#i take your canon capcom and claim it for my own uses

[godtier]

sry, I just had to jump in on this bc this sort of revisionist shit grinds my asshole a lil bit

"the ship won't be forgotten!!" listen, that's just how fandom is. it's always been this way. in fact, it's worse than it was when sirea and I were in our early 20s. people these days need constant stimulation, constant flow of new content, over and over and over. people forget shit way faster than they used to. it's a phenomenon related to constant connection to the internet. I can observe it in real time among other fandoms, especially older ones. you'll have your core fans who will always make content for the fandom they're in, then you have the "fair-weather" fans who only show up when new content is made by the creator(s). the majority of fandoms are "fair-weather" fans. they only care about the newest installments. they don't dwell on characters who are never going to come back (like ashley, like helena, etc.) and there isn't anything wrong with that! that's just how interests are; if there's nothing new going on, most people will move on.

the point is that if a character isn't in the spotlight or at least in the periphery constantly, fandoms will forget. they lose interest. if the canon doesn't take the time to remind people that they exist or are doing things, no one's gonna remember except die-hards.

"why would capcom go to the trouble of setting up romance?" because ... it serves a purpose for character development/vignettes? why add romance to anything? you're also answering your own question:

While Capcom may choose not to endorse one particular ship (like Leon’s) as official—likely due to the extreme reactions from fans—they also shouldn't be hindered from making one ship canon, especially if, as you claim, the majority of "shippers" don’t play the games. If these fans are not involved in the games and have not purchased a single game, then there will be no losses if one of the ships is made official.

that right there is why they don't care. except for one tiny detail: "there will be no losses if one of the ships is made official."

untrue. while capcom doesn't give a shit about people who aren't buying the games (i.e.: most intense shippers on this site), they are also very, very aware that leon is a player avatar. the men who these games are catered towards enjoy the power fantasy. they want to play as a cool guy who attracts women or flirts with them with confidence. it's mild self-insertion and escapism, which is normal (or at least extremely common) for video games in general. it's an activity in which one immerses oneself in another world.

as such, you seem to misunderstand how male players think about games (or most players who get immersed); they would absolutely care if any one ship was made canon over another because that disrupts their ability to vaguely self-insert on leon. sure, some of them absolutely would love for leon/ada to be made fully canon because those players love ada. however, there are also players who don't like ada and they're in enough numbers to where capcom noticed their reactions to leon's behavior in RE6. they didn't like it. in fact, most leon fans didn't like it.

so they only care about ships insofar as to make sure they follow expectations of the fans they're listening to (i.e.: ones that buy the games and play them). they would stand to lose a lot if any one pairing of any of the main characters was made official, but especially with leon in particular.

okok i'm done

I'm quite amused by all the discussions about Capcom and your notion that people will forget about Ashley and Eagleone. First of all, you are all merely expressing your opinions, and you are not prophets. You present your thoughts as if they are facts. Secondly, even if some fans leave, new ones will inevitably come along—fans who may not have known about this game before, and they will create content, as is always the case. Additionally, there are very loyal fans who won’t lose interest even after several years. I understand that the hype can fade, and some people might leave the fandom in favor of other interests, but at the same time, new fans will emerge. Those who choose to stay in the fandom will continue to produce content, and it is incorrect to assert that everyone will forget about it.

Regarding the post about "Everlasting Bond," Capcom could have chosen not to include any characters from Resident Evil in this collection. However, they did include them, and they’ve added them to multiple collections in a row, often choosing frames from the same cutscene. It's amusing to hear people claim that Capcom doesn’t care about the ships. If they truly didn’t care, then why create ships like Leon and Ashley, Leon and Ada, Cleon, ChrisXJill, and LeonXAngela? Why include a dialogue where Sherry asks Leon and Claire, "Are you guys like boyfriend and girlfriend?” Why add this cute moment between Leon and Ada where he offers her his shoulder to lean on? I won't even mention that the entire "RE4 Remake" is filled with themes of romance and love.

Why would they go to all that trouble if they didn’t care about these relationships? They have created these ships and have engendered people who are so passionate that they feel compelled to express their emotions—sometimes even through extreme measures like threats—over these ships and even over real people. Clearly, they do care; without this attention to relationships, the game wouldn’t be nearly as engaging, right?

So, to claim that "Capcom doesn’t care about the ships and that this is solely a horror game" is quite misguided. While Capcom may choose not to endorse one particular ship (like Leon’s) as official—likely due to the extreme reactions from fans—they also shouldn't be hindered from making one ship canon, especially if, as you claim, the majority of "shippers" don’t play the games. If these fans are not involved in the games and have not purchased a single game, then there will be no losses if one of the ships is made official.

