Game Thoughts: Ozmafia!

So I wasted my whole weekend going through all the endings for this game. I was turned around so many times.
Heads up, this will not be a spoiler free review.

So TL;DR: It's a mature game. Handle with care. Can't fully recommend. Bag of D*cks. <---Something I would say a LOT during my playthroughs.

So Ozmafia was released way back in 2013 by Poni-Pachet Sy. It was only made available on Steam this year I guess which is where I found it.

Synopsis:
You play the role of the amnesiac "Fuka" (or whatever you name her) as she blunders through a town full of characters from classic (and not so classic) fairy tales. (Reminds me of Fables in that regard). Anyway, the town is run by several mafia families based on various fairy tales and literary figures. Fuka has to decide what to do with the life she has and figure out who the heck she is.

Let me go right into the virtues and vices.

Virtues:
Some paths end in marriage. Yay.
Going through life with a positive attitude
Generosity?
You can be a nun! :)
Hilarious anime situations and dialog. This game made me laugh so much.
End of Life ethics

Vices...vices as far as the eye can see:
Murder
Organized crime
prostitution
pre-marital sex
manipulation
Corrupt clergy <--This made me so sad on many levels. Even though CLEARLY not Catholic.
General cheapening of life
Adultry/Infidelity

Dang, right? What's good about this game?! Granted, taking a lot of these things out of context can seem unfair. Because you can definitely have ALL these things and an amazing, worthwhile story. (Like Crime and Punishment which also has most of these things I list in the vice list.)

There are lots of things I like about the game too. Mostly it's art and the setting appeal to me. I'm a big fan of the Fables comic series which I see some similarities with. The music was charming but I really felt the art style (a soft watercolor) was a pretty stark contrast to the action in the game. Including straight up murdering folks and threats of gun violence. It's like a beatrix potter illustration gone dark.

Anyway, now let's get to the spoilery bits. If you don't want spoilers stop reading here.


The real premise of the game...
Dorothy Gale at the end of her journey does not go home but becomes a "good witch" instead. This requires her (for some reason) to live alone and never use magic on herself. She grants the wishes of her former travel companions to become human and creates a town for them including characters from fairy tales. (...which includes Oscar Wilde's characters. WHAT WAS THIS LITTLE GIRL READING!???) However, she ends up actually making a wish for herself which splits her into 3 parts: the tower, her magic and her hopes and dreams to grow up and fall in love. (Because the witch doesn't age older than a little kid.)

It took me days to get through all the endings to get to this reveal. One of my biggest frustrations was that "Fuka" NEVER gets her memories back or really tries to retrieve them in any of the romance paths. I tried every one. It gets mentioned but never resolved. It drove me CRAZY. So...good on you game making me replay ALL the things to see if they answered anything.

Part of the fun was trying to figure out each characters fairy tale counterpart. I was really bad when I first started and just started labeling people things. After playing the whole thing, my first guesses were WAY off. Also, my whole mistake of calling it OZMA-fia instead of Oz-Mafia. >_> Look, Ozma was a character in the books. I thought that was the play. Not being godfathered into mafia crime. -_- It took a long time for the lore to actually settle in. My first play through nothing was answered and I was floundering trying to make sense of anything except one character. Why don't they die when riddled with bullets? Why do the general population die? They BRAND everyone like cows? What even? I don't? Uggggggh!

It also had a mechanic with the Oz Trio where once you started "dating" one of them officially, the character with the 2nd highest affection points would try to interfere. You could switch characters. >_> For some reason this usually means as soon as you jump ship to the other ship you sleep with them...in the biblical sense. (Glen...everything cool she just said...you ruined it!)

First Play Through: Axel
 Took me far too long to realize he was the Tin Woodsman. ...I am an idiot.
I really enjoyed this character as he was considerate, restrained, honest and an awkward turtle. Didn't get the "good" ending but reminded me of myself. What is sad? What is love? Can not compute.
The most innocent character of the Oz three. Usually. (As I said if you jump ship from anyone you "break his factory seal" <---Dammit Kyrie! Why is this so hilarious to me?)

Second Play through: Kyrie...the bag of D*cks.
One...unfortunate name...really distracting when I go to Mass and think of this arse instead of Lord have Mercy, Kyrie Elison. This guy...I didn't like him...he was pretty tragic...and you end up marrying him in one ending. -_- I was so worried that this guy would be like Toma. He's manipulative and openly cruel. I couldn't trust him farther than I could throw. So not far. Oddly enough, his story is probably one of the more interesting ones. I personally liked the first ending I got where he loses his brains. ^_^ Seriously though...he's kind of a d*ckbag.

Third play through: Caramia
Again...unfortunate name...I kept thinking of Gomez and Morticia.

It's how it's said in my head EVERY TIME. Too sensual! His story was kind of vanilla if you ask me. It wasn't bad. I really enjoyed his storyline and character. He also treats the main character the best of all three in my opinion. But some endings are a bit on the eck...side. True ending ends in mawwige. So yay. He can cook too...always go for the guy who can cook! (Or will eat your crappy cooking. Either is good.)

Everyone Else...
Caesar: I was hoping this route would finally answer my burning questions about her past. NOPE. Disappointment. But hey...he stopped threatening to kill me? (Seriously, falling for your potential killer. What is wrong with this place?)

Scarlet: Innocent and sweet, one of the better ones. Optimism wins...and he cooks. Love a guy that can cook.

Pashet: Not a homosexual relationship like I originally assumed because ANIME. Fantastic storyline and I love her awkward relations with Axel. I ship them.

Robin Hood: I felt so unclean. >_> Once you find out he's a freakin' married man! But mix in Dr. Freeze and Frankenstien and yeah...it gets weird. I was so uncomfortable with this route. It was so wrong on so many levels. 

Brothel: One...the route is called BROTHEL ROUTE. You know nothing good can come of this. Guess what...NOTHING GOOD COMES OF THIS! This one made me feel the uncleanest. I didn't read most of it. I clicked through so much. 

Granted, the ending where you take over the brothel was weirdly satisfying. Probably because it throws Kyrie for a loop. Did I mention I don't like that guy? Yeah I REAAAALLY don't like Dorian Gray. Kyrie is cakewalk to that guy. He's the real bag of D*cks. 

Soh: Remember what I said about guys who cook. YES. Soh was another good one. Especially after the trauma that was the Brothel route. He's one of the few who tries to take you OUT of town away from madness. But his real identity isn't revealed until the Epilogue. Turns out...

