#Sunday from the hit game honkai Star Rail

[geeseandlimes]

[Honkai Star Rail] led with your hands tied

Rating: T Pairing: Gallagher/Sunday, pre-slash Character(s): Gallagher, Sunday Warning(s): Depictions of Violence, Someone giving the other cigarette burns, dog metaphors and predator/prey dynamics (briefly) Summary:

“Master Sunday will not be pleased with your performance, hound.” “Let him be angry. Still got the job done.” or; Gallagher decides to play with fire on the next mission given to him by the Family. He gets burned, literally.

“Master Sunday will not be pleased with your performance, hound.”

“Let him be angry. Still got the job done.”

It’s hard not to tell the Oak Family representative that Gallagher doesn’t particularly give a rat’s ass on how Sunday feels about the entire thing. If the job is done, it’s done, and the sooner Gallagher can go back to doing far more important things with his time. Things like sleeping or taking care of whatever petty thing his subordinates somehow miraculously fumbled. If Sunday wants to be pissy about how Gallagher does things, let him. Not like Gallagher will ever get a promotion or a pay raise in this damn place.

The Oak Family representative doesn’t seem too pleased about Gallagher’s answer, either. They can shove it for all Gallagher cares.

He pulls out his lighter from his pocket, shooing the representative away with a lazy wave of his hand. They make a displeased huff and march off. It leaves Gallagher alone, at peace for once in the hustle and bustle of Penacony’s dreamscape. Gallagher pulls out his box of cigarettes to tap one out and light it. As fake as these things are in this dreamscape, he can still imagine the rush of satisfaction on that first hit of nicotine and going through the motions lets his mind calm down.

He was truly at peace for the briefest of moments.

…or that could be the self-satisfaction talking.

Truth be told, Gallagher is playing a dangerous game this round of “pretend to be loyal to appease the Family.”

A ruthless and merciless mutt like Gallagher should be perfect for this mission, Sunday had said when he approached the Bloodhound family head with this particular request. With such an outstanding record, he’ll have this problem solved neatly.

Efficiently.

Sunday was acting entirely as if Gallagher hadn’t been defanged and declawed by the Family to make him an obedient dog. Sunday was taunting him.

So Gallagher decided to taunt him back. Old hounds can be “messy eaters” when they have barely any teeth left to bite and chew properly.

Gallagher was sloppy.

He knew the issue Sunday needed the Bloodhound Family to deal with almost immediately. A far too industrious (too curious) reporter working for the IPC managed to wriggle their way into the dreamscape under the guise of a vacation—paid for entirely from their own pocket and not ICP funds. This reporter then proceeded to stick their nose in places it didn’t belong. They wandered dangerously close to Family secrets that did not need to be discovered. Naturally, this meant they needed to go.

ASAP.

First, Gallagher sent some of the newer recruits. Still wet behind the ears and jumpy, keen to prove themselves. Predictably, they fail, and the IPC reporter gives them the slip. There’s collateral, too. Gallagher went to find the reporter himself, next. But he doesn’t do it with the usual finesse. Instead of stalking quietly from the shadows he made his presence known.

Any chance to show himself, he did, and watched as the IPC reporter scurried away in fear. Gallagher continued to stalk them. He waited, listened as they tried to trickle as much information as they could (as much as he let them) to the people back in the IPC, before he finally pounced. He was sloppy, yes, but the hunt had been good.

The reporter practically squealed for mercy. Begging and pleading for their life before Gallagher’s jaws closed around their neck. He was messy there, too, and that was the reason a Family representative approached him.

Now, here Gallagher stands, metaphorically picking his teeth clean after a fresh kill.

Gallagher takes a long drag of his cigarette. One beat, two, and then he exhales. His eyes watch the smoke as it lazily curls its way up to the perpetual night sky. It should only be a matter of time before Sunday gets here. As sloppy as Gallagher was, Sunday won’t let his entire performance of this mission slide. It’s almost a blemish on the Family’s (on Sunday’s) pristine record.

He taps the ash off the end of his cigarette. Gallagher should probably make himself scarce for the time being to try and get a little bit of breathing room. He’s got some sharp wit, certainly, but his mind is still exhausted from the hunt. He’d rather face Sunday when he’s got a well-rested mind.

“Going to run away from the scene of the crime as soon as you’re done? Or is it that you are trying to run away from your own bad behavior?”

Gallagher curses in his head. Speak of the devil, and he will come.

He turns around to face Sunday, hands in his pockets and lit cigarette dangling from his mouth. “Just going to freshen up before I make my report,” Gallagher says smoothly. He purposely ignores the barely concealed disgust in Sunday’s eyes. He can’t get giddy just yet. It’ll blow his cover.

Sunday gives Gallagher a once over. “Freshen up?” he parrots. His head even tilts to the side cutely, almost like one of the origami birds. Gallagher tries hard not to bare his teeth. “I wasn’t even aware you knew how to do that,” Sunday continues. He walks towards Gallagher in even, measure strides, stopping once he’s in front of him. Gallagher almost snarls when Sunday’s hand comes up to tap a knuckle delicately against Gallagher’s tie.

“Not when you barely seem to care about your own slovenly appearance.”

“I’m sure the way I dress is not why you’re here.”

Sunday’s hand falls away, once again taking position behind his back.

“Considering your lackluster performance, I felt it imperative to talk with you myself.”

Gallagher gives a noncommittal hum. Sunday’s wings twitch the slightest in annoyance, but otherwise the man stays impeccably calm and unbothered. It makes Gallagher want to grab him by those wings and pull, act the disobedient dog Sunday likes to paint him as. It makes Gallagher want to do what he just did to that reporter not too long ago. Stalk him, make him paranoid, wait for the right time until he can lunge forward and sink sharp teeth into Sunday’s delicate breast.

The taste of blood will be so sweet.

“What you did almost cost the Family some of our reputation and money. While the Alfalfa Family assured me that there has been no decline in funds, the damage has still been done.”

