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semi-imaginary-place · 8 months

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xenoblade chronicles x liveblogging and notes

im still not sure if this game connects to the others some are saying yes and others no so i guess i'll just go in release order.

why are the alien fights always happening near humans, either this is literally happening everywhere in the galaxy and earth is unlucky to get blown up or the alien fights have something to do with humans in particular. Yeah the xenomorphs attacked the white whale so humans arent just collateral but being actively targeted. Wonder what the deal ks with that, the other alien force too.

I still dint get what blade does but player character is getting pretty railroaded into it, what if they wanted to be a farmer? This really is like an mmo

how convenient the aliens speak english.

Nopon??!

Ok that percent on the big tower went from 60% to 55%. What happens when it reaches 0?

oh no the sexy woman alien. not the bare ass shot!

Oh hey we're a robot. That what a minesome(?) is? One of the sidequests brought it up. She wanted to get pregnant or something so i assumed it was a lab grown human situation but nah just a robit. Ok so everyone in new la is a mineosome and the fleshy bodies are in the lifehold? But wait I thought player character was from a piece of the lifehold or maybe I'm remembering wrong. What about linly 2 years is a long time for a teenager has she just not been aging i wonder how they're counting age. Either way child soldier. So we have flesh bodies in the lifehold. Some in mineosomes as crew on the ship and more mineosomes in reserve? And all the mineosomes are being controlled from the lifehold. Man their wifi must be really good surprised there havent been more problems where mineosomes disconnect. Oofies lifehold battery at 41% makes sense that if the mineosome wifi is up they can have this reading but i wonder if so much communication is possible why isn't there like gps on the lifehold so it can rely it's position.

Why is elma slumming it with us? She's experienced, had a command position (colonel?) Shouldnt she be like super important and also part of command)

Why are so many culture crash landing here. Humans, ganglions, uh what L is, the little blue dudes with the snouts.

So the lifehold was carrying 2 bodies for each person the flesh one and the mineosome that sounds like a lot. If the lifehold had the body of every person shouldn't it be huge? Why haven't ariel images shown it yet.

So everyone speaking the same language is some weird phenomena specific to the planet??

Several side characters have died. So assuming elma's story us true which sus. Then they might not be permanently dead either with their real bodies in the lifehold or through another robot body. Elma says that consciousnesses and personalities are being livestreamed from the lifehold but they arent stored in the mims.

The ganglions attacked nla to get that skell that was surrounded by tainted. Wonder what it is, something to do with that great one (sound like a cult) the grandmster boss dude was talking about. Why the hell is pc even here. Elma's the main character. Hoho? Elma thinks lao's traitor?

14% well clocks a ticking. I am very curious about the lifehold there's been so much narrative buildup and weight around that countdown. Lao's given into despair. Set us up to be killed but wanted to spare linly? Yuup.

Why is one of our party members just evil.

hmmm so lao has convinced himself that the equality of death is better than perpetuating an unjust system. that's so smt. would be interesting if he actually believed it, but he's just using this as an excuse to lash out in grief and despair because some rich's dude's family was chosen instead of his. Been wondering about elma for a while. originally thought the white hair and colors were the usual jrpg character design but no one else has while hair and now lao said something like elma wouldn't understand humans so now im wondering if she's like an designed human or something. elma is so main character coded fr.

Wait so the jewelry shop guy was considered essential or was rich enough to buy their way ont the white whale?

Whats his name is out here as a test model to mass produce people with implanted memories and personality

Why is L coming on the top importance military mission for the lifehold core. He's a scholar.

If 0.2% battery is 1000s or 15min (16.67 actually). Then 1000*500 to get 100% battery capacity or 500,000s. 500000/(60*60*24) = 5.79 days hmm doesn't seem right. Writers probably just came up with numbers. Or the battery isn't draining linearly with the ganglions attacking the shields.

i was wondering why every species had mechs like what are the chances so many different cultures made the same thing. and not only that but all the technology is compatible i can barely get an iphone to connect to a windows computer. so the ganglions see humans as an existential threat but also a violation of the sacred. oh the vita was that one mech that was super important. slugman says it can only be piloted by the great one. and then there's the question of how humans are connected to the Founders. one of them also said humans have technology that they shouldn't like that's part of another faction.

this is terrible design. on a spaceship space management is critical, all this empty space is a waste. yeah yeah shady organization lied. uh isn't bringing the back up power online more important than talking right now. like either could have talked on the walk and elevator ride up or talked after

elma is so main character special!

lore time. so founders=sammarans and humans are their descendants. idk what this means

yeah xbc1 was pretty transhuman but now we're really getting into it. idk about in... when was its game released? 2013? but i think it's pretty common knowledge that long distance space travel isn't very feasible with a lot of human bodies it'd be with like frozen zygotes or a text file for dna. btw you can already get your genome sequenced and get a big txt file. but a body isn't just the genetic code there's mitochondrial dna and all the cellular machinery that is inherited from one body to the next. this twist makes a lot of sense. uh elma im assuming you got the power up before giving this giant explanation and demonstration? also why wouldn't back up power automatically connect that sounds poorly designed.

where do you draw the line. yeah lao brought it up too that that even if he dies a new lao might be created without his consent (or possibly memories). what doug brings up is a common question if the new created person is the continuation of the original or a new person. "the ethical issues" yeah gurl you just pressed a button and made a cat people are right to be concerned.

