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viridiave · 1 year

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Spoiler-heavy thoughts about Crick and how the Game Mechanics treat Temenos’s story

So. yeah if you press ‘Keep Reading’ I should probably let you guys know that these thoughts are just a tiny bit unhinged. And again - spoiler alert! You’ve been warned!!

GAME MECHANICS AND UI

- Gonna preface THIS section by asserting that yes, not EVERY mechanic needs to be taken apart under a microscope and re-contextualized into the greater lore of the game. Not EVERYTHING has to mean something to everybody. Some of my classes in game design disagree though and honestly for the genre that Octopath Traveler is, that being a story-heavy role-playing game where the narrative is half the game, I'd say that integrating lore into the mechanics and vice-versa wouldn't hurt - in fact it ENHANCES the experience. The second game does this pretty handily through the EX Skills (the first of the skills being Divine Blessings, and the second being earned at the end of the story.) and the Latent Powers.

Okay the Latent Powers? Honestly that part's mostly for Hikari. Shadow's Hold/Light's Radiance is STILL one of the best examples of Gameplay and Story Integration that this game has

No I swear I don't have a bias for 'other selves'/'deep parts of yourself made manifest' what are you talking about -

I swear I can write an entire separate post JUST about the EX Skills. Mostly for Osvald, Castti, and mOTHERFUCKING TEMENOS AGAIN

aND THIS IS WHY I GO FUCKING BONKERS WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE DEMO VERSION OF THE GAME LIKE WHAT THE FU-

- Literally the fucking emblem for Temenos's story is a staff and a sword over the Sacred Flame like - they REALLY want you to know how important Crick is to this tale

- tHE FACT THAT CRICK IS THE ONE WHO HAS COVER. NOT EVEN HIKARI OR THE WARRIOR CLASS. IT'S CRICK - DOES THIS COUNT AS FORESHADOWING???

I'll like - write here what I should have written in the bath - and that's me being like 'oh it's because he's recklessly protective. OH SHIT IT'S BECAUSE HE'S RECKLESSLY PROTECTIVE'

I fully acknowledge that it doesn't have to be that deep. MAYBE I'm pulling stuff out of my ass. But allow me to go bonkers over Crick and his for-some-reason-worryingly-appropriate moveset

Man I wonder how bonkers I'd go over Malaya if she was allowed to throw hands. I want her to complement Castti's moveset so bad

- Also the fact that both of their kits complement each other. Crick's bulkier build was made specifically with supporting Temenos in mind.

My guy's Sacred Sword reduces the enemy's elemental defense. Wonder if that implies that the Sanctum Knights normally work with magic and/or magicians

aGAIN HE HAS FUCKING COVER which is PERFECT because early-game Temenos can and will faint if a monster blinks at him too hard

Then there's his OTHER skill Godsblade's Shield which RAISES his physical defense to SO HE CAN COVER FOR TEMENOS BETTER LIKE. AT SOME POINT I SHOULD JUST ASK WHY THEY TRIED SO HARD FOR HIM SPECIFICALLY

And I mean. It makes SENSE but I don't think any of the other helper characters really had this level of chemistry in their mechanics as these two do

Emerald and Gus both have healing moves for better survivability considering how squishy Osvald and Agnea are

And it makes sense, Temenos already has access to a healing move because he's a cleric

The thing that separates Crick from them is that neither Emerald nor Gus really have moves to further support their leads on the level that Crick does. Emerald is fast and he breaks well and Gus is clearly meant to be the DPS of Agnea's Chapter 1, but again - Crick has moves tailor-made for Temenos to go off and do his thing

You lose Pirro and Scaracci/ Rai Mei and Ritsu after the intro and none of them really complement the Throné and Hikari and vice versa as much as Crick and Temenos do with each other

The difference with them too is that they have established relationships with their lead characters prior to the story, sometimes even encountered as antagonistic forces

Pirro, Rai Mei, and Ritsu are all bosses that were once considered close comrades of Throné and Hikari

Scaracci displays mutinous traits throughout Throne's Chapter 1

Emerald subverts this by acting mutinous - which, his conflict with Osvald amounted more to a sacrifice of goodwill

He knows Osvald and how he acts even prior to the beginning of Chapter 1, so he's in this category of having an established relationship

Gus averts this completely by just being a genuinely supportive part of Agnea's life

Mechanically, you never have anything to do with these characters again past Chapter 1 - save for Rai Mei and Ritsu being bosses. Hikari's companions also play an integral narrative role in his final chapter, with Ritsu being encountered as a boss again for the final time

Crick is a subversion of all of them in that he doesn't have any direct relationship with Temenos prior to Chapter 1, and though we never use him as a helper character ever again he consistently shows up as an integral part of Temenos's story up until his death in Chapter 3: Stormhail

Weirdly Crick is also the only one out of all of them where the use of Path Actions is required more than once - Osvald has to Scrutinize Emerald at one point

AND GODDAMNIT OF COURSE THE FIRST AND LAST TANGIBLE INTERACTION WE HAVE WITH CRICK IS TO FUCKING GUIDE HIM I'M SO MAD ABOUT THIS BOOKEND IT'S SO MEAN AKSJKAS

And this in itself makes complete sense given that he has larger roles to play outside of Chapter 1 - just not in the same vein as Ritsu or Rai Mei, but the fact is that Temenos's story is VERY good at establishing and building up chemistry between its characters

bUT FOR MECHANICS WE NEVER HAVE TO USE AGAIN AFTER CHAPTER 1?? THEY WENT SO HARD AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY

- It's not as big of a deal as it looks but I also find it funny just how much fun the devs seemed to have with Crick's introduction and entry into the party - using the Path Action to fucking TROLL with him.

- ON THAT NOTE, LET ME FREAK OUT OVER GUIDE AS A PATH ACTION A LITTLE MORE

I saw a post on Reddit earlier about the 'summoning townspeople' Path Actions and it kind of shook my world a little, so I'll just put my response to it here

For a guy who makes it a point to tell people not to follow anything blindly it's INCREDIBLY hilarious to me that Temenos's Path Action is getting people to follow him blindly.

MECHANICALLY, it's because he's the designated cleric. Temenos has Guide, because Ophilia has Guide. But thematically it's interesting to think about just how antithetical it is to his central creed of doubting, and how this specifically applies to Crick.

I did go back and check and yeah - Crick's one of three individual people I was able to find over the course of the stories that has a required Path Action used on them more than once.

Malaya is one other example with Inquire, and she even one-ups him with one use of Soothe. And I'll get to HER when I get to Castti's essay - I mean infodump - because it's like. Somehow even MORE heartbreaking than this instance of Guide

While I'm here I'll also mention Roque, who also has two instances of a Path Action used on him, namely Purchase and Hire in Partitio's Chapter 5

But back to the dramatic aspect of it it's like. I really want to shake the devs because it's so mean of them to have Temenos's relationship with him begin by guiding him towards not only the cathedral but to a healthier way of thinking, and to end with Crick's fucking GHOST leading Temenos to the crucial truth that he's lost so many people to find, including Crick himself

- I won't scrutinize everything about the cleric class itself but I WILL talk about the EX Skills, because to me it's ironic just how mean they are. I'm glad that the irony isn't lost on the fanfic writers like I see you guys use these as fanfic titles - bless you all

First - Prayer for Plenty, the sequel's answer to how absolutely fucking broken Saving Grace was as a passive in the first game. Limiting it to JUST Temenos's natural moveset feels like it should be sending a message honestly - it's a way to prolong the lives of his comrades and he couldn't do that for the ones he held dear in his own story. Can't help but feel like the fact that this is the one he gets from AELFRIC'S SHRINE rubs salt in the wound - no pun intended -

Secondly is Heavenly Shine and it's like. It's a holy nuke filled with divine power that drains Temenos's magic reserves completely. He invokes Aelfric's name when he uses it to and to this day I think the reason it feels cathartic to use is because it feels like a manifestation of Temenos's wrath

Unlike Osvald's own magic kamehamehadouken nuke where he learned it out of a need to protect Elena, Temenos learns this AFTER his story - and maybe it's just my concern speaking but man I really want this to represent his sheer need to go absolutely fucking apeshit like my man is NOT in a good place after his story is done

- This is the part where I go into the tinier, 'definitely stretching this past the realm of MATTERING' details that actually have something to do with the game mechanics

Some of Temenos's class lines are reminiscent of Crick's own. We've drawn the comparison with Temenos's Sweeping Cleave line already and it's adorable

Temenos Sweeping Cleave [insert handshake emoji] Crick Sacred Slash: I'll cleave you in twain!

Reaching even further here. His lines for Lux Congerere and Sacred Effulgence also somewhat invoke Crick's declaration of 'cleaving the shadows from this world', but it's not exact and I'm just indulging

Lux Congerere: Banish the shadows from this world!

Sacred Effulgence: Aelfric, banish the shadows from this world!

