Gremory, a moon goddess, in manipulating Gebel into summoning the hell castle that the game takes place in to lure in Miriam to use her pure crystal to summon Bael, the most powerful of the demons according to the game.

So, naturally when Dominique was revealed as a playable character the like ten seconds of speculation time we were given before the game was already released had folks wondering what in blazes could be leading her to be one of the good guys? My argument now is, what in blazes let to her becoming one of the bad guys in RotN actually.

In that game she says the calamity ten years before the game, where the Alchemy Guild massacred their shardbinder creations in a blood sacrifice to summon an army of demons to terrorize the English landscape because money, let to her realizing that God is a douche who doesn’t give a fuck and wanted to gain the power to slay God. Along the way she clearly just became straight up psychopathic because her initial goal, rooted in empathy for the people who died, has become lost, as now she doesn’t care how many people she will murder. I mean it would help put a dent in imperialism a little, but still.

That does feel quite drastic for a woman of the cloth, but I mean, it’s not impossible, it could literally just be that.

But let’s talk about something both CotM and RotN have in common besides bosses and characters. Specifically the concept of the true final boss of the “ally” route.

After beating Normal mode in CotM you unlock Nightmare mode where you play as Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel trying to free Zangetsu from the demonic powers that have taken a hold of him after saving them from some ominous sphere of darkness Gremory, the game’s final boss here, threw at them. This mode has a different final stage with a boss fight against Demon Lord Zangetsu instead of Gremory. Meanwhile, at the end of Zangetsu mode in RotN, the final bossfight is against Miriam, the big good girl of the game, who spend the entire game helping everybody, having succumbed to demonic forces herself, and Zangetsu has to stop her. The bad end of RotN does have Gremory take control of Miriam, but we don’t have a moon to slice in this battle like Gebel’s battle had. So it probably wasn’t Gremory taking control here. It could have been just the shard corruption having reached critical mass (Demons appear to be crystalline in nature and Shardbinders like Miriam and Gebel can absorb these crystals to gain powers, but are slowly turned fully crystalline themselves over time.)

So let’s shift gears real quick and talk about Dominique again... specifically her appearance in CotM2. She is met with distrust by... well, two of her partners, Zangetsu, and Robert both aren’t too fond of her. But Zangetsu quickly turns around. Robert never does learn to trust her in Episode 1. His biggest regret. ‘Cause she kinda sacrifices herself to save them from a big ball of darkness like Zangetsu did at the end of Normal mode in the first game.

Episode 2 and EX are both about saving her from that corruption. We later (in the Final episode) learn that Dominique actually *is* a schemer and she did *intend* to be corrupted by that demon, Mephisto, because her family had been trying to kill that big boy for a long while now, but a demon can only be killed if it takes physical form, so she let him posses her so that Zangetsu and his demon slayer sword could finish the job. She was ready to die to get this one demon killed. She was at her own breaking point in this battle and saw no way out and no reason to go on if she could just take this fucker with her.

...Except travelling with Zangetsu and Robert and Hachi forged bonds between them and her, and she realized she wanted to live after all. Zangetsu eventually gains the means to cut both of them down without harming Dominique, using a sword that only harms demons, the Zanmatou.

So yeah, here we have a woman who is selfless to a fault, and loves deeply (no, not talking about ships here) who... becomes an omnicidal maniac later on? Feels off. And we do see her, Miriam, and Zangetsu, all possessed at some point. So it clearly is a theme in Bloodstained.

So, let me touch on Mephisto real quick.He is the final boss of both Episode 2 and Episode EX in CotM2. And *this* is what he looks like.

Those of you who played even a brief moment of Ritual of the Night probably are doing a double take right now. Because yeah... the final boss is the RotN save room.

