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bersergner-blog · 3 months ago

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Escape from Tombstone - Modern Beat 'em ups

Now that we've explored the classic Arcade games we move to the other side of the year 2000 and explore the genre's evolution as well as the modern wave of nostalgia inspired throwbacks.

Mayhem Brawler Looks pretty great, lots of move variety special bars for special moves are a great idea. Lots of combo potential. But hits lack impact (no hit-stun, flashing or individual sprite-rumble just screen-shake). Hits lack "Juice". Choosing paths after levels is a cool idea. Comic book theming feels a bit weird but isn't really inherently wrong. Full voice acting is great. Character and enemy designs are decent but every character looks weirdly proportioned. Levels are short but that's a benefit. Stops things from getting samey. Status effect symbols feel a bit weird and immersion breaking. Lighting is great and represented on characters like in SOR 4. Block and counter attack options.

Cobra Kai - The Legend of the Karate Kid continues Lots of really cool and diverse systems but the whole thing is very messy in every aspect. Janky gameplay awkward design such as counter only working about 10% of the time you press it. Weird hit detection for object interactions as well as attacks. High damaging enemies with way too small dodge windows and way too much hyper armour. Systems of the game not working as intended. Picking up special abilities but their descriptions only coming up very occasionally. Lots to unlock and lots of enemies and story and general care. But it's just all very unpolished. Super reliant on special moves to tank all the hyper armoured damage being thrown at you. Chaotic. Buggy. Unwinnable scenarios at times. Encouraged to pick up gis and headbands but their explanations take ages to pop up and you're encouraged to keep your combo going. Which runs out pretty quickly (should have a DMC style decaying effect). So you keep wanting to push on. And the power ups effects are too specific to not be forced to know what they are. Locked into upgrade pathways far too early (mixing and matching like in X-Com is what would be way more engaging and fun). Using the stick on the menu is awkward and doesn't work properly. Always overshooting or not being able to select the right direction at all.

Cobra Kai 2 - Dojos Rising This one was tough. There’s a lot of cool ideas here. It tries to take the gameplay from the first game and translate it into 3D rather than the 2.5D of the original and pretty much all the game’s systems are worse for it. Once it starts getting you to do platforming puzzles I was out. The game doesn’t have the level of precision and control that it demands of you.

Final Vendetta Down attack is cool. Bit too inspired by Streets of Rage. Some cool enemy designs. Levels are short and keep the momentum up. Enemies don't really suit the later stages especially the last visually, also for being set in the UK it doesn't look British at all phone booths, tower bridge and train markings aside. Block has a windup which sucks. Game expects a lot from you in it's difficulty and score. Juggles are fun, some of the death Traps are not. Grapple variety and move variety is quite cool. Dash attacks, back attacks, special moves, some grapple variety. But how to pull off certain combo enders, etc. Seems obtuse.

Skinny and Franko - Fists of Violence Has a lot of similar ideas to Escape from Tombstone but the game isn't balanced to make a lot of use of the extended abilities. Some being so situational that you'll rarely if ever see them. Combo system doesn't add up to much variety. Almost all combos start with the same flurries. Annoyingly edgy to a cringe worthy degree. Gets boring and repetitive very quickly. Some funny names and engrish. Too much repetition and simultaneously too many advanced enemy types in the first level. Two enemies that counter kicks? Bit weird. Lots of attention to detail such as hoods being knocked off enemies heads and enemies becoming more injured as you fight them. But the constant spit flying out of enemies as you hit them and the general feeling of grossness and lack of understanding of visual art principles makes for an uncomfortable play. Overly long levels, juvenile "badass" feel. Awkward combat. Running kick that never connects. Enemy taunts are kind of fun. Side area with nothing there but a dumb joke and annoying boss. This feels like it was made by an edgy unpleasant child who draws the cool S on his school bench. Enemies become exceedingly tanky and take ages to get up meanwhile ground follow ups like to work and not work when they feel like. Skinny and Franko is impressive but not fun or engaging. It may be the creator finally realising on the vision he promised with the originals' design but It's a world where you don't want to spend time, full of unlikeable characters being unappealing. Combo system is cool but holding attacks is too long enemies who can counter kicks appear with strange regularity early on. 3 types by mid level 2. Counter works best when it is mashed which feels weird. Some damage is unavoidable. Dragging enemies around by the head and some of the low health stuff you can do and environmental interaction is fun but every enemy has so much health and some of the abilities are so obtuse and are hard to gauge, such as the leg or arm break ground moves.

One Finger Death Punch 2 Lots of cool and unique animations and stage interactions (smashing heads into objects, using a variety of. Martial art styles) Weapons. Special moves. High intensity. Simplicity. Horrible UI. Lots of screen shake and visual clutter that is unnecessary but also because of the game's structure, excusable.

River City Girls Great art style and animation. Enemies too tanky. Hitboxes lead to hurting yourself with thrown objects and getting stuck on objects in the environment. Battles end up feeling incredibly samey and it's hard to capitalise on knocking enemies down so best to just wait. Easy to take damage and die. All around fairly un-enjoyable. Enemies scale with you so leveling up is only really for unlocking new moves. None of which particularly increase enjoyability.

