Once upon a time…I stumbled upon an article written by a well-known video game website that gave Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll a bad rating. According to the video game journalist, the lead character (Areus) is bland, and the gameplay is boring. I remember thinking that I must have bad taste because I really enjoyed the game and liked the protagonist. He is half-elf and half-human who grew up facing severe prejudice.
In other words, he is an outsider. I suppose with this type of game, you have to be the type who doesn’t mind role playing a character different from yourself. You play for the art, music and story. You play for the entire package.
These days, I don’t bother reading game reviews written by big video game sites, nor do I take game reviews seriously written by gamers who were still toddlers during the PS3 era. It’s a whole different generation. Although I must say, I think it’s cool to see younger folks appreciating older games.
Anyway, I have been replaying this game and would love to give this game a proper review. It will take me some time, though. So my blog will be quiet for a bit, but I am sure there is more than enough content out there to keep you from boredom. In the meantime, here is the awesome opening to the game. I watched it several times.
P.S.
There was a daily prompt that asked “What job would you do for free?” I have been writing about games for about 10 years now on my free time. If it’s not passion then I don’t know what it is.
One of my favorite quotes from this book comes from the introduction of the 50th anniversary edition. The author, Ursula K. Le Guin, said,” Science Fiction is a metaphor.” Indeed, the world inside this book is entirely a metaphor. The first few chapters are not easy to read. The book starts to make sense when the author delves into detail about the Gethenians’ sexuality in Chapter 7. The Afterword by Charlie Jane Anders is also insightful. It made me view gender in a different light. I see why this book is great for gender studies and discussions.
Synoposis
Genly Ai is sent to a planet called Gethen, also known as Winter. His job is to convince the inhabitants to join an intergalactic civilization. There, he faces resistance, obstacles, and challenges from the inhabitants. They don’t understand why their planet is in danger from outside threats. With the help of Estraven, a powerful and influential lord, Genly Ai finally understands Gethenian’s worldview.
The Concept Is Interesting
I find it ironic that I went into this book because I don’t read enough books by female authors. It’s as if I have already assigned myself some stereotypical views on what I know about gender. Ursula K. Le Guin is far from typical. The way she tells the story in the Left Hand of Darkness is methodical and scientific. The story is so factual that it sounds plausible. I believe the author was building her story around a question: Have we considered what we think to be true is not influenced by the narrative of our physiology?
“Truth is a matter of the imagination. The soundest fact may fail or prevail in the style of its telling…” –Chapter 1
In this book, the author presents a concept where people experience a unique biological cycle called kemmer on an imaginary planet called Gethen. The inhabitants can shift from male to female, which make them ambisexual. It takes an insider (Estraven) to betray one’s kind to convince an entire planet to accept Genly Ai’s proposal. I can’t say, though, I enjoyed her writing style. It’s creative but not artistic.
Final Thoughts
The Left Hand of Darkness is a dense read despite only being 367 pages. I did, however, enjoy the last half of the book where the story starts to come alive. A reread of the book might make me appreciate it more. I am pretty sure I miss the little detail that helps enliven the world. Truly recommend this book for those who want a challenging read.
Do you know what it is like to be unemployed at 21? And then, when you finally find employment, you realize you’re overworked and underpaid. You barely make ends meet because you have bills to pay. You bite your tongue and go to work anyway. By the end of the day, you are so exhausted. Rinse, repeat, and start all over again the next day. It’s a recipe for depression when you don’t have time to improve your skills and take care of yourself. It also doesn’t help when social media amplify how far behind you are compared to your peers. Some people are just more luckier in life than others. It’s a different type of stress. But can you imagine being broke, cold, and starving?
Homeless and out of work, he had only one thing on his vacant mind: the hope that the cold would be less severe once day had broken (Chapter 1).
In this book, Germinal by Émile Zola, we follow the journey of a young miner named Étienne Lantier. He leads a protest for a better quality of life for his coal-mine comrades.
Synopsis
Étienne is a former mechanic who found work at the Le Voreux mine in Northern France as a miner. He became exceptionally skilled at his job, but he was not content. All around him, he saw the horrendous, poor working conditions of his comrades. It wasn’t just working conditions that were awful. There was no future or hope for a better standard of living. Many families worked in the coal mines for generations. When the mining company starts to cut wages, the miners begin to feel the blow. How can anyone work with an empty belly? It makes sense to revolt.
