Gaming – Page 2 – Fishing for Metaphors

Why Is White Knight Chronicles Not as Popular as Demon’s Souls?

November 6, 2022November 14, 2022HalsdollLeave a comment

These past few days, I am finishing up WKC II (White Knight Chronicles II) for the second time. I have been enjoying the game a lot. According to Wiki, the first installment was released in 2008, and the second one in 2011 for North America. White Knight Chronicles II has two games in one, and I remember spending less time on it than the first installment. The online part of the game was highly addictive–rare drops and grinding for ranks pushed some gamers to the limits. Around the same time, Demon’s Souls, released in 2009, was also another interesting online game for the Playstation3. It received more praise than White Knight Chronicles by word of mouth. I wonder why? Who the heck wants to play as the pious guy? In the entertainment world, being edgy and flawed is more appealing than being a goody-two-shoes. So I rarely hear anyone boast about White Knight Chronicles platinum for obvious reasons. Honestly, I am prouder of the platinum for White Knight Chronicles than Demon’s Souls because it took a lot of determination and patience. The game can become repetitive and unrewarding unlike Demon’s Souls where players get more gratification out of beating bosses. It’s a different type of determination. Expect to grind for several hours until you receive a rare item drop. When you do receive the drop, you get these incredible feelings as if you just hit the jackpot. I suppose with WKC, it can feel like you are gambling. However, the only thing you are losing is time. It can’t possibly be that bad if you are enjoying it?

If you think about it. Only 1.6 percent out of 81,592 players got a platinum achievement whereas Demon’s Souls has 10.13% out of 209,499 players. If I can recall both of these games are Playstation3 exclusive. Both have high learning curves. I remember I felt overwhelmed with the tutorial and the different classes, but once you master the game, you just learn to appreciate it more. From a broad perspective, I wonder were they trying to turn casual console gamers into PC gamers? These two games sort of feel like miniature multiplayer games (I will do a proper game analysis of Demon’s Souls at a later time).

I also want to make a point that both games have a knight in front of their cover. If you dig deeper into the White Knight Chronicles story, it’s the same concept as Demon’s Souls. A broken knight, an evil knight is a dangerous knight. Blah Blah Blah about complex human nature. It’s how the story is executed which distinguishes it. If you want to appeal to the mass, you got to find a way to tell a good story. Playing a corruptible person is more relatable than playing a saint saving a princess. Also, I want to stress that what these two games have in common is the level of details in the game design. They are both highly addictive and fun. It still blows my mind for someone as thorough as me who originally played for story. So yes, story is as important as gameplay if you want to grab a wider audience, or else you would only be pleasing an exclusive group of people. Of course, I am stating the obvious. If money wasn’t the lord of this earthly realm, it might not be such a bad idea to cater toward a smaller group of appreciative gamers. I can only imagine how tiresome it can get creating the same content over and over simply because there’s a market for it. Anyway, I can explain in further detail why these games are similar but excellent in their way. For now I concluded that Demons’ Souls is more popular than WKC because gamers are more responsive to games with darker than lighter themes.

Note: I pulled the stats from psnprofile.com.

Halsdoll’s Halloween Party

October 31, 2022October 31, 2022HalsdollLeave a comment

I wish I had something exciting for Halloween, but I don’t. I am an introvert. I have always stayed away from big crowds and declined parties invitation that involved heavy drinking and staying up all night. I have no shame in saying it though. Being true to myself is more important than being cool in front of someone’s eyes. Talking about coolness level, I highly doubt anyone noticed, but I missed a post yesterday! No worries. This blog hasn’t turned into cobwebs yet. I reserved my weekly post for this special Halloween Day!

Halloween Vampire Beanie Baby-Bearla — No I don’t feel guilty being a couch potato today…

I decided to go through my old stuff and dig some horror-related content that might be of interest to survival horror fans. For Halloween, I will be staying in door just relaxing. Maybe watch the Blair Witch Project remake with my fiancé or get a copy of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water and Songs of Horror. Playing horror games with a group of friends or siblings is a lot of fun. I used to play a lot of them with my brother.

So if you are new to my blog, welcome! I dug these posts from the grave! Hopefully you found something worth reading:

Reflecting on Resident Evil Franchise as a Survival Horror Game–Since I wrote this article, I have not touched Re7:Biohazard even though I have a digital copy. The first person view is not my thing.
Kuon— This is a classic Fromsoftware horror game. If you are the type who likes subtle horror story, and quiet atmosphere, then this is the game for you.
Reminiscing Friday the 13th (1989) –This article takes a look at my first entry to horror games. It’s not all scary, but at the same time it is for a kid. The creative concept for it is great, however, as a whole, this game is a flop.

Back then I was more inclined to write about survival horror games I’ve played, but these past few years my interest in horror content has died down a bit. In fact, when I watched the trailers to the new Silent Hill games, I was happy, but not overly excited. Like previous Halloween, I find myself gravitating toward bright-colored games. I just like switching from genre from time to time. Too much of a good thing can’t be a healthy thing. At least that is what I tell myself when it comes to consuming horror content.