probably should have made sure luxxar was dead before you started monologuing. who let lao out of his jail cell. oh yeah the ganglions made rock and then it's never brought up again that the ganglions are genetically engineering weapons. also what is celica? why do i feel like tatsu's hom hom line is important like the camera paused on him and everything. uh isn't it bad that luxxar is contaminating the the stuff that's suppose to remake all life on earth

damn. vulvahead. jsut how many final final bosses are there.

hmm not as gnostic as as xbc1 but yeah i can see it in the discussions about creation. the sumaarians created the ganglions and their descendants humans recreated themselves first as robots and then plan to synthesize earth life including themselves from scratch.

ah. human bodies have the kill switch trigger for ganglions as well as all the other species the samaarians synthesized.

also. anCient ALiens

i mean the copy of lao in the lifehold isn't quite the one that fused with luxxar. i don't know when that copy was backed up to but it couldn't have been later than losing contact with the lifehold when the white whale crash landed onto mira. that lao is still drowning in grief and never had the character arc of this game's events.

elma as special as a shounen protag. this has been way longer than 15 minutes. why would you need a unique biometric id to initiate backup power. that's such a fragile system. bad design. well unless there's some sort of renewable power system in the core it still needs to be hooked up to a permanent power source.

literally everything is elma. warned earth to prepare to get caught up in a war. which now that im thinking about it the ganglions were trying to win a battle AND destroy earth 2 goals in that battle. all the technology that looks suspiciously like other species? elma. robo bodies. elma. the mechs every other species has. elma

also ethics of space colonization and replacing native species with earth ones. re: red mars for world without any native life unlike mira which is full of it.

huh so the game ends with linly reflecting on a dream of searching for and returning to earth. or is that metaphorical about connecting with the other human ships. or is this about the samaarian homeworld?

this ended up happier than i thought. back at the halfway point a while back i was speculating that the lifehold would get destroyed and new la would be forced to continue on as it is. the lifehold is a sort of guarantee that the past is not lost, that humans can reclaim what they once had. it's a guarantee that they can be reborn endlessly. and if that was all lost then that would be a clean break between the past on earth and the future on mira. there would be no return to the past and no choice but to go forward into a new life on mira.

ost for this game is really good. it's like just off center of my tastes but i appreciate it. end song's a banger.

oh. I'd already assumed local storage because that's what made the most sense to me. so the higher up weren't lying as much as I thought. the lie was that consciousness was being wifi transmitted from real bodies in the lifehold to remote control the mimeosomes. when the truth (as they knew it) was that all that consciousness wasn't in a flesh body but a big computer. see the part i got wrong was i thought the core thing was life a usb or solid state drive, inert until accessed, just data. but in hind sight i ignored the narrative cues that the core is actually a computer running several thousand programs at once to simulate everyone's minds and that's what's wifi controlling the mims i mean why else would the core be using power, a usb or book doesn't use power to maintain storage the core must be doing something if the battery is draining. but then the stinger reveals that i just jumped a step ahead and there was in truth in truth no remote control and no live streaming consciouses. the game got me good! i thought i was proven wrong on my ending prediction.

and then lao washes up on a beach with a figure finding him.

story was good though I liked 1 better. x had 2 twists at the end where 1 was like being punched the entire time. the end was really good about payoff for all the tension that had been building up the entire game with the countdown, all the little things were brought together really well. satisfying conclusion. The beginning and middle of the game were meh for me. part of that is baked into the game design as basically a single player mmo. but xbcx has none of the best parts of an mmo which is running around goofing off with other people and all the worst parts of an mmo being tedious and repetitive with nothing much going anywhere or changing anything, just building up meters at base.

A good half of the party members seemed to just be there to fill space. Like Elma and Linly are the only critical ones. Then Tatsu, doug and the other nla humans are somewhat involved. But like Celica or L are completely irrelevant and I'd rather just have them as side quest characters then just stand around in cutscenes. the heart to hearts help but they like either go all in or dont bother at all. also the player character was totally unnecessary just let me play as elma.

im just ignoring all the skimpy clothes for women and fanservice.

#Xbc #Xbcx spoilers

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chemicalbrew · 2 years

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pyra mythra nia rex

Whether I ship it or not

YES what the hell. This is literally the driving force of all of Xenoblade 2 and what makes the whole narrative so meaningful and satisfying. Of course I'm into it lol.

Why I ship it or not

See above but also it's about how well everyone complements each other. Rex's optimism and willingness to help others that basically saved all of their lives. Him learning so much about himself and the people around him and what true bonds mean and how to sustain them (or live with not being able to). Him just being human and a guy (affectionate), unlike the supercomputer girls and Nia being forced into becoming what they are. And also of course the unique knowledge he brings to the table with Gramps by his side/the whole salvaging business.).

Nia in a sense being the most battle-hardened of the three, which I KNOW is ironic to say with Mythra around (especially since what happened to Nia and Pyra isn't really too dissimilar), but it's still important because Nia deals with it very differently from Mythra and isn't afraid to show it and speak up for herself, but also knows all too well what hiding things is like. Plus, I feel that the fact that Nia didn't have her life suspended for half a millennium is kinda important?.. I think it is something that helps/would help Mythra begin understanding and unloading her mental baggage. So yeah, the way they share experiences and differ in them is everything to me tbh. And of course, Nia's sass complements everyone perfectly too, like you can just see her breaking whatever tension might rise with a few choice words or... A tackle... *laughs in NG+ title screen*

Pyra is, looking from this angle, the middle ground between the three - of course she carries the same age-old fears and burdens, but she knows how to carry herself around people the best out of the four, I think (which was all according to keikaku anyway). So like, just like how Nia would be great at diffusing tension through wit, Pyra is similarly well fit to diffusing it through kindness :) and then there's also just. Her warmth and food and EVERYTHING. Sure, she was literally created for this, but it doesn't mean she can't enjoy it and find her own spin on things, and that's so satisfying to me (and obviously checks out with the overarching themes of the game). There is also the fact that out of everyone, she is kinda sorta implied to understand Rex the best (sure, Mythra shares that, but Pyra carries herself better, as I said + their core personalities mesh better from the start. Also, that is not meant to bring Mythra down at all, I just think she finds conflict-solving really hard).

