JRPG

May’s Books, Games, and Creative Projects

May 1, 2026April 30, 2026Halsdoll4 Comments

May has arrived. After watching several videos on journaling, I decided to try making my own calendar book in the beginning of this year. The first few months of page design weren’t pretty. But I think I can proudly say May is my best! Anyway, creating a calendar each month is a fun activity that takes me away from the screen. I also want to try junk journaling or go back to pastel drawing. Watching other people’s creative works is so inspiring. With that being out of the way, let’s talk about what I have been playing reading and playing.

Reading

I finished Call of the Wild by Jack London and Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë. Currently reading My Antonia by Willa Cather. Out of the three books, even though I have not finished My Antonia, I am enjoying it the most. The pioneer spirit of working immigrants is very inspiring, and the writing is just so beautiful and full of compassion. However, I found the dialogue between the characters shockingly racist. For instance, I didn’t know what a Lapland woman is until I read this book: “Lapland women were fat and ugly, and had squint eyes, like Chinese…mother says Norwegians up North are always afraid their boys will run after them (p.192, Bantam Classics).” Um… okay. If they are so ugly why would the boys run after them? It sounds like a bunch of girls gossiping nonsense. For the most part, I enjoy the imagery of the prairie. There are many descriptions of nature that I could visualize in my mind. People back then spent more time outdoors, and perhaps that is what draws me to the book.

I have added more books to my reading list ever since visiting the local bookstores. There are so many books I want to read, but oddly, I find it more fun to write about video games for this blog. I don’t know why.

Gaming

Last month, I spent time with Trinity Souls of Zill O’LL. I am halfway now. I know it’s taking me forever to complete since I don’t play the game every day and only about 40 minutes a session. It works for me. And since I already achieved the platinum years ago, I don’t stress about trying to get everything in one playthrough. I focus on the story, and I must say, I love the story! It reminds me of Oedipus the Rex, which happens to be one of my favorite plays. Areus, the protagonist, has one mission in life–to kill his evil Grandpa! It has a mixture of Greek and Norse mythologies. Everything that I like, and this scene, a fighting (flirting) scene, is so fun to watch:

I also like how the game includes an encyclopedia of the bestiary, characters, quests, journals, etc. It is so organized. The best part is the Gallery menu. You can watch movies (cutscenes), look at paintings and listen to the music. I am still debating whether I want to do a video game essay or review once I complete it. It’s very time-consuming, I realized. If you have not played this game and you are a fan of JRPGs, I highly recommend this game.

I also watched an entire Let’s Play video of Silent Hill 3. I remember not enjoying it as much, but it’s more of a user experience problem. I am surprised I beat the game back then, even though the camera gave me motion sickness. Watching it again, I appreciate its artistry, symbolism, and stage design. The level of detail in the monster design is amazing. I also understand why so many people like Heather. She is stylish, edgy, and doesn’t mind being in her own company. She blazes in the game without flinching–almost like she is so used to the nightmare. Towards the end, she questions herself: has she gone crazy? I guess that is what makes the game a psychological horror. I still prefer Silent Hill 2, though. I just don’t like too many references to the woman’s anatomy. It makes me queasy.

In relation to Silent Hill 3, I do want to mention that I haven’t seen anyone talk about Audrey Rose, a film by Robert Wise. I watched it on Amazon Prime a few years ago, and it reminds me so much of the story revolving Heather. It’s a psychological horror that discusses the concept of reincarnation. The way the film was shot terrified me. If you have not seen this horror film, you should. You can find it on Tubi and Youtube, free with ads. I wonder if I am the only one who notices the resemblance.

Final Thoughts

Gaming has been quite selective for me. I know that I have a few games I need to revisit, but I am not sure if I have the right mind set to enjoy them properly. Lately, I prefer something more adventurous and nourishing. As for books, I dropped Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. I’m just not feeling it. So I don’t want to waste anymore of my time with the book. This approach to my hobbies makes me happier.

Code Vein Is Quite the Fashionable Game

October 2, 2025October 25, 2025HalsdollLeave a comment

When I was a little girl, I found a doll sitting on the high shelf at a drugstore. It came with 4 dresses. I wanted the doll so bad. I remember pleading with my mother that it was the only thing I wanted for my birthday. After hoping and praying about it, my mother finally bought it for me, and I was so happy. I played with it all day. So when a game offers the ability to customize the color of your character’s outfits and doll them up, it makes the gaming experience 10 times better to me!