I'd also be extremely remiss to NOT mention the recruitment of Ort in postgame and it physically hurts me to summon him because of the way he says 'I will avenge you, Crick!' like DUDE. Oh well at least he's grieving healthily

Sacred Slash brothers let's gooo

There's like. No way that I'll be able to fit all of this in my other thoughts about Crick that are dedicated mostly to his and Temenos's arcs so. It's like not even in a ship sense anymore even if I do think they're fruity as hell

Honestly I'm just glad to get this all out of my system EXCEPT THERE'S MORE, because Temenos's story loves to torture my brain and its themes resonate with me a bit TOO much

#octopath #octopath traveler 2 #temenos mistral #crick wellsley #vir rambles about octopath yet again #this time - FOR WAY LONGER THAN IS NECESSARY #these aren't even like half the overall thoughts i have about crick #let alone TEMENOS #i honestly don't know why it matters to me this much #it's kind of scary lmao #this is why i should talk to people more #shoutout to jae for some of the lines here because there really was no better way of putting it #temenos why are you such a STICK #ot2 spoilers

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loregoddess · 6 months

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not a whole lot of observations before I go and fight the final boss (who I think I'm gonna curbstomp anyhow despite not fighting the superboss first and not having yet used any nuts, I guess lv 70 which is my default "this seems like a nice level to be at for endgame stuff" is high enough to kill minor bosses w/out them ever getting a chance to attack once), but I did notice a few things while playing though the final chapter stuff since I decided to actually walk around instead of fast-travelling like I did my first run...

you know that kinda creepy girl who stands outside of the inn in Crackridge at night who, if spoken to, runs off in the direction of the Fellsun Ruins? Yeah, so turns out she is not there during the final chapter sequence at all. I'm gonna head back to Crackridge after kicking Vide's ass just to see if she returns or not.

checked a few of the towns and it seems most of the NPCs don't really...seem to notice the unnaturally long night going on. I mean sure you get some updated dialogue after relighting the Flamechurch Flame from the NPCs, but generally? no unique dialogue. which I mean, it would have been a developmental nightmare to have unique dialogue for every NPC during this sequence, but it's still hmm

ALSO I finally figured out (I think) why Castti is the only traveler to be directly attacked by Vide and nearly overtaken (her and Ochette's crossed paths ch2), and that's because she was the only one of the main characters to have read the Book of Night (when she met Claude with Trousseau when they were in Lostseed). It occurred to me while I was reading Tanzy's journal and Tanzy wrote that she had read the book, and I had gone down the TV Tropes rabbit hole on Octo2 a few nights ago and the people writing those pages seem to think that what caused Tanzy's death was similar to what Castti experienced in the second crossed paths, and so now I'm wondering if the Book of Night has anything to do with Vide being able to shadow-eat people. Like, Hikari's the only other traveler to battle with the shadow, but it's very much something inside him and according to what's been said about the bloodline of Ku, the shadow wouldn't have killed him had it overtaken him, it would have just used him as a puppet. So yeah, maybe there's something here...or maybe I'm overthinking it.

I absolutely annihilated the Grotesque Monster and Arcanette battles both in three turns, neither got a chance to attack, Temenos dealt 86k+ damage in one. This is why I think I'm gonna waltz through the Vide fight again, esp. since I know the battle gimmicks and am preparing accordingly

I have this theory brewing that D'arqest may have been stopped by eight travelers during his time, based on some things said by the Moonshade Order major villains (Arcanette mostly), and bc I took a good look at the "beginning of Ku" mural again and counted eight red squares gathered around the image of the Flame, and what Hikari said about the first ruler of Ku, and the implied history of the Lumina clan having once fought against the darkness, and a few other details I'm not recalling at the moment, but it would be very hmm-worthy if it pans out for anything. CotC lore implies Beowulf had probably seven other companions and traveled across Orsterra, so it would be an interesting recurring Octopath Theme if it pans out in any way.

everything about Ori in this part of the game still gets me like, even knowing what was gonna happen, I was still like, "holy shit." Love Ori, but damn girl.

actually despite there being very little writing overall for the final chapter sequence, I just really love this part of the game. Like it's not even that I think it's well-written or challenging in an interesting way or anything, I just love the vibes a lot I guess. Absolutely haunting story segment for me.

#I am once more rotating Ori slowly in my head...#but also I love this section of the game so much #kinda sad it's so short but also I know from a development standpoint it would have been hard to make significantly longer #oracle of lore

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astrxlfinale · 2 months

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Wanted to give this a spin when I saw it on the dash! Less imagery though, and more me writing out the thoughts. So let's dive into it!

Will get a wee bit lengthy. So under a read more it goes.

A character that got me into Star Rail was genuinely the Trailblazer themselves. I think anyone who's come to know me is not surprised AT ALL with this once interacting with me. There's a shared energy I love making full use of, reveling in their share of chaos, their certainties and their comical doubts. Just the way they wholly dive into the experience is a quality I can relate in enjoying myself.

Not to mention I'm just a fan of their design in general. Even if it looks like they're ~somewhat~ cosplaying the Express itself, all of the golds and blacks really compliment their set up.

In this game it feels like a main is harder to come by, since I'd primarily need me a gang to get things knocked out. Though! If there's a character I've pinned a lot of commitment into, it'd be Firefly! Holding her at E1S1 and been spending the whole of 2.3 burning up TB power at her domain. I've really come to enjoy the Oppressive playstyle of just having enemies not do jack shit. Cutting through defenses, playing around with the high speed to boot.

It's playstyle that's suffocating on opposition and that's how I want it. After getting stunned, DoTted, blown up, one shot wiped. Finally I can have an effective means to supply that same hell onto my enemies. So working to the point of cracking open a high pivotal damage point is fun to me, it rings familiar to RPGs like Octopath Traveler that also had it's own break mechanics.

As for a character I come to love? I think I might've answered that accidentally on number one. LOL. I'm a full on Trailblazer fan here! Characters like them feel a little hard to come by in this era where Nonchalance is revered and hailed supreme. So characters that can showcase passion? I'm absolutely all for.

Dr.Ratio. While I love the pointed passion, dealing with someone like that would genuinely be agonizing for me to deal with. It'd just be the condescending note that would honestly, make me want to tell him to fuck off. Then again I'd have no doubt that arrangement would be just fine with the both of us.

I really want to get Silver Wolf onto my teams! Though, I've heard that not having that starter Light cone would make the curve of getting her improved more of a genuine hell. I'd be willing to work on that struggle, especially if it means I can find my 'cheat code' around weakness types. Playing the game made me learn just how much more tanky enemies are if they don't have the specified weaknesses on them.

Not just in breaking (which adds more vulnerability.) I'm literally doing 20% less damage, and I'm nowhere close to the point of nuts artifacts where brute forcing becomes a viable option.

I believe Gallagher has the closest example to my eye color. (Mines is brown.)

Dan Heng! (I have black hair.)

Honestly? I don't think any of these characters share a solid match of personality for me. Similarities for running around with chaotic thoughts with the TB can be shared, but as it stands I'm too laidback. I do share Qinque's MO for wanting to make work related lifestyles as amicable and amendable as possible. Just enough, never above and beyond, especially when you're aware of the field you're in.

For the time being right now. I'm saving for a Silver Wolf rerun, though, I will admittedly try my luck on Feixiao. That depends on if their kit appeases me however, gotta see how flexible it is with the balance of characters I have. (I know I'ma need another Harmony at this point. Robin may on the rerun radar as well depending on how Feixiao works.)

10.

Firefly! From the shade of dual hair colors, the sunset eyes to the way that energized spirit green can shine within them. There's a lot of her features that brings plenty of appeal to the table. I love how her outfit works like the prismatic wings of either an insect or a fairy, also giving off that appeal similar to stained glass despite being cloth. A lot of it just mesh to be a joy to the eyes and in kind, how it can work with either shades of fire she utilizes.

Not to mention the SAM unit itself! Human sized Mecha (or close to it) can easily win some appeal points for me. The way it operates as armor, and plays upon the concept of ignition for fierce strikes and high momentum just feels into the value of momentum, which is another big plus for me. There's also that dichotomy between the form, which adds a charm point when you see those respective 'modes' shine through to what she's externally showing.

11.

Destruction!

Characters who thrive in the fight, risking damage and turning that struggle into strength through various means will always speak to the fiery side of my soul. The gameplay style where you're balancing that vitality as much as your enemies are working to deplete is interesting to me. I love that measure of control, and how the enemy has to deal with me on multiple fronts as much as I have to deal with them.

Part of me wishes they'd come to do a mini rework on the Destruction TB for this reason. With their healing factor being only outside of battle, and how there isn't much usage for sacrificing high vitality for empowerment, it leaves a lot to be desired when you catch an eye on more modern units.

12.

Imaginary! Primarily for the creation appeal that many of the characters utilize with it. It's an Element that really highlights the creativity of a character, and gets them to really show off what they can literally bring to reality when given the chance. I for one, will always come to recognize the appeal they bring to the table with that.

#| Dash Games #Aw this was fun to do #I just got into a mood to yap a lil

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beantothemax · 5 months

Note

In Octopath 3, Steorra assigns your first traveler to you. It’s pretty obvious who’s who, though, so you can easily skew the results in their direction if you want a specific traveler.

Steorra: Greetings, player. I would like you to watch over one of our dear travelers.

Firstly, is this your first time playing Octopath Traveler?

> Yes

Then, welcome. I will try to assign you a stronger traveler.

(Cyrus, Olberic, Temenos, Petrichor +2)

> No

Then welcome back. If you’d like a challenge, I’ll give you a character with little battle experience.

(Trousseau, Odette, Alpates, Heathcote +2)

Secondly, I’m curious. What is your sexuality?

> I like the opposite gender

You’d be surprised how rare this is among the people who play this game.

(Petrichor, Heathcote +1)

> I like the same gender

Interesting.

(Cyrus, Olberic, Temenos +1)

> I like both genders

I’ve met a few of those.

(Cyrus, Olberic, Temenos, Petrichor, Heathcote +1)

> I don’t like anyone

Understandable. Sometimes people ain’t shit, as Tressa says.

(Odette, Alpates +1)

> I’m still working it out

Don’t worry. You will eventually.

(Trousseau +1)

[If there’s a tiebreaker needed]

Do you prefer to attack, defend or heal?

> Attack

(Cyrus, Odette, Petrichor +2)

> Defend

(Olberic, Alpates, Heathcote +2)

> Heal

(Temenos, Trousseau +2)

[Afterwards, or no tiebreaker is needed]

I see it now. Your chosen traveler will be…

{insert name of the character with highest points}

Are you satisfied with this?

> Yes

Then let’s begin.

> No

Hmm? Well, let’s try this again.

(repeat until yes is pressed)

gotta say an Octopath game assigning you yaoi if you say you enjoy the same gender is. a concept, truly. steorra bestowing upon the the finest of guys doing fuck all

#asks #lola-legendary

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joviantwelve · 1 year

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beat the Live A Live remake...I bought it when it came out but my ADHD ass didn't wanna play it until I braced myself fully for all the secret bosses, because I wanted to be completionist this time around...

