#everything on steam AND emulators is available to me. do you know how many games that is!

[re-scanningblue]

DRAMAtical Murder Masterpost type thing (Links to buy things and a general introduction to what DMMd is)

So... since information on DRAMAtical Murder tends to be scattered and/or outdated, I'm making this. It's not necessarily needed, but hopefully it'll help someone, and it'll also satisfy my weird need to archive and compile things(?) lol. This will cover what DRAMAtical Murder even is, to how to play/purchase the game, to other links + resources for existing fans. This is mainly just… links to purchase things. So many links. If you have any suggestions, additions, or if something is incorrect, please let me know! If you have any questions at all, feel free to send me an ask or message- I will answer as best I can. A note about the links- links to sites where the item is unavailable are not included here. So there were other sites where things could be purchased, but are now not available, so I excluded them. I tried my best to check that all items were still available to purchase and that they were also official links (Although some of them I kind of couldn’t tell). If something becomes unavailable or a link doesn't work or etc, please let me know. Also, please be aware that as DMMd is an 18+ game, some links may contain adult content. Otherwise, is this post late by like 7 years? Yes. Moving on. 

Firstly...

What is DRAMAtical Murder?

DRAMAtical Murder (DMMd) is an r18 Boys Love Visual novel created by Nitro+CHiRAL back in 2012. It has 4 character routes, with a 5th unlockable one. All the routes have 2 endings each, a good and bad ending- with the exception of 1 who has multiple bad endings (Noiz). There was a sequel/fandisc released in 2013 with DRAMAtical Murder re:connect, a SFW PS Vita port in 2014 with DRAMAtical Murder re:code (with the explicit content cut out and an extra route added), and an Anime adaptation in the same year. There was also a stage play adaptation in late 2019. There was a fanmade translation patch released for DMMd and DMMd re:connect on AarinFantasy forums, which is how many fans experienced the game in English. It was only in recent years that DMMd, and other Nitro+CHiRAL games would get an offical English translation by JAST BLUE. Nitro+CHiRAL has released other BL games, with Togainu no Chi, Lamento, and Sweet Pool. Their most recent release is Slow Damage, which will be getting an offical English release as well. I encourage you to support and purchase the official release if you are able to. As the game is now out officially in English, there will be no links or etc to the patch in this post.

Here is one plot summary (Technically from the Anime but the other ones I found were google translate quality); The story takes place many years in the future where the game "Rhyme," a virtual fighting game, is incredibly popular and people possess "AllMates," convenient AI computers. Aoba leads an ordinary life, working at a junk shop and living with his grandmother on the island of Midorijima. Unlike his friends, he doesn't participate in Rhyme, nor does he belong in a gang. However, when rumors of people disappearing spread, Aoba finds himself needing to unravel the mysteries behind the island in order to protect his everyday life. So, basically, DMMd is a BL Visual novel. Like all Nitro+CHiRAL games, DMMd contains content some may find triggering- just as a small warning. Otherwise, and this is coming from a huge fan- I personally think DMMd is amazing. The characters are wonderful, their backstories are unique and makes them feel fleshed out and give the DMMd world more life, in a way- the music is incredible and really… there is nothing quite like DMMd, it's so wonderfully strange and great. I promise you it's so much more than just the explicit stuff. ...But again that's just me. Not everyone will like it and even some fans will not see it the same way I do, but anyway.

How can I play the game?

For the Japanese version; There are two versions of DMMd; the original, and the Windows 10 version. The original isn't sold anymore to my knowledge, however that version should still work on Windows 10. Please note you will need to set your system Locale to Japanese or use something like Locale Emulator/NTLEA to play the game, or it will not work. Setting your actual system Locale to Japanese may cause problems, so keep this in mind. For the English version; Simply use the links provided below to purchase the official English release of the game! Here are the links to purchase the games, including physical and digital copies. Some links may not work for English users, a VPN may be needed. It may also be possible to use a Proxy/Package forwarding service depending. DRAMAtical Murder; (ENGLISH) (JAST USA, uncensored) https://jastusa.com/dramatical-murder (Steam, censored) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1481080/DRAMAtical_Murder/ (Uncensor patch for the Steam version) https://jastusa.com/dramatical-murder-dlc-steam (Note that this patch is NOT needed if you bought the game from the JAST USA store) (J-List, uncensored physical copy) https://www.jlist.com/category/games-computers/visual-novels/blue003le

(JAPANESE) (Nitroplus Store, digital) https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np02077.html (DMM, digital) https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/hobe_0436/ (DMM, digital (English)) https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/en/detail/hobe_0436 (DMM, physical) https://www.dmm.co.jp/mono/pcgame/-/detail/=/cid=1064apc12971/ (Amazon, physical) https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07S8BQ7KB (Stellaworth, digital) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=GcCnYq1PYdc Here is the page for DMMd on JAST BLUE's website, which has the same links to purchase it in English; https://jast.blue/dramaticalmurder.html

What about DRAMAtical Murder re:connect?

re:connect is the fandisc/sequel to the original. It has mainly the short stories that add to the original endings, both good and bad. It also has more stories that can be unlocked like Aoba’s backstory, and what happened afterwards with Mizuki. It also includes minigames and the April Fools jokes N+C did before re:connect was released. JAST BLUE has not confirmed a translation will happen for re:connect, but there is still the fan translation released on Aarinfantasy forums. If there is any news on JAST BLUE and re:connect, I will update this post. As said before, there is no Windows 10 version of re:connect, although it should work fine on Windows 10 regardless. Below are the links to purchase it. DRAMAtical Murder re:connect; (Nitroplus store, digital) https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np00947.html (DMM, digital) https://www.dmm.co.jp/mono/pcgame/-/detail/=/cid=1064apc10368/ (Amazon, physical) https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00BB6X522 (Stellaworth, digital) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=zsKBDBKLWK0 (Stellaworth, digital (Comes with CD bonus(?)) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=KDaAgAaaDxK As before, please note you will need to set your system Locale to Japanese or use something like Locale Emulator/NTLEA to play the game, or it will not work. Setting your actual system Locale to Japanese may cause problems, so keep this in mind.