River City Girls 2 A big improvement on the first. Enemies are less tanky, there are more characters and the dialogue feels more sharp and amusing, it’s easier to damage grounded enemies and the combo system is expanded. The art style is pretty great the whole way through and it extends from the characters and portraits to the HUD elements. Voice acting is great too. However bosses feel kind of dull (even though they’re really trying, things feel to rigid and repetitive). And the story, while more entertaining than the first didn’t manage to hold my interest all the way through.

Stay Cool Kobayashi San Cool animation and art. Pursuit attacks and special moves are fun to use. But game structure feels disjointed and unfinished. Dialogue heavy and text boxes and UI don't fit the style. No follow ups on the ground and enemies have getup attacks. No defensive options again.

River City Melee Mach Many fun special moves and grapple option from picking up enemies. Many weapons. Simplistic graphics and somewhat repetitive gameplay. Decent story for each team making for good replayability.

Monkey King: Hero is back Needs more integration of cool things like jumping up. Ladders, etc. Feels too much like it takes the camera away from you to do cutscenes. Combat feels dynamic and poppy, sneaking and having one hit kill weapons as well as the purge and one on one ideas are fun and make for cinematic moments. In general, giving you different ways to strategise against enemy attacks. Different strengths and weak points and corresponding tactics that keep the combat engaging. Narratively having an annoying character around is fine. But every now and then your character has to respond for the cathartic release for the player. Surprisingly dynamic and interesting although pushing it a bit further would have made it amazing. Only gameplay way to get health is to kill enemies (outside of items) so even if you're low on health you can strategise and with good gameplay and strategy, come back from critical situations.

Redeemer Redeemer takes the formula and turns it on it’s head. If only visually. It is another 3D Beat ‘em up but this time the camera is pulled way out. This combines with the excessive violence of the game and creates some moments of abstract beauty. It all looks very high quality and has a flair for the cinematic with some cool zoom-ins and slow-motion. However some cheap late-game enemies and some awkwardly edgy writing do take the wind out of the sails a little.

Fight ‘N’ Rage Bit too much of a stylistic mashup (SD characters, overly mature writing, weird VCR effects, a “TV screen” vignette, etc.) stops this one from coming together. Story feels like it was written by an edgy, 13-year old closeted furry and female characters feel unnecessarily sexualised. However the actual gameplay feels great, hits are crunchy and combos easy, you have access to a variety of special moves that can lead to further follow up moves and overkilling enemies causes them to explode into viscera. Additionally there’s tons of characters, costumes, game modes and modifiers to unlock and the story is affected by the paths you take, adding some replayability.

Shank & Shank 2 Not the most modern of additions, but I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge this game for it’s merits and the ways in which it shares similarities with Escape from Tombstone. It is also hand-drawn, includes a grappling system and takes inspiration from grindhouse cinema (in particular Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror). It’s a great time, featuring multiple weapons (and even characters in the sequel) even though the writing feels a little too inspired by the mean-spiritedness of Grindhouse. Something I’m looking to avoid.

Streets of Rage 4 I’ll keep it short as I’ve already covered SoR 4 in previous posts. But it really took presentation to the next level. Streets of Rage games have always looked nice but this one has really strong silhouettes, smooth animations, a very consistent style, lighting effects (even ON THE CHARACTERS which is insane for a 2D game). It just looks and feels polished to an absolute shine and is, as far as I’m concerned, the gold standard for modern presentation of the 'classic' spirit of the genre.

Sifu Sifu evolved the genre through the 3rd dimension. Obvious not the first to do so, it is the first release in a while that so perfectly embodies the spirit of the Beat ‘em up. It adds elements of the Soulsborne genre, expanding the moveset and adds a novel aging mechanic. However it is also very much about crowd control against a cast of diverse enemies and focuses on hand to hand combat with some weapons and environmental interaction. It plays tight and the encounters are meticulously designed. It is a modern masterpiece.

The Warriors Not the newest game on the list, this is another example of a third person/3D Beat em up. It features small, contained open-world segments with increased interaction, squad commands, a rudimentary stealth-system, a ‘Rage’ mode and an incredibly expansive movelist featuring throws, Takedowns, reversals, team-attacks, clearouts, combos, environmental interactions and weapons. And the whole thing is playable in co-op. It is a shining example of the genre and nothing else feels like this game. It has a sense of grit and more than a touch of the cinematic. Being based on 1979 cult-hit ‘The Warriors’, it also features almost the entire voice cast of the film returning and even fills in some back-story outside of the events of the film (even though it does contradict the film’s events at one point). It was also made by Rockstar before they did nothing but Red Dead Redemption and Grand theft Auto.

Mortal Kombat - Shaolin Monks Another co-op, 3D Beat ‘em up on the PS2. This one being a spin-off of the Mortal Kombat games. Features a cinematic storyline, a super-arcadey and satisfying gameplay system that features juggles, special moves, fatalities, throws, air-throws, stage-fatalities, secrets and even a unique idle animation for each character depending on if you last used a light attack, heavy attack or throw (a completely unnecessary but super charming touch).