Gallagher brings his hand up to grab at his cigarette. Sunday doesn’t let him. A prim, gloved hand swats Gallagher’s own away. That same hand plucks the cigarette straight from Gallagher’s lips. He can only watch, a little wide-eyed, as Sunday brings the cigarette to his own mouth and takes a drag off it.

The smoke he blows from his mouth is wispy and delicate, but smothering, just like the man himself.

“You were reckless,” Sunday says, “and almost caused us to lose a lot of money. The only reason the other heads have not rallied for a more extreme punishment is because you did finish the job in the end.” Just not to Sunday’s standards. That was what Gallagher was going for, but he needs to play the fool. He sheepishly brings a hand up to scratch at the back of his head.

He tucks his tail between his legs, lets his metaphorical ears draw flat against his skull. Gallagher even tries to act a little bit apologetic.

“Must have had a bad night, then,” he says. “Sorry, I’ll do better next time.”

Sunday appraises him, long and hard.

“I do not care for liars, hound.”

Gallagher wishes to tear out his throat and feast on his innards.

“Know that you will have to work hard to make me believe you. Do not slip up like this again.”

The threat of a heavier punishment hangs over Gallagher like a guillotine. His gums are itching, his muscles tense—all of it a bone deep anger that Gallagher tries to repress.

“Yes, sir,” Gallagher rasps out.

That seems to appease Sunday.

His smile is mocking, “Good boy.” Sunday is taunting him again. Gallagher can only watch as Sunday takes one last puff off of the cigarette. “Hand,” Sunday instructs.

“I’m not an actual dog—”

“Hand.”

Gallagher gives it far too willingly. His pride stings, but he reminds himself of the reason he’s doing all of this. Sunday doesn’t even say anything when he takes Gallagher’s hand. He just briefly runs his thumb over the bumps of Gallagher’s knuckles.

A burning pain follows.

It is the dreamscape, but pain still feels all too real. The only noise Gallagher makes when Sunday presses the lit end of the cigarette against his skin is a sharp hiss of breath. He keeps steady, still, knowing the game Sunday is trying to play. One wrong move and Gallagher is in the doghouse. One wrong move and he’s back to square one. He closes his eyes to block out the pain, opening them again when Sunday lifts the cigarette off of Gallagher’s skin and flicks it to the side.

A harsh red circle stars back at Gallagher. “A reminder,” Sunday says. “If you mess up again, the punishment will be far worse.”

Gallagher doesn’t even watch his tongue this time, “Fuck off.”

That smile Sunday wears turns cold, wicked.

“Care to repeat that?” Sunday’s voice holds a dark promise.

Gallagher swallows thickly.

Remember, remember why you’re suffering through all of this. Remember your plans.

“I’m sorry, sir, and I will not do this again.”

“…good boy.”

And with those words, Sunday turns on his heel and leaves Gallagher alone. When Sunday is out of his sight Gallagher spits and seethes. He angrily stomps out the cigarette, grinding it into the false concrete of the dreamscape.

He can’t wait to finally break Sunday.

*****

When Sunday opens his eyes, it is to the real world. When his senses finally come back to him, he almost rushes to the bathroom with how ill he feels. The fake cigarette that he had taken from Gallagher in the dream had been atrocious. The smoke filled his head, his nose, and suffocated him in a way that he hated. It made him feel horrid.

But not as horrid as that Bloodhound did.

Sunday can still taste the cigarette on his tongue. Or perhaps it is something unique to Gallagher.

Sunday doesn’t care.

He doesn’t wish to know.

That old mutt just needs to obey.

[prettyboykatsuki]

FANG!! Hello, beloved :3 💋🫶🏾💚

I hope you have been well <333333

I know pretty much zero lore about genshin and honkai, just a few characters.

So, I wanted to indulge you and ask more about this man Sunday whom you seem quite fond of lol. Could you share a little about him? In general and whatever you would like uwu.

I’m curious about him bc i have been staring directly at Boothill who keeps appearing to me 👁️👁️ (I desire to devour him eternally though I also don’t know really anything about him lmao), and Sunday shows up in a lot of fan media with him.

Kissing and cuddling u forever 💞💞💞💞💞

HIII MY BELOVED TWYLA...FIRST OF ALL THANK U FOR INDULGING ME

this is Sunday from hit game Honkai Star Rail.

he is a major story villain and character in the latest patch quest. he has a little sister and was adopted as part of an organization known in-game as The Oak Family. as an adult, he is the Oak Family head. he plays an important role in taking care of this place called the dreamscape

he is also . Utterly Insane . he believes in a fallen god named Ena and this thing called the Order, so much so he intends to trap people in the aforementioned dreamscape forever so they don't have to suffer ever again. he believes that suffering is indeed human nature and is generally pessimistic - so his solution is trapping people inside of a sweet dream eternally so they never have to face reality ever again <3 he doesn't think there's anything wrong with that either and even fights our player characters fairly bc of it

he is a big loverboy in his own special and insane way and he really loves his sister who is a pop idol!! they are very close. he is a very philosphical character but he has a sense of responsibility that takes him to extremely dark places and is not just an outright evil or selfish character which makes him interesting. he's genuinely well-intended and much of the religion he follows is intended to be a parallel to Christianity

he has canonically taken confessions and they are not subtle with the biblical imagery and references to genesis in the slightest <333 he is a halovian (we can assume at least) which means he has telepathy but he also has powers from his aeon (aka god). so he's super angel coded lmaooo. his powers make it so that it's impossible to lie in front of him but it has to be consented too seemingly.

here are some examples of his personality and his beliefs that tickle me (make me feel horny) and represent his characters. this post is generally spoiler heavy but its good to have examples for when other non hsr players stumble upon him

[accenderesposts]

[Honkai Star Rail 2.2 Spoilers]

Boothill, my beloved space cyborg cowboy! I swear, I haven't been this obsessed with a game character ever since Neuvillette. I'm sorry Robin, I absolutely love your songs and Ultimate, but my space cyborg cowboy is top priority.