And then Mythra... Honestly the actual brains AND brawn of the group to me. She is what makes them unstoppable, and in a way, she is the one everything happened FOR, if that makes sense. Mythra needs this connection the most, and it is what helps her thrive and rediscover herself after all these years! And then there's the biggest reason why I admire her, and that is the air of intrigue she brings to the whole story/dynamic. Even with Nia around, I am heavily inclined to say Mythra is the real wild card of the group and getting to know her is what keeps things interesting and makes this ship ascend from just being 'two kind folks meet a sassy girl and they influence each other' at the core to something as complex as it actually is. Especially since Mythra and Pyra are not only part of the same whole, but also each what the other aspires to be. Their duality is soooo integral to them and I love it. I wish Mythra had a bit more spotlight in the story, but I appreciate what is already there and how Mythra as a character and the way she is written really force you to think <3

So basically, together they're equipped for all sorts of situations and can make each other live to their fullest potential. If each were left to their own devices, their lives, if they would even be there, would be a fraction of a shadow of their current ones, but they're together now, and that's what matters, and that is just so lovely to me.

My opinion on their canon potential (chemistry, canon interactions, etc)

I DONT KNOW IT IS ALL JUST SO GOOD. FOR REASONS I ALREADY SAID. *bangs fists on table*

I do want to say I wanted Pyra and Nia to interact more. These girls should hug, seriously. Also, the idea of Nia learning to cook from Pyra because her drifter days forced her to settle for whatever was in front of her are long past... Like damn I wish I could see that!

My opinion on fanon interpretations/fandom around it (Favorite widespread hcs, pet-peeves, etc)

Since I haven't actually explored the fandom enough, I only have one. And you already know what it is.

NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE SHIP THIS AND FOR SOME REASON THEY'RE TOO BUSY HAVING THEIR HEAD STUCK UP THEIR ASS AND CRYING FOR NIA WHEN SHE NEEDS NONE OF THAT AND IS PERFECTLY FINE AND REX X NIA ALONE DOESN'T EVEN WORK BECAUSE THEY NEED THE AEGIS' GUIDANCE. GAH

also I am upset that this means there is no proper established short name for them, so at best it's like 'rex and his three gfs', which isn't even entirely accurate, lol.

#the tomorrow with you came on while i was starting to write this OUCH #long post #xbc2 #zero.txt #not anyone's anything #THEY......#also im not putting it in the rex tag cause i didnt say a whole lot abt him :(#aegis on the brain clearly #and ofc. gotta love how all four of them get a canon song for themselves <3

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agent-cupcake · 4 years

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just curious, what’s your favorite and least favorite character design? my least fav for sure has got to be female byleth for reasons i don’t want to get in to yep ok have a good day 😁

IOops this accidentally became a rant, sorry

Okay so, to preface this all, I’m not a character designer and I’m actually pretty bad at it, but my rule of thumb with really unappealing or fan-service outfits is whether or not it makes sense character-wise and how much it tells the player about the character. For example, I think we can all agree that there’s quite a bit of fan-service elements in Hilda’s design. Boob window. However, it’s not unrealistic to imagine Hilda picking out those clothes for herself. Her costume tells you almost everything you need to know about her character on a visual level. She’s confident, pretty, attention-grabbing, and high maintenance while the gloves and laced girdle give a nod to her Viking-maiden roots.

Taking it to female Byleth, I don’t think that her outfit works on either front. Her design is definitely my least favorite and it’s not helped by the fact that you have to look at her at all times. Whatever. The huge, solid mass of boobs, the buttoned bib, the big eyes, the feather hair, the bellybutton, the ripped tights, the booty shorts. She’s a merc out in life and death situations with an accessible, pale, tacky 2000′s “stab me” stomach cut out and a wedgie. Which could be excusable if, like Hilda, there was reason to believe that that her costume was character choice. But she doesn’t really have much character, and what there is gives the impression of a very stoic, dry, blunt person. I have no idea why they’d have gone that route when the sexual appeal of more “utilitarian” costuming (aka, form fitting armor that at least pretends to be functional) for characters like her is scientifically proven AND would say more about the singular personality trait she possesses. Okay, well, I know why they didn’t do that and I think it’s lame. This dysfunction of “character designer wanted a sexy girl but it’s kinda random and just shoved in the game without any thought” actually reminds me a lot of Xenoblade 2′s leading ladies, Hikari and Pyra. Although considering that their bad designs led to a lot of people hating the game for superficial reasons while accepting female Byleth’s design, I guess I’m just bitter. Jumping to a different comparison, then, look at 2B from Nier Automata. Her design is fine as hell which is kinda hypocritical of me considering that it's explicitly fan-service, but I think it also shows the most damning thing for female Byleth. Her whole look, despite having a dozen different element thrown in, is boring. Maybe it’s the colors (dressing her in all black and white would have been really interesting considering the colors of the three lords are so heavily emphasized as a part of their characters) or maybe it’s just the way the desperate elements come together. But, like I said, I'm not even slightly knowledgeable about character design and I know that despite Three Houses being mostly separate, they had to appeal to a larger aesthetic brand to which I have little experience with. And, ultimately, a lot of people find her cute or sexy which...To each their own, I suppose. I don’t pretend that fan-service doesn’t work on me (2B... Cloud’s arms in the remake... Seph's shirtless Smash skin...) but when it’s this obviously inserted in by the character designers rather than feeling organic in any way AND looks bad I'm just not super interested.