...was very worth it though! what a good fucking game! everything they added made it even better; the QoL to the battle system alone is just huge. ("there were weaknesses and resistances in this game??" I say, having literally beaten the original)

almost feel like I should get a music player on my blog again so I can throw the new mix of Megalomania up there, because I had it on my blog like 10 years ago and had asks like "oh my god what is that song from??" LMFAO. full circle

I wish every cult classic could get another shot at life with this much love and care. and hey, now it's on Steam, so this is me telling you you have no excuse!!

full game spoilers below, but I had a few screenshots I wanted to take. also some additional, equally spoilery commentary:

...mostly of boss kills, because I started with Prehistory (I like going chronologically, it pleases my brain), so I figured "well I'm grinding forever to take down the mammoth, as well as other superbosses I heard were Hard, I might as well get screenshot trophies of everything"

poop throw MVP

adding voice acting really makes you confront a few things. why did they make ou di wan lee sound hot.

oh my god FUCK THIS SWORD GUY. I was trying to go for oboromaru no kill route so I had to just...grind on ghosts...then this ghost sword guy keeps killing my ass...sob...sob...I actually almost gave up here

then I didn't

the fish was so much easier in comparison man

oboromaru why is your chapter like this

then I blanked and didn't take a picture of killing gamahebi because I was too overcome by the fact I 1) successfully did the no kill run and 2) never have to do this again

awarded myself with gay cowboys next. I didn't go into this thinking "time to award myself with gay cowboys" but like, I last played this game before I realized I was gay. so like. it kind of just hit me all at once. oh no this Did something to me didn't it

I took this screenshot because I was stoned as hell and mad dog's stupid little smug gayboy pose just really got me

hey can I also say I just really like the HD2D style? I never played Octopath so this was my first....and like...this really fucking blows pretty much any SNES FF remake out of the water. I know they don't do this for every game because of Budget I'm sure, but like, God I Wish Every SNES Square RPG Could Get This Treatment

gay???????????

is it just me or is odie o'bright the hardest final boss of the individual character chapters????? fuck this guy

out of context live a live

I love that they added voice to the combat too. hearing Akira go "YOU SUCK!" in a giant mech as he evades an attack is just

so fucking funny to hear in a final boss fight

ok OD-10 had THE biggest glow-up though

every time my eyes got to grace this battlefield/boss I was like mMMmMMMMMMMM

normal final boss fight :)

i love masaru he's just a completely normal dude

THE FINAL CHAPTER HAS SO MANY EXTRA BOSSES AHHH.

FISH 2

actually can I just say I LOVE how they localized the middle ages to be all shakespearean

which means that not only do oersted/odio get to be the hugest drama queens, every boss in the area in general just has the most delightful dialogue

FFXIV has taught them well. did you know the dialogue in FFXIV is NOT like that in japanese?! I can't even imagine

it was around this point that I realized doing EVERY character dungeon probably overleveled me hardcore

and, in that respect, I can see why you may have accidentally stumbled upon the fact that running from 100 encounters nets you a secret boss. I got sick of that shit around when Lei was one-shotting everything first turn

but.

not in a bad way necessarily. like I knew going in this was definitely going to happen since I'm doing EVERYTHING in a chapter where you can technically bumrush the final boss of the game

so I guess my advice is, if you find the battle system a bit difficult during boss fights, leveling solves most ills

the other ills can be taken care of by Cube

I admit I didn't vibe so much with Pure Odio upon first playthrough, mostly because it's hard to compete with Megalomania being there, but I really vibed with the new mix

but THEN

but THEN!!!!

they EXPANDED ON THE FINAL BOSS FIGHT???! HUH???

(ME LOSING MY MIND)

it's like something out of fanfic??? in the best way??? just this small little thing that really makes an impact on the character arc BUT NOT in a way that destroys anything that was there previously

just a small little detail...this is what I kinda wish for more remakes honestly?? expansion isn't BAD. some of the issues with modern remakes of games from 20 years ago is that they DON'T change anything. being TOO loyal can hurt sometimes

also oersted's VA just fuckin KILLED it good job my dude

gay cowboy dad giving the saddest boy in the universe some sympathy

these credits were really nice. always gotta love Montage Credits

OH....WUH...WAHHH....

AND THEN

THE TITLE SCREEN!!!!!!!!!!!

WHHWAHHWAAHHHHHHHHHHH

live a live is so good.....................

i'm so glad this game can reach more people now. definite 10/10

#text #screencap

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bmaxwell · 9 months

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Game of the Year 2023: Honorable Mentions

It's an honor just to be nominated.

Octopath Traveler II

Octopath Traveler II landed better for me than its predecessor. The visuals are lovely, the soundtrack is awesome again, and the writing is better this time around. I put around 50 hours into this game, and I hit up against a boss fight that took me ~45 minutes to lose. Tried a couple of times and lost the drive to come back. Excellent RPG with some pacing problems and spongey boss fights. Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

More of a visual novel musical than a roleplaying one, the game's story and aesthetic immediately hooked me. Everything about the game hits except - crucially - the music. I cared about the characters and was invested in the story, and the way you make choices that affect the story and the current song is a really neat hook. The songs just don't have the juice though.

Dredge

In Dredge you play as a fishing boat captain (or, if you prefer, you play as a boat). You go out for the day, make your catch, and come back to port to sell. If you find yourself out at night you might encounter some weird sights and sounds, your light might flicker and die, and the vibes are generally Off. There's a lot of weird shit happening and odd characters sending you out for fishes. It's a wonderfully foreboding world full of mystery and intrigue. It's a game that is somehow chill and disturbing at the same time.

Wildfrost

Wildfrost is the best card game I played this year with some neat mechanics and lovely artwork. I had it on my second screen quite a bit. My biggest issue with it is that it's too easy to overlook something and blow the game unless you really pay close attention (a Me Problem). Each character on the screen has its own timer, stats, and text. And that's normally not a problem at all for me, but when your champion dies the game is over. Too many of my plays ended when my champion died unexpectedly. Again, a great card game but not a good passive second screen game.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

Deckbuilding tarot visual novel game. Writing, music, and overall vibes are just wonderful here. Reminiscent of The Red Strings Club. My only real complaint is that everything surrounding the main conflict of the story is more interesting than the political posturing and campaigning for the new leader of the coven which much of the game centers on.

Sea of Stars

Similar to last year's Chained Echoes, I can tell that there's a really good game here but it just never completely clicked for me. I played quite a bit of it and enjoyed my time with it, but didn't feel compelled to keep coming back.

Lamplighter’s League

The elevator pitch for this game is XCOM but with an Indiana Jones theme. I somehow managed to enjoy it more than either of its inspirations. It feels a bit like a fancy version of Pathway. It's a little rough around the edges, but I had a blast assembling a team of weirdoes to battle cultists and steal relics.

Fire Emblem Engage

I have to stop playing Fire Emblem games. Like Pokemon, the combat is passable but ultimately disappointing for me. It's too quick, too wham-bam rock-paper-scissors for me. Engage brings back characters from the series' past, which is unfortunately lost on me. I enjoyed the game's visuals and goofy Saturday morning cartoon aesthetics, but the combat never hit for me.

Dave the Diver

This one was not on my radar at all when it released, but Dave the Diver really impressed me with its writing, visual style and charm, and variety of minigames. The cast of characters and story are great, particularly the sushi restaurant portion of the game. The storyline with the underwater kingdom hurt the pacing for me a bit, but this game is still a banger.

Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line

I've never gotten into a rhythm game that didn't involve a plastic instrument before now, but pressing buttons in time to all the Final Fantasy music while little chibi Final Fantasy characters fight little chibi Final Fantasy monsters is somehow very compelling to me. I played this game on and off all year long as a nice way to unwind with a song or twelve.

Dead Space Remake

I missed this game the first time around, glad to have caught the remake here. It's been a great year for survival horror games, and Dead Space is a good one. "Alone and terrified on a crashed space station in a part of the universe humanity really shouldn't be" is well-worn territory and for good reason. It's compelling when done well, and Dead Space does it well.

Super Mario Bros Wonder

Time and nostalgia, man. I have no idea how to rank this game or even how to verbalize my thoughts and feelings on it. It's a callback to the games I played growing up. Most sidescrolling platformers these days are metroidvanias, indie titles, or both. Getting a game from Nintendo that feels like a true successor to Super Mario World some thirty years later is wild.

It's not that they haven't done Mario sidescrollers between now and then, it's just that they have felt rote and joyless, like they ticked the boxes and released it. They felt uninspired. Super Mario Bros Wonder is not guilty of that. It is bursting at the seams with life and joy and creativity and (forgive me) wonder. They're not afraid to get weird with it, to introduce new elements and new enemies without going overboard with them. Every new stage is full of potential because you have no idea what they might throw at you.

A lot of this comes from the new Wonder Flower, a powerup you can find somewhere in each level that feels like an acid trip. Warp pipes come to life, the hills bounce, the walls bleed, and you can see sounds and taste colors. The game also adds equippable badges that let you float when you jump, jump straight up when clinging to a wall, swim faster, or any number of things.

Listing off new features doesn't mean much without execution, and it hits on all cylinders here. They've also added a strand element that the player can opt into, where you can see ghost outlines of other players and help them out or get help from them. It's especially useful in finding secrets (Oh, someone's way up there? How do I get up there?). It's a neat take on co-op, akin to getting helpful notes from other players in souls games.

The Nintendo of the past 5 years or so feels confident in a way that had been missing for a long while. Mario Odyssey, Bowser's Fury, Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and now Mario Wonder all feel like they've grown beyond the shackles of their series' past and are bold in a way that's wonderful to see.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2

The sequel to one of 2021's best games did not disappoint. It largely brought more of the same: orphans, tragedies of war, furries, and tank on tank battle. I don't see any of those things much, so this was a welcome entry for me this year.