A memory zone meme that was pretty much an eldritch abomination being called "Sleepie" and described like a docile pet that's misbehaving (AKA stabbing people to bring them to Dreamflux Reef)...

Love Boothill's back-up plans, especially the hostage one. His dynamic with Dan Heng is hilarious, and Boothill would absolutely hit it off with the MC. 🤣

Firefly being pretty much the first Stellarons Hunter the Astral Express as a whole genuinely gets along with.

Also Sunday...

I FCKING CALLED IT. I can't believe I was actually spot on with my Order theory!

Misha... I'M SO SAD. His departure actually hit me way harder than I thought it would. And it broke me when I saw the guest book and the departed note 😭. I'm so glad I've built him (I needed Ice AoE).

I loved the difference between the Preservation and the Harmony Path scenes. While the Preservation was more action packed, the Harmony was much more emotional since it was more of a debate of philosophies. The way Xipe glanced at us actually looked like THEY were supportive of the Trailblaze.

The Dream Ending scene really shocked me. And I was so pissed because I REALLY WANTED BOOTHILL TO TRAVEL WITH US, even if it was for a short while 😭.

Also was not expecting an Argenti appearance. I learned from others in Twitter you can actually avoid his fight by picking the right dialogue. I can't believe I missed an achievement.

Boothill's plan at the end really made me more interested in the current status of the Galaxy Rangers. Their scene was so cool, they actually arrived without hesitation when Boothill fired the burial artifact.

Finally got official confirmation that Acheron shares a name with her HI3 and Genshin counterparts just like Himeko and Bronya.

The Harmonious Choir Boss was fcking epic. And it's awesome and funny that the MC and Clockie basically just ram THE ENTIRE ASTRAL EXPRESS (even if it's just a copy) onto him. And the Robin song cutscene was so cool.

WHY DID IT HAVE TO END ON ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER?? I hope we actually get significant Boothill lore in 2.3, I mean, the cliffhanger does need to be addressed.

Penacony is absolutely PEAK. I love that the mission revealed significant lore about the Nameless.

[davidmariottecomics]

SDCC 2023 Recap (Abridged)

Hello! 

This is a funky thing, but welcome to an abridged blog?! This won't usually be the case, but if you want to know more about my time at SDCC, including a couple lightly funny stories and a LOT more pictures, the full thing is up on my Patreon. 

What do you do during SDCC? 

Doing things around the show is very hard! 

I was up by 6 and out of the house before 8 most every day of the show and--while we took it pretty easy with our after con events--besides the shorter Preview Night, they were 12+ hour days! Also complicated by having a friend staying with us, which was lovely, but complicated because we were not on the same schedule!

But what does someone like me do during SDCC? Why would I have 12+ hour days?!

I am at a point, where thankfully, my conventions where I'm working on IDW's behalf are often self-directed. As you can see in a few of these photos, I had the Sonic the Hedgehog: Racing into the 900th Adventure panel that I moderated for IDW on Sunday morning, but most of my other time was spent taking meetings I had set up ahead of time and impromptu meetings that naturally occurred over the course of the show.

Ahead of time, I had set up around 6 meetings a day, with a lighter Wednesday and Sunday. And that's about what I was hitting every day. A few times, due to the natural course of events, things got cancelled at the last minute or folks got trapped in the wrong place and couldn't get to where we were supposed to talk before I had to run to my next commitment, but almost inevitably, those times were then spent talking to other folks.

While I probably can't talk too much about the content of any of these meetings or who all I was talking to, as an editor, I mostly met with creative talent and a couple of licensing partners. To break things down a little bit further, there are a few broad categories most of my editorial meetings fall into: Project-Specific - I want to work with person X on thing Y and this is a chance to meet face-to-face about it; Introductory - Person X and I are aware of each other's work, but haven't previously had a chance to really talk, so this is a chance to get to know each other and for them to share samples; Relationship Management - I, or someone else at IDW, have worked with person X before and would like to again, but maybe don't have a specific project in mind, so this is a chance to catch-up and explore what our options could be, as well as just make sure they know they're on the company's mind. 

And while many of my meetings were very enjoyable because there are a lot of excellent folks working in comics who wanted to make the time, I also got just a little bit of time for my own fun stuff!

Highlights included the Junji Ito exhibit, where I got to see original art pages from the course of like a 40 year career, attending the Best and Worst Manga Panel (which got cut short due to a false fire alarm!) and the Magma Comix panel right afterward, and getting to try the food and enjoy the atmosphere of the Sonic Speed Cafe! And Becca got to meet and get a little sketch from Matt Groening in the booth they were working at!

What I enjoyed this week: Blank Check (Podcast), Craig of the Creek (Cartoon), Honkai Star Rail (Video game) Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video game), My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon), the beach, The Broken Room by Peter Clines (Book), Crime Scene Kitchen (TV show), Dumbing of Age (Webcomic), SDCC which kept me from most new things! 

New Releases this week (7/19/2023): I didn't have any new releases this week! Hope you picked up something else cool!

New Releases next week (7/26/2023): Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors Summer Smash (Editor)

Final Order Cut-Off today! (7/24/2023 - AKA Preorder Deadline) Godzilla Rivals: Vs. SpaceGodzilla (Supervising Editor) IDW Endless Summer: Sonic the Hedgehog (Supervising Editor) Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island TPB (Editor) Sonic the Hedgehog's 900th Adventure Special (Editor)

Announcements:

I'm tired! But no big disruptions in the foreseeable future! I'll only plug that I do have a webstore and the Patreon now, as well as things like Becca's Patreon, webstore, and Twitch which I mention because we also got the fun news that our rent's going up! I'm also gonna see if I have anything else I can throw up on my Kofi so you can get some rewards besides just tipping me! 