The other worst designs for me would be all four of the Ashen Wolves post timeskip. I don't think it's controversial to say that they didn't try with the clothes, even if I love their designs from the neck up (Yes, even Balthus. He looks like the type of guy that would let you sit on his shoulders at a rock concert so you could see the stage). While there are other designs I think are unappealing, those are for purely aesthetic reasons and so I can't maintain the opinion that they're actively bad or that I even truly dislike them.

As for favorite looks... I actually have a few so sorry you're getting all of them because despite the shit I'm talking, I actually really really love the character designs in Three Houses.

Ferdinand's post timeskip is one of my favorite designs, if not my favorite. The hair, the coat, the armor, the spurs, the colors. You know exactly who Ferdinand von Aegir is just by looking at him. He’s wealthy, handsome, confident in his appearance, a hero, a princely type character, his battle form is mounted combat which is traditionally aesthetically reserved for nobility and leaders... I love it. The only reason I cannot say he IS my favorite is because of the three Lords. But before them, my honorable mentions include post timeskip Hilda, Dorothea, Lorenz, Felix, and Hubert. Granted, I could make a case for why I like almost all of the student’s post timeskip looks.

For the Lords, I obviously have to start with colors because, weirdly enough, Persona didn’t invent primary colors but are actually used as shorthand. Blue is the color of honor, loyalty, sincerity, sadness, and depression. Something I’ve always found very interesting is that blue is very rarely found in nature. To me, that’s always made it seem more lonely which, at least in this case, is thematically relevant. People call Dimitri boring pre timeskip and while I won’t defend his hairstyle (okay, actually, I probably would because he tucks it behind his ears and idk why but that’s one of the cutest things ever) I really like how unassuming he is. Bland. He’s supposed to be the plain shortbread cookie to caramel deLite Claude and strawberry meringue Edelgard. It is not in his character to draw attention to himself or stand out. To me, he kinda looks like an old Barbie prince, like he should have been named Dominic. Also I love the blue eyes/blonde hair thing and his more angular features. It really helps to sell him as the fakeout chivalrous prince type. Post timeskip, Dimitri's black armor is amazing. I love the fact that it’s a lot more intricate up-close with the different little shell-like pieces and the fact that his boots are furry. I love the big cape and the black and white fur around his shoulders. It’s really cool how they used his costume to change the shape of his in-game model to match the bodily proportions of the character art. It’s easier to see when you change his costume into the DLC ones, but the fur and cape build up his shoulders and chest look more broad while keeping that tiny little waist. The choice to give Dimitri an eyepatch is probably my favorite thing about this design. It’s genuinely inspired. Such a simple detail yet it tells the player everything they need to know about adult Dimitri when they see him post timeskip, in one frame the player can begin to understand the extent of his loss over the past five years. The subtle shadow under his eye in the first few Azure Moon chapters and the messy long-ish hair really help to sell the feral prince aesthetic as well, as it’s from those small cues the player gets that he’s exhausted (in more ways than one) and doesn’t maintain himself. None of these things are intentional choices by Dimtiri, they’re the result of what his character has been through.

Yellow is an intense, energetic color. Mostly, people think of it as being warm and inviting, the color of the sun and positivity. That intensity can be overwhelming, though, too visually demanding when compared to its primary counterparts. Don’t stare at the sun too long. Buuuut, it’s okay to stare at Claude. Claude not wanting to wear tight pants in either of his costumes is not only a mood, it is iconic. Pre timeskip, the softer lines of his silhouette makes him look kinda slouchy, kinda lazy. Like he’s not too concerned with appearances. But those adorably messy curls, the little braid, the clearly tended eyebrows, and earring make it clear that he DOES care about appearances and is very aware of his allure. And that’s before he even starts winking. It is honestly so in character that as many people picked him first on the basis of being thirsty, that feels like an intentionally Claude thing even if it was inserted by the designers. The contrast of his complexion with his seagreen eyes is gorgeous and instantly adds a kind of mystery and intrigue to him considering the setting... but it’s sf funny that nobody looked at bronze god Claude among a sea of white faces and thought something was up. Post timeskip, they used the same trick like they did with Dimitri to change Claude’s in-game model to match his canon appearance. The way they designed his uniform makes him not look as twink-ish, like he’s actually muscular and imposing and has the strength he’d need to shoot a war bow with a 120lbs draw weight. Also like Dimitri, you can instantly tell what Claude’s been up to. Like, he was very pretty pre timeskip but when he shows up in the Goddess Tower after those five years in all that gold, he demands your attention. Like a gentleman general with the excessive aesthetic ideals of the Alliance and details to imply his heritage. The quilted pants are amazing from both an aesthetic and practical standpoint. He’s a mounted unit riding a creature with scales, of course he’d want something on his legs for protection. And the chinstrap. I love that so much, it definitely makes him look more adult. He’s got such a cute soft baby face, it’s fun imagining him experimenting with different styles during the five years to get the most desired physical reaction to him as a leader.