Then what about DRAMAtical Murder re:code?

re:code is the PS Vita port of the original PC release. It cuts out the explicit content, censors some CGs for a 15+ rating, adds new CGs and even some new scenes, and adds an entirely new route; the Morphine route, aka the Mizuki route. re:code also addressed some plot-holes that were in the original. Here are the links to purchase re:code; DRAMAtical Murder re:code; (Playstation store, digital) https://store.playstation.com/ja-jp/product/JP0169-PCSG00420_00-DRAMATICALMURDER (Amazon, physical) https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00LIQQAI6/ You can purchase and play the physical copy with no issues. For digital copies it’s a little trickier. Here is a guide to downloading Japanese games on your PS Vita; https://kotaku.com/how-to-play-games-from-the-japanese-psn-on-your-non-jap-5983578 ^ Note that this is not a problem with physical copies. re:code is not in English and hasn't been confirmed for an official English localization, but there is a fan translation of the Morphine/Mizuki route that's exclusive to re:code, by shinocchidesu. You can read it here; https://shinocchidesu.net/post/162356717914/dramatical-murder-recode-morphine-route They have also shown the main differences between the original and re:code routes. You can also watch the gameplays uploaded by FancyPotatoCake on YouTube here whilst using the fan translation if you want; https://www.youtube.com/user/SuRi00ReUp/playlists +For the Morphine/Mizuki route, the actual route starts on part 7, at around 21:00 onwards. It’s unlikely that re:code will get an official English translation, but then again- DMMd is, and it’s been like 7 years since that came out, so maybe. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The stage play

In late 2019, there was a stage play adaptation of DMMd, featuring all the routes as separate performances. You can purchase them on the following sites and stream it for up to 60 days before needing to purchase it again; https://www.dmm.com/digital/top/stage/dmmd/ https://mirail.video/title/3290017 The above sites won't let you purchase unless you use a VPN. If you cannot use the link, you can download recordings of the streams here; https://misaki01.tumblr.com/post/190765753950/dl-brain-crash-theater-dramatical-murder-all Please follow the rules listed on the post and read everything carefully. As for stage play translations, you can find more information on them here; https://hkdmmd.tumblr.com/post/622736646854574081/dmmd-stage-play-translations (Thank you again <3)

The drama CDs

There have been various drama CDs for DMMd. The drama CDs (or in this case, BLCD) is essentially the same as the Visual novel, except it’s purely audio. The same voice actors from the VN are in the drama CDs. The bonus CDs; Some of the CDs were included as a special pre-order bonus, with different CDs from different sites. I’m unsure if these are able to be purchased anymore, unless it’s second-hand. You can see various links for the CDs here; https://dmmdresources.tumblr.com/cds There were also a series of "after" drama CDs, which are set after re:connect. (And in my opinion, are extremely important for understanding the routes and their backstories better. I highly recommend listening to them!) The majority of the CDs can be found on YouTube, some also have English subtitles. Shibaface on Tumblr has translated all the main "after" CDs here; https://shibaface.tumblr.com/tagged/translation You can also view the same translations here as documents; https://1drv.ms/f/s!AqrTMWbLX7u5mANJd60_3W2WuK6g Below are links to purchase the "after" CDs. (Note there is no CD for Mizuki or Virus/Trip) Nitroplus store; Vol. 1 (Koujaku) https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np01072.html Vol. 2 (Clear) https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np01073.html Vol. 3 (Mink) https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np01088.html Vol. 4 (Noiz) https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np01092.html Vol. 5 (Ren) https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np01117.html Stellaworth; Vol. 1 (Koujaku) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=9is2020Suus Vol. 2 (Clear) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=ymGUcUc6PPc Vol. 3 (Mink) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=kHl8O8OhTkh Vol. 4 (Noiz) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=NGI1C1CnCY1 Vol. 5 (Ren) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=pM94i4i9QZZ Animate shop; Vol. 1 (Koujaku) https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1277805/ Vol. 2 (Clear) https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1277806/ Vol. 3 (Mink) https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1300886/ Vol. 4 (Noiz) https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1302829/ Vol. 5 (Ren) https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1316647/ CDJapan; Vol. 1 (Koujaku) https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NCVC-3?s_ssid=e45cae5f00f7db5600 Vol. 2 (Clear) https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NCVC-5?s_ssid=e45cae5f00f7db5600 Vol. 3 (Mink) https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NCVC-7?s_ssid=e45cae5f00f7db5600 Vol. 4 (Noiz) https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NCVC-9?s_ssid=e45cae5f00f7db5600 Vol. 5 (Ren) https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NCVC-11?s_ssid=e45cae5f00f7db5600

The Side stories

There were various side stories as well, most of them being posted onto the Nitro+CHiRAL staff blog, but there was also a small book released. The main one released as a book, was the Summer Side Stories. It's set after the re:connect good ends. (As a side note, I believe the "after" drama CDs are set after these side stories, or all the side stories- sort of making those CDs the "final chapter" in the DMMd world but… I could be wrong lol) For buying the Summer Side Stories; https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/npo926.html https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00UPW8PXC Here is an English translation for the Summer Side Stories (In PDF format); https://dmmd-support.tumblr.com/post/106543447780/download-click-here-the-team-belatedly-wishes Birthday side stories; Noiz; (Original post) https://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2012/1554.php (Translation by ancestralmask) https://ancestralmask.tumblr.com/post/27089560151/translation-noizs-birthday-2012 Mink; (Original post) https://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2012/1582.php (Translation by memera) https://memera.tumblr.com/post/32354840550 Koujaku; (Original post) https://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2012/1575.php (Translation by ancestralmask) https://ancestralmask.tumblr.com/post/29734654910/translation-koujakus-birthday-2012 Clear; (Original post) https://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2013/1626.php (Translation by memera) https://memera.tumblr.com/post/45398166319 Ren (+ Aoba); (Original post) https://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2013/1659.php (translation by ayuuria) https://ayuuria.tumblr.com/post/48594080767/422-short-story-aoba-and-rens-birthday Valentine Side stories; *The original posts were only up from the 14th to the 17th before being deleted. I was able to find them on the wayback machine however, so I linked those. Noiz; (Original post) https://web.archive.org/web/20130217035515/http://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2013/02/130214_1620.php (Translation by Goldpanner) https://khenglish.wordpress.com/non-kh-translations-naruto-dmmd/dmmd-index/a-chocolate-for-you-noiz/ Mink; (Original post) https://web.archive.org/web/20130217035525/http://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2013/02/130214_1622.php (Translation by memera) https://memera.tumblr.com/post/43304242958 (Translation by Goldpanner) https://khenglish.wordpress.com/non-kh-translations-naruto-dmmd/dmmd-index/a-chocolate-for-you-mink/ Koujaku; (Original post) https://web.archive.org/web/20130217035509/http://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2013/02/130214_1619.php (Translation by daikonjou/Radish) https://daikonjou.tumblr.com/post/43299281733/koujakus-valentines-day-short-story-translation (Translation by Goldpanner) https://khenglish.wordpress.com/non-kh-translations-naruto-dmmd/dmmd-index/a-chocolate-for-you-kojaku/ Clear; (Original post) https://web.archive.org/web/20130217035519/http://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2013/02/130214_1621.php (Translation by memera) https://memera.tumblr.com/post/43313231988 (Translation by Goldpanner) https://khenglish.wordpress.com/non-kh-translations-naruto-dmmd/dmmd-index/a-chocolate-for-you-clear/ Ren; (Original post) https://web.archive.org/web/20130217035534/https://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2013/02/130214_1623.php (Translation by memera) https://memera.tumblr.com/post/43309191246 (Translation by Goldpanner) https://khenglish.wordpress.com/non-kh-translations-naruto-dmmd/dmmd-index/a-chocolate-for-you-ren/ Virus/Trip White Day story; (Original post) https://web.archive.org/web/20130315074127/https://www.nitrochiral.com/staffblog/2013/03/130314_1635.php (Translation by memera) https://memera.tumblr.com/post/45356275326