Pic of the Week:

This R2-D2 looks like a trash can, but I think it's actually maybe an electrical thing? Whatever it is, it was on the street during SDCC and seems like it might be that way year-round and I thought it was funny! 

[ruru2406]

you ever wake up thinking today is gonna be a good day but then you remember your favourite character is sunday oak from the hit game honkai star rail

[blorbo-gerrymandering]

if you submit sunday (from the hit game Honkai: Star Rail) you WILL obtain 1 piece of driftwood with which you can do as you please

Ew, a gacha game. Well you know what, if you the viewer are already submitting gachas you may as well submit one from the one and only one that I like, Kasa Jizo from The Battle Cats.

Look at him

[bmaxwell]

Game of the Year 2023: The Top 10

2023 was a great year for the videogames industry. A lot of great videogames were released in 2023. It was a fucking lousy year for the industry if you had a career there. It has been deeply disappointing to see record sales and critical acclaim alongside frequent layoff announcements. It feels like the pursuit of endless profit, whatever the cost. It's not sustainable and, as someone who has loved this hobby for my entire life, seeing the people who create games treated as disposable is disgusting. So, as much as this post and this blog are about YAY GAMES, there's also an undercurrent of filth that we have to keep in mind.

Apart from that, 2023 had its usual ups and downs for me. I played non-mobile games on my phone more than ever, thanks to two things: I got a Razr Kishi adapter to clamp onto my phone, turning it into a tiny Switch. Oh, and I got a pretty decent new phone. And Honkai Star Rail hooked me. That's three things.

Speaking of HSR, the ability to access cloud saves from my phone and my desktop PC was a godsend. This is true for Game Pass as well. Frequently I'd pull out my phone in the breakroom at work and pickup whichever game I'd been playing on Xbox, and it worked surprisingly well. I played a lot of Dead Cells this way, and finished Fuga 2 and Dordogne there.

If you'd told me at the start of the year that my best experiences of the year would include Baldur's Gate, a Harry Potter title, and an ALAN WAKE game, I'd have been pretty skeptical. But here we are. Also, if you're a theater kid I feel like this year had a couple of really special moments for you.

2023 also marked a return - at least somewhat - to the hobby of boardgaming. I was neck deep in the hobby from 2008 - 2015. I recently picked up Wingspan and it became a Sunday afternoon staple for myself, my wife, and our youngest child. I've missed the tactile non-digital experience of boardgames. It's nice to be back.

10. Honkai Star Rail

Well. You win universe. A gross free to play mobile game chock full of microtransactions and gacha mechanics is one of my favorite games of the year. The Genshin Impact people made a turn based RPG, see. And it's stylish as hell, and music is great, and when you get a new character from the loot boxes you get this little dopamine hit, and...

The game's events have been really surprising and well done. There's one involving staffing and stocking a museum, one involves shipping logistics, one's themed around ghost hunting. I wish I could have the $70 version of this game that isn't compromised by trying to squeeze players for money. The problem with that, of course, is that this game would not exist without all the bullshit.

But it feels good to play, it looks incredible, and I can swap between playing on my PC and my phone pretty effortlessly. So, despite the predatory MTX bullshit, I have really enjoyed my time with Honkai Star Rail this year.

I think my second biggest issue with live service games is that I don't get a sense of closure. I can't Finish Honkai Star Rail. And I'm not going to play it forever. So I get really into it for awhile (most of the year in this case) and just kind of...stop.

9. Goodbye Volcano High

This one is reminiscent of Night in the Woods; it's a coming-of-age story about anthropomorphic dinosaurs graduating high school, with all the fears and doubts that come with that. Some folks seem to have their entire future mapped out, some are just gonna work an hourly wage job and play D&D, and your character is serious about making a career in music. More serious than her bandmates are. Also, there's a meteor coming and it looks like it might hit Earth.

This game resonated with me on a few levels. The writing is great, the characters are well written and, unlike Stray Gods, the music landed for me. It does a great job of showing us different attitudes and values clashing into one another while making each of them relatable. The hope, resentment, and willful blindness of "My friends aren't invested in this thing we're doing together as much as I am" really blindsided me. It dredged up some feelings I haven't examined in years, both for better and worse. I didn't have much in the way of expectations for this game, but Goodbye Volcano High wormed its way into my heart. Goodbye Volcano High is the game mostly likely to be the game where I look back in the future and regret putting it outside of my top 10 for the year.

Hah! Suck it, me! Top 10 babyyyyy!

8. Pikmin 4

I've never really engaged with Pikmin, but this one was a blast. It does the Honey I Shrunk the Kids thing of "tiny dudes in a normal environment so it looks all big" thing that I love. Solve lots of puzzles by throwing little plant being at them. I love that the inspiration for the series was Miyamoto watching ants carrying leaves in his yard. It still has that feeling all these years later.

It feels odd to call Pikmin a relaxing experience, as you can and will lose Pikmin. Sometimes due to the natural attrition that comes with war, sometimes when the wrong little doofuses wander into water or fire, etc. There's also a timer, which is usually a dealbreaker for me. And the story revolves around rescuing fellow space travelers who have been transforming into mute plant people on this hostile planet. In fact the whole thing sounds like a pitch for a horror game. Despite all that, there's an easy charm to Pikmin. Your little astronaut dorks keep their spirits high, and there's playful music as you explore this huge, colorful world. I found it to be a great way to unwind at the end of the day for a couple of months this year.

7. Persona 5 Tactica

Persona 5 achieved mainstream success that the games before it never reached. Atlus has been milking it for all it's worth too - Persona 5 Dancing in the Moonlight, Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers, and an upcoming Persona 5 mobile game. Some folks are feeling understandably burned out - I didn't get into dancing or strikers, and didn't play Royal (after putting 120 hours into Persona 5) so I was geeked when they announced a Persona 5 tactics game. On paper it's a strong pitch for me.