Frenchfries, meet forehead. No, actually, Edelgard’s design is really fantastic. Claude and Dimitri both have realistically colored eyes and hair and then there’s Edelgard. Dimitri shrugs off attention physically and Claude shirks it with a wink but Edelgard commands the players attention from the very start. Although I’m sure there’s a lot of things to associate with white hair and purple eyes, my first thought was Daenerys from Game of Thrones. Otherworldly beautiful by with an edge. Red, of course, is The power color. Strong emotions, love and hate. Red is also associated strongly with blood, which is very important to Edelgard’s plot. Granted, I think the red and black association is even more powerful than JUST red and red is the cheapest play to make in regards to displaying villainy (I mean, there are some pretty universally recognized associations with red and black and it led to people making some unfair comparisons between Edelgard and a famous dictator) but I think it was effective and well used and I genuinely enjoy its use in her case. Anyway, if I had a major complaint about her design it would be the weird ashy color of her hair whereas Lysithea’s hair is pure white. Which doesn’t even matter with the AMAZING hair horns. Ram horns can actually symbolize quite a few things, but their association with power and strength is pretty universal I think. They’re also used in demonic imagery. I love that THIS was her alternative to a crown. Edelgard views herself as a force of war and power before she thinks of herself as royalty. She also mentions that she isn’t super vain, but she loves to do her hair, so the hair being the most elaborate part of her look is entirely in-character. Edelgard’s ensemble is, like Claude, very militaristic. I love that they kept her in a dress that embraces femininity without showing skin as that wouldn’t really suit her Also, again, Edelgard demands your attention. She’s dressed all in bright bright red waving around a giant axe. She is a symbol as much as she is a combatant, someone to follow. I didn’t really mention their secondary lord costumes, but a girl in sexy armor is literally everything and I love that they had the balls to put their main sexy waifu girl in full body armor.

Okay I’m sorry I realize this was excessive and probably didn’t need explaining and I’m not sure I even articulated my thoughts properly but anyway I love their designs so here is the positivity I’ll put into the world.

#fe3h #ferdinand von aegir #claude von riegan #edelgard von hresvelg #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #haha i htae byleths design this was all just to justify my abject disgust for the way she looks #nobody sent me anything about dimitri's dick so this is what i've been reduced to

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veebs-hates-video-games · 3 years

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Yes I played more Torchlight 2 because I couldn't sleep and I make bad decisions sometimes. I have several better games right here that I could be playing (just counting stuff I have with me that I'm already in the middle of there's Fire Emblem: Fates, the Final Fantasy XII remaster, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Bayonetta...), but no, let's go with the one that annoys me because it's less effort and I'm tired. At least it's better if I stick to a character and skills that I know work and are reasonably satisfying?

Anyway, I found a great example of the kind of thing it does kind of mediocrely that Grim Dawn does very well, which I will explain with very minor spoilers for both (and possibly mixing up some minor details, but whatever).

In act 3 of TL2 there's what basically amounts to a non-optional side quest to get an item you need to progress the main story. Said item is in a logging camp on the other side of the Spooky Forest you're in, and when you get there it contains no woodsmen but many werewolves. To progress the quest you move through the area, killing werewolves and reading notes left by one of the last survivors, and eventually notes from his wife after he's gone. In the end it turns out everyone's dead or werewolfed or something, and you kill the former foreman who's actually the Alpha Werewolf (sadly no betas or omegas, but I guess those were the rest of them in the area even if they weren't explicitly labeled).

Problem solved, everything wraps up neatly, it's all contained in its own little separate map, and you literally can't miss any of it because it's mandatory to proceed through the main story and everything is glowing and also highlighted on your map. The writing for it is serviceable and conveys the stock footage equivalent of a story fine, but nothing stands out about it in any way.

Meanwhile in act 3 in Grim Dawn there's a similar story. Once again it's centered around a man and woman and their child in a difficult situation, but I think I'll let this one tell itself because it's a quick read on the wiki. The quality of the writing is substantially better, the story is much less generic (even if it's not completely original), and the tragic ending hits so much harder.

And here's the thing: those are just three random notes you can find on the ground walking through the area they take place in. Completely optional, completely missable, and entirely just there for flavor. And the game is full of stuff like that. It's not really my preference in terms of aesthetic or my favorite genre in terms of story or setting, but even with that going against it it still impressed me many times with its commitment to worldbuilding. The main story is decent but nothing super amazing, but there's so much really interesting stuff scattered through the world if you want to look for it. Dozens upon dozens of notes like that, journal entries and letters and log books and so on, and lots of little details in the way the world is put together and things the level artists snuck in here and there.

It's not quite on the same level as The Witcher 3, where nearly every side quest is more interesting and better written than the main story of 95% of other games out there, but like the Witcher series it's one of those games where I read every little scrap of text because it's frequently fascinating and contributes so much to the feeling of the world. Unsurprisingly the lead designer for Grim Dawn is a huge nerd who I've seen talk before in interviews about his interest in history and mythology and stuff, and it shows in how complete and coherent the world feels.

Sometimes games are good, I guess?

#torchlight 2 #torchlight series #grim dawn #mentioned:#the witcher 3 #witcher series

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xsparklingravenx · 4 years

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dying light

Title: dying light

Fandom: Xenoblade Chronicles 1 / 2

Characters: Zanza, Meyneth, Klaus, Galea

Rating: T

Word Count: 5,244

Summary: On the shoreline of a dying world, they meet again for one final time.

