mellotronrules

yeah, they got me!

DD has been that game/franchise i've never played despite my circle of favorite critics constantly singing its praises. and i'll be honest, from this place of self- admitted deep ignorance- i'm not sure i 'get it.'

i don't mean this to come off the wrong way (this is very much an intangible matter of taste), but i still kinda don't get it with the lead up to DD2 (nothing about the promo material/period has stood out as particularly remarkable). HOWEVER- i'm happy to admit when i've been a fool (this has happened plenty of times before with bands/music i don't 'get' the buzz with, but after spending time with i do a full 180)...

...and so i've purchased DD2 and i'm going to give it a fair-shake. i need to understand what this thing is for my own peace of mind, hah. also i'm generally interested to see an alternate approach to fantasy mechanics/systems.

i was going to post Rebirth as joke (since I have neither played it nor overwhelming nostalgia for the franchise; i played FF7 OG in 97 and Remake last year- i like [not love] them both fwiw)- but since yall brought it up-

it's probably the most 'your mileage will vary' game on the planet. there are valid takes in every direction- but it feels like that game demands you have a personal relationship and/or history with FF7 to have the experience devs intended. and that feels like it could be a real double-edged sword. i'm seeing a whole lot of 'this is the greatest thing ever' and 'it's pretty good? i guess?' and never the twain shall meet.

nah, it'll come out (eventually).

yeah, a bit difficult to make a clean rec given the crossgen nature of this era. but i really did love Returnal and Baldur's Gate 3.

yeah, generally i like emotionally complex/challenging stuff. it isn't required obviously, but that tends to lean towards the more 'mature' end of the spectrum.

Baldur's Gate 3 was fucking up my shit for a good stretch. honestly it kind of feels like i'm still in deficit (and that was in like, oct 2023 hah).

for the love of god, WINDWAKER!

evergreen:

weird vibes all around on this one. feels a bit like Xbox was caught on back-foot with the leak hysteria, but then responded in a overly buttoned-up and stiff fashion (Phil is usually pretty good at projecting "I'm just a guy, bro." energy- not so much this go-around).

i fancy myself a pragmatist (i usually buy the box mid-gen when there's a released game i want to play)- and i'm sure it's mostly due to them building the plane in midflight- but as someone who was about to finally purchase a contemporary Xbox to play Hellblade 2, i can't say this 'business update' instilled a ton of reassurance. shouldn't i just wait to see if it goes multiplat in a year? or if that rumored bleeding-edge hardware is on the way? kinda feels similar to that subscription anxiety of 'why buy this $30 indie darling when i can wait for its inevitable long-tail release on GP/PS+.'

much to consider. however i'm stoked to give Hi-Fi and Pentiment a shot on PS5- those seem rad!

not going to lie- i'm not a nostalgic gamer. most of my favorite games fall within a constant rolling window of the last 5 years, so i can't say i empathetically relate. but you should take comfort in knowing it isn't an uncommon feeling, and perhaps the most complex to properly express.

i would, however, like to thank you for bringing the Trails Fusion theme back into my life.

WEL-COME 2 THE FUTURE.

MAN.

MACHINE.

THE FUSION!