Dordogne

This is a perfect game pass game. An indie title I'd never heard of and doesn't immediately appeal to me, but it's on a service I already pay for so why not? It's about a young woman going back to her recently deceased grandmother's home in France, where she'd spent a summer as a young child.

She is recovering memories and unearthing the source of family trauma - the kind that often bubbles up with the passing of a matriarch. The game really takes its time lingering on small details - every step of making tea in grandma's kitchen, the dusty old photos in the living room, the old train set in the attic. These little details can surprise us with how strongly they hang on. I found myself thinking about the time I spent with my own grandmother (the only grandparent I ever knew). Remembering the worn deck of Authors cards we played with, the way her hands looked as she washed green beans we picked together.

I brought my own experiences to the game, and I think that's the point.

Endless Dungeon

Games don't always have to reinvent the wheel to leave an impression and provide enjoyment. Endless Dungeon was a fun co-op twin stick dungeon crawler that my wife and I played. The moving and shooting felt good and it provided plenty of challenges to overcome together. In a year that didn't include Diablo 4, this might have hit harder for us.

Like a Dragon Ishin

Give me my Yakuza in whichever form you like. Turn-based, real time, Modern day, 80's, feudal Japan, zombies. Fuckin' whatever. I'll clean my plate every time. This one's ending smelled pretty funny from an historical/nationalism point of view, but the rest of the game felt like historical Yakuza tourism and I am here for it.

The Last Spell

This game is an early access success story. I played a lot of it before it went 1.0, and I kept enjoying it after. You're managing a small base that is being invaded by hordes of enemies every night. You control a small band (3-6) of heroes tasked with mowing down wave after wave of monsters, backed up by traps, ballistae, and catapults if you choose to build them.

After the night passes you level up your heroes, build up your little base, outfit your crew with new gear, and do it again. It does one of my favorite things in games: it makes you feel stupidly overpowered then pushes you to your limit. My victories usually end with my town almost in ruins, which is the perfect difficulty. Lastly - and definitely not least -the soundtrack is a prog rock cornucopia.

Final Fantasy XVI

Final Fantasy XVI has been a polarizing release, with some fans put off by the clear Game of Thrones inspiration. The gameplay is 3rd person action where you're only playing as Clive. As someone uninterested in Game of Thrones and not especially precious about the sanctity of the Final Fantasy series, this is a fantastic game.

It does spectacle and bombast in a way no other game did this year. The game revolves around eikons - the game's pantheon of summons like Bahamut, Ifrit, etc - and the battles between them are filled with button mashing and quick time events.

Unfortunately the button mashy combat was hard on my hands because I am old now, and the maybe the PS5 controller is uncomfortable for that? I enjoyed the game every time I picked it and played it, but I didn't find myself drawn back to it frequently.

It's in good company with 90% of 3rd person action games I've played. I had fun with it and didn't finish it.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

I never played more than an hour of this game before the remake. It follows the path of every Resident Evil game I've ever played, starting off very strong before ending with a sort of wet fart in the back third of the game. That said, it's a great game and I understand the love it gets. That opening section of the game in the village is top tier, and there are some great characters along the way. This probably would be in my top 10, but I don't like lining remakes (even excellent ones) up alongside new releases when it comes time to hand out awards.

Super Mario RPG Remake

Similar to the RE4 remake, this would be 100% in my top 10 if it was a new title and not a remake. I played this in 1996 when it originally came out. The notion of Square making a Mario RPG was bonkers, and they pulled it off incredibly well. That novelty is gone in 2023 after we've seen Mario in all kinds of genres, but the execution still holds up beautifully.

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starghost-fics · 11 months

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you know what I haven't done in a while? Played this game, or OT2. I should do that. It's not like I don't have enough on my to-do list.

anyway, here's another chapter of Cyrus's day that wouldn't end.

Chapter 4—dream in vain of saintliness: After waking up from another death, Cyrus consults Ophilia on spiritual matters. On the road, he recalls another shrine and a night in Bolderfall with Therion.

commentary below the cut:

It's Cyrus's turn for a conversation/light therapy with Ophilia! I really love writing Ophilia like this, if you couldn't tell from the conversations she had with Therion in the previous fic

i could not be bothered to try to find out if somewhere in the ever-expanding lore of this game there is a definite answer as to what they think of an afterlife or pretty much any other aspect of religion, so i MADE IT UP

I MADE IT ALL UP

hilariously to me, Ophilia is happy to talk theology when someone asks, but when it's up to her she wants to dish about relationships

god shit

hey you know what's annoying about writing any fic in which the source material has 8 protagonists with separate storylines that overlap in location but not anything else and you want the geographical and emotional progression of their travels to make even the slightest bit of sense? EVERYTHING

I had at least three different things I had to revise around when I thought again about the storylines

even in this fic when they are mostly in the same stretch of road!

But gosh darn it, I could be sure that they went roughly from Dreisang to Bolderfall to Atlasdam, and then on around the central lake to the riverlands where the cyclical part of the story takes place

once the idea occurred to me, there was no way I was resisting the scenes in Bolderfall

especially Cyrus being taken by surprise by being invited back to his boyfriend's room

ohhhh Therion.

okay thank you for reading!

#octopath traveler #fanfic commentary #cyrus albright #octopath therion #cyrus/therion #therion #fanfic #ao3 #fic: as shadows gather and gods move #fic series: divine intervention (god shit)#ophilia clement

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sealticge · 1 year

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oct2path ships (so far)

We're about 1/2way through Oct2path... ships so far...

temenos/crick - fantastic. snappy dialogue. great chemistry. love that they are from the same storyline explicitly so they share a ton of story beats and are very engaged in the overarching What Is Happening With Temenos Right Now at all times (the biggest weakness of octopath shipping is that you usually don't get much of that!) Absolutely LOVE that the game provided a system for using the NPC chars a lot more and actually in-party... really huge brained of them

hikari/agnea - I liked alfyn/ophelia in the original for the same general reasons, hikari feels very bisexual to me (much like alfyn did) and sweet mostly uncomplicated good feelings het is an underappreciated flavor in my circles these days. lost my shit at their banter where hikari is like "dang u hot" without realizing he is being lewdish. also that one official art with hikari fan dancing with her makes me insane it's too cute. I feel like the text pushes this one similar to how it did prim & olberic but this time I agree that hikari is bi whereas olberic felt so gay to me it was impossible to suspend my disbelief.

partitio/hikari/agnea - need to see more partitio & hikari interactions to be sure but I like to ship people in piles now I guess. this is my ship least supported by the text so far but again only halfway through so hoping for more content in the 2nd half as the chapters get meatier.

throne/castti - hurt/comfort f/f all day long as far as the eye can see. I liked ophelia/prim for a lot of the same reasons, but this one has a distinctly different flavor, more tannins I think, delicious. both of these women have absolutely bonkers storylines (just finished both their ch3s) and they're the only 2 matching each other's extremely dire energy atm

I want to see more interactions with hikari and his npcs, hopeful that the upcoming chapter(s) will have that.

I think dolcinea & agnea also have chemistry and potential, let's see how that goes from here. love to ship protagonists with their villains.

also ship castti and melaya hugely... really good protag + NPCs relationships in this once again

I somehow forgot how hard octopath goes, these cute sprites + beautiful pixel environs sure do impart some jaw dropping events and dialogues at times. I appreciate it.

totk is out tomorrow so I wanted to word dump this all out before we start that... 2nd half of oct2path is gonna have to be interspersed with playing that, so it is gonna be slow going. but I'm looking forward to all the conclusions and also I hope there are multiple superbosses this time, the game is so fun but we do the chapters in order and are always completely overleveled at this point. very few of the bosses are even remotely challenging and it sucks because they clearly are well designed encounters, we are just outleveling them obnoxiously lol

I suspect this is gonna shake out a lot like the first game where I had preferences like the above but also happily shipped most everyone with most everyone else. I like octopath for that, it feels very freeing. just slamming a bunch of tropes together for a good time. nice.

#text #octopath 2 thoughts

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larnax · 1 year

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officially finished ot2!!! thoughts:

its definitely a game that knows its a sequel to octopath and there were a couple of times i felt like it was poking me in the side and being like "lol you get it its like octopath. this is an octopath game. bet you eat this shit up" especially with the octopuff sidequest and like i did think it was charming but i wasnt happy about it. how dare you clock me as an octopath fan

i think castti, agnea, and hikari's stories are good, i think ochette, throné, partitio, and osvald's stories are Good Except For All The Bad Parts, and temenos' story is the worst story octopath has had since primrose

the monkeys paw sure fucking curled when i said one of the things i didnt like about 1's postgame was that a bunch of the characters had been interacting with important figures in the postgame they just werent allowed to know they were doing it because fuck you. like why didnt tressa and alfyn get to just Meet graham considering how much of their story is About him. what i meant was that it was frustrating to feel as if the postgame made it obvious who the game cared about and who it didnt. what i did not mean was that i wanted throné's story to nosedive at the last minute and spend the finale talking to some guy who is honestly completely irrelevant to her character arc and makes the climax way weaker.

speaking of the postgame though.... it was definitely Cool aesthetically and making it possible for non-insane players to actually find was definitely nice since i wanted to play without any guides, BUT man every time octopath tries to do something with its mythology its so fucking boring to me and this was no exception. i hated how much temenos was The Main Character, i hated the way he monopolized what was allegedly supposed to be he and throné's shared torch, i thought most of the reveals did nothing to make the cast's story any more interesting, and boy oh boy is vide just Galdera, again! both in design and story. i really like octopath's mythology when its just allowed to exist mostly in gameplay details and in vague hints but every time the sacred flame is brought up its just like Please let me go home i dont want to go to sunday school anymore

did not enjoy the way cleric stole a bunch of the best skills especially because it still manages to be ass. all of the skills it stole only work on the speedy, bulky, or evasive characters they were designed for. but whatever i sure do love temenos failing to full heal half my party even with a completely boosted heal wounds, immediately getting killed, reviving and then immediately being killed again the next turn because he cant dodge shit. i think i live in some kind of hellish shadow dimension because everyone seems convinced cleric is good but in the octopath 2 i played not even having a way to deal with status effects made having an actual apothecary on the scene a necessity

would it even be octopath if the thief wasnt completely fucked over. throné girl im so fucking sorry. you couldve been so good. i can fix her

the epilogue is really cute. im a sucker for a good "thanks for playing :)"/"special thanks to You, the player" screen and having all the characters in town for agnea's show is adorable.

i think ot2 is A Good Game. i would recommend it and im glad i played it. they need to take out all that anti-piracy shit though i want video game for free on computer

#c.paradisi #octoposting #<- not the end of octoposting probably but maybe a break for awhile

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4ragon · 1 year

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I started playing octopath travler 2! I'd been eyeing it for a while and finally decided to take the plunge. I like it! It's so charming!