Well, happy Halloween to those who celebrate it. You are never too old to celebrate Halloween and play games and eat a lot of candy, haha.

I don’t typically dress up for Halloween, but I do like to doll up in games.

What Do Damsel in Distress and Bad Boy Tropes Have in Common?

October 16, 2022October 17, 2022HalsdollLeave a comment

Glad the title caught your attention. If you want a quick answer, they are both annoying. I’m kidding. Please continue reading. It took me a great amount of time to reflect on this subject. Hopefully, you will learn something because I did.

I don’t hate the damsel in distress. I think some of them are quite intelligent and resourceful like Elena from Pandora Tower (Nintendo Wii). What she lacks in physical strength she makes it up with brains. She balances out the protagonist pretty well. Contrary to what most people think of the damsel of distress, it’s not her timid personality or lack of backbone that bothers me, although that can be equally as annoying when she expects everyone to rescue her. However, it’s her unwillingness to help herself sort out her emotions is what I don’t like. My definition of the damsel in distress might look very much like the character, Juno, from the anime Beastars who barks and demands things to go her way. Why does she need to prove herself to society? She is already on top of the food chain. She is strong. So why does she need a man to protect her unless she doesn’t feel that she is enough? Another example is Aelinore, the queen from Dragon Dogma (PS3). I remember one quest called the Duchess in Distress, I had to carry her because she doesn’t want to get her feet wet! It’s so off-putting, and it must be a joke to the ambitious men who will do anything to climb the hierarchy class. I get the humor. I remember I laughed. However, as a woman, assisting Aelinore was twice the work, twice the burden. No reward other than me being closer to a dead weight myself.

Duchess Quest in Distress in Dragon Dogma — Picture credit

Surprisingly, the same thing can be said about male characters, the bad boy type. The guy needs a woman to help him navigate through the world because he can’t rationalize and reason with himself to see the world in a better light. He needs a woman to save him from his wrath. These types of men were typically raised by strong women when the father figure is on the passive side or completely absent from their lives. I sympathize with the situation. However, they can’t possibly expect the woman to save them from their short falling, do they?

Maybe he is not necessarily a bad boy…but his pouty personality was always a turn-off for me.

In video games (mainly Japanese games), I rarely see games played from the perspective of a woman, and not having male traits with a woman’s body like 2b from Nier Automata does not justify a solid woman’s character. Well, duh…she is an android. So, it’s hard to pull an example from video games on what bad boys are like when you’re always playing from a guy’s perspective, and if you are a guy, you always think you are right. Take Ryo Hazuki from the Shenmue franchise as an example, he travels to Hong Kong so he can kill the guy who has murdered his dad! That doesn’t seem like a good guy’s trait! But he is surprisingly a nice guy who just needs a little guidance. Don’t we all do?

Ryo gambling — Um…what are you doing Ryo? Dropped out of school, and now gambling for big money in the shady part of Hong Kong? Well, at least you stick to a goal. It’s better than being an indecisive guy.

But if you want to analyze the bad boy on a deep level, you’d find more of them in books written by women. Think of Beauty and the Beast as an example. Unlike the damsel in distress, the bad boy doesn’t seem to be a burden. Instead, he brings out the nurturing side of the woman, and thus it elevates her. Have you ever wondered why so many intelligent women end up with the wrong guy? Well, it’s a classic tale. By saving the bad boy–she feels as if she has won a trophy that set her apart from other women. Sadly, she is mistaken. It’s an imbalance relationship dynamic. When the story is told from a woman’s perspective, the bad boy trope is the same as the damsel in distress when we flip the script. It’s a one-sided relationship when one partner is objectified to make another feel superior while the other is being used because the partner feels incapable of helping him or herself. It’s nothing more than a self-centered relationship for both parties, the more I look at it.

So, what do these two have in common? Well, other than the fact they need constant saving, they are tropes used to mask the rescuer’s deep-rooted insecurity which is self-worth. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. The rescuer loses his or her self-worth when there are no more people to save. It may be a noble characteristic, but a detrimental one, especially when one is being used by the cry of distress. Now you know why I don’t like these tropes. Their distress may very well be just another form of control (a.k.a. emotional abuse). Sadly, it’s the rescuer who becomes the victim, not the distress.

The Evil Within 2: Not My Cup of Tea

October 2, 2022October 2, 2022Halsdoll8 Comments

The spooky month is here. The world is ending. Just kidding! Looking through my blog, I thought why not revive an old blog post? I remember I was so excited to play this game that I published a review without finishing it. To my disappointment, I spoke too soon. So I revised the entire blog post a couple of times and re-published it. The game has potential, but unfortunately, it wasn’t what I was hoping for.