Mephisto, the demon Dominique’s family has sworn to slay is... always there on our adventure to slay... Dominique? Again, CotM and RotN do not share a timeline, so on one hand what happens in one doesn’t have to have happened in the other... but they still share a core universe... same characters are generally portrayed the same (for as little portraying as we get in CotM)

So here’s my theory regarding Dominique, and also Miriam and Zangetsu mode: Both were possessed by Mephisto, first Dominique while she was probably throwing herself headlong into her battle with Mephisto in her grief, defeated him, but not in a way that matters, got possessed, and her thoughts of vengeance against God which I’ve no doubt she actually harbored, were amblified a lot, and she used her natural scheming abilities to bring about this, rather than the demise of Mephisto like in CotM2. Once Miriam defeated her, Mephisto, also playing the long game, having been there, watching Miriam this whole time, possibly injectin a little of his essence each time she visited his room (the orange orbs in the save room pic enter Miriam if she saves).

Mephisto does not appear to be a well known entity in the Bloodstained universe, Zangetsu, a demonslayer by profession had to be told about him, and Miriam was probably even less likely to know... or, if she did know through the Alchemy guilt, might have just written off this statue of Mephisto appearing everywhere, even the galleon they approached the demon castle (dracula) on as just that... a statue. A curious quirk in the space time continuum that she keeps seeing here and there, no doubt brought on by the crystal in her body.

Miriam, is referred to as the blue rose and uses weapons with that name. And Mephisto appears to have a giant blue crystal rose for his chest, so Miriam may well have been marked by Mephisto as the one he wants to inhabit to reign terror upon the world.

Dominique does have dark red crystals admittedly, and she may not have been a shardbinder until after we started our adventure in RotN. So one alternative is that Dominique wasn’t possessed. Mephisto did take her into his body after all in CotM2. But she could have been mind controlled instead. Gebel spends the entire game under Gremory’s mind control and while that control wasn’t perfect, Mephisto could simply be better at it than Gremory... or Mephisto just had a hold on her so long that by now Dominique is just too far gone.

Bloodstained’s universe is... mucky, but intentionally so, it seems. There’s no telling how much the games settings *actually* share. but this seems feasible to me, considering that the series so far seems to be 11 or so different timelines smashed together. Not one ending of CotM leads up to CotM2, even though the plot premise does lead up to it. RotN is like a reboot to CotM entirely. I know IGA wanted to get away from the rigid timeline of the Castlevania series with this, so he now just does whatever he wants it seems. To quote my adaption of a Mahoutsukai Precure meme for Hugtto Precure.

It’s time travel, I ain’t gotta explain shit.

So who knows if I am right. But I like the idea.

tl;dr: I think Dominique and Miriam in RotN were controlled or possessed by Mephisto from CotM2, because that boss is literally the save room from RotN

[flyingcarpettours]

Dahabiya Nile Cruises

Have a nice sailing trip with Dahabiya Nile Cruises and enjoy visiting aswan to see the beautiful city and the main attraction place the Philae Temple which is dedicated to goddess of motherhood isis, you will gain the experience of riding Felucca in the Nile and scout around Elephantine island the largest island in aswan it was built on the island to establish Egypt’s southern frontier, so it was the first defense line in Upper Egypt. Elephantine Island became an important customs point and trading center, The Island contains Ancient Egyptians artifacts due to its location at the first Cataract of the Nile, which provided a natural boundary between Egypt and Nubia.And visit the amazing historical Temple of abu simbel which contains two temples one the temple of queen Nefertari and the other temple of Ramses II. Then see the High Dam of Aswan, The Aswan dam was constructed to regulate the flow of the river, which serves the whole of Egypt Flooding of the Nile occurs annually, with almost half of the water being drained into the sea wastefully. The dam controls floods by regulating the flow of river and supplies water for irrigation throughout the year. This dam is 30.M wide and 50.M high.Or Discover the Ancient Egyptian history by visiting Kalabsha temple and Nubian Museum. Kalabsha Temple it located close to Lake Nasser, near the western end of Aswan High Dam. The temple dates back to the roman times, especially to the time of the roman emperor Augustus, later other emperor has contributed to the construction, such as kaligula and Trjan. It was moved to this spot from its originally location 30 miles to the south after the construction of the dam.Construction of the temple was begun at the end of the Ptolomaic Dynasty and actually completed under the rule of the Roman Emperor Augustus. The result is an interesting combination of imagery that includes Egyptian and Roman themes with images of Roman emperors and pharaohs worshipping with the Egyptian gods. The temple was dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis.