They likely made a mistake early on by portraying Leon as a character who has chemistry with nearly every female character—Angela included—where there was something special there and not just casual flirting. Claire, on the other hand, isn’t even considered a potential romantic partner compared to Angela, except in Dead Island, and even then they had disagreements. But then they brought Ada back to be the center of Leon's attention again, even after his romance with Angela. It seems they have made a mistake from the very beginning.

Now, Capcom is trying to navigate the waters they've entered, maintaining a distance while attempting to please everyone as best they can without getting too fixated on one aspect. Nonetheless, there is still a tendency to "sit on two chairs at once"; however, despite this, "RE4 Remake" does stand out.

I’m not overly invested in this ship to the point of declaring it the only canon, but to ignore the fact that Leon and Ashley's relationship is distinct from all others in the remake is akin to wearing rose-colored glasses. If they truly didn’t care for Eagleone, they wouldn’t have given this ship such prominent attention—a rarity for such a small pairing. Considering the game content and the life that this ship had before the remake, it is clear that they do care. Ashley and Eagleone will not be forgotten, because if some fans choose to leave, new fans will inevitably arrive.

oh boy

i'm not gonna read all this

i already told you guys tonight to only send me a single point of contention when you send me asks, so if you're not going to respect what i said, i'm not going to respect what you say

so let me just tell you that i've been doing this internet fandom shit since 1997, and i promise you that, if a ship does not stay front and center in an on-going series, the fandom surrounding it will eventually fade into almost nothing.

this transcends media. i've seen it in vidya, i've seen it in books, i've seen it in movies, i've seen it in shows.

there will always be a few die-hards who cling to a ship until the end of time.

but i promise you that, after RE9's release, eagleone fandom will see a dramatic decrease in population. and by RE10, eagleone will be reduced to single digits.

come back in 5 years, and we'll have this conversation again.

[parjiljehavey]

Capello Estate - Fortuna Isola 

The Capello Estate is located in Mitis Forest, near Fortuna Castle. An excellent representation of Renaissance architecture, the mansion features large gardens, a dome church, and a large centerpiece fountain. The main hall and staircase feature portraits of the family’s members. The last portrait is dated 1985.

The Capello Estate had once been the seat of House Capello. House Capello distinguished itself as a strong vassal of Lord Sparda, with many of its members serving as men at arms and on the Dark Knight’s governing council during Sparda’s tenure as the island’s feudal lord. After Fortuna was granted it’s independence and Sparda took his leave of the island in 1716, the Capello family remained popular amongst the island’s population, with members of the family serving as knights of the Order of the Sword and one individual reigning as the Vicar of Sparda from 1876 until their death in 1897. 

During the 20th century, the family began to decline due to many members dying without issue or any surviving issue.

The last notable member of the Capello Family was Titus Capello, the Supreme General of the Holy Knights during the reign Sanctus’ predecessor. Titus had only one surviving child, a daughter, at the time of his death in 1989. 

With his daughter’s disappearance and no surviving heirs from matrilineal or patrilineal lines, the House of Capello as it was known came to an end and the once glorious estate has been abandoned for nearly thirty years and is slowly being overtaken by the forest. 

[milk-addicc]

I really liked that post you made about how Capcom feels about Narumitsu. And I'm wondering how do you think they feel about Narumayo? Personally to me it feels like they throw more hints at Narumitsu since with the other one if Takami wanted it to be canon he would of done it at the end of T&T. I also think the team could of made it more obvious in SoJ with Maya's big return but I never really saw the hints but I know I'm biased lol.

oh i’m glad you like my rambles haha;;

ahh... that ship, 

well first, about the whole Takumi “wanting narumitsu to be canon” thing, its not exactly making them canon but have more fanservice leaning heavy towards narumitsu (which was declined by the director(?) who claimed, i sorta agree with, that the game did well even without the narumitsu hinting since in the first game they didn’t have that intention and it was pure coincidence that their relationship was just THAT deep and meaningful which is incredible lmao, Takumi and co managed to slip his warning and still put at least some of the hints in TT tho hhh-). so even then, i doubt the crew actually want the endgame to come so soon hh.

okay, back on topic. what i think about naru//mayo? yea, i’m not keen on that ship personally at all, actually i despise it. like, they first met in the office, in front of their dead loved one, Mia. Maya was 17, Phoenix was 24. you have Maya, who’s supposedly still in HIGH SCHOOL and Phoenix, who has GRADUATED COLLEGE, has a JOB, and most likely has PAID HIS OWN BILLS. from that point alone, it should already feel weird. 