Soundtracks + music CDs

There were various soundtracks and music CDs released, I've linked the ones I could find still available down below. DMMd period. (re:connect soundtrack); https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np00978.html https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=6U1GnG117cG https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1205096/ https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/GRN-34?s_ssid=e4180f5f04cf223975 SLIP ON THE PUMPS (Anime opening song); https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1271072/ (Includes opening video) https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1271073/ https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AVCA-74528?s_ssid=e417ce5f04cf43f261 https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AVCA-74529?s_ssid=e417ce5f04cf43f261 (Includes opening video) Rasterize Memory (Anime ending songs); https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1277006/ https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pd/1277005/ (Includes ending animation sequences) https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=LWoxrxrxDLK https://www.stellaworth.co.jp/shop/item.php?item_id=QjZ3S3S3FQj (Includes ending animation sequences) https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AVCA-74531?s_ssid=e417ce5f04cf43f261 https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AVCA-74530?s_ssid=e417ce5f04cf43f261 (Includes ending animation sequences) engage+ment ("after" drama CDs ending songs); https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/np01118.html https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01ABAPBLG *The re:code soundtrack, append music re:cord, was only sold with the limited edition version of re:code. *I can't seem to find shape.memory.music (the original game's soundtrack) being sold anymore. *retro.game.music (original soundtrack in 8-bit) isn't sold anymore.

General merch + Proxy/Forwarding services

I didn't list all the merch available, because… there's a lot. You can buy general (official) DMMd merch from these sites; (Nitroplus store) https://nitroplus.ecq.sc/work/dramatical-murder.html (Nitroplus Store (English)) https://nitroplus-global.ecq.sc/work/dramatical-murder.html ^ Note that the English version doesn't have all the items found in the Japanese site. (Animate shop) https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/animetitle/?aid=2508 ^ This is where the stage play bromides are being sold, alongside some other DMMd things. (Bromides being pictures of the actors, basically) (CDJapan) https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/ ^ You can search for DRAMAtical Murder here. I don't see a lot of extra items still available though. *Just to mention, the r18 Morphine Aoba figure is now sold on J-List. That's the only DMMd merch on there currently (until DMMd releases in English I assume, as the physical copy will likely be sold on J-List too). You can of course also use stuff like Amazon and Ebay, but I believe the sites listed above are the only official sites. Some sites don't deliver outside of Japan. For stuff like that, you can use a Proxy or a Forwarding service. I won't go into detail about them here, but be sure to research them carefully (Especially since some countries won't allow some items and may add extra fees as well). You can also get a lot of merch second-hand too, of course. But beware of bootleg merchandise. It can be pretty easy to see when an item is a bootleg, but often bootlegs can look almost as good and official as the real thing. Below are some guides on how to spot a bootleg; https://solarisjapan.com/blogs/news/ultimate-guide-bootlegs-fake-anime-figures https://animegami.co.uk/blog/how-to-spot-a-bootleg-counterfeit-figure-by-animegami/ These mainly apply to figures, but still.

Extra stuff

A couple of extra miscellaneous links because why not. 100% save data for DRAMAtical Murder (Not re:connect); https://cadavaberry.tumblr.com/post/20877649750 ^ Useful for if you want to replay Ren's route, but don't want to replay all the other routes to unlock it since you keep losing your saves (aka me). *If you haven't played before, please play the routes and don't use this to skip any! You'd really be missing out in that case I feel. A generally amazing resource for so many different DMMd things; https://dmmdresources.tumblr.com/ (That's all I have for right now but I may add stuff later, oops.) I would like to say a huge thank you to all the translators and everyone who has contributed in one way or another to help with letting people like myself enjoy DMMd. This isn't exactly the post for thanks, but anyway. Thank you all. (｡’▽’｡)♡ I hope this helped at all!! If anyone would like any more information on anything else DMMd-related, you're more than welcome to send an ask or message. I won't be able to answer everything but I will certainly try, haha.

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy III Review

Year: 1990

Original Platform: Famicom

Also Available on: Nintendo DS, iOS (DS port), Android (iOS port), Ouya (Android port), Steam (Android port), PSP (iOS port)

Wii/3DS/Wii U Virtual Consoles and Nintendo Classic Edition releases are only in Japan.

Version I Played: DS

Synopsis:

Four orphans (originally only named by the player, DS remake gives them names) fall into a crevice after a sudden earthquake. There, a mysterious crystal warns them about the oncoming darkness that will engulf the world. The four orphans must band together to restore the balance between light and dark.  

Gameplay:

ARE YOU READY TO GET YOUR ASS BEAT?

YOUR BALLS ROCKED?

I’m warning you – this is the most difficult Final Fantasy game to date.

There are no ethers - only elixirs, which you should definitely reserve for the hardest battles. Also, phoenix downs cannot be found in stores - only in treasure chests and as dropped or stolen items from enemies.

The gameplay returns to that of the original Final Fantasy –  turn-based combat and the Job System, only this time the Job System is greatly expanded. Vikings and Geomancers and Bards and Dragoons and the list goes on. Summons are introduced to the series via the Evoker job, which later gets upgraded to Summoner. The expanded Job System allowed for greater customization of your four characters than in the original Final Fantasy.

This game is notable for the Onion Knight. In the beginning of the original Famicom game, the default job is Onion Knight. If you continue playing as an Onion Knight, your stats remain relatively low. However, if you dare to play the entire game as an Onion Knight and reach level 99 – the Onion Knight suddenly turns into the most powerful job in the game.

The DS remake does things a little differently. Instead of the Onion Knight, you start out as a Freelancer – a new job that has a little bit of everything. However, the longer you use the Freelancer job, the weaker you become. This is a good incentive to have players naturally explore other jobs.

The unfortunate feature of the DS remake though is that the Onion Knight is ONLY available after performing sidequests via wireless with friends. This is impossible to do now since the wireless features for the original Nintendo DS (and also the Wii) have been discontinued. HOWEVER. Playing the DS remake through Steam allows you to unlock the Onion Knight by completing at least 25% of your bestiary. You will then receive a message via the Mognet to start the sidequest.