Itinerary: 06 Days / 05 NightsFriday Esna / Aswan Friday: At the time your flight touching Luxor Land, one delegate from Flying Carpet Tours will be holding a sign with your name, He will escort you to scout Luxor sites, unleash your soul between Valley of the Kings, Next visit Hatshepsut Temple, known now with the name of El-Deir El-Bahary, proceed to visit Colossi of Memnon, Watch the glory of the two huge statues, next tour to Karnak Temple with its huge Pillars hall, finally Flying Carpet Tours delegate will escort you to to Esna by air-conditioned van, arrive Esna, embarkation to Donia Dahabiya Nile Cruise, welcome by the Dahabiya Crew, overnight in Esna, Lunch included on board, Dinner and overnight on board Donia Dahabiya Nile Cruise. Saturday:Taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, sail to Edfu, once you arrive Edfu visit the ravishing Temple of Horus in Edfu by horse carriage, then walk to the comprehensive bazaar to buy souvenirs for your friends and family, back to your Dahabiya Nile Cruise, Lunch is waiting for you on board, then sail to "El Fouza" Private Island, disembarkation from your Dahabiya, dinner will be served on the brink of the Nile, overnight on board Donia Dahabiya Nile Cruise.Sunday:Taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, then sail to Gebel el Silsila, visit Gebel el Silsila Temple, Finally back to your Dahabiya, Lunch included on board, Dinner will be served on the brink of the Nile, or on the sundeck of your Dahabiya, it depends of the Weather, enjoy hearing to Egyptian Music to match the mood, overnight on board Donia Dahabiya Nile Cruise.Monday:Taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, sail to Kom Ombo, arrive Kom Ombo, scout the glorious of Kom Ombo Temple, finaly back to your Dahabiya, Lunch is waiting for you on board, then sail to small island, stay beside the Island, Dinner and overnight on board Donia Dahabiya Nile Cruise.Tuesday:Taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, then sail to Aswan, visit the fabulous High Dam, Feast your eyes by watching the glory of Philae Temple, unfinished Obelisk, and Aswan Market, finally back to your Dahabiya, Lunch is waiting for you on board, enjoy fabulous Evening in Aswan, have some fun of the Egyptian nights, including Egyptian music, and Galabiya Party, Dinner and overnight on board Donia Dahabiya Nile Cruise.Wednesday:Taste the flavor of your breakfast on board, then Flying Carpet Tours delegate will escort you to Aswan Airport or Aswan Train station for final departure.

Including:·     

Meet and assist upon your arrival and departure Accommodation on board Donia Dahabiya Nile Cruise including breakfast, lunch, dinner, All Sightseeing tours mentioned at the above itinerary 

.English speaking guide on board Donia Dahabiya Nile Cruise

·Entrance fees to the above mentioned sites 

.All Transfers by air-conditioned Van

·All Service Charges and taxes

Excluding: 

Visa to Egypt·    

Optional tours·

Tipping

Notes:

·Prices are quoted per person per trip in U.S. American Dollars.·

 .Prices are not valid during christmas, New Year or Easter Period

More info about: Dahabiya Nile Cruises

Tele :01099906242

Email: sales@flyingcarpettours.com

[kakarikoherald]

Nintendo Download (UK) - June 27th, 2019

UK, here’s your download!