He's the worst kind of. All this b.s. is his plan. It's terrible. Soh how could you play with my heart like that!?

Hamlien: I almost forgot about the Pied Piper. This one you can become a nun because he's a schizophrenic criminal. (Spoiler: It's Soh's fault. ;__;) It wasn't a super interesting storyline. It comes up if you don't settle for someone else's route. Probably because he appears as the villain in every other route, it unfairly paints him into a corner. It's also a super short route so not a lot happens. 

The Ending...everyone starts killing each other. Even the young lady...

My feels after playing this game. It's good in that it played with my expectations, flipped all the tables and stuck with me. But also so much yuck happens. Not that stories should exclude this stuff but still...so much Yuck. 

WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU DOROTHY GALE??!?

Final words, you have to be built of pretty solid stuff to get through this game on the moral front. It's not promoting a lot of good stuff. BUT it's entertaining as all get out. I weirdly enjoyed most of it. That said, can't say I would recommend it highly for the gif reasons above. However, mature audiences can enjoy it. It is a Will weakening one though. So maybe Pokemon Go...

Game Thoughts: Fire Emblem: Fates

So for Easter I got myself the game bundle for Fire Emblem Fates so I could play both storylines - Birthright and Conquest. One was advertised as being more difficult and focused on strategy, so I figured I might get frustrated with that storyline, but no...if you play both in Casual mode it's no biggy.

Synopsis

The avatar (Corrin) is royalty captured from their home country at a young age and raised with "the enemy" with the conflict growing between the countries Hoshido (clearly Japanese influenced) and Nohr (medieval Europe inspired). Once you find out your true heritage you must decide who you will support: the land of your birth or the family who raised you? Then work for peace and all that nonsense.

Features

The game decided to split the story into two games and you have to buy both to get the whole story, which is lame if you are more story-motivated to play the game. There's also a 3rd game that's supposed to clarify a few things "Revelation".

There is DLC and amiibo stuff and nonesense.

Weapons no longer have a limited number of uses.

The partner, marriage, children system is back. They added bonding time with avatar's chosen spouse. Which just means more work for me...uggggh.

Pros

Again the marriage with children thing I have to highlight that here.
Lovely art and music
Some returning characters for nostalgia.
Easier gameplay compared to Awakening, a lot more accessible.
Empowered female roles.
A huge cast of interesting characters
Lots of pro-family goodness.

Cons

Very sexualized, revealing armor and body-types for female characters
Includes a gay marriage (male in conquest, female in birthright)
A somewhat convoluted timeline, really not sure who was the parent of who, but there is time travel which ruins everything.
Almost an overload of characters.
Ritual suicide (samurai story so...it's expected.)
Personally the cutesie "bonding time" with your spouse is weird to me. Are we having sex? Is that what we're doing? I can't tell! I'm glad I can't tell, but seriously weird and oddly uncomfortable, but I'm uncomfortable with any affection from game characters anyway. I'll have to write about it later or something.
Suggested Incest? I think you can "marry" your blood siblings. Unless there's a story point that means you're not related to EITHER family. (Looking through walkthrough: spoiler not blood related but still very very very weird.)

Conclusion

I think this iteration can be passed over. The gameplay is similar to the last one but it's not super great. The fact you have to buy two games is rough. Personally, I like the Conquest storyline better. (Because personally, I'd feel more loyalty to the people I grew up with.) However, Awakening was a better experience for me.

Easter, Remakes, and New Games

Happy Easter! I'm back from my lovely vacation with my family. Had a great time meeting my nephew. I love him so.

 So I've dusted off my gamecube after 4 years of not turning it on. The HD remake of Twilight Princess got me feeling nostalgic. I don't have an HD tv...I don't really see much of a difference between SD and HD because of my vision issues. But I also got really nostalgic and part way through my twilight princess, I started up ocarina of time and played that.

That game is real hard on me sometimes. I was swearing a LOT in frustration. (I'm bad about that. Mostly F-bombs. After falling off a ledge for like the millionth time.)
In comparison, TP is so much easier. :) It was the game that got me back into gaming so it holds a special place in my memories. The beginning is always my favorite part.

I want to play Majora's Mask again too. But I'm tempted play it on my 3ds, but I won't. I own the game already. I don't like to buy remakes if I have the console.

I've also been playing Fire Emblem: Fates. It's...interesting so far. Not sure if I like it as much as Awakening, but I am glad weapons don't keep breaking. Currently playing the Conquest storyline. I'll make a game thoughts on it later.

So that's what's been on my plate. Nostalgia, a good easter holiday...oh and a job promotion.

2016 Year in Games Review

So I really haven't played as many games as I thought I would this year but here are a few of my stand out favorites.


 1. Undertale - yeah I think this is at the top of a lot of lists. I now have the soundtrack on my iPod and some fanart as my facebook banner. Because gooood.

2. King's Quest - True return to form with enjoyable voice acting, beautiful art and storytelling...also fantastic puns. We got two chapters to this episodic game.

3. Backstage Pass - Finally got some voice acting in. :) Really kind of a refreshing date sim where the protagonist isn't a vulnerable amnesiac who let's men lock her up in dog cages. I guess that's the difference for a u.s. based date sim. Or maybe I haven't found that route yet.

4. Inquisition - It goes on the list...because it just does. Also yay for the DLC. Finally got through ONE playthrough of it. Nice set up for the next bit in the series. Bravo team...bravo.


So what am I looking forward to?
Ummm...I don't know really. I like to be surprised so I haven't been following any game news recently. :P Although I've wanted to play an older game Masamura Demon Blade...because I enjoy Vanillaware's art for the most part. And Odin Sphere is one of my top favorite games of all time.

I think this year I should dust off my older consoles. I mean that literally. They're dusty. And play some of my old games or games I've bought for my WiiU that I need to get through like Resident Evil 4. I KNOW...I'm late to the game. But I liked 6...and I need to finish 5. Not as fun as 6 for me.

Peace and Happy New Year.

UPDATE: I just realize that there's a new Fire Emblem game coming out. Shut the front door.
One same sex couple possibility but still...marriage and kids. :) Yay w00t. Putting it on my wishlist...oh wait...crumbs. There two story routues but two separate games? Well played Nintendo...well played. >:(

What I've been Playing lately...

Just a bit of a fluff post really.

- Been working through Dragon Age Inquisition multi-character playthrough. I just have one more character to get through to the end before I can full enjoy playing through Trespasser DLC.
The DLC had some issues load that took a lot of trouble shooting to figure out but finally got one character in there...and I'm still having some issues.