Final Fantasy III is notorious for its high difficulty. The trick mostly lies in constantly switching between jobs and finding the right balance for the right moment. However, changing jobs requires you to level up that job. This means grinding – lots and lots of grinding. Insane amounts of grinding. This is Final Fantasy: Grind City.

In retrospect, Final Fantasy II was hard as well, yes, but more in a stupid way. Leveling up there was annoying but people could find tricks around it like finding weaker enemies and purposely hitting yourself and healing yourself to raise your HP or defense stats.

Final Fantasy III is difficult but it hurt so good. This game turned me into a masochist. There's two types of video game rage - the good and the bad kind. The bad kind is usually because the game's mechanics are irritating or virtually unplayable. The good kind is cursing out loud but then saying, "I'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME!" and actually being pumped about trying again because you see it as a challenge.    

The game has an explosively difficult finale. The finale takes place in the Crystal Tower, which is surrounded by Ancient’s Maze. You have to walk through the maze, then through the tower, then fight multiple bosses through other events which I won’t spoil here. The entire ordeal can pretty well take up an entire hour. At least (in the DS version, I don’t know about Famicom) you can save before entering the Crystal Tower. But if you ever need to venture out into the world map again to get something you forgot, you have to go through the Ancient’s Maze. Once you enter the Crystal Tower, you cannot save the game. It’s one long shot to the final of final bosses. In the Crystal Tower, you get to walk around seemingly endless and maze-like floors such as this:

 YAY.

Seriously though - I still enjoyed the challenge and thought it was epic. If you're going to hit me hard, you might as well go all out. Nothing in this game is held back. Also, the expanded job system allowed you to try out so many different things.

I tried for the longest time to play Final Fantasy III on an emulator but for some bizarre reason, I couldn't save, not even on save states. When I have the time, I definitely want to go back to that, try a different ROM or something, and experience the original. But I played enough of the original to know how hard it is. I died right away when I ventured outside the first town.

The DS remake mostly retains the difficulty of the original, which I admired, unlike the watered down PSP Anniversary Editions of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II.

Graphics:

The original Famicom game definitely has a lot more going on than the first two Final Fantasy games. Battles are still 90% black space but the rest of the game is 8-bit Heaven. 

The DS remake is AMAZING. I would argue that Final Fantasy III DS is really the first great Final Fantasy remake. They got a chibi thing going on and it works here. It’s cute without being obnoxiously cute.

The FMV sequence for the DS is staggeringly beautiful.

I also kind of laugh at this one part where Luneth and Ingus are arguing and it’s the equivalent to a stock photo of two people arguing.

I only wish they added an ending FMV. That would have been the cherry on top for the remake. 

Story:

Final Fantasy III is kind of like crossing the original Final Fantasy with Final Fantasy II. The story is wider in scope and more epic. The fictional world is much more interesting. The score has a wider repertoire. You fly many different airships. It also begins what I like to call the "Crystal Trilogy." Final Fantasy III, IV and V, as you'll read later, are quite similar in their general plot, which utilizes crystals as important plot devices.

There’s more to the story than people give credit for. You venture into the world and run into secondary characters who have their own stories, such as Cid, Desh, Princess Sara (reference to the original Final Fantasy), Prince Allus, Priestess Aria, and even four imposters of the four heroes of light. You save towns with a variety of problems, from a village cursed by a genie to finding a missing precious stone for the dwarves. Then you discover the truth behind the world you live in. . .

The DS version elaborates on the story by giving the four orphans names: Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus. This sharpens the story by connecting more dots. The DS story starts with Luneth and Arc as childhood friends. They later meet Refia, a runaway who was tired of her guardian's blacksmith trade, and Ingus, a knight of Sasune who protects Princess Sara. I was disappointed by one rather misleading thing in the DS remake. The opening FMV sequence seemed to imply that Priestess Aria plays a wider role in the story – she doesn’t. That disappointed me.

As I’ve said already, the DS version is a wonderful remake of the original. I very highly recommend it. It enhances everything about the original and more. The remake's heroes hardly get any recognition in other Final Fantasy media and that’s a shame.

Music:

As Final Fantasy games keep getting bigger, so does the score. Uematsu shone here. He did some unique things for a Japanese composer at the time. An example is the illusion of having chords in the track Crystal Cave.

Final Fantasy III’s soundtrack is twice as long as Final Fantasy II’s. I’d say that out of the entire Famicom/NES era, this game probably has the best soundtrack. The battle theme has a sexy bass with more drums added to it. Eternal Wind, the world map theme, is definitely the greatest map theme in an RPG. Period. It truly gives the feel of wandering around a fantasy world.

The DS version reinvigorates the entire score. I loved every second of it.

The way Uematsu composed the final of the epilogue is reminiscent of how John Williams does his finales in the credits for Star Wars or Indiana Jones films. In this case, he references the Final Fantasy Main Theme at the end of the credits.

The result is a wholesome feel to the game. Final Fantasy III has a fantastic score that is perfect for closing the 8-bit era of Final Fantasy.

Notable Theme:

I'm split between Eternal Wind and Priestess Aria's Theme. Fortunately, the DS opening cinematic includes both. It has a great orchestrated rendition of the classic themes.

Verdict:      

The hardest out of all the Final Fantasy games (so far). At the same time, there’s so much to enjoy – but it’s not for everyone. Because of the difficulty, I would save this game for last. There’s something about this game that actually gives me a true “final fantasy” feel. The final stretch is so kick-your-nuts-hard that nothing else in the series can compare to it.

If you go for the DS version, however, that can be a tad bit easier. Just a tad. A smidge. Nothing more. It’s one remake that I highly recommend. They did a good facelift on both the game itself and the story. The DS version was adapted into Android and then ported into Steam, so you can get it there. 

Direct Sequel?

No.

[wlwtangle]

Sonic for Beginners Guide (as of the 2020 Sonic Film)

Heya! I don’t think I’ve seen anyone make a post like this yet, or I haven’t seen a post like this yet, but if you just saw the newest Sonic film in theaters or on digital, and you’re interested in going into the Sonic community and trying out tons of other Sonic Media and don’t know where to start, here’s a guide that should help you where to go next if the only thing you have to go off of is the newest movie!

Intro

Everything that I will recommend you to in this post only assumes you’ve seen the full Sonic movie (yes, that includes the post-credits scene) and will prominently feature the following:

Dr. Eggman/Robotnik

Sonic

Tails

(No, this guide won’t feature Owl Mom, as she only appeared in these movies so far. She was never in any other Sonic media, and I doubt you’d see much of her outside the movies)

With that out of the way, let’s begin!

Games

There are quite a lot of Sonic games, and this can seem the most overwhelming, especially since SEGA has been trying their hardest to get new fans from the games rather than the films. But there are a few good games to start with if you only saw the film!