Super Mario Maker 2 (Nintendo, €59.99 / £49.99) - Break the rules and make the Super Mario courses you’ve always dreamed of in Super Mario Maker 2! With lots of new tools, course parts and features at your disposal, let your imagination run wild as you craft unique levels to share with friends and players all over the world

Super Mario Maker 2 + Nintendo Switch Online (Nintendo, €69.99 / £59.99) - Bonus: Download code for Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership 12-month subscription.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (505 Games, €39.99 / £34.99) - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a gothic horror, side-scrolling, action RPG set in 18th century England. A paranormal force has summoned a demon-infested castle, revealing crystal shards infused with tremendous magical power. Play as Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist's curse which slowly crystallizes her body. To save humanity, and herself in the process, Miriam must fight through the castle and defeat the summoner, Gebel.

Fort Boyard (Microids, €29.99 / £26.99) - Cross the threshold of Fort Boyard and complete the challenges! Enter Fort Boyard and take up the challenge with more than 10 activities that combine Action and Party Games! Endurance, dexterity, and perseverance will be your best assets for collecting boyard coins.

MotoGP19 (Milestone, €59.99 / £49.99) - MotoGP19 celebrates passion for motorsports with many new features! With the Historical Challenges mode, you can relive the most exciting rivalries that made the history of the MotoGP! Compete with a faster, smarter and more accurate AI based on machine learning! Play with your favourite 2019 Championship rider and race on 19 different tracks! Discover all the classes: MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the new MotoE.

Psyvariar Delta (Dispatch Games, €26.44 / £23.50) - First released in arcades in 2000, this enhanced version retains the classic BUZZ system that lets players enjoy the thrill of levelling up by avoiding direct hits and evading enemy attacks just enough to graze their planes.

Soldam: Drop, Connect, Erase (Dispatch Games, €7.00 / £6.27) - Dispatch Games brings back the Jaleco arcade classic with, Soldam: Drop, Connect, Erase. The game has been refreshed with updated graphics and gameplay, but retains its arcade charm with its catchy music and unique style that have been fan favourites for many years.

Super Neptunia RPG (Reef Entertainment, €49.99 / £44.99) - Super Neptunia RPG lets players explore side-scrolling dungeons and fight in turn-based battles with all-new art and animations! Settle the debate once and for all – which games are better: 2D or 3D!

Devil May Cry (CAPCOM, €19.99 / £15.99) - The first appearance of Dante, the ultimate devil hunter! With the blood of a legendary demon warrior flowing through his veins, Dante takes on a mission from the mysterious Trish to travel to Mallet Island and defeat Mundus, the king of the underworld. But this is no ordinary job for Dante, who is also motivated by revenge... Use your sword and dual guns to pull off flashy combos in this classic title which introduced the "stylish action" genre to the world.

Terraria (505 Games, €29.99 / £24.99) - The very world is at your fingertips as you fight for survival, fortune, and glory. Delve deep into cavernous expanses, seek out ever-greater foes to test your mettle in combat, or construct your own city - In the World of Terraria, the choice is yours!

We. The Revolution (Klabater, €19.99 / £17.99) - We. The Revolution is a unique game with a singular art style set in the blood-soaked and paranoid world of the French Revolution, where often you could not tell a friend from an enemy. As a judge of the Revolutionary Tribunal, you will pass sentences and play a dangerous political game. At the end of a day you will also confront your decisions with your family.

SEGA AGES Virtua Racing (SEGA, €6.99 / £5.99) - Experience the herald of modern racing games, Virtua Racing! It's a race against time, but be careful, running into opponents and obstacles will slow you down. Can you beat the clock? Now featuring rankings and replays, online 2-player races, offline multiplayer races (up to 8-players at once on a single Nintendo Switch), the crash-disabling helper mode, and motion controls.

Azuran Tales: TRIALS (Tiny Trinket Games, €12.99 / £11.69) - Armies of undead, flying sharks and the price of immortality. Azuran Tales: Trials is a brutal platformer with RPG elements, challenging combat and merciless enemies. Journey across the World of Azuran as you discover its beautiful levels, expansive lore and unravel the mystery of Magrath. But don't expect an easy journey as you explore this world full of lore, monsters, traps, and unique bosses. This game is straightforward and hard to beat so you will be forced to learn and adapt or fail and die each and every time!

