Wemibelle

I don't really have any games from this year I care about yet, between major games I haven't gotten a chance to play yet (God of War, Vampyr) and popular games that don't really appeal to me (Celeste, Monster Hunter World). In fact, I'd call this year a disappointment so far for games, as there's not much I missed that I really am dying to play any time soon and there isn't much from later this year that excites me either.

I can understand why they don't have them. Someone would either have to scrub through the podcast after recording and write down all the timestamps or one of them would have to take notes on that as they are recording, which would distract that person and keep them a bit out of the conversation. Not to mention it might add some time between the recording and it going up for everyone who missed it live, which I don't really want. I could see it being done for the big sections, but I don't think they'd do it for individual games.

Also, if they did do them, I wouldn't want it as a premium-only thing, as that seems a bit shitty to hold behind a paywall.

While I had a good time with this, I thought it was maybe a bit too whimsical, for my tastes. Seeing all the kid's fantasies is cute but they didn't really have much meaning, aside from the obvious one big moment. There just wasn't enough there to really hook me, no narrative threads or interesting setup for the new game. I will say I'm really digging the design of the new UI elements: everything looks a lot sharper and flows more nicely. A small change but a welcome one. Also, that dad is a shitbag.

Not really sure how I feel about the implication of Chris being the new character in Life is Strange 2. I'm all for a character change, but I was kinda hoping for another female character. It may be a silly reason to be less interested, but I just have a harder time caring about another male protagonist, especially one with as generic a backstory as this one. As such, my current excitement for the new game is pretty tepid. Having the power be (seemingly) telekinesis, the most generic of powers, doesn't really help either. I need to see more details about what the setup of the LiS 2 is before I'm onboard, even as a HUGE fan of the original.

I get to start this post with some fantastic news: Victor Entertainment has finally lifted their region blocking on Youtube! Their restriction of videos in many Western regions has been a constant annoyance to me for a long time now, as they were easily the most commonly blocked label I ran into when looking for new Japanese music (with Sony Music Japan being a close second). Now that their blocking is gone, I can finally watch new videos from artists on their label, as well as go back to videos from some of my favorite artists--and share them here without worrying about them being blocked! It’s a huge step forward for Japanese music in the West, and I hope this trend continues with the remaining labels who choose to limit access to their videos outside of Japan.

To celebrate, I wanted to share some videos from artists signed to Victor Entertainment that I’ve been wanting to talk about but couldn’t due to blocked videos. Enjoy!

End - Reol (2018)

Reol was a longtime utaite (artists who typically cover other songs, mostly vocaloid ones) who started out in 2012 and built up a strong fanbase with both covers and her own original music. She eventually signed to Toy’s Factory as a group with Giga and Okiku, longtime collaborators on her music, in 2016. After the dissolution of that group last year due to creative differences, Reol moved to Victor Entertainment. Fictitious Collection is her first EP with the label, featuring collaborations with Giga and other producers. End is the first track and only video. It’s not my favorite track off the EP (see below), but it’s still a great song and nicely shows off her singing abilities. Out of all the artists blocked by Victor, Reol was easily the biggest disappointment for me, as all of her old videos, even the pre-Victor ones, had been blocked when she signed. Being able to see them again makes me incredibly giddy, as she’s done some remarkably great songs and videos.

Missing is definitely my favorite track off this EP. It’s a good chance to see Reol on a more rock-focused track instead of her typical EDM sound--her powerful voice works just as well, especially during the intense choruses.

Oteage Psychics - Shiggy Jr. (2018)

Shiggy Jr. is a pop-rock band that often melds retro styles and modern sounds. It was formed in 2012 by a pair of college classmates, Tomoko Ikeda (vocalist) and Shigeyuki Harada (guitarist + song creator). Norihoko Mori (bass) and Kazma Moroishi (drums) joined the group a few years later and rounded out the band. Their newest EP, Kick Up!!, is their best work yet and is easily one of the strongest EPs I’ve heard in a long time: every song is enjoyable and deserves putting on repeat. Oteage Psychics is the only track that received a (short) video and it’s a lot of fun. This song is bursting with energy and enthusiasm, especially the catchy chorus-- I could have sworn she was signing “Put your pants on!” instead of “Put your hands up!” for the longest time!

Sun is Coming Up is another highlight from the EP. It has an incredibly mellow production and a groovy sound that is impossible not to nod along with. Tomoka’s smooth vocals are stellar, particularly the catchy chorus and her striking range during the verses.

The Crusade - Lovebites (2018)

Lovebites is an all-female heavy metal band that formed in 2015 from the remains of other broken-up metal bands and backup musicians. They debuted in 2016 with 5 members: Asami (vocals), Midori (guitar), Miyako (guitar/keyboard), Miho (bass), and Haruna (drums). The Crusade is the video from their newest EP, BATTLE AGAINST DAMNATION. It’s a great example of the band’s intense, skillful instrumentation which sounds just as epic as any western heavy metal, evoking a sound similar to bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The fast-paced, melodic solo work is particularly impressive. I also love the strong and distinct vocals from Asami. She has fantastic range to her voice and her powerful singing fits the song perfectly. It’s great to see so many fantastic and diverse Japanese bands pop up in the last few years, such as Band-Maid and CHAI. Lovebites in particular reminds me stylistically of symphonic metal; as a fan of that genre, I couldn’t be happier.