I am a stickler when it comes to survival horror games since it is my favorite video game genre. I believe the concept more than the scare factor plays the most important role in developing an engaging horror game. For instance, Silent Hill 2 will always be my favorite survival horror game because the developers know exactly how to define horror and create a game that still haunts me to this day. When I see fog, I think of Silent Hill. The game is that memorable. All thanks to the game’s art direction and the superb original soundtrack (The people behind the game are quite talented). There are so many juicy symbolisms I got to get my hands on. But this post is not going to be about me ranting and analyzing the Silent Hill franchise and what makes it great. I’ve seen a couple of those insightful articles and videos about the game, so I don’t need to provide further input, or should I? This is about The Evil Within 2 and my thoughts about it. Please keep in my mind, I am not a fan of cinematic games (oddly most games are inspired by movies). So, of course, there are going to be some biases.

With any artistic medium (I think some video games are a form of art), it’s wise not to imitate even if you are under the spell of nostalgia. I am not a fan of imitation, but I am okay with inspiration. You can admire a classic game that haunts people after they are done with the game, but reinventing the same thing doesn’t frighten people or set the game apart. Why? Because the player already walked the same path before.

“If there is no suspense, there’s no horror.”
I quote myself, Halsdoll, a survival horror junkie

The Evil Within 2 feels like a confused horror, amusement park. It cannot decide whether it wanted to be an action or horror game. What disappointed me about the game was its strong opening. The game introduction was atmospherically scary. Yes, there was a little chase here and there. Fun for a bit, but then it got sloppy as soon as all the suspense got dispersed, and the story reached its climax. From there on, I found myself playing a cheap thrill. If the gameplay is lacking then I expect a decent story, but this game has neither of them. The Evil Within 2 felt like someone was forced to make a horror game. He knows all the ingredients for making a horror game but doesn’t know how to improvise it to make it uniquely his signature dish. Why recycle boss enemies once it has been defeated? Why do I need to level up my skill trees to make the game a bit more fluid? What purpose does it serve? Why is the black man evil? Oh no, I hope this game is not racist. I started asking myself, “Why am I playing this game? Let’s just hold our breath and just beat the game already.”

I would have enjoyed the game more if Juli Kidman was the protagonist but then the game would not appeal to gamers who are dads themselves or to the large gaming male demographic.

Juli Kidman, posing in white blouse — Juli Kidman-pic source

The story about trying to save the daughter is a classic tale. But I wonder, aren’t there enough survival horror games with a similar plot? Why didn’t they just make a movie instead of making a game? I would have enjoyed it as a movie. Well, at least the trailer is enjoyable to watch:

Resident Evil 3 Remake Review

September 9, 2022January 8, 2023HalsdollLeave a comment

Two years ago, when the pandemic hit, I wasn’t really in the mood for anything zombie-related. I did recall playing the Resident Evil 2remake but it wasn’t as enjoyable. Now, that things are pretty mellow and I don’t hear constant ambulance sirens bouncing off of the city’s buildings day and night, I can say it’s safe to play Resident Evil 3 remake without feeling like I’m in the actual game, although I just realized that Racoon City takes place in the Midwest! But I am not in a metropolis. The environment I am in now is a lot calmer and quieter except for the rhythmic noises coming from the crickets. The sound made me think of certain parts in the Resident Evil remake for GameCube. And so, the waves of nostalgia hit me. I thought why not play the Resident Evil 3 remake? I heard it’s a short game compared to the Resident Evil 2 remake and it is one of the newer titles I haven’t played.

Generally, I have a soft spot for the Resident Evil franchise. I have a super soft spot for Resident Evil 3 because it was my first entry into the franchise. But I also want to point out that I just like Jill Valentine. Her story doesn’t revolve around being someone’s sister or lover. Not saying there is anything wrong with existing for the sake of others. It’s quite noble. It’s just that Jill has her narrative which belongs to her solely. Her independence makes her quite admirable. She is a member of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service also known as S.T.A.R.S, and she is on a mission. I love that kind of determination!

Time to write my thoughts on this awesome remake…

So, let’s talk about Resident Evil 3 remake and why I had blast with it. First of all, I like the character dynamic between Carlos and Jill in this remake. There is a nice balance between them. Before I go into details about the character’s dynamic, I want to talk about Jill Valentine’s outfit. If you have played the original, Jill Valentine used to go around shooting zombies in clubbing clothes. As I said before in one of my blog posts, I have no problem with women who like to dress sexy (more power to you if you feel good in your skin. I wish I had your confidence). In the back of my mind, I have always thought it was uncomfortable to navigate Racoon City, holding a handgun and wearing a tube shirt and a mini-skirt.

Resident Evil 3 ps1 Characters manual — Character profiles from Resident Evil 3 PlayStation manual

That’s quite an empowering fantasy. Realistically though, try walking like that in the city at night, you sure will get hit on by creeps. That’s why I laughed when Jill called Nemesis the creepy stalker in the game. She knows exactly the pain that women go through just for dressing nice.