Baobabs Mausoleum Ep.2: 1313 Barnabas Dead End Drive (Zerouno Games, €5.99 / £5.39) - Welcome to Flamingos Creek, the ghostly town which only appears every 25 years in Albatros Road. A town that only appears in nightmares! Now arrives the second Baobabs Mausoleum chapter with “Baobabs Mausoleum Ep.2: 1313 Barnabas Dead End Drive” which follows the adventure of our FBI Agent Watracio Walpurgis in his quest: Escape from Flamingos Creek. Now you can explore Flamingos Creek wilfully! You will find the logic evolution of an “open town”, where you will have a profound experience with the town, its inhabitants, main story and secondary missions.

Bitlogic - A Cyberpunk Arcade Adventure (OXiAB Game Studio, €5.95 / £4.99) - Bitlogic is an action and adventure game elegantly classic but enhanced with new adapted graphics. In the game you take control of Bit, your personal avatar in a virtual cyberpunk world full of dangerous enemies, hidden paths and digital mysteries. Immerse yourself in Bit's universe and dare to uncover the secrets behind the source code. Explore, defend yourself and find the correct way to the heart and soul of Bitlogic. This Bitlogic version is an enhanced adaptation of our Bitlogic MSX game.

Chiki-Chiki Boxy Pro Wrestling (The Pocket Company, €13.49 / £12.14) - The battle gong sounds! Make your way through the tournament, aiming for the top! The controls are easy! You can bust out flashy moves with just a single button. Unleash jump attacks, drops, holds, and specials, carrying them out just how you think of them! Up to 6 players can play. Compete in intense battles with players from all around the world! Combine your favourite parts and moves to create your very own custom wrestler!

Dandy Dungeon - Legend of Brave Yamada - (Onion Games, €15.39 / £13.85) - Yamada-kun (age 36) is a programmer at a major game publisher. He hates his job. Deep into every night, alone in his apartment, he works on his own game: it's an RPG, and he is the hero, Brave Yamada! One day, he falls in love at first sight with his new neighbour Maria-chan and in an effort to nurture these feelings, adds Princess Maria into his game! Will Yamada-kun and Maria-chan find love? Find out in this unique RPG from Onion Games!

DOBUTSU SHOGI WORLD (SILVERSTAR, €34.99 / £31.49) - Master Shogi easily with this game! Let’s play and learn Shogi on three levels! A game played on a 3×4 square board with eight animal pieces. Cute animal pieces have marks to show the direction of movement. Easy rules. Have fun learning basic Shogi!

Epic Astro Story (Kairosoft, €10.00 / £8.99) - Ready to test your mettle against the final frontier? Pioneer an untamed planet, building roads and houses for your fellow denizens of the future. Cultivate your quaint colony into a stellar space citadel, and you'll pull alien tourists from everywhere this side of Alpha Centauri!

Furwind (JanduSoft, €8.99 / £8.09) - Furwind is a colourful, pixel art style, action-platformer game that evokes the challenging classics of the old days. Embark on this epic adventure in which a little fox will fight the ominous darkness that is invading its world.

Goonya Fighter (MUTAN, €4.27 / £3.85) - A different kind of fighting game! Even with just one Nintendo Switch device, up to 4 people can fight it out. Are you ready to become a Goonya Fighter? Walk too far and you flop over; punch the wrong way and be sent flying! And get back up again just as easily! For beginners and pros alike, welcome to a different kind of fighting game.

Graveyard Keeper (tinyBuild Games, €19.99 / £17.99) - Graveyard Keeper is the most inaccurate medieval cemetery management sim of the year. Build & manage your own graveyard while finding shortcuts to cut costs, expand into entertainment with witch-burning festivals, and scare nearby villagers into attending church. This is a game of capitalism and doing whatever it takes to build a thriving business.