Klaus and Galea. Major spoilers for the entirety of Xenoblade 1 and Xenoblade 2

AO3

In the dying light of a cross-shaped sun, a woman awoke.

From horizon to horizon stretched a boundless sea, the sky above scorched in red, green, and lilac tones. She drifted amidst the trembling waves, carried along by its easy caress as it handled her as careful as a mother with her child. With no direction, no obvious right way to go, she was at its mercy as it carried her across its surface, no clear destination in sight wherever she looked.

So instead, she turned her thoughts, and her gaze, back to the sky. Such an unusual sunset, she thought as the sun dipping halfway beyond the horizon. The colours were more akin to a borealis, an amalgamation of odd, contrasting tones that she was certain held more in common than their appearances would have her believe. After all, it was nothing like she’d ever seen in any natural world. Nothing like what she’d ever seen from her perch upon the Mechonis, or in any other world before that.

She continued to drift, letting the ocean take her on whatever path it deigned. She was content to simply be the passenger; there was no need to be fight it, or to try and dictate the way the waves rolled her. This was her afterlife, or, so it seemed. Surprised as she was that there was one, she didn’t question it. There were so many things she didn’t understand, and so many things she had to accept. In a very long line of oddities, this was hardly the strangest she’d ever experienced.

And yet still, the shape of that cross-like sun as it continued to dim—she’d seen it before, years and years and years ago, countless millennia gone by. It had been burned into her mind, the final thing she’d seen before her life changed irreversibly, illuminating the figure of the man she loved as he dammed them both. There were many things she’d forgotten from her life before, but that would never be one of them.

Closing her eyes, she let the darkness be a comfort as she fell between the ocean’s waves, moving, moving, her body still, the air silent. In the moments of calm, she dreamt, of the Homs girl who had leant her a body, of her final moments clashing against a megalomaniacal god. War had been forever seared into her bones, into her genetic makeup. She had been born into the world fighting, and so she had left it too. Battle was all she knew, had been all she’d known for too long. Now that there was a moment for peace, she was all too glad to take it.

“This breeze. It’s nice, isn’t it?”

“I wasn’t really considering it, but now you’ve said, I can see the appeal—”

Echoing words, voices she could hardly untangle, her own, or the Homs girl, his, or the Heir to the Monado. Memories she’d shared had become integral to her being, feelings she’d absorbed from the girl who had melded with her heart. The woman was a goddess, but she hardly felt powerful now. Lost in the ocean, she pulled herself apart and pieced herself back together, over, over, a machine replacing its own circuits, a woman searching for her own soul. Thousands of years’ worth of experiences were layered over her past like sediment, burying the truth and all that she had known with it.

So caught up in herself was she, that she barely noticed the waves depositing her carefully on a shoreline that had not been there before. It was only when she felt sand beneath her fingers that she realised she was no longer at one with the sea, but instead, on the surface of a wet, grainy beach. Surprised at the sensation, the woman sat up, looking at her hands in mystified silence.

She stared, turning her hand to look at her palms, then back to look at her knuckles, grains of sand falling with the movement. Then she flexed her fingers, clawing them, spreading them, making a fist with her hand. Tendons moved, and she noticed veins too, as faded as they were. It was not the movement that surprised her, but the fluidity, the colour, simply how normal it looked. She had grown so accustomed to her metal skin, to her silver tones, that the uneven, peach tone of her flesh stunned her into silence.

“It is horrifying, is it not? To be returned to our own flesh and see ourselves for what we truly were?”

Her breath hitched. The voice that came from behind her was one she knew intimately; though he and the Heir to the Monado shared it, she knew it was not the boy who she would find if she turned. Taking a moment to steady herself, she stood, wet fabric clinging to her body, sleeves of a white lab coat tight around her arms, drenched strands of silver hair falling past her face. The garb of a human. The garb of someone she might have once been.

She didn’t turn. Not immediately. Fists clenched at her sides, staring out to sea, she said, “I see this is not the afterlife after all.”

“What would make you say that?”

How sad he sounded. She knew it for the lie that it was. “You are cruel beyond words, Zanza. Those children, tell me, did they fail? Is this how you would remake our world? You would drag me back after you won to do war once more?”

Silence. Only the dreamy sound of the rolling waves punctuated it, her anger not matched by that of the atmosphere. Those Homs that she’d entrusted the world to, they’d had so much hope for their future. She’d given her life to make it happen, to save the boy who would save them all, yet once again, she and Zanza had been brought back to their beginning.

Zanza said, “I understand if you would hate me, but you misjudge the situation. This isn’t that world reborn.”

There was no other explanation. It was as empty as it always was at the start. As the Mechonis, she had borne witness to a world made of nothing but endless ocean, her own body and his the only habitable spaces. They would eventually give birth to life once more, and then they would divulge into needless violence. It was their cycle. It was their way. Zanza forced her into battle and she had no choice but to fight back, only ever for her people, never for herself.

“I no longer wield a Monado,” the woman said. She loosened her fists, the tension leaking out of her as she realised the futility of it all. “You saw to that. I know not how I stand here before you, but our battle is over before it begins this time. You will sacrifice everything all over again, and there is nothing I can do to stop you. This world will be yours for the taking. Is that not what you dreamt of all along?”

“Perhaps a part of me did,” Zanza said. “But in truth, there’s something else. One other thing I’ve been dreaming of all this time.”