Jill hiding from nemesis — Yes…..you are creepy just standing outside the building like that…

So, that’s where the remake got it right. Jill’s default outfit just seems more appropriate for the situation. The tube shirt and mini-skirt would only make sense if she was in fact in the middle of clubbing when the chaos hit Raccoon City.

Jill character model in Resident Evil 3 Remake — Not bad Not bad. Still attractive…

Speaking of Carlos Oliveira, in the original, he is an overall nice guy but a bit of a flirt. The remake, on the other hand, made him more mature, task-driven and professional. There wasn’t a moment where I thought Carlos is a sleazy player who is “good with the ladies”. Removing that cocky, playboy attitude from the original game earned him my respect. Even if there was chemistry between the two characters, which is unlikely since Jill doesn’t seem to have time for romance, the remake kept their attraction to each other pretty wholesome. I like that both characters have an important role in the story. I enjoyed playing as both of them, although Jill got more of the spotlight than Carlos. Still, Carlos makes an interesting support role. He is humble enough to let Jill take the lead but strong enough to save her when she is in need. The greatest part is that both trust and believe in each other! It always makes me happy to see good teamwork, especially revolving around the interaction between the opposite sex. There was no gender-defined roles when it comes to getting the job done, and I like that a lot.

Gameplay wise, it’s fun. Like Resident Evil 2 remake, it has the same structure format in terms of gaming mechanics. Back in the day, it was hard to move and aim when you are surrounded with zombies who want a bite out of your neck. The tank control is a challenge in itself in contrast to the over-the-shoulder view. In the remake, the zombies still bite your neck as if you are a piece of delicious meat and you have to press X to be released from the zombie. It’s just annoying, but I guess it’s Resident Evil’s signature dish. Of course, the highlight of Resident Evil 3 gameplay is Nemesis. I think he secretly has a crush on Jill. He sure loves pursuing her! The majority of the game revolves around running away from him. The final blow felt really good.

Nemesis final blow — If you can’t read the text in the picture, Jill said, “Next time take the fucking hint.” I feel your pain, Jill.

My only disappointment about the gameplay, which is only a matter of preference, is QTEs. Did Resident Evil fans complain loud enough that developers decided to take them out of this game? I played the game in standard mode. I wonder if it would appear if I play in hardcore mode. Some action cutscenes could use some QTEs. I like them because it always makes me laugh and get my heart pumping in excitement. It keeps my mind alert, but I can see how bothersome it can be for some people who only play for stories or atmosphere.

Overall, it’s a great remake. I am not sure though if I would replay the game to get all trophies and to get a better rating (I got a C for average performance). But I can see someone spending a lot of time in this game to improve their rating and unlock items despite the story being short. You can beat it under 10 hours or even less if you know where and what to do in the game. So, replay value is great for such a short game. But then again, Resident Evil games were never long but were always well thought out, and that is exactly what I love about the franchise.

My Blogging Pet Peeves (Gaming Blog)

September 2, 2022October 7, 2022Halsdoll1 Comment

Most of the time, I am pretty level-headed and many people (offline that is. I’m not active on social media) said I am pleasant to be around. I am polite, hard-working, and considerate. Even my former boss said I am the nicest person in the world! Wow, I felt so honored to be called that. I suppose you don’t meet a lot of people who skip to work when work sometimes feels like running into a battle. I’m an optimist and sometimes a bit too overconfident by default, which is not always a great thing. I think it’s partly because I have a lot of alone time for reflection. I think and then write, edit then revise. As a result, this blog helps me stay sane, calm, collected, and understanding. Unfortunately, I wish I can say that my blogging experience has been very good. There are some blogging annoyances. Some have to do with indexing issues but it’s more to do with the blogging gaming community that I run into which cannot be helped, but can it?

It’s been a while since I did my 3-list blog post where I just make 3 lists of anything for fun. It’s a great writing exercise. So, today’s topic will be on blogging pet peeves. Brace yourself because this is not a positive, uplifting post, but I hope it’s insightful. I will try to keep it light.

#1) Passive Aggressive Blog Posts

I can never understand gaming bloggers who disrespect their readers. They should be happy that someone follows them because there’s a possibility that they are genuinely interested in their content. What irks me is when bloggers think their readers are inferior to them. I followed a female gaming blog that thought it would be funny to review a coloring book game for little girls just so she can make fun of it. I wish I understood the humor because if I were a kid, I think I’d like the game. The game is intended for little girls and not for full-grown adults. I guess making fun of a little girl’s game makes someone appears bigger?

2#) What Does It Really Mean to Be a Feminist?