Human Rocket Person (2nd Studio, €4.49 / £4.04) - Join Human Rocket Person on the adventure of a lifetime as he tries to save the universe. Jump your way through different levels on your incredible pogo stick. Fly with special abilities and master the awkward controls.

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love (Artifex Mundi, €19.99 / £17.99) - Experience the totalitarian Matryoshka through the eyes of Evan – a low-ranking, goofy journalist involuntarily pulled right into the middle of an espionage stand-off between two powers. Jump into the wacky spy adventure, uncover secrets of the bizarre communist country (and the powerful capitalist empire!), witness a story full of unpredictable twists and turns, and discover the true agenda of the mysterious Supreme Leader!

Lines X (Nestor Yavorskyy, €0.74 / £0.66) - Lines X is a Numberlink-based puzzle game involving finding paths to connect coloured tiles in a grid: 100 brain-teasing Numberlink puzzles, beautiful abstract design, more than 10 colour themes, 8 ambient relaxing soundtracks.

NEKOPARA Vol.3 (CFK, €10.99 / £9.89) - "NEKOPARA Vol.3", the third instalment of the world-famous NEKOPARA adventure game series, has arrived on Nintendo Switch! Prepare for a brand-new story in which Maple and Cinnamon take centre stage! The game has been updated for its console release, which includes a completely new opening movie and song as well as full-HD graphics. NEKOPARA is once again ready to serve its loyal customers all around the world!

Penguin Wars (Dispatch Games, €13.22 / £11.89) - Join Riley and his friends on their journey to Gira Gira land. Collect items and earn candy to evolve your favourite character. You can also buy "Gira Skills" that let you learn special moves for each character. You can play one on one, two on two, or even play with different rules such as using bombs and other items against your opponents. Each character has a different skill set so make sure to use and master appropriate characters to help you on your journey.

Q-YO Blaster (Forever Entertainment, €8.99 / £8.09) - Q-YO Blaster is a horizontal Shoot 'Em Up , with peculiar characters, strange enemies, bullets, many bullets and many explosions. Enter the miniature world and stop the threat. Enjoy the rudeness with weapons, special powers and help from mystical beings. Q-YO Blaster has a nice 2d environment with detailed pixel art scenarios, varied enemies section, stages, powers, improvements and many more!

Rain City (ORENDA, €6.72 / £5.96) - The game begins with the main character, a cat, who embarks to Rain City to find his sister. The story is both bizarre and exciting making players get lost in a mushroom field, search for a secret passage, and run experiments in a laboratory. The reason rain continues in Rain City is uncovered when players find his missing sister...

SEGA AGES Wonder Boy: Monster Land (SEGA, €6.99 / £5.99) - Sequel to the original Wonder Boy, Wonder Boy: Monster Land returns in SEGA AGES for Nintendo Switch! The arcade platform action RPG stars a now-teenage Tom-Tom, also known as Wonder Boy. Having previously saved Wonder Land from clutches of the evil king, the hero is called upon again when the evil MEKA dragon invades. It's up to Wonder Boy to defeat all the monsters in the now-called "Monster Land." Fight monsters, purchase magical weapons, and traverse the realm today!

War Tech Fighters (Blowfish Studios, €17.99 / £15.99) - Travelling across the galaxy, the rebel colonies of Hebos and Ares join forces to battle against the Zatros empire with the deadliest weapons ever built – War Techs. Taking space combat to a whole new level, War Techs are giant mechs that combine cold precision and state of the art technology in the battlefields of space.

Attack of the Toy Tanks (Ratalaika Games, €3.99 / £3.99) - War is coming whether you’re ready for it or not soldier! In Attack of the Toy Tanks, across the game’s 60 levels in the main campaign, players must take control of the provided vehicle of war and battle it out across different arenas and be the last tank standing.