- Playing a lot of VNs and making voice over commentaries. I might publish them but I don't know if I will. These games can be kind of triggery.
Played: Seduce Me which I would definitely NOT recommend.
Amenisa: Memories again. Somehow it was creepier the 2nd time around.
Now I'm playing Nameless...again creepier than I remember.
Finally Backstage pass...this was was made in the USA and I met the creators. I know it's legit and not super creepy.
Also found a few VNs for my iPod which I'll eventually get around to.

- Lots of iOS games. It's how I pass some of the time at work. Cooking Dash 2016, Dragon Age Heroes, and a few VNs.

I also got the newest RPG Maker MV even though I've never finished an RPG maker game. This is what happens.

And the new chapter for King's Quest is out. :) If my internet stops being a jerk maybe I can finish downloading it.

Curse you Steam.

Merry Christmas Everyone. Happy Gaming!

Life Changing Games

In every gamer's life there are often a few games or series that are very special to us. They changed us or helped us grow. It is definitely a part of gaming that doesn't get enough focus, but games have powerful potential to change minds and lives.

Here are mine.

A Bug's MUCK

Now here's something I may need to explain a bit. Online MUDs and MUCKs were pre-cursors to online MMO gaming. These were text-based adventures with multi-player played over Telnet. The biggest differences were that MUDs usually had a game system with loot drops and enemies and stats like MMOs of today. MUCKs however, were more like improv classes where people would group up as characters in a story and act out a situation. It was a LOT of fun for me as a creative person.

How does something like this change a life? Well, the benefits of improv apply a bit here but something more important was learned. I learned how my words both written and spoken could be misconstrued. What might be considered too extreme an action. It helped me adjust socially in a way that I couldn't in my current social situation. I could look and experience another person's point of view. Which is great in terms of empathy, viewing both sides of an argument and so on.

There was also a hard lesson about romance that may or may not have colored the rest of my romantic life or lack thereof. (Trust became an issue, but also the realization that everything was my fault. I was the creepy one.)

Legend of Zelda

Previously, I never considered myself a "gamer" although looking back on my childhood I was in many ways. However, particularly the title Twilight Princess officially brought me into gaming "seriously". I bought my first console for that game and it was the first game I ever preordered. It was the first game I actually got excited about and "fangirled" for.

It also marks when I was first able to share in gaming with peers. Previously I had only gamed with younger kids or my siblings. I started quickly learning about other famous series like Final Fantasy, Halo, and DDR.
At that point I was pretty much a Nintendo only fangirl.

It brought me into a community and into analyzing game design.

Dragon Age Series

Dragon Age came into my life long after I had established myself as a gamer, but my passions had cooled about games. Partly because I was working in the game's industry and poor. My co workers were also big into gaming and titles and introduced me to SO many good game titles.

It was a game that reawakened my inner fangirl. I should be embarrassed how much of the extra stuff I have for the game. I have the Table Top RPG and the special dice even though I don't have anyone to play it with. It's also plagued/inspired my imagination in many ways.

It is the game that got me into Cosplay and sewing. Granted this was very recent but the games and characters have stuck with me since 2009.

This series ALSO improved my ability to work with computer hardware. I had to get a new video card and install things all by myself. *proud* For Inquisition, I had to straight up buy a new system which I got custom built. :3

Big Buck Hunter Pro

There's one out of left field, right? I only say it changed my life because it was my life for a couple years. I worked on the mobile version of the game and the TV plug'n Play version. I have credit as level designer. :)

Game Thoughts: Undertale

There has been some buzz on the Let's Play channels I frequent about this game Undertale so I went and had to try it for myself. I was not disappointed. The simplistic art and unique game mechanics really mesh well to make an rich experience. Allow me to summarize...

Summary
Long ago Monsters and Humans fought in a war. The monsters lost so they retreated underground and sealed themselves via magic. But they long for a return to the surface. Meanwhile, you a human child fall into the deep and wake up in a temple. Your goal is to get to the surface.
But how? Aren't you in enemy territory?

Virtues

Charming story, dialog and characters.
Turns lots of stereotypes on their heads.
Simplistic art.
Smart game play mechanics.
Non-violent route.
No Swearing.

Vices
Controls are really challenging if using a keyboard. Just saying.
There are some parts of the final boss that "crash" the game. This is just a mechanic I don't like. It's confusing. It works with the story but still.
Same-sex relationships.

Conclusion:
I like how it turned the idea of fight the monsters in RPGs on its head. It's not always obvious (and because I was watching a Pacifist playthrough on the Let's Plays it was given away.)
The game has enjoyable humor and even gets kind of metaphysical. Souls is a pretty big theme throughout the game. The thing about humans is that their souls persist after death. :) :) So immortal souls. That's Catholic-y sound.

Definitely an enjoyable tale and worth a try. Just keep in mind that some characters are involved in a same-sex romantic relationship.

Upcoming Games I'm Looking Forward To

I honestly think that sometimes I'm the hardest audience to reach when it comes to advertising. I don't have cable or even basic. I have awesome ad blockers, I don't read newspapers, and I've been pretty lax watching YouTube videos on E3 and such. Word of mouth or Facebook are the only ways.

OR in such cases I'm actually a fan of a series. So here's my list.

Episode 5 of the Wolf Among Us: 

This comes out this week. It will be the big finale for the series. And maybe the murder mystery will finally be solved and I can have some peace and closure. I've also officially become a Bigby Fangirl. I'm up to volume 9 in the comic collections. (The romance, the adventure and adorable babies. ^^)

I got distracted. Sorry. Next game.

Dragon Age Inquisition

The third title in the series that has been firmly planted as my favorite Bioware series. Again, a big enough fan where I have lots of extra paraphernalia both official and unofficial. (Except the novels...I don't like reading. LOL. j/k)

The graphics look amazing so far and I'm looking forward to an open world with Mounts and such. I actually have been trying my best to avoid too much media on the game. I don't like knowing too much before I play. Unfortunately, it's in my facebook feed all the time so I keep getting to see the companions. (I'm glad they got Freddie Prince Jr. to do a voice again. I liked him in Mass Effect 3.)

I've already got it pre-ordered so I'll get the Bog Unicorn. >_> A unicorn in a game will ALWAYS entice me.