Urban Reign The final of the notable 3D-Beat ‘em ups on the PS2. This one was made by Namco in-between releases of Tekken. It features a full multi-stage storyline and a very expansive versus mode with tons and tons of unlockable characters, weapons and stages. It plays like an absolute dream and really should get more love. It features, wall-splats, ground bounces, a limb-targeting system with individual damage calculation, reversals, grapples, co-op throws, double throws, running up walls and enemies, etc. The level of dynamic interaction in this combat system is astounding. Just as an example you could potentially: Reversal an enemy’s grapple, into a combo, launch them into the air, catching them with a grapple and then press the dash button to carry the enemy into a running throw (which will even play a unique animation should you impact with the wall during the run). The level of interactivity makes for some very dynamic decision-making and a feeling of freedom unlike anything else in the genre. Very thrilling.

Kiborg (Demo) This is probably the newest release on the list as it’s not even fully released yet. It takes a third person approach and combines Beat ‘em up tropes with a rogue-lite approach. This is interesting because both genres run on repetition and the rogue-lite parts add depth to the gameplay. You earn different mechanical augments as you move from round to round which change your abilities and the properties of some attacks. It also spices things up with ranged weapons and traps in the environment. Very well put together and very interesting, even though some of the animations feel a bit weightless and flaily.

Double Dragon Gaiden - Rise of the Dragons This game is the true return to form of Double Dragon. Featuring a crunchy, cute art-style with appealing character designs and animations. Satisfying combat, a rogue-lite system in which you level up between stages as you try to clear the bosses in any order you choose. It even features unlockable characters, a tag-system, a wave based arena mode and a developer-staple system where you have to knock out multiple enemies with a special move to receive healing. A ton of fun in a very appealing package.

#beat em up #retro gaming #brawler

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anaiswriterr · 4 years ago

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The Dragon Kings Queen

Pairing: Dragon King!Bakugou x Queen!Reader

Rating: M

Warning: This is part seven, I’d like to point out be aware: 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝗼𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝗺𝐞𝐬, 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐠𝗼𝐫𝐞, 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐭𝐜. Please don’t read if you are not comfortable with it, and if you’re under the age of 18+ I will give a warning when it becomes NSFW but at the moment it’s SFW. Todays chapter does include gore, death, killing, hunting, sickness, etc.

Synopsis: ➪ When the word marriage crossed your mind, you believed you’d marry someone you loved. Not this brute of a King. So here you are standing at the end on an alter, pushing away the urge to run and fight. Possibly start a new life, instead of being dragged into a loveless marriage. But for the sake of your people.. They say he’s not what rumors make him out to be, but how can you believe that when his eyes burn into yours; just as fiery as before. How could you, ever love someone as barbaric as him…

- chapter seven: fevers and night terrors -

•

Your memory is clouded from the prior events you participated in that afternoon. But the foul taste of blood and uncooked heart follow up your throat and out into a toilet bowl mock you as handmaidens rub your back in comfort. Melody soothes your nausea with warm tea meanwhile the rest pat wet cloths to your burning skin.

How did you get back to the castle? You have no idea. Absolutely no recollection of the journey back.

But you are happy they bathed and dressed you in a comfortable nightgown, tending to your ever needs and healing the scraps and wounds on your skin. Picking and pulling the splinters from your palms, scrubbing the blood, grime, and dirt off your chest.

Your eyes narrow attempting to fight off sleep.

Four girls gently escort you back to bed, tucking you into the sheets, folding a small cool rag and placing it on your forehead. A gold bell sits beside you, placed on a nightstand where you could easily reach out for. A bin is on the floor beside you as well, you thank them knowing there was something you could easily turn to.

The night was rough.

And your fever rose.

Your body trembles in the sheets, your achy muscles pester your sore lower portion of the small of your back, you lean over, hunched over the mattress. Your body violently lurches forwards, with you stomach clenching, tears prick out from the corners of your eyes.

It hurts so much.

Melody rubs small circles on the small of your back; humming to herself soothing you. "I should get the King, he's been wanting to see you-"

"No." You cough, sternly your eyes narrow at the young girl. "He shouldn't see me in this state, I'm weak, tired, and sick. His presence wouldn't help." You swallow dryly. Eyeing the dagger resting neatly on your nightstand, you feel a hand reach out to rub small circle around your wrist.

Nodding in understanding Melody wipes your forehead, "Will you be alright?"

You give her a quick smile, just wanting to be alone, "Yes, go rest. I'll be fine." Melody pushes herself off the mattress, checking a final time your temperature. "I'll be back in the morning with tea and light crackers, sleep well your majesty."

As the door closes shut you lay down slowly into the pillows, careful of your sore belly, and attempt to drift off into sleep. The window blows cool air into your room, the lace curtains dance throughout the night as the moonlight shines on your face. You eventually drift feeling a lot more better then you were previously. Your stomach howls, growling at the emptiness it pained. Your head still felt dizzy - lightheaded and fuzzy -, even with your stomach empty you could still feel the linger of nausea, the sour taste on your taste buds. It's nearly bearable.