Favourite character so far is Castti💙 she's so unexpectedly menacing but also so sweet but also a terrifying powerhouse

I still have the other party members of the western continent to get and I still need to advance past chapter 1 for most of the characters I do have, but I'm having a blast with my party so far!

Who's your favourite character, if you don't mind me asking?

Ahhhh I'm so glad! It is such a fun game. And yes I absolutely adore Castti, she's wonderful! She's a pretty close second, but I do have to give that coveted favorite spot to Temenos. This weird little cleric with trust issues and weirdly gray morals, he's so fucking funny. I usually am not crazy about the cleric/religious characters in these kinds of RPGs, so that hit me straight out of left field. Like. Who gives a cleric the "Beat The Shit Out Of NPCs For Information" ability that's so fucking funny!!!!

But honestly, I love all of the 8path PCs so much. Again, normally there's at least one or two characters that don't hit for me, but this cast is just so fucking charming. I love them!!

OH just as a quick tip, in case you haven't played the first game: When you start doing people's chapter 2s, start switching up your characters between cutscenes. Chapter 2 is when they start doing little party dialogues, and it's kind of easy to miss some the first time through. (Though if you miss any, I thiiiiiink you can go to any character's journal and see all the conversations you miss. Or at least you can after beating the game, didn't check before that.)

#octopath #octopath traveler 2

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broomballkraken · 1 year

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Title: A Little Bit o’ Mermaid Magic Chapter 3: And It Was All Yellow

Fandom: Octopath Traveler 2

Pairing: Osvald/Partitio

Word count: 6284

Warnings: None

Fic Summary: Osvald is rescued after his escape from prison by Partitio, a valuable and talented member of the Merfolk Merchant’s Guild.

After being nursed back to health, Osvald embarks on a journey for revenge, and fate seems to keep bringing him and Partitio together…until the day came when fate decided to stop dragging them apart.

Chapter Summary: Osvald and Partitio run into each other yet again in Montwise, where their feelings for each other blossom into something much more serious.

It had been a long, long time since Osvald had set foot in the Crestlands, but he did not have the time to appreciate the breathtaking views from the peaks nor the beautiful rainbows cast upon the cascading waterfalls. He was on a mission for revenge, nothing would stop him from getting it, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted.

There was one small problem with that, however: Osvald couldn’t stop thinking about Partitio.

Osvald’s brow furrowed and he rubbed at his temples. Since he had developed some rather inexplicable and irritating feelings for the charming and handsome merman, Osvald found it very hard to think about anything else without Partitio worming his way into the forefront of his mind.

As time went on, it was slowly getting easier to concentrate on getting his revenge on Harvey, and Osvald knew it was only a matter of time before he could push Partitio from his thoughts completely. After all, the chances of running into him again were slim to none-

“Well, well! Look who we have here!”

…Or not.

Osvald’s jaw hung open with disbelief as he stepped off of the bridge that crossed over the river far below. He pushed his glasses up and rubbed at his eyes, hoping that his mind was playing tricks on him. Alas, the only thing that was waiting for him when he refocused his vision was that bright, breathtaking smile that could only belong to one particular seahorse merman. Shit.

“Howdy there, Osvald!” Partitio was elated at this turn of events. He sure hadn’t expected to see Osvald again so soon, and a bubbly warmth blossomed within his chest. Whew, and he was just as handsome as the last time that Partitio saw him, which brought his not-so-little crush on Osvald back to the forefront of his mind. Oh boy…

Osvald brought a hand to his face and cleared his throat in an attempt to hide the blush on his cheeks. “What are you doing here, Partitio?”

“Just gettin’ more advertisin’ in for the Fair, of course!” Partitio beamed and shot Osvald a wink, “I gotta get the word out to the folks not on the coast too, you know!”

Osvald blinked slowly as he glanced over the cliff before him, spotting the water far below, before his gaze followed the two sets of ladders that were fixed into the face of the cliff.

“Did you…climb all the way up here by yourself?”

Partitio let out a deep sigh and rubbed at his arms. “Ah, yeah, and hoo boy do my arms hurt something fierce! Ya see, I did send a letter ahead of time to schedule a carriage to give me a lift, but I’ve been waiting all day and they never showed up…”

“Er, speaking of that…” Partitio let out a nervous chuckle and wrung his hands together. “I hate to ask ya, but would you mind going into Montwise for me and sending another carriage?”

Osvald could do that, certainly, but he had a better, more practical, and definitely more selfish idea. He hummed and turned his back to Partitio before crouching low to the ground.

“Uh, what’re ya doin’?” Partitio stared at Osvald with wide eyes as he cocked his head to one side.

“It would take too much time to get to town, find an available carriage, and come back for you. I do not want to risk leaving you here when night falls,” Osvald said, glancing over his shoulder with a small smile on his face, “Let’s go.”

Partitio’s face flushed and he quickly pulled his hat down over his face to hopefully mask his embarrassment. Ugh, why did he always get so flustered at just the thought of Osvald carrying him? This big ol’ crush of his was turning into a big ol’ problem…

“Are ya sure, partner?”

“I wouldn’t have offered otherwise. Hurry up.”

Osvald’s eyes narrowed with annoyance, and Partitio took a mental note of how much he enjoyed being bossed around by Osvald before quickly pushing that thought to the deep, dark recesses of his mind. Biting his cheek, Partitio wrapped his arms around Osvald’s neck and Osvald stood up. His arms throbbed with pain from his exhausting climb up the ladders from the river, but Osvald grabbed hold of him before Partitio could slip off his shoulders.

“Is this okay?” Osvald asked as he held Partitio’s wrists in a gentle grip, and his breath hitched when Partitio’s tail snaked its way around his waist.

“Yeah, thankee kindly, Osvald!” Partitio beamed and lay his chin on Osvald’s shoulder. “Is my tail okay like that? Not making it hard to walk at all?”

“...’s fine.”

Partitio raised an eyebrow at Osvald’s quiet mumble of a response, and he held on as best he could as Osvald started walking down the path towards Montwise. Running into Osvald again after such a short amount of time…Partitio wasn’t so sure that he believed in fate, but this kinda coincidence happening not once but twice was shaping him into quite the firm believer.

“So, how was your trip here? Didn’t get into trouble or nothin’, right?” Partitio asked, and Osvald shrugged.

“No, it was uneventful, but I did run into an old friend when I stopped by New Delsta for supplies.”

Partitio grinned when Osvald let out a tired sigh and shook his head. “He’s a rather scatterbrained scholar named Regulus. We studied at the academy together. His specialty is astrology, and he is apparently working on a most curious invention called an ‘astronomical telescope.’”

“An astro…what now?”

Osvald chuckled and glanced at Partitio out of the corner of his eye, and Partitio was close enough to really appreciate how beautiful his eyes were. “Astronomical telescope. Apparently it will allow him to see the celestial bodies in the night sky up close.”

“Wow…Like, the moon and the stars and stuff?”

“Indeed.”

Partitio let out a long whistle, and his arms tightened around Osvald’s shoulders. “Hoo-eey! I don’t really get to see the pretty night sky all that much, since I usually spend my nights underwater. Sounds like quite the sight…”

“It is. It has been a long time since I’ve visited Montwise, but from what I remember one can get a rather breathtaking view of the stars from the wall.”

“Really? Hm…” Partitio fell silent as he bit his lip. Boy, he sure would love to go stargazing while he was here, and he wondered if Osvald would ever consider joining him. However, Partitio remembered exactly why Osvald was visiting Montwise, and he reckoned that he would definitely not be in the mood for that, as much as Partitio longed for that not to be the case.

They continued to chat as Osvald carried Partitio towards their destination, and soon enough, they ended up in Montwise. Osvald took Partitio to the center of the marketplace and helped him to set up shop.

“Thankee kindly, Osvald! I’m gonna do my business here for a while.” Partitio beamed at him, and Osvald was given pause at the fiery determination that he saw in those dazzling blue eyes.

“Very well. I need to take care of some…’business’ myself. I will come back when I’m done.”

Partitio frowned slightly and gave him a slight nod. He knew that Osvald was here to get some way past due revenge on his bastard of a former research partner, but he was still sad to see him go nonetheless.

“Alright, but be careful, ya hear?”

“I will, thank you.” The nauseous feeling deep in his gut settled slightly at Partitio’s concern for him, and Osvald set off to gather the information that he needed at the library.

The sun was starting to set by the time that he returned to the marketplace. Osvald had pinpointed Harvey’s location, which was an underground laboratory located beneath the library. However, Osvald needed to be well rested and fully alert before confronting him, so he decided that it was only logical to wait until morning to finally get his revenge.

“...And here’s somethin’ that you won’t find anywhere else!”

Osvald stopped when he heard Partitio’s voice carry over a crowd of people, who had his little temporary shop surrounded. From what he caught from the many people talking excitedly among themselves, it seemed that merfolk were not a common sight around these parts.

Partitio beamed as he lifted a large conch shell into the air. “This here might look like a regular ol’ conch shell, but if you put your ear right up to it, you can hear the sounds of the sea, as clear as if you were standin’ right on the beach yourself!”