Code Vein, developed by BANDAI NAMCO Studios, was released in 2019 and is a great co-op/solo game with a lot of playstyle customization. If you are the type who enjoys trying out different weapons and codes (just another term for class) and changing your character’s appearance, this is the game for you. I wish there were more outfits, though. Some of the clothes look like lingerie…

getting ready serve drinks — *Barista* *serving drinks*

behind the counter — *My eyes are getting blurry. Is that a hot babe?* *JK JK*

I hope you get my point. As for the story, I can’t remember in detail because it was that generic, and I played it years ago, but what I do remember was that it made me feel good. It’s about humanity. It’s about cooperation, service, interdependence, selflessness, etc. All the good traits that make humanity beautiful. It’s nice to play a feel-good game that doesn’t bash humanity.

*It’s stressful always having to think: “Eat or be eaten” all the time.*

Okay, what about the gameplay? Obviously, it took some parts from Dark Souls. Some bosses and monsters are a total rip-off done intentionally, but you can say the same about Dark Souls. It’s not like they originally came up with monster designs. I also think they drew a lot of inspiration from spending way too much time at the gentlemen’s club. The Executioner boss was quite comical. It’s not ideal for audiences like me, but nonetheless, they successfully imitate game design that has worked in the past by introducing something new. That’s why I think Code Vein is unique.

Overall, I enjoyed the game more than I expected, and those are the best gaming moments. When I find a game I enjoy, I feel like I hit the jackpot. However, what prevented me from totally loving it was the outfit designs and the edgy atmosphere. With that being said, I am on the fence with Code Vein II. It is one of those games that I am interested in playing, but I’m not in a rush to play. From what I remember, it was a fun co-op adventure game I played with my fiancé during quarantine.

I like the dancing emote in this game. It is really fun capturing these silly moments, and the soundtrack wasn’t too bad either.

Reflecting on Games I Want to Play

September 9, 2024January 1, 2025HalsdollLeave a comment

I can’t believe it is September already. Last year, I made some goals. I reached them. Now, obstacles and challenges await me, which explains my lack of activity on this blog. I did manage to make a list of games I wanted to play now that I’m mentally recharged. It is so much fun putting this blog together! It’s like catching up with an old friend. Stepping away from video games for several months has revived my passion for games. So, I’d advise you to do the same if burnt out. Sometimes, all we need is a nice break.

Between the two games, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and Tales of Symphonia, I chose the latter. Why? The conversation in the game is humorous, and I feel like accompanying the Chosen One rather than recruiting heroes to go to war!

cheerful characters — I take a field trip than going to war anytime.

Meanwhile, I still need to get through some horror games I bought last year. One of them is Tormented Soul, which I have a hard time playing. It’s not because it’s difficult, but because the atmosphere is too sexual and smothering. I should have done more research instead of just buying it on a whim. Clearly, the game was intended for male demographic.

Put makeup first because the next scene is Rated R.

standing next to manique showing the inside of a human anatomy — Not this scene…I wonder if the rest of the game is going to be dark and enclosed like this

Toward the end of last year, I did mention in one of my blog posts that horror games burned me out, and perhaps that explained why I was critical of Tales of the Black Forest review. I don’t play enough RPG-maker games to give it a fair assessment, and I am not sure if the style appeals to me either. I do hope I can get back into the spooky groove for fall and play some quality horror games. Right now, I have my eyes on the following games:

In addition to my growing collection of horror games, I still need to play Remothered: Broken Porcelain, Songs of Horror, and Resident Resident Evil 7. Writing down my thoughts about the horror game I am playing might be a therapeutic exercise (I know it sounds counter intuitive). Last year, I wrote a review for Soma as part of the Halloween holiday tradition here.

Despite my rambling of horror games, the game I am enjoying the most (apart from Tales of Symphonia) is an indie puzzle game called Teslagrad Remastered. I randomly picked it up during Steam’s Labor Day sale. It was a pleasant surprise on how much I like it because I normally don’t play platformer games.

Well, I hope you found something fun to play as well. With so many forms of entertainment, it’s hard to get bored. You just have to be in the right mental state to enjoy them.

Note: The AI generated the featured image. How amusing because I have always treated this blog as if I’m talking to friends.