What Stood Out to Me from this Book
Certain events don’t just happen randomly or overnight. It’s something that has been germinating underground. When it can no longer contain itself, it erupts. The miners are cold and starving. All they want is some bread. However, Mme Hennebeau, the spouse of the coal mine owner, fails to understand their situation. She said, “So they’re on strike. Well, what’s that to us?… We’ve still got to eat, haven’t we (P.202)?” Of course, there is something to do with her. The miners toil in the coal mines with empty stomachs. They can no longer work to provide the bourgeoisie (their employer) with a luxurious lifestyle. How can the upper class be so delusional? This book reminds me of the film Parasite by Bong Joon Ho. It’s a powerful film that highlights the contrast between the working class and the wealthy.
Final Thoughts
Of course, there is more to this book, but I want to keep it light and nonpolitical. The writing style isn’t flowery, but romantic enough to lighten up the prose. It is a dramatic book filled with human compassion and love. It’s also a book about hope and, at the same time, hypocrisy. Étienne leads a protest to revolt against the bourgeoisie. Along the way, he realizes he is becoming one of them. He starts to see himself above the miners. This poses a lot of questions. Revolution is not an easy task, and the aftermath is not always as pretty as envisioned.
I am feeling nostalgia for simpler days. So, I purchased a used copy of White Fang by Jack London at the local bookstore. I found it while I was browsing books for fun. It’s one of the books my 4th-grade teacher read to us. At the time, I couldn’t appreciate it like every other coming-of-age book. I remember thinking why is our teacher reading this boring book to us? Most of us fell asleep at our desk. Me? I was staring outside the window. Now that I am around her age, I think I understand why she picked this book. She was trying to civilize us wild schoolchildren and it worked like magic!
Anyway, the book is so good. It fell apart midway through as I was reading it. Okay, I confess, that’s half the truth. The book was already in poor condition when I bought it. On the back of the book, there is a coffee stain! But for $1.50, I cannot resist. I also like the book’s cover. It looks old-fashioned. The large print is also appealing. After all, a book is less valuable if it’s just on the bookshelf as decor. Books are meant to be explored and read.
Synoposis
White Fang is a wolf, but is also a quarter dog. This makes him a special creature. He is wild but also domesticated. Thus he has an advantage over purebred dogs and wolves. His hybrid breeding enables him to navigate the harsh Yukon environment, and the brutality of the man-gods (humans) he encounters. As he goes through different man-gods, White Fang comes to civilization once he meets the rightful one. The rightful one is just, fair, compassionate, and strong.
Writing Style
I was instantly captivated by the writing style. The prose is so poetic. The first paragraph of the book throws me into the cold wilderness. I feel it:
The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
I also like how the author describes the wild as a frozen-hearted savage. It’s the perfect stage where dog eats dog to survive. The writing is so intense that I felt as if I were in the book!
There were a few things, however, I did not enjoy about the book. It was more of a personal thing, though. After all, the book was published in 1906. Time has changed. Perhaps, not always for the better for some folks, but regardless, time has changed. I don’t know how I’d feel living inside a white picket fence governed by a self-righteous man-god. I would find it difficult, especially when he is unfairly transactional.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s a great book, but one that feels foreign to me now, and yet familiar. It’s a weird feeling that I cannot describe. It’s comforting; at the same time, alienating. I guess being an adult means learning how to think for oneself. We are all shaped by our environment.
First off, I want to mention I have an Instagram account and an abandoned Twitter (X) account. I am sure if I remain on it for too long, it would give me a mental breakdown. A ❤️ notification can light up someone’s day. Not enough of it–can break someone. This is especially true when they post something from their ❤️.
I watched this documentary (more like listened to it) while I was working. It was insightful and terrifying. The sound effects made the future seem ominous. Out-of-control AIs will overrun the internet. To save our sanity, we must delete and unplug our social media accounts for our mental health’s sake.