And in execution it's every bit as good as I'd hoped. My only complaint is the chibi art style. It isn't bad, just not to my taste. Beyond that? It's got the Persona charm, the banging music, and good solid tactical gameplay with just enough of a twist to not feel dull.

The "one more" mechanic from the series is key here, allowing the members of your 3-person team extra movement and actions. This is especially important because of the game's version of the all-out attack, which forms a triangle between your 3 party members and deals heavy damage to enemies caught inside. This makes combat an experience that rewards putting thought into. The game even has some side battles that are basically puzzles, giving you one turn to finish.

The game's new characters - Toshiro and Erina - are a welcome addition to the Phantom Thieves crew as well. I came around on Toshiro in a big way and was immediately in love with Erina. The game is about fighting against oppression and finding your courage to resist. Your friends are there for you when times are tough. It's hammy and melodramatic in the way that Persona is, and I love it. I love the game's revolutionary aesthetic, even if it's largely window dressing.

The DLC has been great so far too, starring Akechi and Kasumi in gameplay I can only describe if "What if Persona and Splatoon had a tactics baby?"

6. Diablo IV

The Diablo series has been the most consistently great video game series for me. I love the first 3 games and spent a TON of time with each. Diablo IV has the worst longevity of the series, but the best campaign. Now, I have to add a bunch of qualifiers here. The "best campaign" is a pretty low bar to clear. Diablo has always been - and continues to be - find new gear/numbers go up. The cutscenes are, as usual, top notch. While the story wasn't necessarily riveting, it was nice to have an antagonist with a personality and some ideas beyond RAWR I AM VERY EVIL RAWR. In fact, I was half-expecting the game to ask if I wanted to side with Lilith near the end, and I just might have done so. And the cinematic of the human army marching into hell while Lilith and Imperius have a philosophical discussion was incredible.

As for the replay value, maybe they'll find their way much like Diablo III did. My main issue with Diablo IV is the way new content is handcuffed to new seasons, how seasonal characters are siloed off from the rest of your characters, and how the game feels like it was built around microtransactions and milking money out of the player.

The game feels good to play. Abilities feel powerful and interesting, the loot grind is fun, and exploring the variety between the classes is a joy. Diablo IV is one of the best games released this year, it's just a shame that, like a lot of modern games, Diablo IV feels compromised, it feels like a Product in a gross way. Still, every previous game in the series has had a long tail for me, so I'm not counting Diablo IV out yet.

5. Darkest Dungeon II

Darkest Dungeon is my favorite game. I have a tattoo of it on my arm. It's impossible to expect a sequel to improve on that or even meet it. Subsequent journeys into a fiction can never be special in the same way that first one is, and Darkest Dungeon II is no exception.

The game is immediately recognizable - you'll see some familiar faces lined up in a tug-of-war formation against a group of enemies. A row of skills at the bottom of the screen, a torch at the top. Artwork with thick, dark lines and plenty of shading. The moment-to-moment gameplay IS a lot like the first game, but the trappings around it are not.

Gone is the persistent campaign of the first game, replaced by a more familiar roguelike structure. You embark on runs that either end in victory or failure, unlocking new things between runs. This makes the game more approachable and forgiving, but it means the lows are less low and the highs are not quite as high. In the original title losing your veteran Crusader you've sunk hours and hours into feels like a real gut punch, but by the same token finally - FINALLY - conquering the darkest dungeon feels incredible. Those extremes are lost in the sequel, and that probably makes for an objectively better game.

It's not just the same run every time; there are 5 chapters to conquer, each themed with a personal failing: Denial, Resentment, Obsession, Ambition, and Cowardice. The game's personality is still here in full force thanks to Wayne June's narration, Stuart Chatwood's music, that incredible artwork and gallows humor that I love so much. Each of the characters is treated as an individual with their own dark backstory this time around, each crafted in loving detail and unfolding by way of cutscenes and/or interactive gameplay moments. The stress mechanism is still here but takes a bit of a backseat, while relationships between characters are brought to the forefront.

Darkest Dungeon II is just what I wanted from a sequel to my favorite game. I'm glad they didn't just make the same again but prettier, but still kept the game's bones intact.

4. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Yakuza has become one of my favorite game series over the past few years. I'm down for whatever they throw at us. Bringing Kiryu back yet again? Sure. New protagonist? I'm down. A period piece starring the cast as historical figures? Fucking bring it on.

I love the series. The melodrama that hits me in my feels, the never-ending parade of lovable weirdoes and freaks in Kamurocho, the deep well of fleshed-out side games like bowling, pocket circuit racing, and karaoke - it's all here. I'm not tired of it. I thought I would be, but I'm not.

Kiryu is a lovable, stoic doofus with a strict moral code and penchant for helping out anyone who needs a hand. This time they gave him a Clark Kent disguise after faking his death, and also a bunch of James Bond Spider-Man gadgets. Let's go.

I will never get tired of my big hearted himbo beating people with bicycles and helping out folks in need. And I got misty-eyed at the ending. I was not prepared for my stoic boy to full on ugly cry. Still waters run deep.

3. Hogwarts Legacy

In the years since JK Rowling outed herself as a human shaped pile of garbage, I've distanced myself from the Harry Potter universe. And when Hogwarts Legacy released, the game was a lightning rod for controversy. I decided to see for myself, and was treated to a wonderful, smartly written game that managed to capture the magic of the world without constantly referencing the movies and books that everyone knows. It's the same trick that Jedi Fallen Order pulled a few years ago, and it works every bit as well here.

The school feels massive and detailed, and it was a joy to explore or just get lost in. The game world outside the school was unexpectedly huge as well, and the broomstick flight felt so good and natural that I rarely bothered to travel by floo. Optional side activities like growing your own plants for your potion brewing, decorating your Room of Requirement, and breeding creatures were all pleasant distractions that served to flesh out the world of Hogwarts.