Maya’s an adolescence, a teenager, she just lost her sister and barely grew up, in a way she’s still innocent, notice how she tend to ask random questions and or say things that she thinks makes sense or amusing, she tends to be naive too. its kinda like.. a child.

and Phoenix on the other hand, is a grown man. heck even Maya says he’s an “old fart”, they’re legit aware of their own age gap in game and outright say it. if anything, they both act like self-aware best friends/brother-sister than romantically. even Maya said it herself, she wants to be a good big sister for Pearl and Nick.

now how about we ignore this obvious fact just for a little while and try to see it from only their interactions in-franchise. heres the kicker, you may not see it in game since they only lightly nudges about this ship (usually with Pearl, and was dismissed by Maya right after.), but in some of AA spin off mangas (and from what i heard, one of the stage shows), for some reason, this ship has their own hints despite being completely aware that Maya is a teenager.

but its okay now don’t hold your breaths, 

their “hints” are more of a one-off ish thing, most of the time a gag and not taken seriously, and unlike other ship per say narumitsu, where it actually affects their lives and changed it forever IN-GAME. “i care about Maya and understands her” and “i became an attorney because of you, Edgeworth and i don’t have any regrets” are both literally incomparable, especially given Phoenix and Edgeworth’s history together in-game canon.

anyway, here’s some common arguments i’ve encountered about this particular ship :

“but Phoenix cares about Maya a lot! he literally went through a trial against a hitman and run through a burning bridge for her!”

“Phoenix blushed and goes red when Pearl says he’s Maya’s special someone and he stutters!”

“Well my parents had a huge age gap!"

“well, Maya is 18 in AA2″

“considering Maya is a christmas cake now, Nick better tap that” 

“she’s an adult in AA6 tho”

now lets dissect each of these,

yes, Phoenix cares about Maya a lot he literally did cross a burning bridge for her but people seem to forget that this is the same man who turned his life around, abandon his dreams, study law for four years, and became an attorney to meet one man and willing to defend a girl who looks like his psychotic ex that nearly poisoned him in court. he literally would believe in his clients’s innocence no matter what, he’s by nature would sacrifice anything and even his life for someone. so its normal that he cares about Maya, but is it romantic? i doubt it, he cares about her safety and well being but does it have to be a romantic hint? no, of course not, he’s just very selfless for the people he cares about and Maya has no one to help her but Nick when she’s in trouble, he’s one of few adults she can trust and will help her out.

oh so blushing and stuttering due to embarrassment means having feelings now? and about the stuttering, he literally stutters around Edgeworth a lot lol. i’m starting to feel like people ships naru//mayo not because of their depth but because Pearl said so. Pearl finds them should be together and keep shoving the audience with Nick being “Mystic Maya’s special someone”, well if thats the case, they also explained why this happened, in-game. Pearl grew up very sheltered and among unhealthy marriages she just assumes a girl and a boy together means they’re dating and being “special someones”. she most likely just wants her cousin to be in a happy relationship unlike her parents where her father left both her and her mother but didn’t know any better because she was eight years old.

https://youtu.be/FGAqQkMEKNs?start=674&end=776

now about the parent thing and taking it personal, well my parents too had a huge age-gap of 7 years. but how come is it okay? its because they met when my mum was already a career woman at 26. she’s already an adult when my dad met her. what does this mean? it means my parents were both adults when they’re together, this is why i still like GumMaggey despite their age gap so wide, they first met when Maggey has already had a career, supposedly in her 20′s, she’s a young adult, she can buy alcohol by herself, already knows whats right and wrong and has live life independently, not a still hormonal teenager who depends on one adult figure. did your parents date when your mum is in highschool while your dad is like in his mid 20′s? sorry to hear that.

as for the last three arguments, i don’t even want to touch any of them with a five-foot pole. are you listening to yourself? do you not feel like you’re a creep typing that?

let me give you a benefit of the doubt. yes she’s older and legally an adult, but are you really discrediting the fact they met when Maya was still in highschool? they met and became friends when she’s 17 and he’s 24. sure they barely met during disbarment era, but should that change anything? why should it? how should it? like this?

“Oh this is Maya, i haven’t met her in years but boy she sure has grown up can’t wait to date her since she’s legal now.”

because thats what that argument sounds like, YIKES. 

you know? if they met under a different circumstance and Maya was like 19, i’d let it go. but they didn’t, they met because of a horrible loss, Maya, still in training, 17 lost her big sister and Phoenix, a rookie, at 24 lost his mentor. 

in conclusion, i don’t like naru//mayo at all

pairing them feels like pairing Edgeworth with Kay or Phoenix with Ema, just because they partnered in investigations, make playful jabs at each other, and saved each others’s lives before, people just think they like each other romantically despite their age-gap in first meetings (not to mention Kay sees Edgeworth as somewhat of a father figure, and she’s nearly 18 while Edgeworth is the same age as Phoenix). especially with how Maya, being a zoomer, calls Phoenix an “old fart” and just makes jokes about how so out-of-touch Phoenix is with the modern entertainment.

from observations, i have a huge hunch that almost all of them pair these two because :

1. Maya’s a girl protagonist so its a male protagonist x female protagonist type of deal and despise narumitsu because “yaoi”