She closed her eyes, angered tears welling in the corners. Her remorse, for everything she’d failed to do. Her guilt. Her grief. The Heir to the Monado deserved no such fate as to be obliterated. His friends deserved to defy their passage of fate, not submit to it. “And what is that?”

“To finally face you again, Galea.”

The name struck her like an arrow through her back. Finally, she turned, the breeze catching her hair as she did, her voice stuck in her throat. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, to focus on the hazy sight before her. Hands in the pockets of a lab coat matching her own, a faint smile on a familiar pair of lips, eyes as blue as the ocean she’d borne witness to for millennia.

Those eyes widened as he laid them on her, his lips parting a fraction. For a moment, she wasn’t there, on the shoreline, but instead a hundred thousand years ago, stood in the faded memory of the gardens of a research facility, seeing him for the first time below the low branches of a weeping willow tree.

The new professor was quite unlike any who had come before him. Galea had overseen several who wanted to crack open the secrets of their newfound Conduit, but none had managed to even scratch its surface—until this young man, or, so Galea had heard from her colleagues, anyway. Brilliant, alert, and yet incredibly elitist, he had apparently driven away every other assistant who had been assigned to his side.

“He has to do everything his own way,” said her friend, who waved her hands in overdramatic gestures when Galea chose to ask after him. “You’re gonna have your hands full with this one, if you even last five minutes with him.”

Galea was next in line for the role, having been begged by the higher-ups to take over the role of assistant as their last one threw in the towel. It was a mistake to say yes, and she knew it—her mother had always told her to never take a job position if she’d been passed over as the primary candidate in the first place. But she was young. She didn’t have all the time in the world to make a mark. If there was an opportunity in place, she had no choice but to grab it with both hands.

It was in the base’s gardens she found him, stood beneath a tree with one hand resting on the trunk, gazing out across the tranquil lake that bisected the grassy land in two. The ends of his white, standard-issued coat fluttered in the wind, blond strands of hair picked up and thrown about his head. Putting on her best smile, she linked her hands behind her back and went to stand next to him.

But, in her haste, she hadn’t prepared an opening statement. Unknowing what to say, she floundered for words, desperately searching for something to introduce herself with. In the end, all that came out was, “This breeze. It’s nice, isn’t it?”

He turned his head in surprise, eyes a fraction too wide, his mouth downturned a tick. “I wasn’t really considering it, but now you’ve said, I can see the appeal—” his gaze travelled downwards, and she considered retracting her comment until his line of sight snagged on her nametag attached to her breast pocket. “—Galea.”

Above them, quietly, a war raged on. Humanity had taken their conflict higher, beyond the stars themselves, but down on the earth, it was peaceful, quiet. “Yes. And you are Professor Klaus, are you not?”

He nodded, facing back towards the lake. “Am I right in thinking that you’re to be my new assistant? I recognize your name, but this would be our first meeting.”

“Our first meeting, yes, but I’ve already heard a lot about you.”

“Have you now? None of it good, I imagine.”

“I don’t tend to believe in idle gossip,” Galea said, still smiling. “I judge men on their own merits, not on the hearsay of others. As they say, seeing is very much believing.”

The breeze caressed her skin, calm and gentle. Klaus didn’t reply immediately, and when she turned to look at him, she found him still staring out at the lake. “Might I ask what you’re looking at?”

“Nothing in particular,” came his quick response, one of his hands dipping into his coat’s pocket. “I do my best thinking in the quiet, though that pursuit is ruined now, given that you’re here now. Judging men on their own merits, you said, and refusing to take part in gossip? Well. You must be fun at parties.”

“As must you, given how quick you are to turn.” Galea crossed her arms against her chest as he turned to face her once more. He was, in her view, terribly beautiful, his hair golden, his eyes soulfully blue, like if she looked too hard, she might see galaxies shining within. “Let me guess; the reason for your rudeness is because you want nothing more than to examine the Conduit by yourself. My presence is only a hindrance because of that reason—but tell me. Why? What is it about the Conduit that draws you in?”

Klaus laughed then, a bitter sound in his throat. “I want to save this world, Galea. What else? That thing, it emits so much power, if only we could access its full potential. Nobody has the acumen, the knowledge, to figure it out. But I do. I will unlock its secrets on my own, with no-one to stand in my way. And when I do, the Saviourites will fall by my hand.”

“I see,” Galea said. “So it is trite heroism that drives you.”

“Trite—!”

“But here is the issue, Klaus,” Galea cut him off, raising a finger to quieten him. “I can hardly believe in a man who I know nothing about. Your words right now are just that—words, and I haven’t seen what you can do. For all I know, I will find the path to humanity’s survival in my own research.”

“You have a lot of confidence, don’t you?” Klaus scoffed, shaking his head. “I don’t need you. Or any of the others who they’ve tried to partner up with me. You’re all the same, eager to please, desperate to make some kind of mark. I don’t need that kind of overenthusiastic uselessness holding me back.”

“Uselessness? Such a strong word, considering you don’t know a thing about me!” Galea couldn’t help but be offended, planting her hands on her hips. “Well, you won’t find that ‘eagerness’ to please in me, Klaus. I’m not playing the role of your assistant to make-nice with the higher-ups, I’m doing it because the Conduit interests me, because it has so many secrets hidden within that I must know. Desperate to make some kind of mark, you say? Well. Aren’t you also? Isn’t that what you just said?”

“That’s what you took away from this conversation? That I’m ‘desperate’?”