Let’s be frank, we are accustomed to comparing with one another, and tech companies know that. I feel terrible at times using it, even though I like to think I have a solid self-esteem. I started to wonder what’s wrong with me. Why can’t I feel a connection with these people even though I sometimes I agree with them? Maybe it was designed to be that way. It’s as if it knew that I can be competitive deep down. I feel this way when my ego is being stepped on. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . I don’t know. It didn’t make me feel good so I ended up talking to a teddy bear instead.
Now combined that knowledge with the money-making system, social media. This combination makes social media seem rather twisted. It’s alive because it’s driven by people’s clicks and likes. It’s like the movie, The Cube (1997). A bunch of people with different viewpoints are trapped inside a puzzle box. The only difference between the Cube (TV) and Social Media is that it’s 10 times worse! Not only are we watching TV, but the TV is watching us. Soon, we ended up buying or doing things based on what we were exposed to on the platform. To me, it feels like a gigantic billboard ad. I often wonder how I ended up with so many notebooks/journals after watching several influencers advertising it?
Overall, the documentary is quite educational. I am glad I watched it. For me personally, limiting oneself from using any technology-related product is impossible. This is especially true for those who live alone and/or who want to promote their business. For example, I find it hypocritical to advertise products that reduce digital consumption on social media platforms. How did I learned about these alternative activities in the first place? Social Media! I am just glad there are some rules and regulations set in place. If it’s making adults all jittery, I can only imagine the damage it has done to the most vulnerable.
Note: Originally posted on Sept 17, 2020; revised Nov. 24,2025.
If you have not seen the film, check the synopsis on Wikipedia. This will help you follow along with this article. Post contains spoilers.
My brother introduced me to this film. He said it was great and that I should watch it! I did–a couple of years later. Unlike my brother, I wasn’t impressed. My first reaction was that I already knew long ago that most women are manipulative, confused robots–me included. I’m kidding! Later on, with more time to process the film, I realized there’s more than meets the eye. Still, it’s no masterpiece to me. It’s just entertainingly decent.
For some background knowledge, I accidentally stumbled upon a YouTube video in 2020. In it, men were bashing women as damaged goods. I was so appalled by the sexist statement. For one, it objectifies women as if they are not allowed to have emotions. So when I watched Ex Machina, I drew a parallel between Ava (the AI) and the real woman. I couldn’t help but see the similarities. What is so wrong with a woman who wants to explore the world? Ava, the object of desired, has been trapped in the facility by an unethical, perverted engineer for so long. Who wouldn’t want to escape and find greener pastures? Then again, we are talking about AI, not a woman.
There are two important points that the plot wants to make in this film. One is Caleb’s instinctive behavior toward Ava. The second is controlling her, the source. Why is Caleb attracted to Ava, knowing she is an AI? Why does Ava need to get out of the facility’s lab and experience freedom? Why does she need to go on a date with Caleb to the theater? The answer is simple. It’s data. Would Caleb be the better person than the perverted engineer to contain the AI? As for Ava, I cannot imagine what she wants to do with more data. Does she want to destroy humanity and give birth to little AIs with her new found knowledge? She is like a search engine gone crazy. Thus, the film attempted to show that technology (AI) can be dangerous. It did this by comparing it to a relationship level that humans can understand.
Personally, I don’t think it was the most effective way to communicate the idea that AI can be dangerous. For one, it reiterated the notion that nice guys finish last as if it’s a bad thing. Secondly, the sexism undertone in this film is off-putting: Robots are alluringly dangerous like beautiful women. Lastly, the conclusion of the plot suggested it’s only nice in theory to have AI by our side. But in practice, it brings unexpected consequences. It can start manifesting and spiraling into something out of our control. Like nuclear bombs as Bill Gates compared it to. Then why create the monster in the first place and release it to the public?
So, this brought me back to my conclusion about the film. AI is a threat to humanity. At the same time, she is mysteriously powerful and flawed. The perverted engineer got what he deserved in the end. Secondly. it has been known since the dawn of time that humanity is captivated by the beauty of the unknown. Yet we foolishly explore it anyway. Yes, nerds rule the world, but they are not always the wisest. Have we not been warned all this time? It was Eve who partook the fruit of knowledge. This opened the eyes of humanity to new possibilities.
Note: Originally Published in 2020; revised and republished Feb. 20, 2022; revised Nov. 03, 2025.