“Here, give it a try!” Partitio handed the shell to the woman standing closest to him, and she shot him a dubious look before slowly bringing the shell to her ear. Her eyes slowly widened and her jaw dropped.

“O-Oh my, I hear it! I hear the waves, and the seabirds too!” she exclaimed, and she passed it around to a few others in the crowd.

“See? Don’t underestimate the power of good ol’ mermaid magic!” Partitio said, winking as he flicked up the brim of his hat. “Now, I’ve only got a limited stock with me, but we’re hosting the first Merfolk Merchant’s Fair in a few months and we’ll have plenty more of these beauts to sell there, plus many more fascinating treasures!”

A wave of excitement passed through the crowd as the lucky people in the front bought out Partitio’s stock of shells, while the rest eagerly took the fliers that he was handing out. Osvald watched the spectacle with wide eyes. From how Partitio conducted himself, Osvald had deduced that he was a skilled merchant, but seeing him in action made him realize that Partitio really was someone special. His charisma and natural charm were through the roof, and his sincerity and genuine love for his craft had captivated Osvald, in more ways than one.

“Oh, hey there, Osvald!” Partitio said when the crowd had finally dispersed. Osvald smiled as he approached and started to help Partitio pack up his shop.

“That was very impressive, Partitio. You really are an expert merchant. It was as if I was watching the Trader himself work his magic.”

“B-Bifelgan?” Partitio’s face flushed a bright red and he rubbed at the back of his neck. “Golly, that’s mighty high praise, partner…” He swallowed thickly, trying to chase away the dryness that had suddenly occupied his throat. A giddy happiness flooded his chest, and he couldn’t stop a goofy grin from crossing his face.

“Um, so, how’d your…’business’ go?” Partitio asked as he packed up the last of his leftover goods.

“I found out where Harvey’s laboratory is. I plan on confronting him there tomorrow.”

Partitio bit his lip to stop himself from sighing with relief. He did want Osvald to get his revenge and all, but he couldn’t help but worry about him and curse the fact that he could be by his side for it.

“Well, I’m sure glad your day was successful!” Partitio said, and he opened up his travel bag so that Osvald could shove the rest of his supplies into it.

“I could say the same to you. And you managed to finish right before dark.”

“Yeah…” Partitio glanced up at the darkening sky, and his eyes lit up when a few stars became visible. Maybe he could drag himself up to the wall himself, but his arms were still so sore from earlier…

“Partitio…Do you want to look at the stars with me?”

Partitio sucked in a sharp breath and jerked his head towards Osvald, who’s gaze was fixed up at the sky as he tugged at his beard. Partitio really, really hoped that this wasn’t a dream, and he nodded his head vigorously, so much so that he made himself a bit dizzy.

“I sure do!”

“Here.” Osvald quickly bent over and scooped Partitio into his arms, making sure to avoid making eye contact; he wasn’t sure if he could handle Partitio looking at him with any kind of fondness in his eyes.

Osvald made haste and carried Partitio up onto the wall, and he gently set him on the ledge, and he curled his tail around himself to keep his balance. Partitio placed a hand against the cool stone to steady himself, and he lifted his gaze to the sky, which was already shining so bright with a multitude of stars, and the beautiful glow of the full moon. This was…amazing!

Standing silently beside Partitio, Osvald braced his hands on the ledge of the wall, one brushing against Partitio’s not-so-accidentally. His gaze flicked briefly to the sky, before fixing upon Partitio again. Osvald had never seen the stars shine so bright. It was almost as if they were shining just for Partitio, and Osvald honestly couldn’t blame them. He looked absolutely ethereal while bathed in their light, and the yellow skin that covered his upper torso and tail seemed to shine a brilliant gold. Osvald could feel himself falling, and falling hard, for him, even though he knew that he wasn’t good enough for Partitio. He was too angry, too cynical, too consumed by his lust for revenge…

“Hey, Osvald?”

Giving his head a quick shake to clear his mind of his self-loathing thoughts, he turned to look at Partitio, who was somehow smiling brighter than Osvald had ever seen before, and his chest tightened; he felt that such a precious and beautiful thing was wasted on him.

“Thankee kindly. I reckon I won’t ever forget this night.” Partitio’s voice dropped to a whisper, and he slipped his hand into the one that Osvald had brushed against his. He knew that this was a bold and risky move, but to his surprise, Osvald didn’t pull away. Partitio’s heart hammered hard within his chest, and he was given hope that there might be a chance of his feelings being reciprocated, after Osvald had gotten his revenge, of course.

They stayed like this for a while, with their hands clasped the entire time, and only when Partitio started to shiver when a cold breeze blew by did Osvald reluctantly tear his gaze from the sky.

“You must be freezing, Partitio, here.” Osvald took off his coat and wrapped Partitio in it before picking him up again.

“O-Osvald! You don’t have to do that!” Partitio blushed as he covered his face with his hands.

“Nonsense. It would be foolish to allow you to catch a cold.”

“I-I guess…” Partitio swallowed thickly and averted his gaze. “A-Anyway, um, do you wanna share an inn room for the night? It’d save us both some money.” Partitio tried to act casual, but asking the object of his affection to sleep in the same room as him was getting him all hot and bothered, even though nothing of that nature was ever going to happen.

“Yes, that is a valid point. I’d be glad to,” Osvald said, hoping that Partitio couldn’t feel how hard his heart was beating within his chest. Well, he certainly hadn’t expected to be sharing a bedroom with Partitio this night, and he was going to cherish their time together, no matter how fleeting it was.

Osvald stepped into the inn, ignoring the stares of the other occupants. Walking up to the counter, he cleared his throat to get the innkeeper’s attention, as he couldn’t ring the bell with his arms full.

“Ugh, the bell is right-” the innkeeper started to complain, but he cut himself off with an ‘oh!’ when he turned around and looked Osvald and Partitio up and down. A sly smile slowly spread across his face, and Osvald’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“My, my! Isn’t this a rare sight!” The innkeeper clapped his hands and leaned an elbow against the counter. “It’s not every day that I see a merman, and certainly not one coupled with a human!”

Osvald had to take a moment to process what the man was implying, and when he did, he quickly shook his head, his face flushing a bright red.

“P-Pardon me?”

“Oh? You’re a couple, aren’t you?” The innkeeper tapped his finger against the counter and raised an eyebrow. “Why else would you be holding him like that?”

“Because he can’t walk, obviously.”

The innkeeper let out a groan and rolled his eyes. “Oh please. You don’t have to lie to me. It’s pretty uncommon to see a human and merman together, but I certainly am not one to discriminate!”

“Y-You’ve got it all wrong!” Partitio finally found his voice after being stunned into silence by the innkeeper’s very incorrect assessment of their relationship. “We’re just…friends, trying to save money, that’s all.”

“Ah, right, that’s what they all say.”

“Can we just get a room, please?” Osvald’s tone had turned deadly, and the hairs on the back of Partitio’s neck stood on end as he watched him glare daggers into the innkeeper.

The innkeeper didn’t seem phased, and he just shrugged and let out a deep sigh. “Whatever you say. I don’t see why you’re trying so hard to hide your relationship, but I won’t pry.” He turned around and plucked a set of keys from a hook and tossed them to Osvald. “Up the stairs, last room on the left.”

Osvald continued to glare at the man as Partitio took the keys from him and fished a pouch of leaves from his bag. “Here ya go! Is there a tub in the room already? I’ll need to sleep in water.”

“Oh yes,” the innkeeper covered his mouth as he chuckled, and he gestured to two of his staff, who nodded and rushed off, “I’ll send someone to fill it for you. And it’s big enough for two!”

Partitio glanced at Osvald’s face, and immediately regretted it, because if looks could kill Montwise would be on the hunt for a new innkeeper right about now. Partitio let out a nervous chuckle and gently pat Osvald’s chest, which luckily seemed to calm him down. His face burned when the innkeeper shot him a knowing look, and Partitio rubbed at his temples as Osvald turned towards the stairs without another word.

“Do have a good night, you two! And make sure to get some sleep, hm?”

Osvald froze and Partitio could feel him start shaking with rage. “I’m going to kill him.”

“No, Osvald.”

“...Can I just set him on fire-”

“No.”

Partitio tried to stifle his giggles when Osvald pouted, and he was happy when Osvald relaxed and let out a soft chuckle as he ascended the stairs. Well, that innkeeper sure was a character, but Partitio secretly wished that he had been right all along about their relationship.

Partitio opened the door to their room and Osvald stepped inside, letting out a tired sigh when he saw that there was only one bed; that innkeeper was very lucky that Partitio had stayed his hand.

“Ah, only one bed?” Partitio let out a nervous laugh and shook his head. He noticed that the tub was already full of steaming water. The innkeeper might have been annoying, but his staff sure were quick on the draw.

“Well, good thing I have the tub to sleep in, eh?” He tried not to sound too disappointed, but he wasn’t sure that he masked it well.

Osvald grunted in response, and Partitio swore that he saw a glint of disappointment in his eyes as a deep frown crossed his face. He carefully helped Partitio get into the tub before changing into his nightclothes; Partitio tried not to stare too much at Osvald’s bare chest.

“Ahh, that sure feels good on the sore arms…” Partitio said, sighing as he submerged himself to his neck. He stayed like that for a few moments, before Osvald’s voice broke the silence.

“So…” Osvald started. He had moved to sit at the edge of the bed after changing, and he paused to clear his throat; Partitio noted that he wasn’t making eye contact. “Is it…truly that uncommon for merfolk and humans to get involved romantically?”

Partitio stared at Osvald with eyes as wide as saucers, and Osvald felt his face heat up as he quickly added: “I’m only asking because, well, that obnoxious, nosy innkeeper brought it up.”

“Ah, right…” Partitio felt deflated as his shoulders slumped slightly, but he pulled himself together and kept a straight face. “Well, considerin’ that humans and merfolk haven’t really had much positive contact with each other until recently, then yeah.”