In terms of emulating any of these games: I am fine with emulation. There is nothing wrong in terms of finding ways to preserve these games for years, and if you don’t have the money to own any of these games, then I do recommend emulation. The only emulator I can recommend in terms of the old, 90s Sonic games would have to be Kega Fusion, and if you want to find the ROMs/ISOs, good luck. I can’t tell you how to find ROMs/ISOs, as that is illegal, so I’d recommend asking a friend for help or DMing me if you need help finding a place to find ROMs/ISOs, but legally I can’t post where to find ROMs/ISOs. Despite all of that, when possible, please support SEGA by buying them officially when possible. With that out of the way, let’s truly begin!

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) - The very first Sonic game, of course, is the best place to start. Not the 2006 one! The 2006 game also titled Sonic the Hedgehog for Playstation 3 & Xbox 360 is not a good representation of the Sonic brand SEGA has been trying to push today, and it’s not a great game overall to start with. Sonic the Hedgehog from 1991, however, is! It isn’t based off the new film, but it is what the current film has the most based off of. It starts off with the basics; you play as Sonic, and you have to stop Dr. Eggman from taking over the world, while saving all your animal buddies. It isn’t too long of a game, and better yet, this game is the easiest to get. It’s available on the Playstation Network store, Xbox Store, Nintendo Eshop (both for the Switch and 3DS), Steam (for Windows and Mac), and it’s even available on both Apple and Android devices! It’s free on phones, but you have ads, so that’s probably one of the best places to start in terms of games!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) - Now, if you just saw the film, including the post-credits scene, then this is another perfect place to start. Not only can you play as Sonic, but you can also play as Tails! There are tons of more levels than in the first game, and there’s even a little secret if you collect all the Chaos Emeralds! (can’t say much about those as they haven’t been introduced in the films yet) And like the first game, there are tons of places to get this game. You can get this on the Playstation Network store, Xbox Store, Nintendo Eshop (on both Switch and 3DS), Steam (Windows and Mac), and on both Apple and Android devices! Like the first game, it’s also free on phones, with ads, so if you played the first game or only saw the newest film, this is another great place to start.

Sonic Mania (2017) - Another perfect place to start, and one of the best Sonic games in the past decade, this is an official catch-all Sonic game made by fans for not only the classic 90s games, but also features new levels and new playable characters that haven’t been seen in any recent games, including Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel. Now, I don’t think we’ll ever be seeing Mighty or Ray anytime in the films, but Knuckles is in this game as well (and in Sonic 2, I forgot to mention that), and I got a feeling Knuckles might show up in the next Sonic film. But yes, you can play as Sonic and Tails, of course. And this game does also have a multiplayer mode as well, and tons of extra secrets. And honestly, if you do want a recent game to start off with, Sonic Mania might have to be the best place to start with. And the best part is, this game is available on all recent modern gaming hardware, including Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam (Windows and Mac). Sadly, this game isn’t available on smartphones, but that shouldn’t detract from how good this game is. While the base game is cheap, only running you at $20, the DLC for this game only costs $5, while the physical release of this game (which includes the base game, DLC, and more), should only cost you $30.

Now, I hear ya, platformers aren’t really your thing. You don’t have the most modern, recent gaming devices, and your computer/laptop isn’t that powerful either. You only have a smartphone, and you only play mobile games. In that case, SEGA does also deliver in smartphone games, especially for Sonic! There is really only one I can recommend for beginners that even did include a limited event based on this film (that sadly has already passed), and that is

Sonic Dash (2012) - Possibly the easiest place to start with in terms of Sonic games on smartphones. Even though Sonic 1 & 2 are available for smartphones, SEGA did make and release this before those games came out. And with 100 million downloads, who could deny how huge this game has been for them. You really only start out as Sonic, play through Green Hill Zone, and you fight Dr. Eggman. Gameplay-wise, this game is very similar to Temple Run/Subway Surfers, so if you played those games, then this game shouldn’t be that hard to get into. As you play this game, you’re able to unlock more characters, including Tails, and you even get to unlock more levels, and even get to upgrade your characters as well. It is available on Apple and Android devices, and is free to play, despite all of the ads, so you can start off there if you don’t want to play any big Sonic game and just want a casual, light mobile game to play.

Now, Sonic didn’t only have games to boot. He also had tons of cartoons and comics! And let’s talk about those cartoons!

Cartoons

There are tons of Sonic cartoons out there, and there really aren’t that many to start off with if you only saw the film. These are the only few I could recommend to start off with.

The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993-1995) - One of the first Sonic cartoons by DiC (animators behind the old Mario cartoons), this is honestly one of the few Sonic cartoons I could recommend to beginners, or only those who have seen the film. It stars Sonic and Tails, as they defeat evil plans by Dr. Robotnik, and it does include characters exclusive to this show. And despite the reputation this show has, I’d say this is one of the better cartoons to start off with. Sonic the Hedgehog 1993, or better known as SatAM (Saturday Morning Sonic Cartoon), isn’t really that good of a place to start off with if you only saw the movie. Not only does this show feature tons of characters that aren’t really seen outside of this show and the Archie comics, but this is a little bit more serious, and I don’t really recommend this to beginners who only have the film to go off of. AoSTH, however, is a lot more light, comedic, maybe even a little more childish, but it is one you can have on in the background and don’t really have to pay attention to, and it’s one you could show to kids. You can find this show currently on Netflix, as well as a number of episodes have been uploaded to YouTube in HD, so you can choose wherever you want to see this show.

Sonic Mania Adventures (2018) - A short series of shorts based on Sonic Mania, I’d say this is another great place to start especially in terms of cartoons. They’re all silent cartoons, and are based on Sonic Mania, but also features an original story to boot. Best part; you can watch them on YouTube now. Here’s a video with all of the episodes combined, and they also made a Christmas Special as well. The whole series is only 15 minutes long at most, and it’s something I definitely recommend checking out if you have the time.

Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie/the OVA (1996/1999) - An absolutely different movie from the actual Sonic movie we got a couple months ago, despite some obvious problems within the script and writing itself, I’d highly recommend checking out this movie! This is a really good movie that captures the speed of Sonic perfectly, and is one of the only few Sonic cartoons based on that 90s anime aesthetic. So if that suits you, then I’d recommend checking out this film on YouTube.

Comics

Now, this is even harder to decide on where to start with when compared to the cartoons. Not only are all the comics not that good, but they are all especially dependent on whatever type of knowledge you have on Sonic. The Archie comics are really only dependent on SatAM, and are cancelled! But the IDW comics are heavily dependent on if you played Sonic Forces, which isn’t that great of a game to begin with if you’re only knowledge of Sonic is based on this new film. But the IDW comics aren’t even on that good of an arc now. The British Fleetway comics aren’t that great either; not only are they ableist (with Super Sonic being “mentally insane” and evil), those comics are also cancelled as well. I really only have one comic series to recommend to beginners, if you can even find them.