Hyrule Warriors

Mixing Dynasty Warriors gameplay with Characters from the Legend of Zelda series. I am thrilled to the bone to see this new twist and some of my favorite characters return. ...I also tend to buy fighting games with Link in them. I swear I don't always do it on purpose. I don't know too much else so it'll be fun to finally have another good game for my WiiU.

Zelda WiiU

Not coming out for awhile, but I've seen early screenshots of a potentially more "open world" (I see this term a lot in gaming recently. Oh trends.) Again, I'd love to see more games on my WiiU. Also, bring back the horse...I love the horse. :)

DreamFall Chapters

Almost 8 years after Dreamfall the Longest Journey the sequel is coming out this years. I have also really enjoyed getting into this series and it's characters. It'll be nice to finally have so many loose ends taken care of.

Game Thoughts: Hometown Story (First Impressions)

The other day I was browsing a game store before an appointment when I noticed Hometown Story. I remembered that some months ago I had heard about this title and was interested in checking it out. My interest was due to the fact that the creator of Harvest Moon was also the creator of this title. As a big fan of the HM series I figured that the new venture would be worth looking into. However, I have found that I may not be the biggest fan of Hometown Story (now HMS). Here's my look at the game.



Synopsis
After the passing of your grandmother, your character returns to the town she/he grew up. Upon meeting a magic creature that now lives at Nana's shop, the protagonist is suddenly recruited into running the shop and restoring the town population. In the game your character forages or buys stock from locals or traveling merchants, arranges the shop layout, stocks shelves adn sets the price for products. Customers come in and buy items, make suggestions as to their favorite products and so on. There is a social aspect where the protagonist is able to woo and marry one of the villagers.

Virtues:

Non-violent: Like most games in the HM series, HMS takes on the tradition of a non-violent storyline.

Good Graphics: The characters are visually appealing and the color scheme is very relaxing.

Customized Avatar: You're able to create your avatar and change their look at the beginning of the game. You can play as either a male or female protagonist.

Vices

Lack of Concrete Goals: The game taught only the most basic of controls. The storyline was not very motivating nor the goal clear. Was the town dying? Were people leaving en masse? No, from the in-game dialog it's almost a kidnapping. The protagonist answers a letter and a strange creature basically tells you that you now must own and run the shop.

Unintuitive Gameplay: In my gameplay, I was able to figure out stocking and setting the price easy enough. I was able to ring people up without a fuss. However, for the longest time I could not figure out where to get new products. In my mind, I had to man the shop from open to close, but here's the thing, the store actually does NOT close until the protagonist goes to bed. What I did not realize until I read a walkthrough was that you are able to leave the shop at ANY time to collect new materials and talk with townsfolk. This simply did not make sense to me. A store has business hours. After business hours, the owner can do other things. Or the owner has the power to close the shop for a period of time.

Boring: Perhaps it is the slow start, the uniteresting dialog and descriptions, or the traces of a plot. There is not much to motivate me to play this game. The pacing is very slow, the work is tedious. Now I've play shop simulation games that I enjoyed. HOwever, the style of gameplay was different. (Both had annoying floating sidekicks but the other at least had RPG elements that drive the shop.)

Disorienting Camera: The camera changes angles on its own in every location. It becomes disorienting moving between screens. The layout of the town is quite empty and tricky to navigate. Luckily the map is very good. It also weirds me out that everywhere you go, the floating mouse thing follows. And speaking about the floating mouse thing...

The Pet thing: The little "guide" is some kind of magic floating creature that after the tutorial seems to have no real purpose. The model often gets in the way when trying to place items on shelves. It would make more sense IF the pet thing could be sent to collect for forest items while the owner stays in the shop. OR to man the register while the owner is out.

Uninteresting Characters: The 2D graphics and character designs look very plain and uninteresting. The visual style of the characters lacks something distinct.

Conclusion:

I hate to say that I'm going to sell this game back to the store to get something else. I am disappointed with how this final product came out. It could work but the execution just did not meet my expectations. (These weren't high expectations either.) That said I am still looking forward to the new Harvest Moon, Linking the New World.

Game Thoughts: Dreamfall

After finishing The Longest Journey, I started playing the 2nd game in the series, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. Developed by Funcom and released in 2006, this title takes a more action-adventure gameplay style compared to the predessor. The player controls character movement, but still solves puzzles via collecting and interacting with people and objects.

Synopsis

Again in the setting of the twin worlds connected by dreams, we follow Zoe, a rich student suffering from clinical depression/apathy. (I could RELATE!) She sets off on a journey while searching for her ex-boyfriend Reza, a journalist for a controversial paper. During the journey she meets April from the previous game and uncovers a dangerous conspiracy.

Virtues

A non-white female lead! Zoe is a beautiful Eurasian woman with very good flaws and interesting relationships.
Play as multiple characters. April returns to the title as a playable character and newcomer Kian.
Great graphical improvement really helped immersion reach a new level. Environments were lush and absolutely goregous. The characters look and move in more human-like ways.
Not hypersexualized. The women are beautiful and sexy but note in a hypersexualized way. Zoe wears practical clothes for the most part. True there are underwear dream sequences, but it's a white cami and bikini underwear. Sexual relations are spoken about but never shown.
Diverse characters. People come in all shapes, sizes, ages and colors.
Lovely soundtrack and good voice acting. Maybe it's just that I enjoy British and Irish accents but it was lovely.
Puzzles were all very solvable without a walkthrough. (Except for a couple that I got lazy on.)
Good story. With good or at least decent morals. And a sweet romance. The theme is "Faith", which is nicely explored. I was uncertain about Kian but wait it out and let it develop. It gets good. Questioning his faith and finding True Faith and strength in his religion. He sees the flaws and failings of the people but not the true goodness of it.
Traveling was faster with the new action system.

Vices

Primitive battle system. Zoe could do karate, Kian a sword, and April a staff. It was clunky and slow. The battle AI also did not provide much challenge. (Which suits the system.)
Again, lots of strong language and swearing. Now more violence because of the battle system.
Disorienting at first. Okay, maybe I've been spoiled by mini-maps for games like this. It was easy to get turned around and lost while trying to find the next objective. (Which I guess could be a good thing too. It WAS very immersive.)
The game plays well with a controller, it's very tricky with a mouse and keyboard. (Thus I used a controller.)
Lots of plot points left hanging for a sequel. Frustrating for the player, to be left with more questions than answers. (Luckily the sequel comes out this year.)