2. AA6 she’s an adult so she’s legal which is damn creepy on its own, or last

3. because of Pearl shipping them in game despite being an eight year old and was so sheltered she thought a man and a woman being next to each other means they’re special someones.

either way, i only see them as best friends, sibling-like relationship with self awareness here and there since they tease the audience a lot with their gag “hints” in spin-off mangas and game. 

not only that, it kinda showcase how all male/female bond don’t have to be romantic, they can be just friends or familial and still hang together. another plus for the franchise right after encouraging moving on from ex partners. *glancing at Phoenix//Iris*

and as to the people who pairs this for some odd reasons, sometimes i just want to ask these questions,

“how would you feel if you’re in Phoenix’s shoes? met your mentor’s little sister at age 17 while you’re 24, would you feel romantically interested in this high schooler?” because i don’t, to me anyone 3 years younger than me is like a baby, how would Phoenix feel when Maya’s 7 years younger?

“also... why even? narumitsu and other less questionable pairings are RIGHT THERE in the open!”

but oh well people can like and pair whatever hhh, 

and there you have it, my even longer rambling hahaha sorry;;

Edit : To add the final nail to the coffin, Phoenix outright has said that Maya’s like his kid, like a niece.

Edit 2 : remember that this is simply my personal take, you can somewhat use this to make yourself feel better about your pair nor simply just to hate on the ship itself but do not use this to dictate actual people what to ship and not to ship. 

please don’t be destructive towards others.

[fantasyresident]

Stereotypical Labels

All across media and in our daily lives we experience the utilization of stereotypes, and they are quite obstinate in our culture. From race, to religion, to sexuality, and gender, all of these broad topics and more are narrowed down by people into stereotypes in some way. Perhaps stereotypes only exist because it is better for many of us to have something easy to remember. But this becomes a problem when we weaponize our stereotypes to label other people and insult them. Even in video games (which is a topic I will be discussing) stereotypes persist. Myself, I’m quite peeved about the use of stereotypes, although I must admit I have once (and occasionally still do) become temporarily vacuumed into them. Some of us break the mold, and others make the mold stronger. My purpose in bringing this up is to simply create discussion among everyone who is aware of the stereotype epidemic in our society.

LGBT Self-Labeling

Anyone who watches or has watched The Voice and keeps up with the news may be aware of the past Kelly Clarkson controversy regarding gay contestants. After the performance of Molly Stevens, Kelly Clarkson compares her voice to the voices of Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls. While the average mind isn’t going to see any “controversy” here for miles, Stevens did and took offense to her comparison (even though Kelly clearly liked her voice.) Stevens blamed Clarkson for “labeling” her and made her dissatisfaction known to the public and to Clarkson. What’s ironic about this situation and others like it, the one who cries wolf is the one who called the wolf in the first place. The only one doing the labeling is Stevens herself. (Thankfully the two got everything cleared up eventually.) It’s sad, because the LGBT community means well in promoting their message, but sometimes members of the community are a little too self-aware of the labels society has placed on them and continuously label themselves as well. At the end of the day, the LGBT community is just a bunch of people. They aren’t “gays”, or “lesbians”, they’re people who love. This annoying problem is carried over to other forms of media including video games and t.v shows such as sitcoms. Too many times, I see the media tapping into overused stereotypes to describe or express the idea of same sex love. Like for instance, a comedy show would introduce an obviously gay character, make them say something humorous and over-the-top about their sexuality, and make the audience correlate their appearance with laughter rather than taking on same-sex love seriously. I get it that comedy shows are supposed to be funny, but not all gay people are over-the-top, feminine (or masculine if we’re talking about lesbians) or party animals. Not all gay people excitedly and openly announce to the world that they are gay, some are less open about it simply to not make a big deal out of it. In far too many video games, gay characters are either swept to the side and easy to miss the existence of altogether, or they fit into a stereotype label. This isn’t to say that nobody does LGBT right or if you happen to fit into a stereotype that you aren’t genuine, but I just feel like too many people are labeling others or themselves too much.

A fantastic example of LGBT characters in gaming done WITHOUT stereotypes or rubbing the fact that the characters are gay in the viewer’s faces are Fang and Vanille from Final Fantasy XIII. (If you don’t believe this is canon, then research it. The game itself makes it clear enough.)