Sonic -Mega Drive- (2016) - Made by one of the best writers for the Sonic comics, Ian Flynn, and drawn by the same person who redesigned Sonic for the new film, Tyson Hesse, these are a series of one-shot comics based on the original Sonic games. Very easy to get into, the cast isn’t that large, and overall it’s just a whole lot more appealing than the Archie or current IDW comics! There’s only two issues, with a third one that was cancelled due to SEGA withdrawing the Sonic license from Archie in 2017. If you can find them, I recommend checking them out.

Misconceptions About Sonic the Hedgehog and the Fandom

Now, coming out of the new film, you are really interested in Sonic the Hedgehog, but you already know about a whole lot of misconceptions about Sonic and his fandom, which may turn you off from going into this. So I am here to smash down a lot of those misconceptions, because a majority of them are all wrong, and I’m pretty sure anyone can enjoy Sonic after watching the film.

1. The Sonic Fandom is only full of overgrown babies who complain about all the newer games and only love the old games. 

This is an absolutely terrible misconception! This is absolutely not true for the entire fandom, and despite the bias I have towards the 90s Sonic era as seen in this guide, let me say this: There is no one wrong place to start with in terms of games. The Sonic Adventures games are good, Sonic Colors is good, and so is Sonic Generations and Lost World. There is no terrible Sonic game, and if there is, then that game probably has a small fandom of people who see the positives of that game, and only wish to improve on it. You are not wrong if you have an unpopular opinion on any Sonic game, and you can honestly enjoy any Sonic game of your choice. Yes, there are gatekeepers in this fandom, but they are small in numbers when compared to the majority of this fandom. This fandom is absolutely welcoming of any Sonic fan who enjoys any part of Sonic, and if anyone online is making you feel bad about enjoying any part of Sonic, then you can either ignore them or block them. You don’t need to hear their voices, as their voices are only minor when compared to this whole fandom.

But yes, there are people like SammyClassicSonicaFan who do have a bias towards 90s Sonic games, and there are people who have a bias towards the Modern games. But overall, it doesn’t matter what type of games you do enjoy, it’s just that you don’t bully or harm anyone else for enjoying those games. And again, mostly everyone in this fandom are fine with whatever Sonic game you like. Not that many people really bullies anyone in this fandom, and if they do, then again, they are the minority.

2. The Sonic Fandom is full of furries who only draw porn of the characters.

Yet again another terrible misconception about the Sonic fandom! Just because you’re a fan of Sonic, doesn’t make you a furry. I am one of the rare exceptions, though, as I am a Sonic fan, and a furry as well, and Sonic is partially the reason why I am a furry. But overall, I have met Sonic fans who aren’t furries, and I’ve met furries who aren’t Sonic fans.

And to that other half of this misconception; no, just no. Not only are the majority of the cast practically children (Tails is 8, Amy is 12, and Sonic is even 15), a majority of the characters who are 18 or over only barely fit that range (Rogue is 18, Vector is 21), and a majority of adults don’t even have confirmed ages (Dr. Eggman doesn’t even have a canonical age, and there’s been debate over whether Shadow is 15 or over 50 years old). So no, we don’t draw porn, and almost all of us are grossed out when we find Sonic porn (the only exception of this are the creeps who do draw that porn, but we don’t consider them apart of this community).

So there you go! That’s all I could think to mention in this whole guide! I hope you have fun enjoying these shows and games, and I hope you especially have fun in the Sonic community!

If you do have anymore questions about anything related to Sonic, feel free to DM me or send me asks/anons on this blog.

[it1776]

The Best Nintendo Switch Controller Review

The Pro Controller is fine.

I still recommend it to most people

but if you play a lot of 2D games that the D-Pad placement

just isn't gonna cut it. 8BitDo is been making

fantastic Deepak controllers for a while now.

I originally recommended the old SN30

if you wanted to play a lot of 2D games.

Its biggest flaw was it's ergonomics, making it hard to play

3D games with its thumb sticks.

They fixed that with the release of the SN30 Pro+

a near-perfect controller that quickly became

my favorite controller for the Switch.

I used it so much that I ran it into the ground

and had to buy a new one recently. Almost two years later,

they finally released an updated version,

simply called the 8BitDo Pro 2.

Thank God that name was starting to be a mouthful.

This version adds a lot

to the already fantastic Pro Controller alternative.

If you are on the fence about getting one before,

this one will for sure give you

a couple of pretty good reasons to reconsider.

(upbeat music)

This video is sponsored by Aspyr, the guys who brought you,

the Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy Switch ports

are now bringing you Star Wars Republic Commando.

It's finally on Nintendo Switch

and PlayStation 4 for just 1499.

Check it out at the link in the description below.

Whoa! Whoa! Come on, dude.

Chaos has erupted throughout the galaxy.

As leader of an elite squad of Republic Commandos,

your mission is to infiltrate, dominate,

and ultimately annihilate the enemy. You will play as Boss,

leader of the special ops unit Delta Squad

together with Fixer, Scorch and Sev

working together as a team

instinctively, intelligently, instantly. You guys all right.

I was here first and then you guys just came.

Battle a variety of highly intelligent and deadly enemies

from brutal Trandoshan mercenaries, all right.

To the flying insectoid warriors of Geonosis.

This game was originally released in 2005

and I think is a crucial part of Star Wars history.

I love this era of Star Wars games and I love that Aspyr

is putting some games from this era on the Switch.

So again, you can try it for yourself for just 1499

at the link in the description below.

(water bubbling)

Sorry anybody got a USB-C charger.

(water bubbling).

So if you're new here

the biggest reason why I recommend this controller

is because of the D-pad. It's perfectly clicky.

It feels almost exactly like an original S.N.E.S controller

but you know, newer obviously. But it also has

all of the makings of a great modern controller.

It's thumb sticks feel almost exactly

like a DualShock 4 thumb sticks, making this a great option

for 3D games if you need something that could do both.

Here's something I often forget to mention.

It comes with a rechargeable battery, but it can be removed

and replaced with two double A's if you're in a bind,

something Microsoft should take note of.

It also has great motion controls and rumble.

The only thing that it's missing

that the Nintendo Pro Controller has is NFC.

But at the significantly lower price point,

are you really gonna be missing NFC that much?

The original SN30 Pro+ was and still is $45.

This new one bumps the price up to $50,

which is still a reasonable price

and some harsh competition for Nintendo's $70 controller.

It also works on Switch, Windows, Mac, Android,

and Raspberry Pi via Bluetooth, which is great

if you wanna play emulators or 2D games via Steam.