I followed a few feminist bloggers back then. I learned that not all feminists (males included) agree with scantily clad women or lipstick feminists. I believe in equality too, but I don’t see a problem with women who are in tune with their feminine side. If you want to pay for my meal after a hard long day of killing zombies, hunters, and lickers, I got no objection. I’ll cover for you next time as long as I can afford it. Sadly, gender inequality pay is still a thing here in the U.S for the girly girl. There’s nothing more irritating than being called a gold-digger just because you are broke from trying to compete in a society that praises and rewards masculine over feminine traits unless you sell your body. I hope you can tell I’m joking. It’s a double joke. If you have played Resident Evil Revelations, I’m referencing and mocking a gamer’s comment I found on a gaming forum about Jessica. Some people called Jessica a gold-digger because she demanded Clive R. O’Brian, another character from the game, to take her out to eat after they are done with their job. You can’t see it in the picture below, but she is wearing a makeup bag around her waist. This portrayal of the woman always irks me a little. What’s so bad with keeping up with appearance while on the job? It’s empowering.

Jessica posing — Jessica Sherawat from Resident Evil Revelations

#3) Competitive Bloggers

I support friendly competition, but I don’t support catty competition where someone tries to discredit me by telling me what I like is not cool enough and what they like is better. What’s the point of following each other only to stress each other out? There were a few times I would leave comments only to get pushed back by anxiety-driven gamers who need a lot of work in the self-esteem department. They should be happy at least someone commented on their blog. It means they took the time to read and think about what you got to say. Isn’t that why people blog in the first place? Sometimes I wonder if it has to do with my pen name, Halsdoll. If you are curious, you can check my blog post about the meaning behind my pen name. My pen name was never intended to sound seductively alluring to support the patriarchal society, but somehow, I get pushed aside. The indie gaming community seems to be conflicted with all things femininity because 1) girls are just so weaaak (and that is not a typo); 2) the damsel in distress is not only a threat to another woman’s resources but she is also dead weight, and 3) the shameless hussy woman relied on her looks to get what she wants from men. You see, the suspicion towards women will never end because women were never seen on an equal level to men for having ambitions and desires separate from their counterparts despite the fact that gaming is so mainstream now that even your grandma is probably gaming as we speak and tweeting about it on Twitter!

It always seems like it’s the frailest one who has the strongest determination on the battleground-screen shots from 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Ryoko Shinome: I won't let anyone else fight for me screen shot

There you have it, my 3 blogging pet peeves, which most people probably cannot relate to, but hey this is my blog and I thought it might be worth sharing since nerds really do like exchanging information. It just shows that oh my, the quiet Asian woman can be so straightforward and have such strong opinions contrary to what some people think. Never assume. I hope you found this post insightful because I was never the type who like to complain for the sake of complaining.

Elden Ring Impression: I’m the Bored Centaur Who Likes to Explore

August 26, 2022October 5, 2022HalsdollLeave a comment

I remember one of my favorite pastimes is exploring the Dark Souls universe and I am surprised by this blog; I discontinued my adventure for Dark Souls prepare to die edition. Should I resume my half-finished journey? That was many years ago when I started dabbing my feet into blogging. Met a few gaming bloggers for sure, but most of them have abandoned their blogs and/or have moved on with their lives. I don’t blame them. All things have an expiration date. Even I deleted my old blog when I lost the motivation and the inspiration to write. My naïve self didn’t realize that by nature, gamers are overall just competitive folks, or perhaps as my friend said, people are just more honest and open to how they really feel online, which most of the time really has nothing to do with anyone but the individual. I wish I understood this sooner. My blogging journey would have been more of a pleasant experience. Writing about my gaming adventures was one of my favorite things about blogging but it’s also the least popular among readers. Somewhere along the way, someone is going to get offended and that is something I cannot control.

So here I am now continuing my adventures. If anyone enjoys this sort of content, welcome. Happy you are joining me. I decided to play Elden Ring. By now, most” hardcore souls/borne fans” have probably already completed the game. Once upon a time, I was a Fromsoftware enthusiast too. I once resonate with the game developer as being a tiny entity that rose from the ground and came on top. It makes a great tale. In fact, it’s a classic tale that works pretty well in video games even in books and it speaks a lot to those who enjoy those types of games. It does give you a sense of tremendous amount of achievement when you defeat all odds. For someone like myself who often got overshadowed by my peers for having neonate features that made me look a lot younger than my actual age, it felt really good to say I beat Dark Souls and got the platinum trophy, although it was my patience more than skills that got me through.

Fromsoftware brands itself for making difficult games and what you buy is what you get. You buy games to get slapped in the face repetitively. Now that doesn’t sound fun. But for some people, they like a good slap in the face, a challenge that reminds them they are not dead. Not just yet. It feels good to feel pain and overcome hardship. Well, that’s just my opinion, but is it?

Quote from an Interview done by The New Yorker

I bet Rooney, the suicidal girl from the survival horror game Nightcry would do well with Fromsoftware games. Only when our lives are threatened, that’s when we fight for it with all our might! Yes, go ahead and laugh at people like me. I suppose me and Rooney are the same. I don’t think I ever said I was sane. I mean “It’s okay to be undead just have a level head,” I quote the Blacksmith from Dark Souls II. Not everyone is fit for this type of game. Not everyone is born with perseverance. So, no hard feelings. Just move on and stop being a hater.