Female Stereotypes

The history of labeling females is rooted centuries ago when gender roles developed. The women had their place and the men had everything else. They were supposed to look pretty, say little, keep the home tidy, and deliver children. While this stereotype has eased off and many women are expressing their rights openly, they haven’t gone away entirely by any means. People still claim that women shouldn’t be into gaming, women should dress “appropriately” etc. Let’s not forget gender discrimination when it comes to equal pay at work and the lack of benefits for women who are pregnant while working. There are countless gender-related issues concerning stereotypes and society’s expectations of women. If a woman comes to work with just a little cleavage showing, she’s slut-shamed by a co-worker because of the persistent stereotype that a women who dresses loosely is a whore. Again, this is a problem and it doesn’t end there. In media such as video games, the same stereotypical labels are put into use, only for characters rather than people. If a female character is designed with slightly revealing clothing, they’re labeled as a sex symbol even if their personality is far from such. This has always bothered me as a proponent of human rights and a designer. If you’re shamed for what you wear because you like a certain style that has been placed under a harmful label, you’re not living a free life. That’s why it bothers me so much when the same happens with fictional characters. There is, thankfully, a silver lining. Society has gotten better (but far from perfect) at treating women and portraying them in video games. Some good examples of phenomenal female icons in gaming are Lightning, from Final Fantasy XIII (a game that shatters many stereotypes), Primrose from Octopath Traveler, and Lara Croft from Tomb Raider (not the Capcom version). 

Lightning showed the players that beauty nor strength has to be compromised in order for a woman to be a woman. Primrose rebelled against the man who kept her in chains, and Lara expressed great courage and strength in her endeavors while often risking her own life. There are more good icons out there, but these 3 women are some of the best representations I have been made aware of. 

Most female characters are stereotyped by their “emotional strength” or their smarts. While emotional strength is undoubtedly important, it’s not the only strength a woman is capable of having. So few women in gaming are portrayed to have physical strength without falling into some other stereotype (like the busty women epidemic) Women have different body types of course, but to some extent they have become a key role in marketing for male gamers for quite some time and that is indeed contributing to more and more stereotypes regarding women. Any woman who happens to be naturally big-built will be shamed for her body due to the stereotype developed by media. Just some food for thought.

Male Stereotypes

The next topic I’d like to discuss is something I think is equally important. Society has placed its own set of expectations upon men, much like women. However, these expectations are far different but cause the same damage. Men are often expected to hide feelings, participate in “manly” activities like hunting, and to like certain things deemed “masculine” by our culture. A boy cannot play with barbies (which makes my existence illegal to them because I grew up with Barbies all around me.) These expectations we place ends up making the male culture toxic at some point. If a boy does not grow up being taught to respect women, be who they want to be, and to express their emotions, they will grow up to deal with emotions through anger towards others and criticize others who show emotion. This is likely why many boys don’t get along with girls, because they aren’t taught gender equality and they have to find other means of expressing themselves. This leads to other more serious issues later in life like demeaning women, sexual harassment, among other conflicts. It’s much easier to accept others when you are raised to accept yourself no matter who you are. Media, like always with stereotypes, doesn’t do a good job at breaking this pattern, but there are some great examples. Again, referring to the stereotype-shattering Final Fantasy XIII, Hope Estheim is a good example from my personal experience of a male character who doesn’t fall in line with the expectations of who a man is “supposed” to be. 

Race Stereotypes

Racial stereotypes (commonly known as racial profiling) is very much a part of our culture today. While racism has been largely criminalized (and rightly so), it still persists as much or more than other issues like the ones I discussed earlier. The best example of this issue, is police brutality. Too many police officers have personal bias against African Americans even if they aren’t noticeably racist themselves. They see a man or woman of color, and they instantly feel endangered by the “unknown”. They fear that someone different than them is posing a threat to their well-being. Instead of approaching them like anyone else, they react with force because of the label their subconscious has placed on the person in question, even if said person in question doesn’t pose any threat whatsoever. Automatic assumptions of threats (like seeing someone hold a gun when it’s really just an everyday object) are made because of their fear. It’s no secret that this is a problem, so I don’t feel the need to explain this any further. There are countless of characters in video games and tv shows to represent the people of color, so I think for the most part the media does a fair job with representing them equally.

I realize that the media and the world aren’t perfect, and I don’t expect stereotypes to disappear any time soon. I understand they may be easy to fall victim to and difficult to eradicate from your mind due to the longstanding culture we’ve developed. But just take some time to think about what labels you’re placing on people and to separate that label from who they truly are, or better yet, ditch labels altogether. At the end of the day, we’re all human regardless of color, gender, and sexuality. So treat others like it.

[cosmiciaria]

Devil May Cry 4 SE spoiler free review/rant!

With all the DMC5 hype, and with all the no-money I have, I went and watched the cutscenes of the new game. Yes, don't judge me, some people just don't have the money to buy it the day it's released. Some people don't even have a ps4 so watching cutscenes is the only alternative if you wanna enjoy the story. This was my case for far too long, when I only owned a ps2 and I was craving for the ps3 I never got. So I'm used to watching cutscenes of the games I knew I wouldn't be able to play at all; and this is no difference, for I have some priorities (cof cof Kingdom Hearts 3 – yes, I'm still saving for it) before throwing my money at Capcom.