Nearly.

Surely not as terrible as an hour ago.

***

You are running through the woods, heavy footsteps follow closely behind you. You are screaming, well, you think you are. Your mouth opens in a large 'O' but no sound escapes. Just the sound of the deep huffs and grunts of the creature behind you chasing you. You scream out for Bakugou, you don't know why.

You have no idea why you'd scream out for his help, but it wasn't like he was any help. You are running circles, the same three berry bushes pop up ever forty-five seconds on your right.

Every corner you turn you see Bakugou, cheering and laughing.

It's all just a game. Some sick kill the queen culture.

You keep screaming.

Until a hand covers your mouth, silencing you. Your eyes shoot wide open, staring into a pair ruby red eyes, you subconsciously reach out for your dagger and press it to his throat.

"Don't do something you'll regret,"

"How do you know I won't regret it?"

He remains quiet, for the first time in forever it seems. Your grip on the blades handle loosens, his gaze moves to your lips. Only for a second. Then back up to your E/C eyes, "You were screaming."

You arch a brow, "Nightmare."

You realize the dagger is still pressing on his neck, pulling away you drop it to your side. Your eyes wondering to the ceiling above you in attempts to run away from his wandering gaze. The silence is awkward between the two of you, his forearms cage you in.

"Why are you here?"

"I said you were screaming - I wanted to check up on you."

"I-I'm fine,"

His arms are strong. Firm and deadly. They cage you in like a wingless bird, what do you say now. Your stomach clenches again, but not because you were nauseous - the feel had already subdued with sleep. It's the fact that you husband, who also happened to be very handsome was hovering over you. "You should leave." You state firmly, unable to look at him.

He's quite.

The only sound you can hear is the howling wind from outside as it hits the curtains of your balconies window.

"How are you feeling?"

It's an odd question coming from him, "I'm fine. I- feel better."

"I don't believe you."

You're taken aback left babbling between words, "I feel better, no thanks to you and this kingdom's parliament. You entered my cambers without my consent and I'd like you to leave - immediately."

His hands press harder onto the mattress before shifting his weight onto the headboard above you, "You're a feisty little one, even when you're burning with fever though I suppose it is going down. You fell into my arms, remember?"

You laugh with delight, "It was either you or the gravel beneath me. And I will not fall onto the ground below you at your feet. If you're here to pick a fight then you are mistaken. I do not have the strength nor patience to deal with you." The words came spitefully out of your mouth, trailing away from your lips. He smirks above you, eyeing you from below.

"Lets get things straight here, I came to check on my wife-"

"Spare me your savior complexities for a later dat-"

You feel his hand move down to your cheek, his knuckles just barely grazing over the soft skin and relaxing at your throat; "Your skin is so soft." His palm gently tightens, "I didn't want this. This marriage was a truce, a trade. To stop the war on the northern fronts we needed each other - our kingdoms." He let's go of your throat, your heart is beating so fast you can barley catch up.

"Tomorrow you will see your people, they want to spare a glance at their new rightful Queen. The real party is tomorrow, you'll meet your soldiers the day after on the outskirts." He says fixing his hair, you push yourself up from the mattress, "We're going to the outskirts?"

"Yes, I have people, things you need to meet."

"What things?" You ask, watching as he turns his back to you ready to leave your room. He looks back at you through your mirror, smiling hiding the glint of mischief behind his smirk, "You're the Queen of dragons now,"

You nod slowly at his inclination. Wondering where the conversation would lead to.

"You have to meet your children."

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iwavibes · 4 years ago

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𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 ;; thirty five

----haikyuu social media au

iwaizumi y/n, nekoma's second year manager, has always been in love with kozume kenma. in an attempt to get her to move on, her two best friends introduce her to the prettiest boys they know.

besides, the only way to move on is to actually move on, right?

prev • masterlist • next

word count: 1k+

You took a deep breath as you came face to face with the gate, the only thing separating you from the boy on the other side. You took a quick glance at the opened messages on your phone. Seen. It hurt you to know that your best friend was purposefully ignoring you. You were fine two days ago. You wondered what changed or what you might've done to make him act this way.

Your eyes sparked up at the sound of a message notification, your eyes zeroing in on the message Shirabu sent.

'it will ♥️'

And you felt the weight on your shoulders lighten at that. Even though he didn't know what it was about, his words comforted you like no other. Especially at this exact moment.

Mustering up every bit of courage you have in you, you pushed the gate open. The moment you lock eyes with the tired but nervous ones he held, you could feel your earlier bravery dwindle away almost instantly.

"Kenma…" you breathed out. Your voice sounded like you've run a marathon when in fact, it was your nerves eating you away.

"Y/n…" he replied, almost as nervous as you were.

"L-look…" you started. "About what happened last week…" you couldn't seem to look him in the eyes, instead fixating your gaze on the ground. You sneaked a glance his way, only to see a pair of expectant eyes staring back.

You didn't know what he wanted you to say nor what he was thinking. But you've rehearsed this a hundred times, a thousand if you counted the ones you did in your head, and so the words tumbled out of your lips before you could stop it. You looked away.