Conclusion

As someone who has experienced clinical depression, I could relate to Zoe's feelings in the beginning and enjoy seeing her try to overcome it and return to her former self. This one was more fun than the first. It was an excellent improvement and hard to put down. The ending left me hungry for more and I'm glad I played it NOW rather than when it was first released. (That's a long time to wait for a sequel!) It is for a mature audience, but I would recommend it rather highly. No Catholics in this one but definitely more cultures. (Love it!)

Game Thoughts: The Longest Journey

Okay, I'm sort of back with a new post. Thank you for prayers, I'm starting to recover and return to my old self. (Yay!) Also, I've managed to play a few games that I can have Game thoughts about! So my most recent game is Funcom's The Longest Journey which was released in 1999/2000 and currently available on Steam. (Which is where I got it.) It's a point and click adventure game.

Synopsis

In a cyber-punk future, you play April Ryan, an art student with a troubled youth who is haunted by dreams of another world. By the guidance of an enigmatic, old homeless man, she finds herself on a journey to save two worlds (one of science and one of magic) and restore the "Balance".

Virtues

A realistic female lead. How refreshing! Also supporting cast is well developed and charming.
The Catholic Church exists still! One point, April talks to a Catholic priest who sort of reconciles the "Balance" with the Catholic faith. Or rather show how they both don't exclude one another.
Interesting worlds, storyline and morals (Forgiveness seems to be a big one). Character change and develop.
Beautiful background environments. Lovely soundtrack. Pretty decent voice acting...for the time.Like many adventure games, almost everything has something the character comments on.
Nothing is super hyper sexualized. Sexual relations are talked about but never portrayed.

Vices

Lots and Lots of harsh language. It's fitting for the most part but could get a bit tiresome and excessive.
Obscure puzzles: Some puzzles were really difficult to figure out without a guide. No hints or story suggestions at all to what the answer would be.
Character graphics are primitive. A vice that can't be helped due to the limitations of game art back then. Gorgeous for the time but it has not aged that well. Human faces could look very alien at times. Also some male nudity...but again primitive graphics tone this down. (No female nudity, just underpants and a cami.)
Slow movement. To move is simple, point and click for April to walk to the destination. Double click to jog. It still takes quite some time for the animation to complete and for April to cross the screen. This seemed to stretch gameplay.
Some violence but comparatively tame to current standards. The low poly graphics aide in this.

Conclusion

The world-building, exploration, and strange story really drew me in and kept me hooked. It helped me overlook the primitive 3D graphics which could be quite distracting. Characters are all flawed but done so well. Of course it gets cliche and predictable at points. The language could get very distracting and slightly offensive at times. (Generally I have a pretty thick skin, but lots of taking the lord's name in vain really bugs me.) Personally, I enjoyed it but it is definitely for a mature audience.

Maturity and Game Plans

This is just a mild response to a video from The Escapist by the Jimquistion. In his most recent video rant, he talked about the latest Bioware interview that the "sex scenes" in the upcoming Dragon Age Inquistion would be "more mature and tasteful". (Insert my internal groaning...because I'm not surprised.) His point was that no, they were not. They were the same as any "sex scene" in a game: pandering, with no consequences, and often following a mechanic of "give gifts, get reward".

For the majority of this I say, true. Yes. This is a thing. This element is a selling feature and making such promises about possibilities, boosts sales. And to be honest, some element of romantic interest is something I look for in a game story. But, personally I wish that explicit sex scenes were not allowed in any form of media ever.

 I would love a game where the romance had more weight and consequence and if it weren't just a coin slot. So, I guess I'm up to the challenge. Next month is NaNoWriMo month which many writers use as a challenge to write a novel in 1 month. (National Novel Writing Month...by the way.) While I'm not writing a novel, throughout November (and into December), I'm going to write up and plot out a romance option game that does not cater to the stereotypes of gifting and complimenting, displays a maturing relationship within an overarching adventure story. It will be a challenge to myself to then translate that into some form of game engine. That part will take much longer.

Also for fun, one of my favorite video blogs about Sex in games. I'm sure I've linked it before but it deserves more linking.

I'll try to keep this blog updated with progress if any gets made.

Death and Martyrs in Games

While working on one post that just isn't going where I want it, I thought of a different topic to write about: Martyrdom. There are many examples of game characters sacrificing themselves or being sacrificed for the sake of something or other. It got me thinking about how martyrdom is treated in some game titles.

Real Martyr Stories

Historical accounts of martyrs evokes a certain reaction. Awe for their bravery (or stubbornness if one wants to be cynical about such things.), conviction, and willingness to physically suffer. The stories inspire us, perhaps make us feel bit ashamed we do not show courage in small things, but above all their sacrifice gave new life. Something great is accomplished.

For St. Maximilian Kolbe, a man was able to return to his family. In the case of the 816 Martyrs of Otranto, the Ottoman invaders failed to conquer Italy and the heart of the Church. Thousands of Christian Martyrs throughout the Roman Persecution only helped fill the Church. Good things usually happen when a martyr dies. God's work continues through them and that sacrifice. In Earthly time and space we may not see it right away of course.

There are martyrs for things other than the Catholic Church of course. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination is a martyrdom for the Civil Rights movement in a way. However, I'm most familiar with the Catholic stuff and this is a Catholic blog so that's why they get the big mention.

Now in games I tend to see certain trends in a sacrificial or martyr type death that are maybe not so great.

Romanticized Sacrifice

 It's clean, beautiful and poetic. Oddly enough it's usually a female character in this role...and most of my top-of-my-head examples come from Japanese titles. Minor spoilers ahead but...
Final Fantasy VII - Aerith's Death, Fire Emblem: Awakening - Chrom's older sister, and others.

Usually the scene is very artistic, clean and almost crudely colors the idea that "THIS GIRL WAS INNOCENT". It will most definitely inspire emotion and provide narrative motive for the surviving characters.

Heroic Death

In a similar strain, sometimes it is the player character that makes the sacrifice.  This is done in a way that somehow praises the player. The sacrifice is SO noble, other characters are in mourning, and so on. Also very artistically portrayed and such. However, I think that in part the very nature of "death" in a game world is different than a narrative death.

With my recent play through of the Mass Effect series, I found that final sacrifice really did reward the player in a way. It stroked the ego and emphasized the "nobility" of this act.

However, this isn't just an aspect of death portrayed in games. Many narrative mediums want to give the hero a glorious, heroic death.