SO obviously after watching the cutscenes and getting all the feels and, idk, reminiscing all my love for these characters, I went back to my old file of DMC4 and kept playing. I had been stuck at Mission 11 for a stupid platforming thing that I couldn't wrap my head around it, but somehow, magically, this time I managed (after falling from that wall like 25 times). I'm going to be honest here: I like the DMC franchise for its story, which, ironically, is what most people consider to be the worst aspect of these games. What I try to say is, I suck at playing it. I'm not ashamed of that fact. I play games first for their stories, and then for their gameplay, and my philosophy is that, if I can't enjoy the story because the gameplay is obstructing me, then I'm sorry but that game just isn't for me. That's one of the reasons why I hesitated so much before buying Bloodborne (you can guess: I still haven't finished it). Yes, I suck at DMC4 and 3, and probably the other two as well. I did play the first three, but I never finished them, and I followed their stories thanks to the magic of Youtube. Around that time, when I wanted to have a ps3 and I couldn't, I watched DMC4's cutscenes many times. When it was finally on sale in psn, I didn't think twice: I bought the special edition. So here I was, trying to finish this stupid file on Human difficulty (then again, I'm not ashamed of admitting it) and at last claim the title of "yes, I PLAYED that game!"

Initially, like I said, I've only watched its cutscenes. I was in love with Dante, with Vergil and with Nero. I admired them and their badassness. Slash, punch, wahoo, everything. And I've heard multiple times that DMC3 was a masterpiece and that DMC2 fell flat in almost everything and then that DMC4 is just… an unfinished game. And oh boy, did I feel that as well!

A little introduction for those of you who for some reason don't know anything about Devil May Cry: Dante, the son of the legendary demon Sparda and the human Eva, is a demon hunter. He's cocky, confident and loves taunting his enemies. Vergil is Dante's twin brother: as you can guess, brotherly rivalry (maybe too much rivalry). Nero is the newcomer to DMC4, which triggered many debatable reactions, because fans just love their Dante. Unfortunately for those who don't like Nero, he's the real protagonist of this game. The story revolves around his city, Fortuna; Kyrie, his love interest; and the fact that he's one quarter of a demon, because he descends, too, from Sparda.

So the leader of this occult religious order, Sanctus, worshipper of Sparda, has some god-syndrome and wants to rule the world, opening the hellgates all over the place and kidnapping Kyrie in the process. So it's up to Nero to rescue his (girl)friend, learning some things about himself in the way there. He crosses paths with Dante, who's there because, well, he gotta stop that stupid Sanctus, you know? But Nero confuses his intromissions with an enemy, and their relationship starts off as an opposition. Soon Dante sees something special (even familiar) in this young man, but we'll leave that for another day.

So that's it, that's the premise: you fight your way across the city of Fortuna with Nero and his devilish arm. Halfway through the game(ish) Nero is incapacitated for the time being and it's time to go back to sweet old Dante. Sadly, it's not actually "half" of the game, but just a few missions, and here's where the "unfinished" thing comes into place.

You see, Nero goes forward across the map, and then Dante undoes the same way, going backwards, up until the very first section of the game. And they fight exactly the same demons, the same bosses and go around the same places. Hadn't it been for the fact that Dante plays quite differently than Nero, you wouldn't see a difference between these two routes. And it's frustrating.

Another thing that screams "unfinished" is Mission 19. This is your own very section of boss rushes. The same four bosses that you've encountered with Nero and Dante, you have to fight them yet once more. So it's the same four or five bosses that you fight three THREE THREE times. By this point, you can play against them with your eyes closed.

And this is such a pity! Because the story is good, Nero is a good protagonist to attract younger audience, Dante is at his prime in both personality and abilities, and they even threw some romance into the mix to shake some things up. So why did this have to happen? Well, the devs have admitted they had to release the game in a certain deadline and they had to rush things by end of the cycle, acknowledging that it was incomplete. Due to this, Dante's section of the game feels like a replay of Nero's section, in the lazy kind of way. I can't blame anyone if they complain about this, because it's painfully true.

But still, I can't help but love these characters. I can't help but care for Dante, and his quirky, funny dances; I can't help but cry NOOO whenever Nero wants to save Kyrie. I know Kyrie receives a lot of hate, but it's not her fault the devs decided to make her this useless. I do wish she had a better role than just being the plain damsel in distress. It goes against everything we women have been fighting for these years! Nevertheless, Nero's love for Kyrie is felt, and it’s the main driving force for our main character, so think it this way: without Kyrie, Nero would've been a very plain protagonist, without real motivation.

This time around, the gameplay is faster than before, for the special edition has the "turbo" mode (I recommend it). And not only you can play as Nero/Dante, but also Lady and Trish make their triumphal appearance here, and also – yes, the lord of all special editions, the man everyone was longing to see in action: Vergil. Although, you may've guessed by now, his role in the story is null (except, well… you'll get it) and he only replays all of the missions as if he were Nero/Dante, with no real involvement in the plot, just like it had happened with DMC3 SE. Same happens with Lady and Trish, but hey, at least you can play as Lady! It's the first time she's playable! And she ROCKS!