"It was a mistake." You say with every bit of faux conviction you could conjure up. "It was all just a rush of emotions, you know? I didn't know what came over me when I did it. A spur in the moment. Like one of those time limited missions in story games and you have to pick a choice fast? I'm sorry. That was a very dick move and the fact that I'm telling you it was a mistake is even worse. I just… don't know what I was thinking." You were rambling now, you know you were but you can't seem to stop. "We've been friends for years now and you're one of the rare people that stuck to my side even after that incident. I cherish that. The fact that you didn't care and that you were happy to be friends with me. It sucks that I have to move away so abruptly. I really want to leave everything on a good note and not awkward… but I can't help but think that I just ruined everything."

"I-is that what you want?" His voice was soft. Like a newly fluffed pillow and gentle like a sweet lullaby.. But there was also a twinge of hesitancy imbued in the way he spoke. You can sense it.

You closed your eyes before nodding your head. "Yes."

You hear him sigh. What was it? Relief? Defeat? You didn't know. A flurry of emotions raged through your body and you stiffen at the silence.

If you could only look his way. Look at the expression he was wearing. See the disappointed eyes that bore on your turned skull. Maybe you would've thought twice about what you've said. But it was all out there now and you felt too ashamed to even steal a glance as you felt his arms wrapped around you.

You felt your cheeks burn at the contact, not really expecting him to hold you this close nor initiate something so intimate.

He rested his chin on your shoulder, holding you firmly by your waist as you hesitantly wrapped your arms around him.

"You didn't ruin anything y/n." He whispered. "I don't think you could, even if you tried. You're my friend. And I would pick you over anything."

You didn't understand what he meant by that last statement, too relieved to even process anything right now as you pulled him closer.

"I'll miss you, Kenma. I'll miss you so much." You whispered, voice shaky as tears began to form in your eyes.

At this, you feel his hand on your head, stroking the strands of your hair in comfort. "I'll miss you too, y/n. More than you'll ever know."

If you could just pull away to look at him, maybe you would've seen the few tears that streamed down his cheeks. You would've seen the desperation, and the longing those glossy eyes of his held.

He wiped them off once he was ready to pull away. A small smile on his lips as you tried to give him one back.

He patted your head one last time. You watched as he took a step back before reaching down to one of his pockets. He held a small trinket towards you, a small blank cat with a wide smirk.

"To remember us by." He said, placing it on your awaiting hands.

You looked up at him in appreciation. "Thank you."

"I'll see you soon, y/n." He knew how much hated goodbyes. He's observed it with the way you always tell him and the others that you'll see them soon. Because soon holds a promise and you didn't want to say goodbye just yet.

"See you soon, Kenma." You say with finality.

And that was it. You probably needed to fix your stuff again and Kenma didn't want to hold you out for too long. So with one final wave, he begins walking away.

You watched him for a moment, staring at his retreating form as you hoped to see him turn around. To give you one final glance, a smile, anything. The moment felt too short that you almost felt like it was all a dream.

You sighed, looking down on the small keychain on your palms. You turned it around to see a small note of sorts written on the back.

'Connect. No matter what. We'll see each other soon.'

Meanwhile, as Kenma walked blocks away from your house, he couldn't help but sigh once more in defeat. The hot air of the day pinching at his cheeks as he looked up to keep the small tears threatening to spill at bay.

"Ahh I lost."

NOTE: when i said this was gonna be long i meant it. that's the end of act one!! thank you all so much for the support you have given this smau so far. pretty setters will be back on DECEMBER 1 6AM ph standard time and will be updated every tuesday, thursday, saturday and sunday!!

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businessliveme · 4 years ago

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Shorter Menus, Hampers and a Drink on the House: Dining in the Post-Virus Era

(Bloomberg) — “We must walk on all fours to get up again.” That is the view of a chef in Sicily, among close to two dozen restaurateurs and cooks we asked for their strategies to overcome the biggest crisis in the dining business in recent memory. After weeks of closed doors, customers are slowly starting to come back, and they are entering a different world from the pre-coronavirus era: shorter menus, spaced out tables and a fresh focus on takeaway food. But it’s also an opportunity to renew and reinvent, from closer ties to local suppliers to more affordable pricing that might include a dessert or drink on the house.

From Sydney to Copenhagen to Hong Kong, chefs are preparing for the post-pandemic future, and how they think they can make it work.

Smaller Menus

Gone are the days of bible-thick menus because kitchens will need to be quicker, serving dinner guests in multiple sittings to maintain a distance between visitors. Some restaurants may also have to get by with fewer staff in the kitchen at the dining room, so efficiency is key.

Luke Mangan | Luke’s Kitchen, Sydney “We are changing things to make our customers feel they are safe when they dine with us. Our menus will be smaller to start, our teams will be more efficient, our restaurants will be very different from what they were.”

Neil Perry | Rockpool, Sydney “Menus will be shorter, opening hours different, we will really have to manage staff. It’s a new world, but I think we will get back to the old one with more sanitation and good sense over the next couple of years.”