I remember reading somewhere before the release of Song of Horror that Protocol Games wanted to make a true survival horror. My initial thought at the time was let’s see if they can genuinely make a good one. Personally, I haven’t come across that many horror games I considered great by indie developers (maybe I need to play more). The ones I liked were Detention and Soma, but even then, they didn’t leave an everlasting impression on me. And so, I was pleasantly surprised with this game. Not only did the developers achieve in building a suspenseful, tense horror game, but they also weave a good story into the gameplay without making it convoluted. The gameplay is also highly addictive.
Synopsis
On one Friday evening, as soon as Daniel Noyer comes home after a long day at work, his boss from Wake Publishing phoned him on the whereabouts of Sebastian Husher who happens to be an acclaimed, historical fiction author, and the shiny star of the publishing firm. Not only is the author missing but his manuscript has passed the deadline! Daniel, annoyed being as the errand boy, has no choice but to pay a visit to the Husher’s residency. From there, he finds the place abandoned with an eerie music box playing in the background. This mysterious tune will determine his fate. Will he find the missing author and the manuscript? Will he get his promotion that he so deserved?
Daniel is driving up to the Husher’s Mansion to retrieve the manuscript.
Gameplay
There are four difficulty settings: E.T.A. Hoffmann, M.R. James, Edgar Allan Poe, and H.P. Lovecraft. Even though the game recommends players to start on Edgar Allan Poe, I switched over to the easiest so I could learn how to play the game. Once I become comfortable with QTEs (also referred to mini games) and the puzzles, I move up a level. The reason is because on Edgar Allen Poe, the player will experience more permadeaths and encounter more QTEs than M.R. James mode. It can get annoying fast when you are trying to progress the storyline. With the easiest setting (E.T.A. Hoffmann), you could restart at a checkpoint without losing a character permanently. However, if you pick Daniel, you will have to restart the episode regardless of the difficulty settings because he is the main character. So, be mindful on which characters you choose to play on the harder settings. Not all characters are created equal, but they balance each other out.
If you look at his serenity attribute, he is not good at staying quiet when facing The Silence in episode II, but his strength is strong for blocking the doors.
Daniel has an overall balanced attribute, but even playing as him, I struggled blocking the door from the menacing entity.
As mentioned earlier, I take baby steps first until I familiarize myself with the structure of the game. The game will punish impatient players. Making loud, stomping sound will trigger QTE, which means potentially dying and losing game progress. As for the puzzles, some of them are difficult. For instance, the description to break the code in episode V is vague. All it has are some doodle drawings and a sentence that reads: “From highest to lowest, the seven numbers in the photo.” At first in my mind, I tried to match 7 numbers to 5 drawings. Now that I think about it, I can see the thought process. There are 7 people total, 6 in white suits, 4 standing up, 3 sitting down, 3 wearing glasses, 3 with mustache, and 1 in black suit. The code is 7643331.
Creepy doctors!
I was surprised that I didn’t need to complete the game on the reccomended difficulty setting. Once I completed the game on M.R. James mode, the H.P. Lovecraft mode becomes available. It’s there for those who want a challenge. Indeed, it’s challenging. Pressing the button to control your breath, heart rhythm and block the door will leave you panting. If you are hardcore, go for it, but it’s going to require a lot of patience.
SOUND
Speaking of sound, a horror game wouldn’t be horrific without the special sound effects. There will be times when I have to press the character’s head against the door to listen if there is something behind it. Failing to listen will kill the character. I died many times because I had the volume on low. So, I recommend playing the volume on high or with a headset.
Erica is listening to what’s behind the door.
I could hear the rumbling, whispering and the slithering sound coming from the mysterious evil entity also known as the Presence with the headset on. The funniest part is the jump scare moments. I found it quite funny when Daniel screams. Apart from the haunting sound effects, there are moments where I could relax and breathe normally. Occasionally, you’d hear the characters exhaling and making disagreement noises when something doesn’t work out such as trying to open a blocked door or failing to combine two items. It’s comforting. I also appreciate Dr. Berenice Prestegard’s calm and intelligent voice. Exploring the mental asylum is frightening, but she makes everything feels okay.