Drawing of Rooney from NightCry — Rooney from Nightcry picture source

So, what there's not to love about Elden Ring? It's a massive fantasy open-world game that got me just aimlessly exploring.  In fact, I don't know if I am going to the right place. That is a bit of a problem in my book. I'm not a fan of open-world games.  There's no sequence to anything. I just roam the landscape and pick up plants for crafting.  Certain areas made me feel as if I am in heaven. Some pretty sights to see over the cliff by the sea.

Looking over the sea in Elden Ring — I feel as if I am already on top of the world even though I haven’t beat the game yet!

Standing by the bald evil in Elden Ring — Standing next to the bald eagle. At least I got more than one companion. Did I ever mention I love trees?

So far, I defeated a few optional bosses found in the caves; one field boss named Tibia Mariner which wasn’t all that difficult and Margit, the Fell Omen. All the other boss fights are too difficult for my under-level character at the moment. I really don’t want to have to summon other players to help defeat a boss. It can be quite fun if you are into multiplayer games, but not for those who play for the atmosphere. Luckily, you can always summon NPC if it’s available.

I wonder why this game is not called Dark Souls 4? It kind feels like a souls game. Just look at the picture below. I suppose this one feels like you are playing inside a fantasy instead of a fairy-tale book.

Views from the Cave in SIOFRA RIVER — View from the cave in SIOFRA RIVER. I wish I could live there. I am already somewhat of a cave woman anyway.

It’s so magical and I love that! I could just escape to its world and never come back to reality. As I mentioned before in my blog, I love books and games. Plus, the monster designs are actually pretty impressive and fun to battle with.

hawk-like animal in Elden Ring attacking player fiercely — The monsters in Elden Ring feel very real at the same time fantasy-like. If you look closely, it’s clutching two blades with its feet.

It’s like going to a zoo–except that I get to be more interactive and engaging with the environment. How awesome is that? And yet, I still don’t know if I will ever complete the game. All it is, it’s just a polished souls’ game, which is a great thing. However, this game requires massive time investment if you want to enjoy it to its max. And I wonder is that why I had the game sitting on the shelf for almost a year now? I’m not ready to invest my time in it. In the back of my mind, I feel that my time should be used for something else more worthwhile. But at the same time…it’s a great game to pass time.

The game has a lot to offer, especially if you love to explore; you’re a lover of fantasy; and you love lore. There really is much to love.

To be continued…

D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die Review: Just Let Go of the Past

August 5, 2022August 5, 2022Halsdoll5 Comments

If someone came up to me and ask me what D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die is about, I would say it’s about letting go of the past, eating and relationships. These are the three themes I noticed quite frequently in the game and the three main ingredients that keep a person functional in the society. This game is about a broken man named David Young who is on a metaphorical journey from death to life.

David Young in D4:Dark Dreams Don't Die falling into the tub

Young lost his wife and we the players become the detective by diving into his dreamlike universe. One moment, we see Young falling into the bathroom, and then we see him reading a magazine on the bed casually, drinking coffee, crushing fortune cookies, changing music records, turning on the T.V, changing clothes, pushing little squirrel off the window etc. Everything seems calm and normal. Until Amanda, his cat, enters the scene. Then I realize, Mister Young is not okay. We are witnessing a man who is undergoing some severe trauma in the head!

Amanda posing in D4:Dark Dreams Don't Die game

And so, Forrest Kaysen (please see the picture below), an important supporting role in the game, is there to guide Young back to life, back to reality, the present moment. If you have played the game, you would notice once Young solved a particular mystery of his past, the memento lose its special power. This is a way for the game to tell the player–mystery solved. Now you can move forward into the present moment. Have you folks ever experienced that? When you are bothered by the past, but there is nothing you can do to change it, but live in regret? Leave it in the past, my friends, leave it in the past.

Kaysen chowing down food in the dinner scenes

Looking closely at Kaysen, he is like a philosopher and sometimes like a twisted version of Little Peggy, the protagonist’s wife. Speaking with him, opens up a dialogue about eating. It is important to nourish the body with food. How can any person function without food? Obviously, the game attempted to point out that people who are consumed by the past do not feed their bodies. Why would they? They are dead inside. So, it’s no surprise to me, when Kaysen confronted Young for not finishing his meal. Kaysen knows that Young has been drinking excessively to drown his misery. He is concerned for his friend’s physical and mental health, but he also wants some acknowledgement for his cooking ability. Did you know it is very rude to ask for a to go box in Japan if you can’t finish your meal in one sitting? Not only do we see Young playing with his food in the dinner scenes as if food is not a valuable source, but he also makes a point about how America is the land of the free. You are not obligated to finish a meal because you have a choice unlike Japan where the behavior is frown upon because it’s a sign of disrespect not only to the Cook but to life itself. This part of the game really highlights the differences between Japanese and American culture on food and the way human interact in a social setting in a twisted way. The game is after all directed by a quirky Japanese game director named Hidetaka Suehiro who is also known as Swery.