Narrative Martyrs

Is there a way in which a sacrificial death can be made not heroic? Personally, I don't want there to be such a thing. Even the stories of real martyrs, even if they aren't over-the-top heroic, they should be treated as such. Glorifying the sacrifice in a respectful way is good, especially in narrative. It highlights how amazing a human life is. It's is worth more than we can imagine. Pardon me for getting stereotypically Catholic but God became Man to die for human life.

With the triumph over death and promise of eternal life, there is always the risk of feeling that well, death isn't really all that big of a deal. They go to Heaven, it's all good. Christians have the great example in Christ's death and Sacrifice. It's still hard though. As St. Paul says, "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die." (Romans 5:7) Somehow though, I feel it's even more heroic for a character without such beliefs to make that same sacrifice.

Conclusion

Some part of me feels that the overly romanticized death of a major character in a game makes it cheesy. However, at the same time, that character represents several hours of time spent playing the story and "letting that go" is a big deal. It does deserve some type of "reward". 

Thinking about it now, a game character martyr is very rare. Probably because any sense of spirituality, religion, or cause is so rarely included with a main character. 

And this short thing is all I have energy to write for now. My new job is a bit tougher than the last one.

Game Thoughts: Mass Effect 3

So I've played the 3rd and final game of the trilogy which is definitely very intense. I wrote about the notorious ending before but now I get to experience it for myself.

Synopsis

 After defeating the Collectors, the Reaper threat looms. With the galaxy under attack it's up to Shepard to rally the whole galaxy under one banner and defeat the Reapers or die trying.

Virtues

 The immersion and environment is very well done. My goodness. It's so depressing. The sheer scale of things really does feel heavy.

Amazing characterization so far. Lots of throwbacks to previous games.

Gushy, sweet "romantic" lines (as Shepard tends to be super awkward). I am a SUCKER for these.

Moreso than the romantic cuteness, more focus is now on family bonds and other meaningful relationships. Not just one or two characters, but almost everyone really starts emphasizing their family. I guess the situation makes that easier.

I think the situation also makes things less sexy or sexualized. The whole "issue" with the neutral ground space station is that the war doesn't feel real there. All the distractions seem hollow or tragic.

Positive homosexual character. For the most part. It feels like they "get" the gay guy, but all lesbians seem like male pandering.

Decisions made early in the game that seemed like a good idea can turn out to be short sighted. Renegade (evil) choices finally hit a sweet spot of short term benefits that came back to haunt me later. Some Paragon (good) choices also don't seem correct.

Weapon modding was fun. No vehicle sections again. Mostly familiar gameplay elements.

Vices

 The duck and cover mechanics were much better in 2.  Do not like the new cover and movement system.

 ...a sexy robot...sigh... You have objectified a woman. *slow clap*

Still a lot of language, violence and sexy cakes of beef and cheese variety.

Definition of Life, Soul, and Humanity: On the plus side, VERY good to think about. What separates us from the animals? What separates us from the androids? In any case, the simplified answers to this bug me and seem very off. It basically dumbs down the supernatural soul and reasoning to complex programming. The only thing humanity seems to have over the machines is "free-will".

No God. Again, all deities are equal and pretty much hokey. Thus the above complaint about the hollow definition of humanity. It's pretty much the fullest extend of human hubris to think that we are something without God. It definitely illustrates the failings of finding a meaningful answer without something supernatural.

Sex is always outside of marriage. *head desk* I just...I mean...darn it culture! I know I can't expect the real moral high ground from a big game company but still. There's a ship captain! Can't we do a Pirates of the Caribbean marriage thing? I know the world's about to end but that has never stopped people before! This has been the vice in all 3 games.

The Homosexual issue. So there is 1 lesbian, 1 gay, and 4 bi-sexual characters that are "romance options". (One of whom is a potential "Anders" incident where he's straight in the other 2 games.) I'll throw back to the whole culture shapes entertainment and visa versa. It's normalizing the vice of pre-marital sex throughout all games, but also cakes on the gay marriage.

Conclusion

I have mixed feelings on this title. The story world had definitely suckered me in and offers a playground of moral, ethical and philosophical issues to think about. However, vices are also stronger. Perhaps I'm just tripped over all the sexy robot stuff or "synthetic life". Thank you for the tough question of when do you call something alive, but the complete absence of anything believably spiritual or supernatural bothers me. It's what bothers me most about space exploration style sci-fi.

Of the three, I have to say that the first game is probably my favorite. It had the right balance of severity, mood and characters. At the very least it gave a nod to any human religion. And it was easier to shoot things.

Now having played through the "controversial" ending, I was absolutely fine with the ending. I even got the worst one on my first play through. And that was without the "extended cut"...which I forgot to download (I do intend to play the same ending with the extra cutscenes).

Game Thoughts: Mass Effect 2

Okay, well, I guess I'll do the whole series as I go through it because well, things change from 1 to 2.
Now I knew the story before playing the game since I watched someone's renegade playthrough. I'm also playing the games with 3 characters. Paragon Male, Paragon Female, Renegade Female. So I've played all 3 games 3 times in one sitting.

Synopsis

After saving the galaxy, Shepard goes on missions to hunt down Geth (semi-sentient robots) and find more evidence of the return of the Reapers (more robots coming to wipe out advanced organic life in the galaxy). One of the missions tragically ends in Shepard's death but s/he is brought back by the questionable organization Cerberus and the Illusive Man. Human Space Colonies are disappearing, supposedly by an advanced species known as the Collectors. Shepard must form a team to take on this newest threat.

Virtues

More of the moral dilemma goodies like the first game of the series.
Humanity's Self-Interest vs Getting Help, Justice vs Mercy, and so much more.
I really liked Mordin's loyalty mission for medical ethical goodies.

Pretty good philosophical questions to think about, although responses are limited and very simplified.

No Vehicle sections.

More fun alien designs and cultures. Story depth and immersion.

More Organic environments.

Better gameplay, graphics etc.

Good choices can often make something more difficult if you wish to keep your ideals. Bad choices can offer short term rewards and make more sense.

Vices

Still a lot of weird sexualized situations. The sex scenes are tamer or only implied...mostly. Still kind of soft-porny. But all optional.  But dear lord, do I hate Miranda's outfit or Jack's lack thereof. (Thank you modding community for giving me an alternative outfits.)

Again, no organized religion, only crazies or "safe" nondescript spirituality.

No Souls. Not so much a vice as it is a criticism. The whole premise of "bringing Shepard back" with all memories, personality, etc. using science is not convincing to me. But fictional story, fine, I'll go with it. I'll just say Jesus was undercover there all along. /sigh/ But now I'm thinking of C.S. Lewis' "That Hideous Strength". ...I want to make a game for that book series. It would be awesome. Crap...project idea pinned. Curse you Mass Effect!!