The game's cast is fairly diverse, and most students felt like real people rather than caricatures of their Hogwarts houses. Most students do have their house traits, but they're not constantly front and center. The side stories and main story kept me engaged throughout my time with Hogwarts Legacy, and I was a little sad to see it end. It's a shame the IP has JK Rowling's stench on it, and that a lot of people will miss this game because of that.

2. Alan Wake II

Alan Wake and Control are both posterchildren for games with incredible world building and lousy game play. I've started both multiple times only to end up walking away in frustration. Alan Wake 2 largely fixes my complaint with those previous games by letting me explore and become immersed in the world without throwing frequent contextless fights in my way.

Alan Wake 2's combat isn't necessarily more engaging, but there's far less of it. What you're left with is the good stuff, a Twin Peaks-like horror mystery in a small town where everything and everyone feels a little bit off. Sometimes a lot off. It's a game where the characters play everything straight, but there are plenty of winks and nods in the margins. The game is full of wonderful freaks and weirdoes, many of whom had me frequently grinning like a fool. Alex Casey. Warlin Door. The Koskela brothers. Rose. Odin and Tor. Alan and Saga. Ahti. Thomas Zane. All hamming it up in a story that gets entirely up its own ass in the best way.

The Herald of Darkness scene is one of the best things I've ever seen. Ditto for the late game scene on the lakeshore. Hell, the game had me sitting and watching a short Finnish art house film at one point. It's a game full of glee and confidence from a studio with the belief in itself and its fans that allow it to swing for the fences. Not every part of it works for me, but the parts that do are so effective that the whole experience is lifted up on high. I wish Remedy's gameplay worked for me, which is never has. But this is a terrific work of art, and the good stuff far outweighs the bad.

Baldur's Gate III

My love of Baldur's Gate and the CRPG genre was something I'd left long in the past. Despite playing excellent modern entries like Divinity Original Sin, and Pillars of Eternity I hadn't been captivated by one of these in some 20 years.

It's hard to put into words what a triumph Baldur's Gate 3 is. I can't name a single thing it really does to revolutionize the genre but Larian executed on every single element of the game. Starting with the story, they make the stakes incredibly personal on top of the usual "Oh shit the world is in danger!" thing we always see. A mindflayer puts a parasite in your brain at the beginning of the game. World saving aside, getting that out of you feels pretty important.

Or not! You can decide to lean into it, and the writers did a great job of mixing viewpoints into the story. Mindflayers are horrible monsters but wait. Are they really though? Your party members will have their own opinions on the matter, as well as their own traumas and baggage and backstories. The writing and voicework for these party members are the best part of one of the best games ever made.

The game's ensemble cast might be the best of any game. By the game's end my party was my Tav, Karlach, Jaheira, and Astarion/Gale depending on the situation. There are party members I missed, and one I may or may not have killed (I regret nothing). Baldur's Gate III's story branches in so many ways, it all feels like it's a hair away from collapsing in on itself but it never does. My friends and I were exchanging stories about what we'd seen and done in the game as we played, and the variance is impressive. Baldur's Gate III is like a dude spinning plates while juggling chainsaws, and people keep tossing stuff into the mix and you think "Well no WAY can he keep all this going!" but goddammit, it all keeps going.

The way the game rolls with whatever choices you make (or dumb shit you want to try) whether in or out of combat, is truly incredible. It feels closer to having a DM than anything I've ever played. If you want to do something weird or dumb, the game does an incredible job of yes and-ing you. And it's not without consequences, the game reacts to the wide array of shit you can do within the D&D ruleset. The game sets up storylines both big and small early on, and manages to pay them off in interesting ways before it wraps up.

The combat was a sticking point for me in Divinity Original Sin 2. It's not that it was bad, but it was overwhelming. Combat could be long and difficult, and losing after an hour only to reload a save was incredibly deflating. Baldur's Gate 3 threaded this needle almost perfectly for me. Most combats were challenging but not crushing, and did not overstay their welcome.

I kept waiting for the game to drag and lose its momentum, but it never happened. I was glued to it for the entire 100+ hours it took me to roll credits. I fully plan on replaying it one day.

[mprimn]

2.1 update, and a dream come true.

Happy 1st Anniversary to Honkai Star Rail!

I'm so glad the update came a few days before my flight or else I'd be distracted from everything. Though, I already am distracted because I should be packing my stuff right now. I'll leave that to me in the future.

As someone who used to play Guns Girl Z it's nice to see how far miHoYo had come, especially HOYO-MiX. While I couldn't say much about the story (I unfortunately am a dialogue skipper), I've always loved their music. Sometimes I would boot GGZ up only to go to the OST section and listen to my favorite tracks for hours. Even after I dropped Genshin Impact from burnout, I still find myself checking out OST of newer updates from time to time. Heck, whenever my brain gets too loud at night, I would calm myself down with Liyue or Dragonspine playlist. Yet somehow, it's different when it comes to HSR.

But before that let me slide one of my favorite tracks from GGZ here ;

There is something about older music that sounds simpler yet enjoyable when compared to what we usually hear now. A banger from the past. Not saying one is better than another, of course. HOYO-MiX always delivers.

HSR OSTs are really good. I honestly don't know why it didn't hit me as hard as the other two games. There is only one track so far that strike my interest enough to make me hunt it down on YouTube so I can loop it while laying on my bed as I stare at the ceiling (the one named "Stade du Miroir" if you're curious). I've also said above that I'm a story skipper. Then what exactly keeps me on hook? To be fair, I've always felt neutral about HSR.

Until he arrived.

Look at this man.

A beauty bestowed upon Xianzhou Luofu.

I was intrigued.

From that day on, my goal was set.

Meta or whatever.

If he isn't E6 I'm not pulling for anyone else.