I know I mentioned a lot about the plot because I am assuming if you are reading this review then you’re the type of gamer who appreciate a good story. The plot and the colorful characters are definitely stronger than the gameplay; however, don’t be alarmed, the gameplay is creative and entertaining unlike some other cinematic games out there where gameplay is monotonously boring. The stunts with Amanda and the courier are quite funny. But my all-time favorite side game is taking Philip Cheney’s quizzes. His dialogue is interesting and his villain-like approach to the quizzes made me laugh hard. I am not surprised he is the fourth “D.”

Cheney on the plane

And yes, the game ends with a cliffhanger and is too short, but I didn’t mind it at all. The game is jam packed with timeless human drama that made me think even after I am done playing it. It made me think about human relationships as being the most important aspect of human civilization. We are like civilized social animals, resembling cats. According to a scrapbook article I found in the game, cats sacrifice the lone life to move in large group. Doing so will make them achieve social status. Hmm…we are like cats!

Lastly, the game made me think about relationship between lovers as the strongest bond between humans. Some of us argued that we don’t need it, but I think we do. Life seems more enjoyable despite the arguments that come with a relationship. Losing a relationship will drive us crazy as we see it with the Marshal who chases after the courier to avenge his wife’s death. He too, like the protagonist, is living in the past. But perhaps, Little Peggy is right: Things in the past need to stay in the past or else a person cannot move on and live a happy life. The only thing we can do is acknowledge our mistakes and practice for tomorrow as Young once said. Overall, the game gave me a good feeling. Most of the time, I was laughing with the game despite its dark plot.

I am still curious–who killed Little Peggy? I’m hoping for season 2. Let me know what your thoughts are on D4 if you have played it, and thank you for reading! Until next time, take care!

Note: Originally posted on March 4, 2017; revised and edited on August 4, 2022

White Knight Chronicles (PS3) Review

July 9, 2022September 30, 2022HalsdollLeave a comment

I still remember back in 2010, I know nothing about this game. I was at the gaming department of the store and I thought the cover looked cool and I am going to have fun with it. So, I bought the game on a whim. Subconsciously, I already know that it’s a high-quality game. After all, if you are a fan of Rogue Galaxy developed by Level-5 and Japan Studio, it has that same adventurous charm. I didn’t play the game as soon as I bought it. At the time, I was a college student who was overwhelmed with intense writing courses (whoever said writing is easy should think twice). I waited until summer break to the play game. As I mentioned before in my previous blog post: 3 Fashionable JRPG Video Games (PS3), the game has a high learning curve, and I didn’t feel like sitting hours learning the gaming mechanics when my time was occupied with school work. This is not the game you can play with a breeze if you want to enjoy the game to its max, especially for someone as thorough as me. It is a hit-or-miss game to some folks.

Initially, I thought the story of this game is generic. To some extent, yes, but I didn’t mind it so much playing the second time around. The male protagonist, Leonard is a shiny white-knight armor who has come to rescue a princess named Cisna who happens to be a reincarnation of a queen from an ancient civilization. He later learns that he is one of the 5 knights who was chosen during infancy for an ancient war that never did get resolved. I think I said more than I should about the plot but the game only takes about 30 hours to complete if you just focus on the story. It’s not so long for a JRPG and this is where it might turn off some JRPG fans who emphasize the story. Keep in mind though, there are three parts to this series: White Knight Chronicles II and White Knight Chronicles Origins (available only on the PSP). However, unlike Tales of Arise, which I thought has a mediocre story, the game has so much to offer in terms of gameplay and stage designs, which often go unnoticed by video game reviewers because most people review games from a player and not from a creative perspective. Some of the stages reminded me of going through a maze. It’s pretty massive for those who love to explore. It’s a puzzle in itself. Its biggest selling point, however, is the ability to create your hometown and upload its online server for other players to visit, join and create quests. For someone who doesn’t play MMORPG, it was exciting. I get to meet other random players.

I have never played Monster Hunter, but it is sort of similar to that. You grind to get rare drops to enhance your armor or weapon, and oh boy when you do finally get the rare drop from so many attempts, you get that adrenaline rush. I wonder is that the same feeling that gamblers experience? Anyway, you can see how addictive the game is. Sometimes not for the better. I had to say NO to online games because of this game, which apparently, I didn’t play many of them beforehand, but it only takes one to let me know if it’s the type of game I want to invest my time in. Also, the social part of the game can be quite entertaining because we all know that players are more unpredictable than playing with an AI. The downside is that time is precious and I got other games to complete, which is why I tend to stick with single-player games.