“But…” Partitio shrugged before folding his arms and resting them on the rim of the tub, “There are exceptions to that. My stepdad is a human, for example.”

“Really?”

“Sure is!” Partitio chuckled and shot Osvald a wink. “My pops actually met Roque about…24 years ago, right after he married my ma. They became fast friends and slowly started to create relations between merfolk and humans.”

Osvald hummed as he tugged at his beard. “I see…They’ve made some impressive progress.”

“Yeah, it was apparently rough at the start. From what Pops told me, mer and men were pretty wary of each other back then.” Partitio frowned and pursed his lips. “Hostile in some ways too. Humans would abduct merfolk to sell for profit, and mer would sink merchant ships to loot.”

“But my pops and ma and Roque worked hard, and managed to play a part in quelling the hostilities and starting to forge a lasting relationship between our people.”

Osvald continued to listen silently, and he frowned when Partitio’s gaze fell to the floor as a wistful smile crossed his face. “When my ma passed, Pops was devastated, and I was so young and probably made it harder for him. He was really lucky to have Roque by his side, and it didn’t surprise me at all when they eventually fell in love.”

Partitio suddenly flushed a bright red and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Shoot, sorry partner! I guess I rambled on a bit there! Long story short, it’s rare but not unheard of.”

“Hm.” Partitio cocked his head to one side as he watched Osvald’s brow furrow as he crossed his arms over his chest. He seemed to be thinking hard about something, and he really wished that he could figure out what that something was.

“They must have to spend a lot of time apart, though,” Osvald finally said, chewing on the inside of his cheek, “Does that…make things hard for them?”

Partitio cocked his head to one side, and he could feel his heart start racing. Osvald sure was interested in this particular subject, and Partitio could only hope that it was because he might have feelings for him.

“I mean, kinda. Pops would always have to be the one to stay on land with Roque if they wanted to, uh, spend some ‘quality time’ together, on account of humans not having gills and all.”

A smile slowly spread across Partitio’s face as he rest his chin on the rim of the tub and swished his tail back and forth. “But, that time apart seemed to make them appreciate the time that they spent together much more, and, well, you know what they say: Distance makes the heart grow fonder!”

Osvald nodded slowly, rubbing at his chin. “A valid point.”

“I see it with us too!” Partitio blurted out, and he chuckled when Osvald raised a dubious eyebrow at him. “Well, we keep on havin’ to part ways and always pick up right where we left off when we’ve reunited!”

Osvald stared at Partitio, his mouth suddenly going dry as his heart hammered hard within his chest. He had…compared them to his father and step-father. Osvald wasn’t sure if it was wise to assume that it meant anything, but he couldn’t stop his heart from longing for that to be the case.

Partitio blinked slowly a few times, before the implications of what he had just said hit him like a ton of bricks. “A-As friends, I mean! It’s not, uh, the exact same thing as my pops and Roque, haha…” He rubbed at the back of his head and averted his gaze, mentally beating himself up for his careless words.

“Um, anyway, it’s gettin’ kinda late, and you’ve got a busy day tomorrow, so we should, uh, get some shut eye!” Partitio quickly changed the subject and stretched his arms out, making a show of yawning loudly. He watched as Osvald just nodded in response, his gaze distant, and as he lay down on the bed, a single question fell from his lips that stole the breath from Partitio’s lungs:

“...Would you ever fall for a human?”

“Eh?”

“It’s…nothing. Goodnight.”

Partitio’s cheeks flushed and his heart hammered hard within his chest as he stared at Osvald, who quickly blew the candle out and rolled over, ending the conversation prematurely. Biting his lip as he let himself sink further into the bathwater, Partitio wished that Osvald would have given him the chance to answer, because he would have said that he had already fallen for a human, and that human was him .

A terrible, aching longing settled within Partitio’s gut, and he let out a sigh as he stared at Osvald, until the sound of his snoring filled the room.

“Goodnight, partner…” Partitio mumbled, and he decided to try and get some shut eye himself, if he could just get comfortable in this damned tub…

Osvald awoke in the middle of the night, pulled from his slumber by a noise coming from somewhere in the room. He narrowed his eyes as he fumbled for his glasses, and as he put them on, he realized that it was Partitio making the noise.

“Ugh, this is hopeless…” Osvald heard Partitio mumble, and as he let out another frustrated groan, the sound of sloshing water hit Osvald’s ears.

“Partitio? Is something wrong?”

Osvald’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he saw Partitio whip around, and he let out a nervous chuckle as he wrung his hands together.

“Oh, did I wake you up, Osvald? Sorry ‘bout that…” He shrugged and shook his head. “I think that innkeeper was full of seahorse shit when he said that this tub was big enough for the both of us. It’s not big enough for just me!”

“Hmm, I see…” Osvald opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure if what he was about to propose was wise. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, and after not coming up with any logical alternatives, he decided to throw caution to the wind:

“...We should share the bed.”

“Oh yeah, that’s a great ide-Huh?!?”

Partitio stared at Osvald with wide eyes over the rim of the tub, and he slowly pushed himself up until his chin was resting on it. Osvald’s face had turned a cute shade of pink, and Partitio’s heart fluttered when he lifted a hand to his face and cleared his throat.

“You’ll hurt your back sleeping in there. It’s only logical…to protect your health, of course.” Osvald told himself that, sure, but he knew deep, deep down that the longing to have Partitio closer to him was also a factor in this offer.

“O-Of course, partner…I’m plenty hydrated, so I’ll be alright out of the water until morning.” Partitio deflated slightly as he nodded, biting his cheek to prevent himself from letting out a dejected sigh. It was all for Partitio’s health, because there was no way that Osvald would want to share a bed with him for any other reason…no matter how much Partitio ached for that to be so.

Pulling himself from the long since cooled bathwater and plopping onto the floor, Partitio toweled himself dry. His heart raced when Osvald got out of bed and walked up to him, and Partitio had to avert his gaze to avoid ogling at Osvald’s bare chest…again.

Osvald held his hand out and asked, “May I?” Partitio nodded and took his hand, a smile crossing his face when Osvald gathered him into his arms and carried him to the bed; he relished in this brief physical contact. Osvald gently lay him onto it, and Partitio wriggled his tail around until he was comfortable before pulling the blankets over himself.

“G-Goodnight, Partitio,” Osvald said as he quickly settled into his side of the bed and rolled over, facing away from Partitio with hopes of hiding his beet-red face. He squeezed his eyes shut and took some slow deep breaths, hoping to fall asleep before what little self control he had in regards to his feelings for his unexpected bedmate could shatter completely.

“G’night Osvald…and thankee kindly,” Partitio whispered, letting out a deep sigh as he stared at Osvald’s back. Oh, how he longed to reach out and run his fingers through that long, gorgeous hair, whispering sweet nothings into Osvald’s ear until he turned around, their eyes locking for only a moment before their lips met in a tender, passionate kiss…

Partitio inhaled sharply when he snapped back to his senses and realized that he had reached out towards Osvald with one hand, his webbed fingers barely brushing against his hair. He yanked his arm back towards himself and hugged it to his chest, his heartbeat hammering hard in his ears. He remained frozen for a few very long seconds, until the sound of Osvald snoring filled Partitio with relief.

“Hoo-eey, control yourself, Partitio…” he muttered to himself, groaning softly as he pressed his pillow over his face. He was hopeless…hopelessly in love , and he was frustrated that he couldn’t do anything about it. With that weighing heavily on his mind, he fell into a restless sleep.

The morning sun bathing the room in its gentle light caused Partitio to stir from his sleep, and he smiled, relishing in the secure warmth that surrounded him. Letting out a content sigh, his tail curled as he nuzzled his face against Osvald’s chest…

Wait, Osvald’s chest?!?

A wave of panic coursed through Partitio as his eyes shot open, and he was indeed staring directly into Osvald’s broad, toned, and hairy chest. He attempted to push himself away, but he found that his arms were pinned to his sides by Osvald’s, and he was pulled flush against him in a tight embrace.

“Please don’t be a dream, please don’t be a dream…” Partitio mumbled to himself, and he took a few deep breaths to try and keep his heart from beating right out of his chest. Osvald seemed to still be fast asleep, and Partitio bit his lip hard when his arms tightened around him and he felt Osvald’s lips brush against his forehead.

That wasn’t the only thing that brushed against him. Partitio felt sweat start to bead at the back of his neck when Osvald’s leg rubbed against his pelvis, and a spark of arousal ignited within his gut. If Osvald kept this up, a certain internal organ of Partitio’s was going to become very external, very fast…

Luckily for Partitio, he heard Osvald snort and let out a deep yawn. Partitio slowly tilted his head up and his eyes met a pair of sleepy, half-lidded ones. “M-Morning…”

Osvald stared at him for a moment with squinted eyes, before they shot open and he let out a startled shout. What the hells did he just wake up to? As he scrambled for his glasses, he heard Partitio let out a yelp and a loud thud followed shortly after.

“Partitio?” Osvald put on his glasses to find that Partitio had fallen off of the bed and was tangled in the blankets. He was flailing about, trying to free himself, and Osvald had to actively dodge Partitio’s tail to avoid getting smacked in the face.

“Hold still!” Osvald said as he rolled off of the bed and tried to grab him. Partitio didn’t seem to hear him and only got himself more tangled, and Osvald let out a frustrated huff. His hands shot out and he grabbed Partitio’s wrists, and Osvald pinned his arms to the side of the bed as he fell to his knees, straddling him.

“Stop!”

Both men were panting heavily, and their gazes slowly found each other. Partitio’s mouth had gone dry and his jaw hung open slightly, his face so close to Osvald’s that he could feel his breath against his lips…those beautiful lips that he ached so badly to taste on his tongue…

Osvald’s mind was a conflicted fog, and he unconsciously licked his lips as his eyes remained locked with Partitio’s. He wanted nothing more than to close the meager distance between them and kiss him breathless…but he couldn’t do it.