Headball Soccer Deluxe (Cool Small Games, €4.99 / £4.49) - Smash the football and score goals in this addicting football game! Aim your big head headers and perfect your kick skills to destroy your opponent's team defence. Use the slime, ice, and gum to your max advantage in offence skills! Decorate your characters with a variety of costumes. Create the best athletes by developing characters in your own way! Game on!

Maddening Euphoria (Chequered Ink, €0.99 / £0.99) - Maddening Euphoria is a unique, challenging arcade game with randomly generated level design, in which you control brother and sister duet Mason and Millicent Zane as they flee from their own imagined realisation of their troubles in life - an inescapable wall of death - while avoiding bottomless pits, deadly spikes and speed-reducing pools of thick goo. Keep within spitting distance of the wall to receive a short, colourful Second Wind speed boost and gain the opportunity to be one-eighth euphoric.

Rally Rock 'N Racing (EnjoyUp Games, €7.99 / £7.19) - In Rally Rock 'N Racing, you’ll enjoy a wide variety of natural environments, such as deserts, snow-covered mountains, forests... where you can show your skill at the wheel, competing against everyone to become the fastest. The game has several modes, such as Championship, Time Trial, Arcade, and 4-player multiplayer.

Arcade Archives CLU CLU LAND (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) - "CLU CLU LAND" is an action game released by Nintendo in 1984. In "CLU CLU LAND", you control of the main character, GLOOPY, to find hidden gold ingots hidden around the stage. GLOOPY automatically moves forward, but by holding and releasing the turn posts at the right time, you can send GLOOPY off in different directions. You are also able to enjoy playing together in coop mode.

Real Drift Racing (Cool Small Games, €3.74 / £3.36) - Time to unleash the demon of speed! Drifting, speed and competition - all in one game! Get ready to drive on high-performance cars and make them drift at lightning speed on realistic tracks. Improve your racing and drifting skills as you earn cash to buy new cars! Tune and customize your cars and become the best driver in the world!

Spell Casting: Purrfectly Portable Edition (Hidden Trap, €9.99 / £8.99) - Spell Casting is a line drawing puzzle game in which you are a young wizard learning spells in the comfort of your home thanks to Wizardly Distance Education offered by the prestigious Magical Education Of Wizards School!

Switch eShop - Demos Dragon Quest Builders 2 Demo(Nintendo, Free) - Dragon Quest Builders 2 is headed to Nintendo Switch. Combining both RPG and crafting gameplay together, this game is all about gathering materials to create things like weapons, buildings, and even entire towns! With the help of the mysterious Malroth and other villagers, you’ll be exploring large islands, finding quests, and battling monsters and bosses scattered around the world. Are you prepared to take on the Children of Hargon?

Grass Cutter - Mutated Lawns (Sometimes You, Free) - The goal is to cut the grass. Very simple, but only at first glance… Grass Cutter calls for focus and commitment. Just one blink of an eye – and you lost. It is very challenging! The game is made in a cubic retro-style, has high complexity at advanced levels and is ready to truly test your reaction!

GOD EATER 3 Demo (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Free) - The latest numbered entry in the popular God Eater franchise has finally come to the Nintendo Switch! Now you can experience the game's intriguing story, distinct characters, and stylish, high-speed combat whenever you're on the go, both alone and with friends!

Desktop BaseBall Trial Edition (SAT-BOX, Free) - Watch as your desk transforms into a baseball stadium! Come for the simple controls, stay for the deep strategy. Customize your team down to the uniforms, bats, and pitches and then aim for the big leagues!

Strikey Sisters Demo (DYA GAMES, Free) - Say hello to a fantasy-themed arcade action brick breaker! Featuring cute characters, silly humour, powerful magic, crazy boss battles, and even a local 2 player co-op mode!

For the US Download, click right here!