Limited ammo is not my friend. Okay not a vice just whining.

Violent. The story requires it but there's a lot of needless violence and petty violence. Add realism I guess but eh.

Conclusion

The story, myth and so on still suffers the same vices as the first game. So there really isn't too much to add on that. This story I found (well, sans the beginning "Lazarus" project) more engaging. The world is established, my choices in the previous game seem to have made an impact and old characters come back.

Still a lot of poo-poo on religion and women.

So, I like this game but it's definitely for a mature minded person. Lots of opportunity to weaken the will are present.

Link Share: Killing is Too Easy

I've had the same feelings as this article for as long as I've been a gamer.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/extra-punctuation/10467-Killing-is-Too-Easy

There are some f-bombs in the article if you're sensitive to that. But this is definitely a topic I'd like to think on and maybe expand upon.

Game Thoughts: Mass Effect 1

For many years, I had a silent protest against the Mass Effect series. I avoided the franchise after the game inspired some awkward conversations with former co-workers. In any case, I watched a playthrough of the first two games of the series, the whole trilogy came out on sale and my Halo armor costume  project has also lead to finding images of Mass Effect Cosplay. Soooo...I like that stuff.

Reasons for Protest

There were 3 major reasons why I avoided the game.

1. Soft Porn Scenes and overt Sexualization - I swear at every opportunity they made something weirdly erotic. Costuming is the biggest offender for this one. But even tone of voice, actions and situations could end up as suddenly weirdly sexual. 
2. I don't like Sci-Fi - This is completely personal taste. The inorganic nature of the environments, the hospital colors, and the sterile nature of such settings do not appeal to me.
3. Over-Hype - It's true, fans can ruin everything. I recall being VERY pressured to play the game, when I had just bought the game that they had been pressuring me to play just a week or two ago.

Now for the actual thoughts...

Synopsis

You play as a commanding officer, Shepard in a human-based space military called the Alliance. Humanity is relying on you to help our species get a place on the galactic council, the ruling body for many species. Shepard goes on various missions to impress this council and discovers some unsettling big picture problems about to go down. Inorganic or mostly machine enemies have this big conspiracy plot to destroy all advanced organic life in the galaxy. This must be stopped.

Virtues

As true with most games of this nature, there are plenty of opportunities for "lessons" in morality. If you're playing with the right mindset. It does tackle some hard to deal with issues. 

Some of the interesting "morals" I had run across: do the ends justify the means in law enforcement, wiping out the last of a species that was previously hunted to extinction, being independent as a species vs relying on others, does someone deserve a second chance, should a woman get genetic therapy for her unborn baby, and more. 

The design and culture of the world has be thoroughly detailed making it a very immersive experience. 

I really like a lot of the alien designs. Expecially the Quarians and Turians. (Kitty faced dinosaurs.) 

Excellent character development. 

A mention of God and faith that reminded me of C.S. Lewis' "Out of the Silent Planet". (Sadly, it's only a mention in passing.)

Paragon (good) choices reaped long-term good benefits, Renegade (evil) choices usually end in only short term benefits. 

Vices

This list might be a bit long. So let's start with game play elements.

I didn't want to believe other reviewers that the land vehicle sections controlled like a cow in a pushcart with 3 wheels. Getting from point A to point B was like herding cats. 

Renegade (evil) options are hardly ever appealing or very blatantly awful. At least give me some grey area where it might be a good idea or seem slightly beneficial. There was an unbalanced amount of favor to Paragon (good) choices. I know it's kind of weird to list this as a "vice" but I prefer a little grey area in these option. Not that "evil" should be rewarded, but the weakness of such a system feels like imbalanced gameplay. 

A whole race of fetish aliens - The Asari are a single sexed species. This is fine and a fascinating concept. How would we a complimentary sexed species relate, how would their culture be different. No, instead, we have a race of hot females with no sexual shame that can control when they become "pregnant". They still have this concept of mother and father.
I see the intent and I respect that it is an interesting idea, but the presentation is definitely what a lot of people see. It doesn't help that they mostly employ them as strippers. 

Strong Atheism, weak deism - One of the many weaknesses in a sci-fi story is the exclusion of faith or the demonizing of it. Some faiths are okay, such as the Asari belief in the Goddess. Others are demonized, such as the hanar's evangelical preaching about the Enkindlers. We have one deist in Ashley, who only believes in God but doesn't seem to associate with any one religion. 

Is it really so difficult for someone to be portrayed not only as a good Christian but a scientist or soldier? So very little is said about one of humanities BIGGEST humanizing features. Seriously, we Catholics believe that the all powerful, creator of the universe became Man and dwelt among us. Seriously. Other aliens outside looking in might see that as our hubris, but it makes humans truly unique. ...yes okay, I like writing my own semi-sci-fi worlds where THIS IS AN ISSUE. How would the church fit in with these aliens? Also...if they all have reasoning, therefore supernatural souls...is inter-species marriage...agh...I can see how that might complicate things. 

Conclusion

There are several characters that I like and its a pretty good story. But more often than not, the story or character development would go to an uncomfortable place. I had to double check a walkthrough to make sure I didn't pick the choice that triggered the sex scene. (Because you can't skip the movies like you can in Dragon Age.) I like romance in games, because I like those kinds of stories and it adds a human element to an otherwise inhuman setting.

It's okay. I wasn't blown away by it and don't feel like I missed much when I originally avoided playing the game. HOWEVER, I am going to continue into the next 2 games. Because the setting is great, the characters are great, the story and trimmings I could take or leave. 

A Conflict of Interests

I was going to (and still will) post a personal whiny blog post about my personal struggle to find others who both share my faith and share my passion/hobby. 
Of course with the internet, it's kind of easy to find such people. I've linked a new website I stumbled upon http://catholicgamer.com  (I guess I can't buy that domain name.). The blogs are definitely better written than mine and there are some very cool game suggestions for my fellow Catholic gamers. 

Polarized Opposites

So, I enjoy geeky things. I like going to conventions. I'm getting more and more interested in cosplay. I play video games and make them in my spare time. I draw my own web-comic. I could prattle on about Narnia and Lord of the Rings and Dragon Age for hours if given the chance. 
And most of all I love sharing and participating in group geek activities. However, I always felt that there was a part of me that was not always accepted. I'm Catholic and a pretty orthodox one at that. I love my faith as much or more than my hobbies. 