It was a miracle that I managed to get Luocha to E2 on his first banner. I couldn't remember how much I pulledーNo, I'm not a whale. I'm but a little dolphin who purchased a couple of monthly passes. Welt also came home on one of the pulls along with Luocha. Maybe he's trying to stop this pretty blonde from reaching me. After all, his past encounters with similar looking men didn't end well. I had a feeling I got the 3rd Luocha on a solo a day or two before the banner disappeared too.

Charming new characters appeared left and right as the story progress, but I stayed strong (I didn't. I accidentally got Blade while trying to build pity, tried for Argenti and stopped before I hit 50/50 then lost about 50 pulls to Ratio LC). Sunday and Aventurine worried me because oh boy, how would I be able to resist those two. Thankfully, as I'm writing, Luocha's rerun came together with Acheron. I would've lost it if Aventurine was first.

Long story short, this is the final result after around 250 pulls.

I have 21k stellar jades left, so I may be able to save enough for Aventurine (or Sunday if he is confirmed to be playable). Though, I'll have to wait for guides to help me collect chest because my head still hurt after completing the main story. Penacony maps make me feel dizzy and somehow the main story makes it even worse.

Now I have an excuse to stop playing HSR for a few days so I can continue preparing for my flight.

Sigh...Can I skip every process and just warp there?

[davidmariottecomics]

Best of 2023

Hi there, 

This week, we're celebrating the 2 year anniversary of my website and blog (well, just under 2 years, it officially launched on Jan 1). So, to round out this year with the blog and in general, I thought I'd do a little roundup of my personal "Best of" 2023. This is more a list of stuff I really dug this year than a formal ranking of any sort, and a lot of this isn't necessarily new in 2023, so much as stuff I discovered (and rediscovered) this year! Some things will get a little extra blurb, some things will just be listed. Alright, without further ado, my best of 2023! 

PODCASTS: Dungeons & Daddies - Legitimately, 90% of my podcast listening this year was either Dungeons & Daddies or Blank Check. I don't even think I meant for it to be like that, it's just how it happened. As a work of collaborative fiction, I really love Dungeons & Daddies. It's a super funny show and this past week-ish, I've been relistening to Season 2 so far and have just been delighting in it.  Blank Check My Year in MENSA Solve This Murder The Real Housewives of Dungeons & Dragons Abandoning the Premise - Haven't heard of it? Well so far, there's only one episode and it's exclusive to my Patreon! But it was fun and I'd like to revisit in the future! 

VIDEO GAMES:  Reverse 1999 Honkai Star Rail - I am very bad at playing updating video games. It doesn't come naturally to me. I am not someone who completes a lot of games--if I am really gripped by something, I'll finish the story, but I'm not very good about new game plus and 100% runs or anything like that. So, what usually happens with games like this is I get to a point where I am caught up and then I take a break because something else catches my eye or I have less time or I just feel like there's not a lot to do with where I'm at in the game and when I next try to dip in, I feel too far behind. That's definitely where I am with HSR right now, but I'm hoping to take some of my remaining time off to actually try to play and enjoy it again.  The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Detective Pikachu Returns - This was a Christmas gift and it's delightful! A lot of the puzzle-solving is very easy, but, I dunno, I like hanging out with my friends the Pokemon. 

COMICS:  Nancy Chainsaw Man Milky Way by Miguel Vila - Another Christmas gift, this book is beautifully ugly. It is a semi-erotic relationship-thriller that I think does a very good job of balancing the grotesqueness of human nature and interpersonal relations with a sort of soft loving lens of what compels us toward each other, even when it's at our expense. There's deception and injury and fetishization presented in ways that remind you why they're often treated as morally repugnant, but also are so attractive to us so often.  Superman Kaguya-Sama: Love is War 17-21 The Rock Cocks Witch Watch - Every Sunday morning, I read through my "webcomics" of the week. I hit up Webtoon and catch up on anything there, then hop to Shonen Jump and read my new stuff there. Consistently, Witch Watch is probably my favorite read each Sunday morning, just because it almost never misses weeks and the characters are all just so delightful. Even with the current storyline being kinda weird (one of the main characters has been turned from a teen into a toddler and is being kinda raised by her romantic interest...) there's such a solid core of thoughtfulness and care and humor that I think it just always works.  Spy x Famiy  Lore Olympus Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story Birds of Prey Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville - I recently talked on my Patreon about how I think playing backseat editor and coming up with "a book that would really get readers to the shop regularly again" isn't practical because I think there are other things that could bolster comic sales in longer-lasting, better ways and I think particularly with the current state of the readership, "comics readers" aren't looking for a unifying title, they're looking for the stuff they find personally compelling. I'm a guy in comics, I have a lot to say on that and how to improve things, but that's for another day. Why I bring it up here is between Birds of Prey and Fire & Ice, those are the books that if there was justice in this world would bring all the boys to the yard. These are the exact kind of superhero titles I wanna read all the time. Poison Ivy: Thorns Superman: The Harvests of Youth Dumbing of Age One Piece Crimehot - Crimehot #4 came out this year and includes the Cassidy and Butch to our main group's Jessie and James (That's a Team Rocket reference), the way more competent counterparts who all have weirdly deep backstories with the main cast. And let me tell you... like the name says, they're hot. And they do hot stuff. It's a good comic.  Steamy Dandadan - I was recently gushing about Dandadan to some friends and described it as really hitting me as a comic that is so very much a book about whatever interests the creator at the moment (similar to Witch Watch in that way). If you read the pitch, it's like "she believes in ghosts and not aliens, and he believes in aliens and not ghosts and then wacky stuff happens to make a believer out of both of them" but it's really a light rom-com with just bonkers stuff happening and I love that about it.  Three Rocks: The story of Ernie Bushmiller, the Man Who Created Nancy  It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth  What Happens Next - This is a webcomic I discovered not too long ago and there are content warnings on the very first page that I think are very helpful to make sure you're in the right headspace for it. I am a big fan of stories about younger adults finding their place in the world--not a coming of age "taking your first steps into real life" kind of thing, but a "you've been around for a while and life is hard and even if you're doing the right things, or nothing at all, why isn't it better and what comes next" types of stoires. This totally fits that. And it reads incredibly quickly since it's usually 1-2 panels per page. 