It's an all-around great controller

and I haven't even mentioned any of the new features yet.

Everything that I've said is also available

on the older $45 model.

The Pro 2 Sports 2 assignable back buttons.

This is a very welcome addition

and something I wish more controllers included.

My only gripe here is that

they're a little too easy to press. They're very large.

It's very difficult to grip the controller

without touching these buttons with your middle fingers.

In an intense game of Mario Maker

I accidentally press these buttons many times.

Luckily, by default they're assigned to nothing.

So pressing them did nothing at all.

You can assign functions to these buttons

using the brand new 8BitDo companion app.

In fact, you can remap all of the buttons

using the companion app.

And there are three different assignable profiles

that you can swap between on the fly.

Technically there's four because

there's just a baseline default one which is great

for when you don't wanna accidentally hit the back buttons.

Pressing this button right here switches between the modes.

There's off one, two and three.

In addition to remapping the buttons,

this software also allows you to fix the sticks dead zones.

It's also supposed to let you fix the trigger sensitivity,

but I couldn't figure out how to do that in the app.

I can only figure out how to do that on the desktop version.

But I like having my trigger sensitivity set really high

so they're like hair triggers because almost no Switch games

registered trigger sensitivity anyway.

Upon further review it seems that they disabled

the trigger sensitivity tab for the Switch.

So they got rid of trigger sensitivity

entirely for the Switch which is weird

'cause there are games that could still use it.

But if you go to Android or DInput or whatever,

it shows the trigger sensitivity, which is very strange.

You can also adjust vibration levels and of course,

macros, which go great with the new additional back buttons.

Previously, I used to assign macros to the share button.

Now I don't have to, unfortunately, the macro functionality

still, isn't very intuitive. You have to program it yourself

in the app, one button at a time. You can set the timings

between button presses but that's way harder to do

than just inputting a macro yourself on the controller

and having it record your inputs.

Something I've seen in a few other devices lately.

I hope that 8BitDo can eventually update

the Ultimate software and the Pro 2's firmware

to have this sort of functionality.

Because right now the macro function is pretty much

all only useful for like fighting games.

They did add the ability

to use thumb stick inputs for macros.

So if you have more patience than me

you can figure out some macros for Smash Brothers.

What might be more useful is assigning a turbo button

which is useful for many games, namely Animal Crossing.

I have a whole video on that if you're interested.

The old Pro+ had a turbo function but with this new Pro 2,

it might be worth it to assign one of the back buttons

to enable the turbo function. You can also have

the other back button assigned to hold.

So it will hold down a button forever.

So you can breeze through long menus or something.

Another useful feature that was recently added.

You can set the left stick to be swapped with the D-pad.

This is useful for games like Link's Awakening,

which should have D-pad support, but it doesn't.

There's also an option

to swap the right stick with the triggers.

I think that's some fighting games.

But my favorite part about this new mobile app

is that it allows you to change your settings on the fly.

You don't have to disconnect it from your Switch at all.

You can have it connected to your Switch

and the app at the same time.

This is something that you could not do

with the previous desktop app. This is huge for figuring out

the timing of macros or finding out the right button mapping

for yourself and immediately trying it out in the field.

One of my least favorite things

about wireless controllers like this

is connecting it to the Switch.

I often find myself just (indistinct) the button

till it finally comes up.

This controller alleviates some of that pain

by adding a mode switch on the back.

On the previous Pro+ you had to hold Start and Y

to enter switch mode. Windows, Android, and iOS,

all had different corresponding face buttons.

You expect me to remember all those.

There was also no indication

what mode you were currently in.

Now it's as easy as just flipping the switch.

You have Nintendo Switch, Apple DInput and XInput.

XInput is for Windows and Android.

DInput is for like old. I don't know it's

just probably don't worry about it. Other than all that

the only other real difference is it's enhanced grip

which is really just a textured back

similar to the textured back

of the new DualSense controller.

Other than that, this controller feels exactly the same

as the old SN30 Pro+ controller.

Switching between the two reveals that the face buttons

feel more responsive on the newer one.

Maybe it's because it's newer

and I used the shit out of my old one.

It's hard to tell.

- Oh no. - Hit the button, dude.

I think this controller.

(upbeat game music)

You know, I'll try, I'll try the top ones.

The buttons, the build quality, everything feels the same.

The Pro 2 comes in gray, black and GB edition.

I pre-ordered myself the Game Boy looking one

so I'll be getting that one when it eventually comes out.

But 8BitDo sent me their gray edition one, which looks like

it's attempting to resemble a PlayStation 1 controller.

It's an okay design. The A, B, X, Y buttons

colored like PlayStation buttons is like unsettling.

It's like a sin. The strongest design that they have

is definitely the Game Boy looking at one.

8BitDo used to have controllers that looked almost exactly

like Super Nintendo and N.E.S controllers,

but I'm sure they strayed away from that

so that they weren't bullied by Nintendo's lawyers.

It's also probably why they don't have

a Super Nintendo looking one at all anymore.

But I mean, the feel of the controller

is more important than anything else. And for 2D games,

there's nothing better than this,

until you find your Lord and Savior keyboard keys baby.

So if you haven't yet picked yourself up a 8BitDo controller

now might be the time to make the jump.

$5 extra for the back buttons,

the updated Ultimate software, the mode switch,

the custom profiles that can switch on the fly.

Yeah, I'd say it's worth it to get this version

over the original or Pro. Now is it worth upgrading to

if you already have an original SN30 Pro+.

That I'm not sure about.

Maybe if yours is starting to feel like shitty.

I know mine started to feel like

a little unresponsive, I guess.

I don't know how to describe it other than

it just got shitty and then I had to buy a new one.

But if you're perfectly content with your original SN30 Pro+

then it's probably not worth dropping an extra $50

on a brand new controller. It's like 90% the same controller

and about 10% new hotness. Or maybe I'm sure

you could find a way to justify it.

Maybe you could teach your grandma how to do Kaizo Mario.

What do you guys think about the brand new 8BitDo Pro 2?

It's a lot easier to say at this time.

Is this gonna make you finally make the jump

into getting an 8BitDo controller? Or it's something that

you would consider upgrading to from the original?

I don't think you really need to

unless like yours got like old crappy.

If you have a Nintendo Switch Pro controller already,

and you find yourself playing way more 2D games

this might be worth getting in addition to.

I mean it's like a second,

you get a second player with it to.

Leave in the comments below, add me on Twitter

and all this social media garbage.

As always we have new videos here all the time,

at least once a week.

This week, I think you're getting two, lucky you.

And we got streams over on twitch.tv/wulffden

where we can hang out and chat with each other

about stuff like this. Look at that.

Make sure you turn on notifications for all of that stuff

so you know, when we go live

'cause you can't rely on YouTube or Twitch to tell you.