Before the Echo ($0.99) is a fantastic rhythm-RPG with a really interesting story. It's maybe a bit too repetitive but the awesome soundtrack makes that go down a bit easier. It also leads into the sequel, There Came An Echo ($5.99), which is a (optional) voice-controlled tactical game. It may not play super great, but it has one of the craziest ends to a story I've ever seen. Definitely worth seeing.

Miasmata ($2.24), which was played on the site by Drew and Patrick many years ago, is also a relatively unknown gem for most people. You are dropped onto an island and have to track down ingredients to make a cure for a illness plaguing you while being chased by a monster. The game forces you to use triangulation to fill in your map and note waypoints and has an interesting momentum-based movement system unlike any other game I've played. It's got some rough edges, but I absolutely ADORE it nonetheless.

I would also recommend any of David Szymanski's indie horror games (Fingerbones, The Moon Silver, The Music Machine, and A Wolf in Autumn), which range in price from free to $2.49 right now. Despite being very small games, they are incredibly effective at getting under your skin and feature some truly memorable moments. The Music Machine is definitely the best of them, with a fascinating story premise, but they are all worth seeing, imo (A Wolf in Autumn being the only iffy one in the bunch).

Also, I just wanted to point out that Sang-Froid - Tales of Werewolves, a really neat tower-defense game (with a QL on the site!) is now apparently free and is certainly worth a try for no money at all. I remember loving it back in 2013, almost enough to put it on my Top 10 list.

I have a ton more I could add, but these are the ones that came to mind first!

My answer is probably still Blitzball. I can actually understand it (well, somewhat) nowadays, unlike when I first played it when I was younger, but it still just feels like a mess of arbitrary rules and random bullshit that aggravates the hell out of me. Gwent from Witcher 3 is also not very fun for me, but I at least appreciate the straightforward logic it uses.

@thisoldeconsole said:

I don't think I'd really call that a minigame. Don't get me wrong--I really don't care much for the RTS sections of Brutal Legend either, nor the bait-and-switch they pulled with the true nature of the game. However, the RTS stuff is a major part of the game, so it's really just half of the standard gameplay, with the other half being the action/adventure stuff.

This used to be my answer, until I read a post here on GB that really simplified them and made me have a better understanding of how to easily solve one. I still don't love doing them, but they are much less frustrating than they used to be. Unfortunately, the ones without numbered tiles are still a huge headache.

The AI is okay at best. Early on, the game can be pretty rough between some of the harder encounters and your party members not having great skills or sense. I do remember it getting better as you go, though. Make sure to set the tactics behaviors for each member as needed too, such as making someone a dedicated healer.

For party information, I'm pretty sure the only way to do anything with them is through those menus as you talk to them. That means equipping them with new stuff, using their abilities, and checking their fatigue has to be done manually through different menus, which is a huge pain in the ass. You do get used to it but it takes a bit long to be fun sometimes.

As for if it's worth pushing through, Persona 3 is absolutely worth seeing--as long as you can stomach the amount of (sometimes frustrating) combat. The story has great twists and is far darker in tone than 4 and 5. It can be a hard game to go back to, just as 1 and 2 are even harder to go back to nowadays. I personally think it is a game that deserves recognition.

For some people, it can be impossible to push current goings-on of the world out their mind and enjoy something without those events coloring their feelings. Nothing exists in a vacuum and even content created with the best intentions in mind can seem a bit iffy when you view it through the lens of recent events. Games, like all media, are a form of escapism, but everyone does not have an equal capacity to escape the uncomfortable thoughts plaguing their brains. Obviously, not all of these people make a huge fuss about it and start fights online either, which is the wrong course of action in all but the most extreme of cases. Stepping away from content that doesn't sit well with you is perfectly acceptable. It's all up to the individual, as always.

However, I completely agree with GB's decision to stop the feature if they feel it was poorly timed. Despite their original intent, these videos obviously seem a bit tone-deaf to recent events in the US. If Abby and Dan no longer feel comfortable with doing these videos, they are obviously in the right to stop making them. People may complain and yell about censorship and politics but it's easy to see why GB might be uneasy with continuing this series.

It's not a numbered entry, so it doesn't count. Also, the series was established to play all of them up until the most current one, not to be continued for the rest of time. I'd rather everyone make better use of their time and do new content, not just the same thing again--especially when only Dan enjoys it.

Capcom has released an additional trailer and a press release that give a bit more information about the RE2 remake. In the video, you can see what looks very much like third-person gameplay a la Resident Evil 4 as Leon walks down some corridors in the darkened Raccoon Police Department and aims his gun at zombies.

This press release also has some important information such as:

• Coming to Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC on the same date, January 25th, 2019.
• Both Leon and Claire are playable and have their own campaigns, just as in the original.
• The new third-person gameplay appears to be just one option, as the release says it "offers players a trip down memory lane with the original gameplay modes from the 1998 release."

I was initially very upset that this remake seemed to be unfaithful to the original gameplay of Resident Evil 2, but the press release makes it sound like we might also get something akin to the updated remake version of Resident Evil (?). None of that appears in the footage they've shown so far though, so I guess we have to wait and see just what "original gameplay modes" means.