BOOKS:  Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror - I look at my comics list and I look at the things I didn't place on either list and I know I read plenty this year, but it does feel strange having such a short list for traditional books. There's a lot to that: I spent like 6 weeks spending all my free reading time catching up on 1100 chapters of One Piece. I started a handful of books that I was enjoying but for one reason or another paused and didn't really pick back up. And so while this is the most recent release on the list, Out There Screaming was a major help for me because it was something I could pick up and read in short bursts and leave satisfied and wanting to come back for more. Every story--even the ones that I didn't like as much, was compelling and fun and left me thinking about it afterwards.  House of Leaves  Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs - Book of the year. I don't even eat hot dogs, but I loved this book!  I'm Glad My Mom Died  The Broken Room 

TV SHOWS:  Poker Face Craig of the Creek  Rise of the TMNT  Transformers: Earthspark  I Think You Should Leave - Out of everything we've consumed this year, I think ITYSL is the most quoted show in our household (though Real Housewives of Beverly Hills/Vanderpump Rules are close contenders). So much of this show is so funny and strange.  The Rehersal Barry  My Adventures with Superman Praise Petey - Without a doubt, Praise Petey is the least known show on this list. And because of that, as I just found out, it was canceled after a single season which sucks. The premise is after her cult leader dad dies, a down-on-her-luck New Yorker moves to the countryside and becomes a cult leader... whether she wants to or not and her own feelings on that differ minute-by-minute. Despite the broad premise, it's pretty in line with other animated sitcoms like Bob's Burgers or King of the Hill (it is a Mike Judge co-production) that I think speaks in an authentic, funny voice of the 18-35 demographic. If you like Only Murders in the Building, I think this has a similar energy, but hornier and with more of the concerns of youth than of old men.  Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Sex Education - Okay, I know I said I wasn't doing rankings, but as an overall piece of media, I think Sex Education is my show of the year. The last season, the one that came out this year, isn't my favorite of the series, but when so many shows flub their endings, this one really found a way to nail it (and to roll with the more major cast/location changes) in a way that felt real. This is one of those shows that, if it was available on DVD, I would buy to add to my "regular rotation", but much like Freaks and Geeks, I'd only ever be able to watch some of it again because as it got closer to the end, I don't know that I'd be able to emotionally take that on a regular basis.  Joe Pera Talks with You Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

MOVIES:  The Boy and the Heron The Fablemans - I have very complicated feelings about this movie. On the one hand, I really loved it on first viewing. It hit me emotionally in a major way. I've talked on the blog before about crying multiple times in the theater. And if you had asked me in the first half of the year what my favorite movie of the year was, it'd probably be this (even though it's technically a 2022 film). But I also have my issues with Steven Spielberg and... it is a film where I'm still navigating my own emotional catharsis with it relative to Spielberg as an artist/creator/subject of the film. Not to get too far into real issues of death of the author and separation of the art and artist, this is the sort of hyper-personal work that even moreso than usual I think cannot be separated from the creator and so my changing feelings on him means I'm still figuring out my new relationship with the work.  M3GAN Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Up until recently, this probably would've moved into the movie of the year spot. I just thought it was so much fun. It's a visual feast. I like that it's a full story (Sorry, Spider-Verse). I love the world and the enthusiasm of the turtles and just really tuned in.  Robocop Phantom of the Paradise - Becca watched this for the first time with me and we both marveled on how this kind of forgotten cult film actually informed so much of all pop culture for decades to come. I am happy to say that overall, still slaps.  Venture Bros: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart Blue Beetle Gone Girl - I ended up watching a lot of Fincher movies this year, largely influenced by Blank Check. And Gone Girl has to be my favorite of his, and, on this rewatch, one of my favorite films of the 2010s.  Oldboy Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Godzilla: Minus One - Again, not to rank things so much, but if Minus One did an Oscars sweep and took home (checks notes) every award, I'd be happy. Even the ones that don't make sense. Best Documentary Short? Give it to Godzilla, cowards! An absolute masterpiece on every level. 

MUSIC:  The Loveliest Time - Look, we got a new CRJ album. What else do you want from me? 

OTHER STUFF:  A smooth transition from IDW into the holidays (and into my new thing soon) Making a Discord for my friends and the feeling that I can spend a little time making my friendships stronger with some folks while we aren't also coworkers/collaborators. Bluesky (and not being on Twitter). Remaining boosted on my vaccines and not having any serious illness of my own. Becca's first year on Twitch.  My first year on Patreon.  WaifuExpo (now KimochiiCon) and generally being more open in my interest in consuming and creating adult material.  Having some good experiences at shows and doing so many (will not be doing so many in 2024).  Having good times with the people I love.  All the comics I edited, all the blogs I posted, and just being at an end to that for the year. 

Not to be a bummer at the end, but it has been a long, strange, difficult year. There is so much wrong in the world and so many are struggling. So, it's nice that there is also so much that I found enjoyment and comfort in. I hope you've had some real bright spots in this year too, and I look forward to next year with you. 

I am not much for resolutions. I usually don't do a good job of them, if I bother to make them at all. But I do have some things I'll briefly say I'm excited for in the coming year. 

I am excited to get married and to figure out what celebrations we can do around that.  I am excited to start this new job and tell you all about it when I can.  I am excited to make more comics. Besides my little self-drawn things that you can find on this blog, I didn't release any comics this year and I am very much looking forward to that not being the case in 2024.  I am excited to grow my friendships.  I am excited to continue this blog. 

Thanks for reading. Happy new year! 

New Releases next week (1/3/2024): Sonic the Hedgehog #68 (Editor)

Pic of the Week: A little thing about where else to find me online that I made.