Entry tags:
it's time for the reaper review!
I am finally back to my normal schedule at work! *collapses into a small heap*
Well, I say that, but actually, I am now on holiday for eight days! \o/
I don't plan to do loads, although there are some chores that need doing while I have the time/energy (namely gardening, blergh). I also want to get some internet art stuff sorted (I have finally scanned some more stuff for my sketchblog!), and sort out my ko-fi page, especially since there are now membership tiers available to everyone (have I thought of names for them? NO OFC NOT).
But today I am going to melt into a small puddle.
~
In video game news, I beat NEO: TWEWY! \o/
Overall, I liked this game, especially it being TWEWY in 3D, but I had similar problems with it that I had with the original. Namely, difficulty spikes. And they occur in at least three places, and I'll put the rest under a cut, because it's spoilers!
So yeah, the first spike is Minamimoto's boss fight, then Cervus Cantus (Suzy K's third fight), and then the final boss fight against Phoenix Cantus.
Minamimoto and Suzy K are straight up spikes, in part, because of the way levelling works in this game. Basically, all the numerical levels do is raise HP a teeny tiny bit. They do not raise any other stats. To do this, you need to buy food at the restaurants. To buy food, you need to grind for money (though there are cheap places, but their food doesn't offer good stat boosts). Y'all know how much I hate grinding, right?
Especially on a game system which uses multiple inputs that are unfriendly to people who get hand pain, such as myself (it's a double combo of hypermobility plus some arthritis!)
Stat boosts from clothing only do so much as well.
Also I had the same problem that I had with the original in that, because I wasn't running face first into enemies, I wouldn't fight them. So I probably lost out a bit because of that (and then had to grind to make it work).
For Phoenix Cantus, however, it was a difficulty spike because of the strategy involved that, I tell you, I would have no way come up with on my own.
When Beat joins your team, you get this ability called Sound Surfing, where you can press circle on the map and, if you time it to the beat of the music playing, potentially get a boost to your Groove meter, that you can carry on into the next battle.
During the Phoenix Cantus fight, there's several sections where it's basically bullet hell, but it can be avoided easily. EXCEPT. What you're meant to do, is use the Sound Surf to dodge the bullets, and get your Groove Meter up to 300% so then when you get back to the Phoenix, you can do loads of damage.
But, like, there are no hints or tips anywhere that this might be the case, or even that Sound Surf has a use other than previously stated.
And then you get to do a special attack, eventually, which involves pressing all six input buttons AT ONCE, and is actually pretty difficult given two of the inputs are triangle and square (why not circle and X, Squeenix!!!)
But other than that, believe it or not, I actually enjoyed it a lot! The plot mostly makes sense, and I'm mostly satisfied with it (Deus Ex Machinas and barely explained characters aside). Also it has FREAKING TIME TRAVEL! How could I not love that??? (I'm sure one day I'll find a time travel story I don't like, but it hasn't happened yet).
So yeah, gripes aside, I did like it A LOT, and I'm really glad I bought it! (I just wish certain mechanics worked differently!)
I am now playing about with post-game stuff, but I'm probably going to give that up to play Monster Hunter: World, since my brain feels it is in need of a virtual cat friend (legit the only reason I want to play this game).
~
In meme news, here's a Squeenix meme from![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kalloway, who I don't follow, but I nicked off my flist, because at least three mutuals are doing it, and isn't that the point of memes?
Link to their post with the questions and some other bits and pieces. I'm probably going to do it in chunks since I'm not online every day anyway.
30 Days of Square-Enix
1. What was the first Square-Enix game that you played?
Kalloway's rules say this includes Eidos games, so that means the first Squeenix game I played was probably original brand Tomb Raider on the PSX! I don't remember a right lot about it.
I do, however, remember playing FFVII in 1999. Me and my BFF went from Resident Evil 2, to that and were like...hmm, not sure about this! We didn't even get as far as the first reactor, I don't think! And then I didn't play it again until 2004!
2. What is the most recent Square-Enix game that you've played or are playing?
NEO: TWEWY! See slightly above (and outside the cut) for a non-spoilery reaction to it now I've finished it!
3. Have you read or watched any spin-offs or adaptations? (e.g. Advent Children, Kingdom Hearts novels, Star Ocean 2 anime)
Yes! I watched The Spirits Within, and it was one of the first DVDs I ever bought, and I also bought the soundtrack. It was one of the reasons I wanted to go to university and do computer animation. I have also watched Advent Children multiple times, and also own that on DVD, but I would like the blu-ray one day.
~
I think that's probably enough for now!