But of course the most important thing right now

is just subscribe. Thank you.

I appreciate you for wanting to watch these videos.

And share this video with a friend.

A friend who maybe hasn't gotten

one of these controllers yet and it's still stuck

with the freaking regular role Pro controller.

Or maybe they're using the freaking split Joy-Cons

like a real, degenerate.

(gentle music)

Thank you. Have a good week.

[recentnews18-blog]

New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/the-quiet-man-review-silence-is-stupid/

The Quiet Man Review – Silence is Stupid

During Square Enix’s bizarre 2018 E3 conference we mostly saw nothing of value. However, there was one game that caught my eye. This was The Quiet Man, and I’m not sure it captured my attention for the right reasons. Since seeing more of it, I realize I was excited not as a game but as a possible train wreck. Now it’s in my hands, and simply, it’s hard to be quiet about how hilariously awful the game truly is.

You play as Dane, a name I only know because I read the game’s Steam description. The best I can figure is that Dane works for a crime boss and is in love with some lounge singer. Then, some guy in a bird’s mask shows up and kidnaps the lounge singer. After that, I totally lost the plot. At no point does The Quiet Man even try to make sense. Sometimes there are hints of supernatural stuff. I think three different characters betray you. I’m not sure any of it ever matters.

It’s the Hush Hush Lad!

The reason I can’t figure the game’s plot out at all? Dane is deaf. The Quiet Man attempts to emulate this by playing no sound at all at any point in the game. This is a novel idea that can totally work if the developers build the game around it. However, The Quiet Man is not that game. It’s overwhelmingly obvious that this was a regular game that quickly shoehorned this in. Cutscenes will go five or more minutes yet include absolutely nothing but two characters talking. There are no subtitles, there are no translations, there is no way to tell what they’re saying. As such, the plot gets totally lost.

However, The Quiet Man seems particularly strange about this. The excuse given is that you “experience the world as Dane does.” Yet, Dane can understand sign language, so why isn’t any of that subtitled? It’s later shown that Dane can read lips, but the game still isn’t telling you what anyone is saying? Why are scenes that don’t even have Dane in them silent too?

The truth is, The Quiet Man has no interest in showing you how a deaf person experiences the world. Instead, deafness quickly becomes an insulting gimmick. It’s all part of an attempt to try to make a subpar beat ’em up stand out from the crowd. This especially feels true when you finish the game and it flat out tells you that you didn’t actually get the story before showing a countdown timer that shows how long before they release the patch that puts all the noises back in.

The Quiet Man uses his Quiet Hand to deliver a beat down

It should be noted that many of the game’s cutscenes are actually FMVs. It’s clear this is a very low budget production, as the game only uses FMVs for the most simple of moments. Long car conversations play out in FMV and the game awkwardly transitions to CGI the minute any action takes place. It’s hilariously obvious when these moments happen, as the CGI is awful. Sometimes the transitions are sudden, hidden behind a flash of white light. Other times the camera slowly pans to something innocent, like a wall, transitioning as it does so. I got the feeling the goal was to amaze players at these transitions. Instead, they just caused me to burst into laughter.

When its time to actually play The Quiet Man, you’ll be punching people in the face. The game has a very basic brawling system where you combine light and heavy attacks into something that vaguely resembles a combo. I say vaguely because all of the attacks feel sluggish and I was never sure which button did what. There’s a dodge button, and I could dodge attacks to counter-attack in theory. In practice, this only worked about once every five or so times I tried it. There’s no tutorial or interface of any kind. If there’s some secret to how to get consistently working counter attacks, it never revealed itself.

It’s the Quiet… Girl?

There are a few attempts to mix things up with a focus system. At certain times you can focus on an enemy to deliver a special super powerful attack. However, it’s never made clear when these times actually are. The only way I ever got focus to work was by smashing the button until it eventually let me use one. The attacks themselves are only really noteworthy for how underwhelming they are. Nearly every time I performed a focus attack, I got the same one. A really goofy open-palmed slap to the top of an enemy’s head. It’s the kind of thing that makes you just want to say “boop” when it happens, and not once did it look actually threatening.

Not like any of this matters once you learn how easy it is to exploit the combat system. Every single enemy in the game falls victim to the same problem. You can pin them against a wall and lock them into an endless combo by mashing the light attack. This includes bosses and even the final boss. It turns an already boring beat ’em up into a trivially easy one that makes you a tired man. It’s not like there’s even simple enemy variety to change things up. Every enemy is exactly the same, even if they’re holding a weapon. I can’t think of a single fight where I had to do anything other than mash light attacks against a guy pinned against a wall.

I hate everyone in this room

The lack of sound is also present in combat, contributing to a constant feeling of apathy. A dull muffled “thud” is the only feedback you get from your attacks. As you can imagine, this fails to actually sell your hits. There’s no soundtrack at all, which seems weird because it’s not like adding a soundtrack would do anything other than make the game feel a little better.

Everything about The Quiet Man is just plain ugly. Animations are stiff and fail to convey any weight. One awkward scene saw the main character dodging a boss’ punch, but it’s tough to buy when the boss’ fist clips right through the main character’s face. Speaking of Dane, his design looks like someone decided to mash together Spider-Man 3‘s emo Peter Parker with a 16-year-old version of Resident Evil‘s Leon S. Kennedy. The result is a character that I can safely say made me laugh at every scene he was in.

This is a totally normal thing that can happen on the streets of NYC

Look, even as a “so bad it’s good” game, The Quiet Man doesn’t work. It’s a boring, baffling, and genuinely insulting video game that fails at every single thing it tries. The story makes no sense as the protagonist’s deafness becomes a mere gimmick. The beat ’em up elements are absolutely no fun, the controls are awkward, and the game is ugly. The only positive I can pull from this is that I always wanted to see how much worse it could get. The Quiet Man deserves to remain silent.

TechRaptor reviewed The Quiet Man on PlayStation 4 with a copy purchased by the reviewer. The game is also available on PC and Xbox One.

More About This Game

1.0

  Awful

Summary

The Quiet Man is an absolute disaster of ideas that don’t work, bad design decisions, boring combat, ugly graphics, and attempting to use a real disability as a gimmick in a way that feels borderline insulting.

Pros

There May Be Great Voice Acting?

Cons

Dumb, Nonsensical Story

Poorly Used Deafness

Terrible FMV to CGI Transitions

Boring Gameplay

Ugly Graphics

Have a tip for us? Awesome! Shoot us an email at [email protected] and we’ll take a look!

Samuel Guglielmo

Associate Review Editor

I’m Sam. Been playing video games since PlayStation. Favorite games include Ace Combat 5, Perfect Dark, Final Fantasy IX, Metro 2033, and MonsterBag. Also loves books and can be found face first in one all the time.

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