Comfort and Safety

Face masks, gloves and disinfectant spray may seem more like objects from a hospital ward, but it’s part of the new reality in restaurants, too. Chefs are coming up with ways to make people feel welcome and safe at the same time.

Valentino Cassanelli | Lux Lucis, Forte dei Marmi/Italy “We have adjusted our layout to have two meters between each table but 80% of our tables are in open air, on the terrace, roof top or by the beach. We will send a menu to all guests at the time of booking so they are able to order in advance. Our menu has been adapted as we become more in touch with our local territory and market.”

Shane Osborn | Arcane, Hong Kong “You have to adapt to operate. It feels strange and awkward at first but you adjust to it. You need a really safe and comfortable environment. You need to show you are being very proactive just to let customers relax.”

Fatih Tutak | Turk Fatih Tutak, Istanbul “We will offer small cards indicating that the tables are sanitized and hand gel, allowing the guests to disinfect their hands when seated. We will start to move away from physical materials, there will be no printed menus, we will provide a QR code to ensure that all guests have access to the menus from here. We will be using more simple techniques, handling the food less, but retaining the highest attention to detail. We want to prepare dishes that can be eaten by hand.

Silvena Rowe | Nassau, Dubai “We will bounce back. The question is at what speed and how high. I want people to be confident. People are going to pay much more attention to their health.”

Eating Out, At Home

Taking your favorite restaurant’s food back home lets you have it both ways-the experience of a great meal and the safety of your private space. It’s an offer that more chefs around the world are embracing to keep business going, even with fewer people in the restaurant.

Nicola Fanetti | Brace, Copenhagen “We started a takeaway service during the lockdown and we plan to continue this. We are going to have a choice of menus and two seatings per service. The prices will be affordable so that we can reach a larger audience.”

Rosio Sanchez | Sanchez, Copenhagen “We offer a Sanchez en Casa option for those who want to have the Sanchez flavors at home.”

Helena Puolakka | Savoy, Helsinki “I am working on sustainable hampers with beautiful packaging that guests can take away for weekend meals whilst going sailing or to summer houses. The mountain of rubbish everyone eating take away is not sustainable.”

Embrace the Challenge

It’s hard not to feel gloomy about the future, but some restaurateurs also see the crisis as a chance to reboot, rethink and revive theie industry.

Anthony Genovese | Il Pagliaccio, Rome “It is in moments like this that the team is important, unity and cohesion, which has helped me to reformulate the whole menu again. I look to the future with hope and tenacity, feelings that have never left me during this period, thanks to the fact that Italy is always ready to renew itself, to invent itself again.”

Martha Ortiz | Dulce Patria, Mexico City “I am looking for gastronomy projects that can help me expand. One of them is to create a line of table art with Mexican designs. The other is for stores, a line of Mexican products that offers the innovation, quality, price and design that I am looking for.”

Mauro Colagreco | Mirazur, Menton/France “We need to reinvent ourselves to move forward. The challenge is to turn the darkest aspect of this crisis into beauty, transform the negative into something positive. The creativity we use in our kitchen now needs to be used to think and devise new ways to work together, with our suppliers, gardeners, local producers and artisans. We won’t be able to exit this crisis individually; we must work collectively with a new perspective on the world and the impact of our actions.”

Think Global, Cook Local

For the foreseeable future, people will travel less, particularly for long-haul trips. That means some trusted customers will no longer show up, while another, more local clientele may instead come knocking on the door.

Norbert Niederkofler | St. Hubertus, San Cassiano/Italy “We started long ago with a project called Cook the Mountain, so totally local, with lots of respect for the local farmers and products. The restaurant business will change for sure with the customers we are going to have. Flights will be much more expensive so less guests flying around just for dinner and food.”

Ana Roš | Hiša Franko, Kobarid/Solvenia “This is an amazing opportunity for us to open ourselves to a more regional market. Before, probably 30% of our clientele were Americans, some British. Today, we need to understand that Europeans will be our main customers. We’re no more than a four-hour drive for Germans, Italians, Austrians. I want to see more regional clients.”

Virgilio Martinez | Central, Lima “We can survive together, working hard, innovating and making the most of the situation when we see no tourism, no restaurants open. The new luxury will be coming closer to nature and genuine experiences. When we open, we’ll have more focus on using local ingredients, local knowledge. There may be fewer fine-dinning options but they will be better.”

Vineet Bhatia | Indego by Vineet, Dubai “A lot of our restaurants are in luxury hotels, dependent on corporate travel and high-end tourists. And in London, we are dependent on tourists and we’re not going to get the Chinese market coming in, or the Middle East market.”

Be Kind to One Another

The chef may have his name on the door, but restaurant life after the pandemic means everyone on the line counts, from the front desk to the chap washing the plates and carrying out the trash.

Ciccio Sultano | Duomo, Ragusa/Sicily “We must walk on all fours to get up again tomorrow. It is also clear to me that the world will have to have more respect for itself in the future. Of course, the pandemic has not changed nor will I change the way I cook. We will be even more a family, attentive to the needs of the moment. if there will be less income it will be like this for everyone.”

