#i believe Ifrit would've jumped in too

[shitz-suji]

As much as I'm enjoying the Doctor parent moments with Ifrit and Rosmontis, I am so glad that Hypergraph had Doctor show the kind of visceral anger one would feel if they found out that they were standing in front of a monster who inflicted horrific cruelty on a child and absolutely had no problem with retraumatizing that same child by trying to get them to recall the abuse they suffered/gaslighting them to justify the abuse. Like Hypergraph could've had Doctor ratio Loken Williams with some 5-D chess Talk No Justu, say some comforting words to Rosmontis, and move on with the plot.

But in that moment, Rosmontis wasn't an elite operator on standby awaiting orders. She was a scared child standing in front of her abuser and Doctor was an adult suddenly confronted with the reality of what this asshole represented to her.

Hypergraph letting Doctor process all that information and deciding that Loken Williams deserved to be left righted on the spot was very much appreciated. But I will always applaud the fact that they made it into a player interaction and let the player decide how Doctor should go to bat for Rosmontis. ❤️

[turtersblade]

FINAL FANTASY XVI

Finished August 24

This game is quite something. What is that something? I'm not really sure. This is how I generally feel about the game. Final Fantasy XVI is a game that doesn't do things terribly wrong, but is filled with weird choices in direction and is filled with missed potential. Or maybe not even that? They didn't shoot for the moon, but maybe for something much easier, like for the clouds.

The biggest oddity here is the extremely pointless 5 year time jump. It's weird. The time skip served absolutely no purpose to the narrative, gameplay, characters, or anything else. Developing characters off screen would've been bad, but somehow we're meant to believe they havent changed at all in the five years. That super apparent romantic tension between Clive and Jill? That completely stagnated in place in those five years. Everything stagnated in those five years.

Gameplay wise, missed potential. Absolute missed potential in points, but in some other aspects they never shot far anyway. The combat is the biggest case for missed potential. It's good, its good, but I cannot say much else. It doesn't evolve much during the game. Your base combo never ever changes or gets upgraded or anything else. So the only way the combat ever changes is the Eikon abilities you get from each of the Dominants. Yeah they all also kinda suck. Your Phoenix/Ifrit and Garuda skills actually work really well together, theres synergy there. But aside from Titan, the others absolutely do not. None of these skills work well together to form a fluid combat experience. It's still fun enough, but this really could've been more.

The level design is horribly bland and uninteresting. The dungeons are not good. They took FFXIV dungeons, put them in a single player action game, and then further simplified and dumbed them down. You move so awfully slow in this game which makes these areas even more of a drag to get around. I don't see why this couldn't have more involved dungeons when something like Stranger of Paradise had incredible dungeons.

The quests are so mind numbing too. Go here, get item, fight wave of easy enemies, ok now fight enemy with a really big healthbar, go back, quest over. This even applies to the main story. There is just so much uninteresting filler. Not horribly bad, but just passable.

Now for the positives. I really like these characters! They're all so good, with Dion becoming a surprise favorite. The writing is pretty good, the voice acting is top notch, and I really cared for everyone. Clive is an absolute legend, I love him and he deserves the best.

The music?? Especially for the Eikon fights, its incredible! I found myself humming quite often when a track came on. Cid's theme is an absolute classic to me now. I knew the music was in good hands when I found out it shares the same composer(s) as Final Fantasy XIV.

I really enjoyed this story. For each arc, they did a great job at giving you a new big bad to fear and want to take down. They even did a solid job at making you feel some ounce of sympathy for them. Their only fumble to me was actually Ultima. I'm sorry but I just do not give a fuck about Ultima. I knew from his first appearance that I would not like him, but still kept an open mind. Yet, they never gave me a reason to care about him.

Overall, I liked this game. I did every side quest (which actually did have interesting stories in them!! they are worth doing) every hunt, and I finished this game at the 50 hour mark. I wouldn't have done all this if I didn't like it, but this could've been more. This is the definition of a solid 7.0/10 game. An exact 7. A high C on a tier list, maybe very bottom of B, depends on what it's up against. I still recommend this to everyone, because everyone can have a good time. They don't do anything egregious that would turn people off here, you'd only be fighting your own boredom at times.