I know graphics were never so much a thing for the DMC games, but this title still holds a variety of eye-candy visuals that make me rethink how capable the ps3 was. I know that now everything pales in comparison with DMC5 but don't forget, this game dates from 2008, and the remaster is from 2015, and it still holds up to this day! Pretty amazing, to say the least.

From a technical aspect, this game is a let down because of the unfinished business, but it feels like, it plays like DMC game. And for many years it was the consolation to that DMC reboot they tried to pull off (we don't talk about that game – although personally I like it, but I don't consider it canonical, or at least, I don't consider it part of this franchise at all). Nero's character is growing ever since, with now being the undeniable protagonist in DMC5. His role, his powers and his origins will drive the plot from now on, obviously accompanied by our beloved Dante, taking in the mentor mantle. Who knows, maybe Nero will be our next devil hunter in red cape?

This game is old, and probably nobody is speaking about it, but I couldn't not add my words to the void. DMC4 was one of my favorite stories back in the day, when I couldn't play games and only could watch cutscenes in YouTube. It holds all these nostalgic feelings for me. It was a time when I didn't have money, when I needed a game to relieve stress and I couldn't, and I found so much joy in these characters that I can't not love them. In fact, after playing it, I realized most of the aesthetics I find beautiful come from this game: the concept of angels, the Savior, and hot dudes with white hair. I just can't even.

In conclusion, it's not the best of games. It's very mediocre. It's very short. And it feels incomplete. But characters are loveable, and it opens the door to countless possibilities for the future of the franchise.

And the future is here! Go play DMC5 and then lend me a copy! 😉 Jk. But DMC5's story is good, and I've heard the gameplay is even better, so Capcom returned with everything they got this year. And I'm glad they did.

[tirsynni]

I viewed the bit with Adam Benford as having a behind-the-scenes redemption arc.

Throughout the series, especially in the movies, it is clear that Leon doesn’t trust the government and basically says fuck you, I’m doing what’s right, screw your rules. Hell, sometimes the government even uses that to their advantage. Leon has no issues with ignoring orders and doing his own thing. In RE6, it was clear that he never even thought of trusting the government to address his innocence. He immediately took action, including telling Hunnigan to fake their deaths. 

It is also made clear that Leon never forgets his origin in the government. He references it a couple times and when he does, it is always vague, deliberately so. He quickly recognizes other people in the government as a threat in several movies and in RE6. He’s a clever boy, our Leon.

So where does Adam fit in? We really only see Adam twice: end of two and beginning of six. See the above pics for two. He was party to trapping two innocent individuals, terrorizing a wounded man into being a government agent by threatening to kill a child, and handing said child over to be experimented on for years. Not exactly a lovely picture... except when we see him again, he’s someone Leon says he trusts. Not something you hear often from Leon after RE2. Adam is stepping forward and wants to claim responsibility for the American government’s role in Raccoon City and thus the birth of BOWs. That’s a pretty major 180 from when we saw him in RE2, and it’s a decision which led to his gruesome death.

We aren’t given many details. We do know fifteen years had passed from RE2 to RE6. Not an insignificant period of time. In that time period, their positions had changed dramatically. It was no longer a wounded, vulnerable man and a ruthless agent. It was now a high ranking agent held in high esteem and a trusted president and friend. How trusted? Unknown. But Adam was willing to break fifteen years of silence to take responsibility and Leon was willing to trust him despite his fears.

I really wish these things would be addressed in canon, but I doubt Capcom will ever do that. But there was clearly some sort of progress being made. It is implied that Adam went from a tool of the Family and Simmons to someone who checked in with Leon and, probably, trusted him over Simmons. For all we know (and this is my personal headcanon), it was precisely this history with Leon and his role at the end of RE2 which led to this change of heart... and, of course, his death.

Anyone who says that this game glorifies the American government has literally five brain cells maximum

[askaceattorney]

Dear 1,

Juniper Woods: Ace Attorney sounds like a very bad spin-off in my opinion. It would be satisfying, however, to have her as a tutorial to another game, if she had to be one temporarily, and it’s the last case she has to do before she becomes a Judge, and then is the main judge for the remainder of the game. Just a personal thought though.

As for the Original Trilogy, I think it was much more thought out than the second trilogy. It feels like it has more interest, more backstory, less throw aways, less recycled content, etc. I love the Second Trilogy, but I think they could have tried harder. You can’t beat the classics.

Dear 1,

I think a Juniper Woods spinoff might have the potential to be interesting, but only if something happens to her to create a drastic change in her personality -- not something horrible, necessarily, but something that makes her question everything she believes about the legal world.  As it is, I agree that she seems more like a tutorial sort of character.