It's not really something that I will bring up at a convention. I am not out to evangelize when I attend conventions or participate in my hobbies. That would be something that would almost immediately get me "kicked out of the club". I don't preach on soap boxes, because that's not my style. However, I feel very lonely on a Sunday during a convention weekend as I go to Mass without friends. 

However, on the flip side when  hanging out with my Catholic female friends, we can talk all about the Church and relationships and gossip for hours. One is sort of an anime fan and one sometimes plays games with her husband. 

To have all parts of our person accepted by a group of friends can be tough when one's interests are niche or appeal more to men. 

Why the Two Sides?

I've written before about some of the possible reasons for anti-Christian attitudes in geek culture. Now I'd like to explore the other side of the coin. What is it about Catholicism or Christianity that doesn't like geek culture. 
1.) I find that the Catholic Church is notoriously slow with adapting to much of the newer technology of our every day life. This starts to cripple the Church in evangelization and education.  Hopefully, the New Evangelization will help in these efforts.

2.) Geek culture openly rejects religions and the Church will not force itself where it is not welcomed culturally. That is to say if no one is receptive we "shake the dust of the town from our sandels and move on."  

3.) Lots and Lots of rampant sin or methods of weakening the will can be found in geek culture. From pin-up comic girls to violence to hentai, there is plenty that the Church and good Christians should turn away from. To be honest a large chunk of geek culture is focused on sin. It glorifies lust, revenge, and unhealthy obsession. 

Popularity Contest Loser

As with any hobby there is potential for great good and great evil. At the same time, the heart of Christianity is not to be the most popular religion on the planet. The scope of eternity matters to the Christian faith and our own relationship with God. We are called to live life in holiness which means to be "set apart". 
Geek culture and gaming have helped me better understand who I am, to love myself and actually draw closer to Jesus. This is why at least for myself I can reconcile this apparent paradox of interests. 

Growing up, I went to a Catholic middle school. I was unfortunately stuck with a rather rotten bunch of classmates. I was teased, shunned and well, generally I was odd. Slow to mature physically and socially, I was at a disadvantage. I was very artistic, very interested in my own religion (which some Catholic students were not, surprise surprise) and interested in odd things...like science. The internet was one of the first places that taught me that I was not alone in my interests.

So you could say, in a sense, that my enjoyment of geek culture is because like most geeks I was "bullied". I felt accepted for the most part...except that one obnoxiously obvious religious part of me. But I was more accepted in Geek culture than in any Catholic Youth Group. 

And that's all I'm going to write about that. This was helpful to me at least and hopefully to someone else. I know I'm not alone in this paradox, but geez oh pete why are we so darn quiet? 

Game Thoughts: Harvest Moon

For the past several weeks, I've been enjoying my new Wii console with the game Harvest Moon: Animal Parade. The Harvest Moon series is one that I have enjoyed for many years. It was first introduced to me on the N64 system. So now I'd like to share with you my thoughts and reflections about the game series.

Game Concept

The primary goal of the game is to gradually build a successful, efficient farm and start a family. In most versions there are several secondary goals to achieve that can help with the primary goal.
All the games come with a story premise as to why you want to restore the farm. Some it is to please a departed grandfather, save the productivity of a town, or save the mythical Harvest Goddess.
The story premise usually changes the secondary goals of the game allowing for subtle differences between each version of the game.

Game Virtues

There are a few positive aspects of the game that I'd like to highlight. It's one of the few examples of a non-violent game with fantasy elements that I can think of.

The game also encourages the setting of goals and forming strategy on how to achieve the goals. It encourages the virtue of patience...sometimes too well.

It's about nurturing and the affect it has on others. What you ship from your farm in some titles will affect businesses in town. In incredibly simple terms it shows the relationship between industry and agriculture.

Relationships are viewed in a positive light with no objectification of men or women. (Granted the personalities are incredibly simple, but distinct.) Marriage and family is the goal of a relationship.
It's also fairly "pro-life" in that it really encourages the player to marry AND have a child. (Although where the baby came from is a MYSTERY TO ME. ;))

Game Vices

There are of course many flaws to the game. The major one is the repetitive and seemingly slow paced game play. At the beginning of the game its more interesting because you use old, rusty tools which makes working the land difficult, so you don't make too much money. But as you get new tools, the challenge decreases and it becomes kind of dull. This makes the game a test of patience which can sometimes be its downfall.

Some may feel that it over-simplifies complexities of farm life. If you're looking for an accurate farm simulation, Harvest Moon does not provide that. There are no pests, cows always produce milk without hormones (except in the GameCube version A Wonderful Life. Cows needed to be impregnated to continue to produce milk.), and you water all crops by hand with a watering can. (It's more of a vegetable garden really.)

It could be said that its too idealistic or too happy. This is a matter of taste but sometimes even I feel bothered that there's no trouble in paradise. In a few titles there ARE a few incidents that might be considered tragic. However, there are enough fantasy elements to cushion the blow in most cases. (There is ONE that just doesn't get better.) It could be said that the beginning of most HM games are impending tragedy and failure is tragic. In earlier games, failing to run a successful farm in a set number of years meant failure. Which brings me to another vice.

Many of the later titles have the games set up in a way where you really can not lose. It just takes time. In earlier games, the time limit and farm success provided more motivation since there was an end goal. I feel like this element of suspense is not as present in later titles. The game doesn't end or it simply ends when you want it to.

Conclusion

 I know this may sound like I'm poo-pooing on the game with my very elaborate vice report, but it's one of the few games...scratch that...the ONLY game I have literally played for nearly 10 hours STRAIGHT. I really like this game series. I really feel like the virtue outweighs the vices for me. However, I think if games like Harvest Moon were promoted more it might help change the public image of video games. While the graphics are anime-cartoonish, it really tackles some oddly mature topics. Or at least treats them in a mature fashion. I say mature fashion because although simplified, it's positive and not juvenile. That's is important to highlight, I feel. While the concepts are fiercely simplified, it does not feel immature. It's simple to "save game time", because you're patience is always being tested!

I highly recommend the following website if you are curious about the various games of the series: Ushi No Tane (All in english despite the title.)

Link Share

I couldn't really think of anything to blog about this month so I'll be sharing some links about Media and Catholic things.

Grey is the Devil's Favorite Color

Game Addiction Part 1 (video)

Harassment (video)

Stupid Internet Debates (video...humor)

In other news, I may be starting a new job soon. So thanks for the prayers.