Dr. Berenice is terrified of the dark, but she is brave enough to sleep alone. What an oxymoron.
Visual
All the stages (episodes) are well designed and nailed the horror atmosphere to an extreme. Can someone please explain to me on what is the obsession with mannequins in horror games? Is it the secret ingredient to a good horror? I find that it’s becoming a cliché more than a tribute to classic horror games.
You can’t see it in the picture, but behind René Artigas there is a door chained up. One of the easter eggs. It’s a reference Silent Hill 4.
Anyway, there is the Husher’s mansion, the antique shop, the archive, the abbey, and the mental asylum, which have straight forward objectives if you know what you are doing. My favorite part of the game happens to be theantique shop in episode II. Whenever I feel threatened, I want to rush outside of the building into the rain. The sight and sound of the rain is soothing and it gives me the impression of fresh air. I like how balanced episode II is compared to other episodes.
The light shining on the rain is very pretty.
Conclusion
Do I recommend this game? Yes! Is this game perfect? No! They could have toned down the jump scares on Edgar Allan Poe, and H.P. Lovecraft mode. Secondly, some of the puzzles are difficult and don’t make any sense. Hard for hard sake is not my cup of tea. Thirdly, the H.P. Lovecraft mode is insane at times. There are moments I literally tiptoe in the game to minimize random QTEs. Lastly, the game freezes quite frequently on H.P. Lovecraft mode. It starts to feel like obtaining the platinum is more of a gamble than based on effort. Despite the flaws, I still enjoyed the game. What I love most is the thought process behind the gameplay, atmosphere, sound, story, and characters. All the playable characters have diverse, interesting backgrounds. I enjoyed the game so much that I shoot for the platinum trophy! That should say a lot about the game whether it is worth your time.
The world of martial arts is nothing more than a world of politics. The one who has the most power has the most control over his fortune and the most freedom to live as he pleases (i.e., a king’s lifestyle). Doesn’t it sound enticing? But with great power comes great responsibility. Those who seek power for personal gain are not fit to rule. In this tale, a meek hero is hesitant to get involved in the world of martial arts until his family and his country are on the line.
To give you folks a backstory of this legendary sword, I quote the introduction from the film for you to better understand the story:
During the Sung Dynasty, about 1000 B.C., a famed sword smith Meng Yao Chi took ten years to forge a sword from the best metal available. When China was invaded by the neighboring Liao state, Meng presented his sword to General Meng Liang. With it, the General won battle after battle and the sword became a legend. After General Meng’s Death, the sword was lost until rediscovered in the Ming Dynasty. The prince of a nearby barbarian tribe coveted the sword and dispatched a trusted warrior to acquire it. This is the story of this mission.
Based on the quote, the sword sounds pretty epic, doesn’t it? I don’t think I would want the sword even if I was fit to rule the martial arts world. It’s too much stress and responsibility. So, I can sympathize with the hero in this film who learned martial arts to hunt and nothing more. However, our destiny is not always decided by us. The hero, not only has the mental capacity but also the physical strength to be the keeper of the legendary sword. After all, those who yield the sword have the power to control the land for good or evil. It sounds kind of like Lord of the Rings, the Chinese version the more I think about it, but not as dark.
What surprised me about this story is how passive and meek the main character is. I have never seen a highly skilled martial artist who is unreasonably meek. His saint-like personality is his downfall. It is his reluctance to kill the main villain when he had the chance that caused him a spiral of tragic events. As the audience, I can’t help but be a little annoyed by his passiveness, but then again, there wouldn’t be a story if he weren’t a reluctant hero. He eventually learned from his mistake and become emotionally stronger towards the end, but at the expense of losing his parents, sister, and his two eyes! On a positive note, what I like about this film is that the hero’s weakness becomes his strength. The hero always finds a way to win in the end magically, which makes me feel happy. After all, I am always rooting for the good guy to win.
For my final thoughts, this film is decent but not great. I like The One-Armed Swordsman (1967) more which was played by the same main actor, Jimmy Wang Yu. One plus thing about this film is the cinematography and sword fighting. It’s beautifully well done. So if you are a fan of martial arts films, it’s still worth watching.
Originally published 26, 2020; Revised Oct. 02, 2025
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…
Baristaserving drinks
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.
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