[thatcritical-hit-blog]

5 Games worth a look that are coming out soon....ish. Maybe. Next year. Or the year after.

The Waiting Game

There are a myriad number of new games that will grace our consoles/ pcs/ mobiles in the following months. As to what is coming out I will humbly provide a list of some of the more interesting and obscure titles that may have slipped under the radar for many or been shouted down by other louder triple A titles. 

V) Absolver 

By and large one of the most interesting games so far is a fighting title that seeks to break with convention and focus on a unique style of fighting. Absolver is based in the fallen Adal empire and you are a prospective Absolver, masters of martial arts and sworn to maintain stability in a ruined kingdom. Burgeoning Absolvers are called Prospects and they are thrust into the world to learn all that they can of fighting wether its fighting an NPC, challenging another player or training under another player as their apprentice and they your master.  

As you go through Absolver you begin to put together a combat deck, allowing you to personalise your fighting style with each attack you make shifting you stance and making a seamless transition between each movement. 

Absolver looks to be a title that will be heavy on player customisation as everything is changeable. From your armour to weaponry, attack style and other cosmetic changes. If your a little tired of the same formula and wish to try your luck in an eye catching new online multiplayer fighter then I would recommend this game wholeheartedly.

IV) Death’s Gambit

Similar in style to dark souls, Death’s Gambit puts you in the shoes of a undead knight sworn into Death’s service so that you can rid a planet of immortals, be they beasts, knights or other horrors. 

White Rabbit, the makers of the game, have clearly been heavily influenced by a number of titles ranging from Darks Souls to Shadow of the colossus. Perhaps the biggest draw for many will be the metroidvania style of gameplay that encourages players to think outside the box and each level has great replay-ability.

Visually the game looks great and its always good to see new 2D games built for modern systems. That nostalgic tick is often what sells these games in the first place and seeing as were not getting any new (good) castelvania games this is definitely one to watch. 

III) Eitr

Sticking with that souls theme we move on to a title that sorely needs to be released, Eitr. You take on the mantle of the shield maiden in a ruined world that is slowly being destroyed. Your mission is to traverse the nine norse realms and restore the light to Yggdrasil. 

Eitr sets itself apart from souls however by employing a loot system similar to Diablo, and having seen gameplay for it. The game feels more like Diablo but given Dark Souls homework for it to read from. Development for Eitr is on going but it looks like an incredible game. If you need to scratch that souls itch look no further. 

II) Indivisible

Another game that is still in development, Indivisible is brought to you by the team behind the popular fighting game Skull girls. The story follows Ajna as she travels the world to learn about her mysterious powers. 

The game plays very similarly to Valkyrie Profile and uses the same battle system but more fast paced, making you think on your feet and adjust your strategy to fit the enemies you fight.  

Indivisible is a great game but has sadly gone unnoticed for a while now. Hopefully we’ll here more news soon but all information so far promises this to be a game well worth playing. 

Forgot to mention that several Indie games have collabs in this as you can Summon Shovel Knight, The drifter from Hyper light Drifter and even one of the Skull Girls puts in an appearance. For more information on how things are progressing go here: https://labzerogames.com/

I) Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

The Castlevania game we deserved but never got. The casual disregard that Konami have for such an amazing series is stunning. Nowadays Castlevania spends its retirement as a pachislot game. Dragging a classic name through the dirt unjustly.

But Koji Igarashi, the father of Castlevania has come forth to bring us Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night! ......Eventually. 

The only downside to this fantastic game is that Bloodstained’s release has been pushed back to 2018 but speaking personally I would rather they take their time over this and fine tune the game as much as they can.

In Bloodstained you take on the role of Miriam a young woman scarred by an alchemic curse. She now travels through a castle summoned by her old friend Gebel to find the cure to this curse. 

[possessedscholar]

Theme of Keisar Ephes (Balmarian Creator God Zyflud, Original Core of the Gebel Gan Eden.)

"All who live, the time to return to thy beginning has come.”

“The White Altar Of Old is now here.”

“ O Heavens, take heed! O Earth, incline thy ears!”

“....Hmhmhmhm.....HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"