Diego Muñoz | Atman, Lima “This situation puts us in perspective on how much we are connected and how we can affect the rest with our own actions and decisions. We must come out of this situation being better persons — cooks, farmers, customers, wine makers, waiters, restaurateurs and everyone that creates this beautiful synergy of giving and taking.”

Enrique Olvera | Pujol, Mexico City “We will continue to drift apart from luxurious nonsense: Rather focusing on the resilience of our food systems, the people that are part of it and the well-being of our customers.”

Having Fun Can Be Hard

Restaurants of the future will not just have smaller menus, they will also seat fewer people, with restrictions ranging from space to curfews to no more friendly banter with the owner. That will make it much harder to establish a welcoming atmosphere, some chefs say.

Thitid Tassanakajohn | Baan, Bangkok “I’ve reopened Baan, one of my four restaurants, with a lot of restrictions. We were 30 seats restaurant before covid and now we can seat only eight. On top of that, we have a curfew at 10 p.m. meaning we have to let customers leave by 8:30 pm. It’s difficult.”

Prateek Sadhu | Masque, Mumbai “People used to come into the kitchen and give me a tight hug at the end of the day. That’s hospitality. It was like a family with our guests. But are we going to be able to do that? What about that warmth? Something will be taken out of restaurants if we’re all wearing gloves and masks, with minimum interaction.”

The post Shorter Menus, Hampers and a Drink on the House: Dining in the Post-Virus Era appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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londontheatre · 8 years ago

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On paper, Don Quixote in Algiers offers an enthralling melting pot mix of fact and fiction. In reality, it suffers, sadly, from being over-seasoned and yet also strangely undercooked.

Dermot Murphy’s work has its roots in historical fact, looking at when Don Quixote author Miguel Cervantes was held captive by Barbary Pirates in Algiers during the latter quarter of the 16th century. Cervantes was imprisoned for a period of 5 years and, during this time he tried to escape 4 times.

We know nothing of what he did during July to November of 1578, but we do know that his famous tome was ‘conceived in a prison’. It is here that Murphy turns his attention; attempting to fill in the blanks.

Miguel de Cervantes (Alvaro Flores) states that he is Christian. The object of his desire is Zohra (Rachel Summers), but Zohra is Muslim and her father, Si Ali (Fanos Xenofos), wants her marriage to be arranged. He does not want the suitor to be Miguel. Both Miguel and Zohra want to escape. Aside from the logistical complications, there are issues as to whether they can find between them enough trust, common ground, love and empathy to make it so.

There are no props, save for a dagger, some manuscripts, and a scribe’s quill. The small, cozy cast are compelled, out of necessity, to muster electricity from these modest means. For the most part, they are able to do so. They are wonderful. It is the script that lets them down. It is too heavy, stuffed with overt theme signposting on the one hand; and too clever-by-halves, story-within- a-story misdirection, on the other. It is the early stages where the problematic seeds are sown. There is no soft launch. It is far too convoluted. Maybe this was at the behest of the director too. Whoever is to blame, the audience is dazed like a sea sick sailor trying to regain equilibrium.

It is disappointing because at the heart of Don Quixote in Algiers are pertinent issues: immigration, division, acceptance, freedom of movement and the pursuit of desire. These themes couldn’t be more timely if this was renamed Donald Trump in the White House. Sadly, it is equally as crude; pummelling the audience with the message, rather than massaging gently and suggesting it lightly.

Review by Greg Wetherall

Captured by pirates, held for ransom for years, he’s a soldier who wants to be a writer. Is this Don Quixote in Algiers who and what he says he is?

He was in a battle where Christians defeated Muslims. Relations between the Islamic and European powers are tense and difficult. He says he’s Christian. Ali, his captor is Muslim. He’s working for Ali; what’s he telling him? Ali’s daughter loves her father but she’s made him angry. He’s arranging a marriage and she so doesn’t want a husband. She knows he has tried to escape before. Perhaps Don Quixote could organise another escape and take her with him to get away from Algiers. Will he take such a risk?

When was this? Well, he was Miguel de Cervantes and Algiers was a multicultural, cosmopolitan city. Both sides had slaves and pirates, both wanted power and the money to support it. This is the background to “Don Quixote in Algiers”. The four characters know what they want and tussle with freedom, truth, women’s place, identity and trust to get there. How far can you compromise in this enduring, awkward relationship? What’s the cost?

From Condor Theatre Company Directed by Franko Figueiredo Performance dates: 7th February – 4th March 2017 http://ift.tt/2iPRRyF

http://ift.tt/2l9GjVS LondonTheatre1.com

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anaiswriterr · 4 years ago

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The Dragon Kings Queen

Pairing: Dragon King!Bakugou x Queen!Reader

Rating: M

Warning: This is part four, I’d like to point out be aware: 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝗼𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝗺𝐞𝐬, 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐠𝗼𝐫𝐞, 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐭𝐜. Please don’t read if you are not comfortable with it, and if you’re under the age of 18+ I will give a warning when it becomes NSFW but at the moment it’s SFW. This chapter has descriptions of blood, and nausea and vomit!