Torgal is best boy

[maguro13-2]

Demons Unleashed ~ Origins of the Ink Demon Gaiden Finale (6/10) ~

Shadow : So, look what the cat dragged in.

Metal Sonic : (via Eggman) It's becoming uncanny this was Eggman Nega's doing!

Shadow : That card-turning freak, so It's wisely that it was only a front that the Ifrit would burn the entire world, ever since Mephiles brought us into the future before 2006 was retconned, we knew that creature is related to Iblis!

Metal Sonic : (Via Eggman) What!? Iblis!? The Flames of Disaster that sealed inside the heart and soul of Princess Elise!? The Ifrit is related to Iblis. No wonder why the events that took place in 2006 would have all evidence and events be erased or reset by that blue hedgehog. I can't believe that Sonic 06 was just a non-canon before that Time Eater brought it again by the year 2011. If we don't stop Eggman Nega's shenanigans at one piece, this whole planet is done for and will be cooked to death

Shadow : Then we have no choice but to stop that mad man from 200 years in order to bring back your reputation, Metal Sonic. Can you copy?

Metal Sonic : (shook head "Yes".)

Shadow : That's more like it. Let's get MOVING!

(the two runs off)

[Crisis City (Modern ver.) - Tomoya Ohtani]

Sonic : Okay, guys. This is it. I'm going in for the landing.

Tillis : Good luck, Sonic! I hope you guys will make it safely in the battlefield, but if this would be really a real battlefield, there will be no one save your sorry blue butt. You better be safe or Mr. Ohshima would be not happy to hear this.

Shou Amabane : Just don't get BBQ'd by the mosnter's flames! It won't even pack a punch!

Nights : You gotta send that Ifrit back into his own place before Real World's toast for sure!

Sonic : Right!

Maka Albarn : This looks bumpy! I don't known if we got the right gear.

Seto : Trust me! It'll be a piece of cake! Easy peasy, nice and sleazy!

Solva : [To Seto] It's "Rice and Cheesy", Seto. You gotta get it right.

Seto : [To Solva] Of course, I always needed to fix up the phrases. Alright here goes nothing!

(the group jumps off)

Sonic : Geromino!!!

All : (yelling) WOAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

Maka Albarn : I hope that we needed any parachutes, cause we don't how to land while falling!

Solva : This looks bad!

Seto : Even without wings, you can still fly, right?

Solva : I know! Which is a good solution from the year of 2006!

Sonic : Tails, everyone. On your gear!

(the groups gets on their Extreme Gear)

Maka : Woah! woaaaaa-! Hey, I'm getting the hang of this!

Seto : Not too shabby!

Solva : Despite not having about parachutes, Good thinking that were using hoverboards to race around alot!

Seto : Good to hear. Alright, let's go after the Ifrit! It's time that we got a monster to fry! I'm gonna make it cool with the ice techniques I got from the cold regions.

Solva : That's your to one way of killing a demon, which is also a mockingbird!

Seto : Gladly to hear!

Ashley : Table for two, please? We really could use some partnership around here.

Seto : The Detectives! Fancy running into meeting us, huh?

Kimial Diehl : Long time no see, Maka.

Maka Albarn : You are Kimial, correct?

Kimial Diehl : Yeah, that's me. But I used to be Kimiko Kasugatani, but don't remind that one. It's a long story to have a real name in person.

Grim (Metal Sonic) : Master Seto. Do you require any service of your assisstance?

Seto : Master Grim! Right on schedule! You can fly without wings? How are you...

Grim (Metal Sonic) : Easy! I don't need wings, I got myself to fly by myself, despite having the body of a robot, I can really fly with my reaper powers, you got yours as well and why do you need such thing to fly on?

Seto : Cause, if I was able to fly on my own, I would've really use my gravity powers! Don't thank me, Grim. I got this one on my own, I know how to fly around with my reaper powers.

Solva : Ya think so?

Grim (Metal Sonic) : Sonic listen. You see that Ifrit being summoned by Eggman Nega?

Sonic : Yeah, and...?