Well, I say that, but actually, I am now on holiday for eight days! \o/
I don't plan to do loads, although there are some chores that need doing while I have the time/energy (namely gardening, blergh). I also want to get some internet art stuff sorted (I have finally scanned some more stuff for my sketchblog!), and sort out my ko-fi page, especially since there are now membership tiers available to everyone (have I thought of names for them? NO OFC NOT).
But today I am going to melt into a small puddle.
~
In video game news, I beat NEO: TWEWY! \o/
Overall, I liked this game, especially it being TWEWY in 3D, but I had similar problems with it that I had with the original. Namely, difficulty spikes. And they occur in at least three places, and I'll put the rest under a cut, because it's spoilers!
So yeah, the first spike is Minamimoto's boss fight, then Cervus Cantus (Suzy K's third fight), and then the final boss fight against Phoenix Cantus.
Minamimoto and Suzy K are straight up spikes, in part, because of the way levelling works in this game. Basically, all the numerical levels do is raise HP a teeny tiny bit. They do not raise any other stats. To do this, you need to buy food at the restaurants. To buy food, you need to grind for money (though there are cheap places, but their food doesn't offer good stat boosts). Y'all know how much I hate grinding, right?
Especially on a game system which uses multiple inputs that are unfriendly to people who get hand pain, such as myself (it's a double combo of hypermobility plus some arthritis!)
Stat boosts from clothing only do so much as well.
Also I had the same problem that I had with the original in that, because I wasn't running face first into enemies, I wouldn't fight them. So I probably lost out a bit because of that (and then had to grind to make it work).
For Phoenix Cantus, however, it was a difficulty spike because of the strategy involved that, I tell you, I would have no way come up with on my own.
When Beat joins your team, you get this ability called Sound Surfing, where you can press circle on the map and, if you time it to the beat of the music playing, potentially get a boost to your Groove meter, that you can carry on into the next battle.
During the Phoenix Cantus fight, there's several sections where it's basically bullet hell, but it can be avoided easily. EXCEPT. What you're meant to do, is use the Sound Surf to dodge the bullets, and get your Groove Meter up to 300% so then when you get back to the Phoenix, you can do loads of damage.
But, like, there are no hints or tips anywhere that this might be the case, or even that Sound Surf has a use other than previously stated.
And then you get to do a special attack, eventually, which involves pressing all six input buttons AT ONCE, and is actually pretty difficult given two of the inputs are triangle and square (why not circle and X, Squeenix!!!)
But other than that, believe it or not, I actually enjoyed it a lot! The plot mostly makes sense, and I'm mostly satisfied with it (Deus Ex Machinas and barely explained characters aside). Also it has FREAKING TIME TRAVEL! How could I not love that??? (I'm sure one day I'll find a time travel story I don't like, but it hasn't happened yet).
So yeah, gripes aside, I did like it A LOT, and I'm really glad I bought it! (I just wish certain mechanics worked differently!)
I am now playing about with post-game stuff, but I'm probably going to give that up to play Monster Hunter: World, since my brain feels it is in need of a virtual cat friend (legit the only reason I want to play this game).
~
In meme news, here's a Squeenix meme from
kalloway, who I don't follow, but I nicked off my flist, because at least three mutuals are doing it, and isn't that the point of memes?Link to their post with the questions and some other bits and pieces. I'm probably going to do it in chunks since I'm not online every day anyway.
30 Days of Square-Enix
1. What was the first Square-Enix game that you played?
Kalloway's rules say this includes Eidos games, so that means the first Squeenix game I played was probably original brand Tomb Raider on the PSX! I don't remember a right lot about it.
I do, however, remember playing FFVII in 1999. Me and my BFF went from Resident Evil 2, to that and were like...hmm, not sure about this! We didn't even get as far as the first reactor, I don't think! And then I didn't play it again until 2004!
2. What is the most recent Square-Enix game that you've played or are playing?
NEO: TWEWY! See slightly above (and outside the cut) for a non-spoilery reaction to it now I've finished it!
3. Have you read or watched any spin-offs or adaptations? (e.g. Advent Children, Kingdom Hearts novels, Star Ocean 2 anime)
Yes! I watched The Spirits Within, and it was one of the first DVDs I ever bought, and I also bought the soundtrack. It was one of the reasons I wanted to go to university and do computer animation. I have also watched Advent Children multiple times, and also own that on DVD, but I would like the blu-ray one day.
~
I think that's probably enough for now!
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...oh my god, I completely forgot that Spirits Within existed! I even owned it! Not that I can tell you anything about the plot now.
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I haven't watched it since I left uni, I reckon, if not before then. I don't think I remember the plot at all, either.
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