I also love the Original Trilogy, since it’s what introduced the concept of a courtroom drama in the form of a video game, and even kept it interesting for three whole games.  Given, it had a few rough starts, but it just kept getting better as it went, in my opinion (in fact, I sort of like the newer games better, to be honest).  So if I were to describe it to a friend, I’d say it’s like watching Columbo, Matlock, or another detective/courtroom drama, only you have to solve the mysteries on your own instead of just watching the main character do it.  That’s the main thing that makes it (and the whole series) so engaging.

Dear One,

I’d rather not make a meme. I’ll leave that to the proper memer’s out in internet land.

Dear One,

Meme #1: There’s nothing finer than feeling fine

Meme #2: When your task gets delegated to your junior partner

Meme #3: “Man, I could really go for a meat lover’s pizza right about now...”

Dear Rubia,

I honestly hadn’t given much thought to how few references there are to Japanese culture in the Ace Attorney universe, given Ms. Hsu’s claim that America embraces it more there.  Heck, I didn’t even realize the Amanos were supposed to be of Japanese descent.  It’s sort of ironic when you think about it.

As for Phoenix, I don’t have any doubts that Mr. Naruhodou is canonically an ancestor of his.  Phoenix himself might look 100% American (with an unusual hairstyle because anime), but even if his DNA is less than 1% Japanese, the connection can still be seen between the two of them in their personalities and behaviors.  In fact, Dai Gyakuten Saiban might have been Capcom’s way of trying to counterbalance the lack of Japanese people and customs by having it set in Japan, as well as showing how Phoenix is (though very indirectly) connected to it.  I also remember wondering if Susato might have been an ancestor of the Feys.  She has both intelligence and the sass that most of them are known for, after all.

I agree that things turned out all right the way they are, but it does make me wonder how Ace Attorney would’ve been received in America if the first game had been set in Japan, or if the characters at least traveled there at some point.  I’ve never been there myself, but I imagine it’s a country with as much charm, excitement, and criminal activity as America.  If Spirit of Justice taught us anything, it’s that lawyers are needed wherever people exist.

Also, while we’re on the topic of foreign races in games, I recently watched an episode of Extra Credits that made me realize how seldom races other than American and English are represented in games (and Italian, in a kinda-sorta way).  It’s true that they’re easier to relate to for us Americans, but it’s also sort of sad that we can get used playing as entirely made-up fantasy races, but other human races tend to be used much less often.  That’s another wasted opportunity, in my opinion.

But I find it even sadder when clever lines are lost in translation.  Why would you do that to us, Capcom!?

Dear Mouthmouth(?),

Well, I erased your entire name and email by accident, so I guess we’re even.

I’ve seen your name on a few of the letters we’ve received, so there’s a chance that some of them made it through.  We delete the ones we can’t answer for a variety of reasons, so there’s no telling exactly why we deleted yours if we did -- it might have been because of inappropriate content, or because of something entirely different, so there’s no real need to apologize.

In any case, thanks for reading the submission guidelines!  It’s become pretty clear that not everyone does that.

Dear Sonia Nevermind,

Dear Anonymous,

As of right now, there are 2,339 letters in the inbox, and counting.  I wish we could give a definite answer to your second question, but all I know for sure is that it takes somewhere between 3 and 4 months for us to reach a letter after it’s been sent.  Hopefully someday soon we’ll be able to remedy that issue, but that’s how it goes with ask blogs as popular as this one.

Dear Anonymous,

AAAAAHH, NOT A GAME THEORYYYYY!!!

*ahem*  Anyway, that’s definitely an interesting theory, but there are at least a few objections I have to raise in response.  First is that the poker games he took Trucy to were played in a room that used to be a hideout for criminals.  I doubt he would’ve brought Trucy with him if he suspected any of his card game opponents to be wanted for anything.  Secondly, while clearing Phoenix of his forgery charges wasn’t the main goal of the final case, it was accomplished indirectly when Apollo exposed Kristoph’s ties to Drew, and I imagine Phoenix was expecting him to connect those dots somewhere along the way.  And finally, while the jurist system was pretty much a one-time thing, I feel like Phoenix’s reason for using it was because it was the only legal way to put an end to Kristoph’s crimes.  It was underhanded to be sure, but I wouldn’t say it was as unscrupulous as Simon Keyes’s way of seeing justice done.

Of course, there’s no way to say for sure what the motives behind Phoenix’s actions were in AJ.  In fact, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they were partly fueled by his hatred for what Kristoph and Zak had done to him.  He seems like a nice guy overall, but everyone experiences hatred.  It also seems strange that he would take something from a crime scene, but I think it’s just as likely that he wanted to make sure he had it before the police confiscated it.  Whatever the case may be, I think it’s too early to call him a delusional narcissist.  If he were, poor Ahlbi (along with many other defendants) might not be here today.

-The Modthorne and Co-Mod