Grim (Metal Sonic) : The Ifrit that is unleashing this madness is cleverly a diversion. While the other Metal Sonic working with Shadow, Eggman and his discendant from the future have created a machine that will use the Jeweled Scepter as a tool of mass destruction.

Sonic : What!?

Tails : So the Ifrit that were trying to stop was a diversion!

Sonic : Eggman! That double crosser! He's helping out the other Eggman to use that scepter with a robot he created! Why didn't Blaze noticed us before now?

Tails : We gotta find Eggman before he's going to destroy the world. Yo guys! You take care of the Ifrit, we gotta meet up with Blaze!

Sonic : I gotta bad feeling that if he's gonna use the scepter, Blaze's world will be done for, no it's the planet that will be done for and toast!

Tails : We agree!

Maka Albarn : Okay...If that's what you wanted then I suggest that we should take your place on battling the Ifrit! We can do this together! If only Ice powers could work. *gasped* Seto! You can use your ice powers to defeat the ifrit!

Seto : That will make the Ifrit get the fever and chills, he'll burn out when I put the creature on ice, and then he'll never eat Chao again! I feel bad that your company is not making another Chao Garden, that was Yuji Naka's ideal of having Chao as virtual pets in an EMU that contains Visual Memory data.

Sonic : Yeah, which is why my company has never been this arrogant, the Last Chao Garden was attacked by Metal Sonic.

Seto : How did you know that?

Sonic : Because he used their data to become the Overlord himself. (shows a photo of him pointing at Metal Sonic in his Metal Madness form) It's good that he was put on restrictions for double crossing Eggman and he's facing harsh punishment for the crimes against everything he committed. All the Sonic vilalins and were being condemned in inferno.

Grim (Metal Sonic) : Which is why sinners must pay for their transgressions. I'm going to put a stop to this! [To Seto and Solva] Ladies first?

Seto : That's on us. Of course, we'll take full action, just don't get cocky on this one. My money's on the bag and I will give this to the children. Screw my greed, I got someone to care for anybody to protect.

Grim (Metal Sonic) : That's your wish. Alright, everyone! We'll get the Ifrit's attention and we' create a diversion to stop all of this chaos. Sonic, Tails, you leave the Two Eggmans to stop their shenanigans on building his "Whatever his land" from using the Jeweled Scepter and put him out of commission. Maka we'll reunite with your friends that are battling the other Metal Sonic, Seto, Solva, and I will stop the ifrit by using the powers of combine and strength. Once you'll have that in order, we can use the powers of emeralds to take down the Eggmans once for all! No sinner shall ever destroy world that deals with the deadly forces of monstrosity!

Egg Pawn : (via radio) Alpha! This is Alpha! we managed to secure of all of Eggman's escape routes, heading's this was from Point A to Point B. We're ready on the attack of these pirates! Engaging full use of tactical weapons. All units, prepare for battle formation!

Seto : Roger that. I won't be in vain. Time for us to scatter!

Grim (Metal Sonic) : Right! Good luck, guys! (leaves along with Seto and Solva)

Maka Albarn : I'll see ya around when you finally defeated the Eggman! (leaves)

Sonic : Okay, fellas! Take care and don't get hurt! [To Tails] Gotta admit to say, this is gonna be the climax on whoever stops the ifrit! We'll be dead meat!

Tails : As long if we find our Eggman and the other Eggman who is from 200 years in the future, we could finally end all of Dr. Eggman scheme's once and for all! Over and out, we'll go home to celebrate and have a welcome home party. Guess today's Barbecue we'll have to wait, I don't want to get my buns toasty, oh, I don't have to get toasty for my buns.

Sonic : Whatever you say, Tails. We'll have to keep things going!

Jet : Sonic!

(Jet and the Babylon Rogues appears)

Jet : See after our first encounter during the race? I told you we aren't destined to meet each other, but we're doing it this for now!

Sonic : You again! I haven't seen you after that Nozomi Girl manage to help us out!

Nozomi : Don't forget! I could help you out on stopping the two Eggmans!

Sonic : Nozomi! Right on time! Okay! Let's do this!

"It's all for nothing!"

"The Fire within Blaze raged hotter than before!"

"We always gotta Race to Win!"

~ Stage 35 : Race Against Chaos ~