- chapter six: the dragon queens ceremony -

•

The crowd cheers in entertainment, screaming and yelling to drench the Queen. You are passed out in the arms of the guards as villagers bang their drums even louder as you are lead, barley conscious into the plaza.

Fire torches light the room.

You are thrown onto a heavy stack of hay bales, roughly. You stir awake slightly at the sound of Kirishima's muttering. "Don't throw her like that unless you want to be my dinner for the night!" He scolds the guards, you hear a growl come from his throat. You try to open your eyes, but the headache you were facing with continued to beat at the sides of your temples. You whimper in pain as your hands are pulled harshly, you finally open your eyes when you realize it's another guard.

His hands carry heavy pales of blood, your vision sees two of each person. Blinded by the torches and startled by its heat.

You feel warmth quickly rush down your body, you cough. Choking on the red liquid, your hands quickly shoot up to wipe it away off your eyes, mouth and nose.

"Relax.. you're not going to choke." Kirishima says, holding onto you hand. "Bakugou should be here in a second.."

You struggle to stay up, "I don't want to see him."

Dots surround your line of vision but you can still manage to make out your surroundings, the plaza mainly looks like a barn from the inside. People are surrounded on the balcony and even on the first floor. Hay bales litter the floor and torches are set up on each pillar. Women and children cheer with their husbands, shouting as they watch the heart being drenched in blood. They yell, "Bring out the Queen!"

You are wet, and slightly cold but the warmth of the blood regulates your body temperature. The beating drums sound even louder, horns and bells play from the outside.

"He'll be the first you go to as soon as you're finished," Kirishima states, as he pulls you lightly to the sidelines. He looks over you, pointing out the King. You nod your head in attempts to see straight again, their are two of him and you didn't know which was which.

"H-How do you know I'll go to him?" You ask, gulping down the vomit that taunted your throat. The nausea makes your knees weak, his two versions of himself smile softly.

"Trust me."

You can barley focus on his words so instead you nod your head, a guard clears their throat, gesturing to one of the politicians. "It's time." He said, reaching out to grab you by the arm you seethe at his roughness. His fingers press harshly into the sunburn skin. You whip your head around in search for the Dragon who was meant to watch over you, he grimaces to himself, nodding to you. You look back towards the guard, his stoic expression shows he doesn't care. But what's new?

You lick your chapped lips, nearly gagging at the metallic taste that latched onto your tongue.

Cheers and yells quiet down with the drums, you are pushed onto a small wooden stage.

An old man who you assumed was the Counsels President stands beside you, roaring the crowd as he hands you the heart. His blue eyes boar into your E/C ones, trembling you reach out with both hands to take it. The warmth of the pigs blood dribbles down your arms.

Hungry eyes all around you, watching in entertainment.

You stare down at the muscle in your hands, trembling, nauseated, you have no idea what to do. You weren't cut out for this, to be part of the dragons and their clan of fearful members. You look out into the crowd, who were you searching for? What were you trying to prove? You've gotten so far, and here you are, searching for the part that tells you it's worth it.

It dead silent in the plaza.

You don't know who you are searching for, but the pair of vermillion eyes that settled softly on yours prove to be worthy. He nods.

And you take that first bite.

***

You heave with each bite, gnawing at the tough, uncooked muscle. The scent.. the taste of blood is enough to pull you to your knees in front of everyone. You fight back the urge to vomit, still your teeth tear into the heart and blood rushes down the corners of your lips and onto your chest. Coating the now dried blood all over your neck and torso in a fresh layer of crimson, tears trail down your cheeks as you inhale through your nose.

Loud cheers drown out in your head.

You take another bite, keeping eye contact with the King as the only way to distract you from its foul taste.

Choking on a combination of blood and the pieces that refused to go down you lean forward harshly, gaging up the remnants of heart. You sob quietly as the drums halt and the crowds buzzling stops. For a moment, you lean over, a hand clamped shut over your mouth. You can feel it right at the top, the heart, the blood, resurfacing, fighting to get between the cracks of you fingers. You look back up to Bakugou, his eyes glare into yours masking away the hint of worry that settled in them.

It was almost like he was telling you to swallow.

You gag again, this time fighting through and gulping down the rest while shoving the remaining piece into your mouth. You struggle to stand, chewing away at the last piece. It's tougher than the other bits and pieces. You can hear the rumbling of the drums start again from below your feet and the cheering begins.

You swallowed the last piece, sticking out your tongue to show off you had finished the last god forsaken piece. You feel the corners of your lips tug in a tired smile, people are hugging, and cheering and you could've sworn the Counsel President cursed beneath his breath. You sigh in relief and watch as Bakugou makes his way towards you with a proud smile, you walk towards the edge of the wooden platform and allow his strong muscular arms to wrap around your knees. Pulling you close to his chest with his chin buried into your stomach, the king never showed emotion.

But as his rightful Queen, he promised his mother to try.

You thought his affection was because they were in front of their people, which made more sense. You had earned his respect, your vision is slightly blurred but you hear his hushed voice tell Kirishima to ready the carriage.

"Ready the carriage, we're taking her back home."

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