For some JRPG fans, this is a terrible game, but for a few of us–this game is really fun. It’s a hybrid game: half single-player game and half-multiplayer game. It’s an interesting concept for the Playstation3 that offers a seamless, relaxing game experience. The combos and moves are pretty fun to execute. It also has an excellent soundtrack. On top of that, the cutscenes are far more charming and impressive than in Tales of Arise. I hope someday, this franchise would return. It has a lot of potential and it’s a work of art.

3 Fashionable JRPG Video Games (PS3)

June 30, 2022September 30, 2022Halsdoll1 Comment

I have been feeling nostalgic about the Playstation3, the console that started to show a decline in good games and started to behave like a social platform (PC). Whatever little hope I have left, I did try to scout out those hidden gems. Today, I would like to share three fashionable JRPG video games that I enjoyed on the PS3 and I just realized that I platinum all 3 of them!

Not only do these games are fun to play but they are fashionably cool to look at. I like to dress up my characters quite often which is why I enjoyed Code Vein (2019) a lot for being a Dark Souls (2011) knockoff. They took all the good things and sort of made them into their own, and oddly, it’s not as generic as you might think to take ideas from a great game. Great things inspired after all. As the saying goes, “imitation is a form of compliment.” Style does matter if you want to attract the ladies.

Resonance of Fate (also known as End of Eternity in Japan), NA released date 2010

Why did I pick Resonance of Fate? Well because I like guns and clothes. Okay, that didn’t sound right. I only like guns in video games. This game did make me grind for clothes. The Boutique serves no additional incentive. It’s all just aesthetic, which is perfectly fine by me. The world is much prettier when everyone dresses nicely. I enjoyed shopping for Leanne the most since there are a few nice wardrobes you can dress her in. However, there was one skirt that shows her underwear when she does her flip in the air during battle. Go figure. Nice shot for the male gaze. Despite that, I still thought it was a neat idea. If I am going to grind in a game, I am going to want to look at something pretty. I suppose that was the logic of the game design. Trust me, this game can get repetitive at a certain point. Battle-system wise is not bad. Just time-consuming, but hey I can brag to other gamers that I (a girl) 100%the games, and I deserve a cookie. I did bake myself a batch of cookies. The only person I impressed was me.

White Knight Chronicle’s International Ed, NA release date (2010)

Like many people, I find wide-eye cartoons very cute and attractive. The characters and monsters in this game are nothing but cute. Players are prompted to create an avatar which you could use to play online (Geonet) to complete quests and farm materials. Unfortunately, the server is down. And yet, here in 2022, I still find it an enjoyable game. Combine cuteness with fun gameplay you get an addiction. I spent so many hours on this game grinding for better equipment that I didn’t realize how great the gameplay and stage design are. Sometimes we enjoy things without knowing why; just think of a puppet who is unaware that he or she is being manipulated by its master. Great game design is seamless. I would say this game has a high learning curve that would look pretty impressive on your work resume. For your money’s worth (I spent about 1000 hours), it’s a high-quality game that teaches you to learn a gaming system, which shows off your mental agility and willingness to learn. It offers fun adventure, attractive cutscenes, and addictive gameplay which it’s no mere hack and slash. Quite frankly, I sort of like turned-based games that reward players on their skills in memorizing monsters’ weaknesses and strengths. Some people have argued that the playstyle is a bit too slow. I suppose it’s a matter of preference, but I like to think and strategize my kills and not pray on luck. Isn’t that the point of a game? You can play as LS (Long Sword), SW (Short Sword), Mage (support or offense), Bow, Spear, and Axe. It is so fun to try different classes. You can check out the trailer for the combat system: For a trophy hunter, this game is super addicting and fun.

Dragon’s Dogma, released date 2012 and Dragon’s Dogma Arisen, released date 2013

If you are wondering what’s the difference between the two, well the second one to the right (Dragon’s Dogma Arisen) has additional content. That means more monsters and more dungeons. I platinum the first one which wasn’t so difficult. Just annoying that I traveled so long in the game to reach from point A to point B. I don’t recall that there’s a teleport ability. On the positive side, gameplay-wise, it respects the player’s time. In this game, you create a pawn (avatar) and your pawn can be used by other players as well. I thought it was an interesting game design. If you don’t have a group of gaming buddies to play with like me, it’s hard to find a decent person to play with online. Dragon’s Dogma solves that problem. I could enjoy that multi-player experience at any time of the day–without having to wait on the real-time player to help me complete a quest. On top of that, what I enjoyed about the game is the classes and their customization (skill sets or skill branches). The character’s appearance customization was also attractive. It makes the whole gaming experience personal and well worth the money. Glad this game is finally getting recognition in the gaming community as a hidden gem.

So, what did these games have in common and what did I learn about myself? If the game is visually attractive with addictive gameplay, I would spend hours playing. Don’t underestimate style and aesthetics in games! You have to give credit to those who design these games (Level-5, Sega, Capcom). You can tell there is a lot of thought and craft put into the making of these games, which make them masterpieces to me, and for that, they are my treasures that deserve more recognition.