Clenching his jaw, Osvald squeezed his eyes shut as he pulled away from Partitio, and he busied himself with untangling the merman’s tail from the blankets. Partitio just watched him, blinking owlishly as his brain tried to process what had just happened.

“T-There, that should do it,” Osvald mumbled as he tossed the freed blankets back onto the bed. “Are you…alright, Partitio?”

Partitio nodded slowly and turned his beet-red face away. “Y-Yeah, thankee kindly…”

A few long moments ticked by, before Partitio forced himself to look at Osvald again, and a soft smile crossed his face at the cute pink blush that covered his cheeks. Osvald adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, before he stood and offered his hand to Partitio. Partitio immediately took it, feeling very bashful at the moment, and he let Osvald help him sit on the edge of the bed.

“I’m sorry, Partitio. I, er, haven’t shared a bed with anyone in a…very long time, and I just…uh, didn’t realize that I…would do that …” Osvald rubbed his arm with one hand as he waved the other in front of him.

Partitio let out a chuckle and shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize…It, um, coulda happened to anyone. Thanks for…keepin’ me warm.” Butterflies took flight in Partitio’s gut when a beautiful smile crossed Osvald’s face.

“I…was happy to help.”

They gazed at each other for a moment, before both men burst out laughing so hard that tears fell down Partitio’s face, and Osvald had started snorting.

“Hoo-eey, we’re a real mess, aren’t we?”

“...Indeed.”

With the awkwardness in the air cleared, a deep longing lingering in both of their hearts, they packed up their belongings and left the inn, trying to ignore the innuendos of the piss-annoying, smug innkeeper.

Partitio knew that Osvald had pressing matters to attend to, so he was very shocked when he had offered to take him back to the river himself.

“Osvald, you really don’t have to do this.”

“How many times are you going to say that?”

Osvald narrowed his eyes at the merman cradled in his arms, and Partitio snickered as he flicked up the brim of his hat.

“Sorry partner, thankee kindly.” He made sure to bask in the warmth of Osvald’s arms around him one last time, because before he knew it, Osvald had descended the cliffside with Partitio clinging to his back, and they had made it to the river.

“Osvald,” Partitio said after he had slipped into the water, and he reached out to take Osvald’s hand in his, “I know what you’re going to do today, and I know I’ve said this before, but please…be careful, okay?”

“I will,” Osvald said, giving Partitio’s hand a squeeze. He wanted to avenge his family and make Harvey pay, sure, but now he wanted something else too: he wanted to stay alive so that he could see Partitio again, to feel his skin pressed against his again as they lie in bed together, to tell him of his feelings and finally kiss him breathless…

“Thank you, Partitio. Safe travels to you,” Osvald said as he regretfully let go of Partitio’s hand and stood up. “Until we meet again.”

Partitio beamed and did a back flip in the water. “Of course! I can’t wait to hear how you clobbered that bastard!” He smacked a fist into his palm and Osvald laughed.

Their gazes lingered on one another, both men not wanting to break eye contact, but Osvald knew that he could not afford to delay his revenge any longer, so he reluctantly turned away and headed back to the ladder.

Partitio watched him ascend the cliff side, and a foreboding feeling settled within his gut. He couldn’t help but worry for him, but he also knew that Osvald was strong and could take care of himself. Partitio was very confident that he could succeed, so why did he feel so… unnerved?

He wasn’t usually the praying type, but that didn’t stop him from shooting a prayer to the Flamebringer with the hope that he would help guide Osvald to victory. And with that, Partitio shifted his focus to his own mission, and he swam off to continue spreading the word about the Merfolk Merchant’s Fair. Nevertheless, Osvald never strayed too far from the front of his mind, and Partitio was okay with that.

#octopath traveler 2 #osvald v. vanstein #partitio yellowil #osvald x partitio #mermaid au #fanfiction #jade writes fanfiction #osvitio

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radramblog · 4 years

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Game of the Year 2020...?

Ive scrolled the list of games that came out this year to see what my GOTY ended up being, but turns out the only game I played in 2020 that released that year was, uh…….

Fucking good game but like I’m not gonna hand it GOTY by default (That goes to Hades, based solely impressions from other people). Actually, I’m not handing out any awards, really. So I guess I’m just gonna go over a bunch of the other games I did play last year, regardless of whether or not they came out then.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

A mate got me this for my birthday in December 2019, and unlike the other games I got then (Kirby Star Allies which I burned through that month and Octopath which I still haven’t played) I spent a fair few hours playing it last year. This was before the sequel was announced, and also a little bit after the fact- figured I should try and finish one before playing the other. Unfortunately, I have yet to purchase Age of Calamity nor finish Definitive Edition, because the former is expensive and the latter is expansive. Holy shit there’s so much fucking content in this game. I don’t think I ever will finish it to be honest, though despite the repetitiveness it never really felt boring to me. It’s the only Warriors/Musou game I’ve played, and I’d be interested in trying others based on the experience.

(I’m not playing Fire Emblem Warriors though fuck that)

Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC: The Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra

Sword and Shield felt somewhat lacking on release, and while the DLCs released this year did much to try and fix this its still a bit shit that it required an extra paycheck out of you to get the full game- outside of outsourced mobile games like Go and Shuffle, or services such as Bank or Home, Pokemon has never actually had DLC/microtransactions, so this was a little disappointing. I’d argue that it absolutely wasn’t worth it when Isle was released, as fun as the content was it was again, lacking. Crown Tundra I would argue exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations, however- the new and returning mons are cool and welcome (I despised Calyrex’s design on first reveal but their behaviour in story redeemed it more than enough), and the Max Lair Adventure offered a surprisingly replayable romp that has been great to just try and grind out with friends. I can’t say I’d recommend the DLC pack though- only if because you’ve probably made up your mind already as to whether or not you’re getting it, or this doesn’t apply to you at all. I could also put basically every main series Pokemon game on here, seeing as I’m pretty sure I nuzlocked every region at some point during the year, but I don’t want to make this *that* long.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate Expansion Pass

Smash is still Smash. I don’t find myself playing it much on my own, and even in Perth get-togethers weren’t super common last year. As neat as the DLC characters released this year are for the franchise as a whole, none of them convinced me to play significantly more than usual, and I can’t wrap my head around half of them, so.

Also, I’m still salty about Byleth, and I actually really liked Three Houses, it was my first FE game. Why the fuck wasn’t it Claude????

Rivals of Aether

On the other hand, in the last few months I’ve found myself grinding match after match of Rivals with one of my best mates and the game is a fucking blast, holy shit. I still haven’t bought it for myself, but its basically 100% of the reason I have played 0 smash for the last few months since we’re too busy mashing Orcane vs Ranno over and over and not really getting tired of it. It requires a specific type of person to get into it, but if you’re in that group then its just an excellent game.

VA-11 Hall-A

I first played VA-11 Hall-A (Vallhalla, since typing that is a pain) by pirating it and playing it on my laptop in the dead of night.

It quickly became one of my favourite games of all time.

When the Switch port dropped, I felt obliged to actually pay for it this time around, since the developers had more than earned my money. And then I replayed it again, playing it on my switch in the dead of night (At least this time I had the excuse of being a nightshift worker). With the sequel unfortunately delayed into 2021, it might be time to run it back once more or drag more of my mates into Glitch City since I already forcibly exposed a few of em to it.

The post-credits title screen is still my phone background.

Fallout: New Vegas

I don’t really have much to say about FNV that hasn’t been said already, especially considering HBomberguy’s recently released video, but it is also on my top 5 list and I only got around to playing Lonesome Road and Dead Money this year. Also went out of my way to 100% achievement complete the game on Steam, which I believe is the first time I’ve done that for a game.

Zero Escape Series (Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors, Virtue’s Last Reward, Zero Time Dilemma)

The Danganronpa series’ less colourful sibling, Zero Escape was a series I finally got around to finishing after having borrowed a friend’s copy of VLR back in high school and playing it wrong due to not deleting his save file (oops,). I think VLR remains my favourite, and I really hope the series continues at some point (unlikely as it seems now) considering how ZTD missed the mark pretty hard. The first 2 games are still excellent mystery games and a lot of fun, though you do need somewhat of a tolerance for words.

A Hat in Time

Oh god this game is so fucking cute. Also, just an excellent platformer. Is the DLC still on sale? I should buy that.

Fallout 4

Its just not New Vegas. It just isn’t. I really tried with this game, I really did. The gunplay is great, modding and building shit is fun, but its just not the same.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

A couple years ago I bought a SNES Mini, but until 2020 I didn’t really have a convenient way of playing it seeing as my monitor didn’t have an HDMI port. But now I do have one with one, so I got to start playing this classic! And then stopped because of uni. Should finish that, probably.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon

Shit Keara I still have your copy sorry I’ll get back to it :<

Pokemon Stadium

I also managed to get my N64 up and running, and despite being the wrong region for most of the games available in local shops, I somehow managed to get Stadium for a great price. Got to dig out my old Red cartridge and anything. Fuck me though, this game is brutal. Seriously, Gen 1 battle mechanics are tough to deal with at the best of times, having to do battle after battle with said mechanics without losing is just nuts. I still haven’t managed to get Round 2 unlocked.

God, fuck you Blaine. Goddamn fire spin Rapidash motherfucker.

Super Mario 64 Speaking of, I managed to pick up a Japanese cartridge of SM64, complete with BLJ glitches and 3 entire save files. After much effort, I managed to actually get it working, and spent most of the night of Christmas getting smashed and trying to beat Bowser in the Fire Sea. I played a lot of the DS remake as a kid, and I feel like an idiot for struggling as much I did with the original.

This is all of course a buildup to the fact that I was lying about not assigning a GOTY. Because there is only one N64 game in my small collection deserving of Game of the Year, because its deserving of Game of the Year every year since its 1999 release.

BEETLE ADVENTURE RACING MOTHERFUCKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER

#ramble #video games #retro games #pokemon #for real tho beetle adventure racing is actually good #mario kart who?

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