“Indeed. But maybe you could show to me that you’re wrong, if you work hard.” He tried to speak over her, but Galea raised her finger again, cutting him off soundly. “No, you’re listening to me right now. This is my proposition to you; I will be your assistant, and you will prove to me that you are as good as you say. Then, and only then, will I have faith that perhaps you could save us all. That you could be the hero that you seem to be dreaming of being.”

Klaus’s eyebrows drew together, but he didn’t seem displeased. After a moment of what seemed like pure shock, he began to laugh, genuinely. Frowning, Galea said, “I don’t see the joke.”

“I’m not the only one they gossip about in this base, you realise,” Klaus said, shaking his head. “But perhaps they were wrong, or simply shallow. I heard you were cold, stony, even. Some even called you robotic in your methods, but from what I see now, that it is untrue. You wish to share the Conduit with me? Then you need to prove something to me also. Prove to me that you’re just as worthy, and perhaps I might consider the idea that we could be able to carve out a path to a new future together.”

Galea looked back across the lake, so still, so quiet. The sun sat in its lofty throne, perfectly circular, a beacon for their earth. A sign, she thought, of better days to come. “So it is to be a challenge then, one to another? Your arrogance is as they say.”

“Arrogance?” She could hear the smirk in his voice. “How amusing. I heard many use the same word to describe you. Perhaps we’re not so different as I first thought.”

“Give it time,” Galea said. “You will see the difference.”

“Will I? I can’t say I’m disinterested. But, for now, I think it’s time for me to go.” Klaus turned, drawing her attention back to him. He retreated away from the weeping willow, his back to her, giving a careless wave goodbye as he left. “I will meet you again, when it is time for us to do our work. You’ve spoken a big game now, so, don’t let me down, Galea.”

“The same to you, Klaus,” she replied. The lake rippled in the breeze as she looked back to it, tucking a lock of silver hair back behind her ear. Their war was one they had to win, competition or no.

Alone, or together, it mattered not.

He looked at her like he had that day, as if he was laying his eyes on her for the first time all over again. Blue-on-blue, human-to-human, flesh-to-flesh. He was gold, and she was silver, contrasting colours on the wheel of their world, opposite sides of the shoreline, opposite sides of their war. Her tears threatened to fall, but she did not let them.

Not yet.

“You would call me that, after everything?” she said. “I cast that woman out to sea as you so carelessly abandoned your past to rot. Do not invoke that name now, after I tried so hard to reach out to you. Do not speak to me so plainly, when you tore it all from me. I offered you peace, and you ripped it apart with your own hands.”

“Then you would prefer ‘Meyneth’?” Zanza asked. He looked so out of place, standing there like that in his human guise. The last time she’d seen him, his expression had been twisted with mania, his voice warped with delusional hatred. “You do not look very much like her to me, though.”

Something was wrong here. She searched him for any hint of a Monado, but there was no such weapon in sight. “This is treacherous, even for you. Appearing as you are, speaking to me this way—you revel in the fact that you’re breaking my heart.”

“That’s not true.” Zanza cast his gaze downwards, taking a single step across the sand. She took one backwards in response, and then another, her heels burying themselves beneath the grains as she wrapped her arms around herself. “Listen to me, Meyneth, Galea, whoever you wish to be in this moment. This is not your world, or mine, because those children you believed in succeeded. Your wish has been realised. They remade the world with their own desires, they cast out my twisted form and denied all gods.”

“How can I believe you?” Meyneth asked him. “When all has come to pass before, when you forced me into battle against you again and again, why would I believe a single word from your mouth?”

He stopped in his approach, closing his eyes. “I understand if you would hate me, for everything I’ve done.”

Hate? It wasn’t the right word for the way she felt. There was no word that could quite encapsulate the spectrum of emotions that she felt whenever Zanza entered her field of vison. They had clashed for lifetimes, sword against sword, collision in a thousand forms, a thousand conflicts.

“If what you speak is truth, then prove it.” Meyneth said.

“As someone once told me, seeing is very much believing,” Zanza said. He made a grand gesture towards the dying sun in the sky, a sweep of his arm. “The Conduit is gone. That boy, Shulk—his actions saw it so. What we are now, I couldn’t tell you, but we’re no longer the gods we once posed as. I believe—I believe that we’ve been reborn anew, one last time, in response to our own wishes, but that is mere hypothesis. I only know what my wish was, after all.”

She looked up at the sun. It did look like the Conduit, and it burned as brightly as it once had in the laboratories. “So if I am to believe what you say, then you are not Zanza. Is that it?”

“It would be easier to say yes,” Zanza said. “But it would also be a lie, and I can hardly hide from the blame that I deserve. I am recomplete. That day, when I made my decision, when I pressed that button, the Conduit tore my soul in two. Some of me ended up with you, in that world. I only regret that it was the worst of me.”

“Stop this,” Meyneth said. “You speak of another world? That you could possibly have—”

“It is a gateway. A gateway that will take us to an entirely new world!”

“You were right,” Zanza was looking up towards the Conduit-shaped sun for himself when she turned back, bathed in its light. “A meta-universe manifold. That was what you called it. And it was. It opened up so many possibilities, but I never should have done it. I awoke in pieces on the floor of the Rhadamanthus, half of me lost to your world, half of me still on that station. My decision was wrong. I know that now.”

She remembered the day she awoke too, the day she turned to the man she loved and saw only that crazed look in his eyes. “You never wanted peace,” she said. “First, you wanted heroism and glory. Then, you wanted immortality and devotion. You chose that over everything, even when I tried to stop you! You chose that over me.”

“I never forgot,” Zanza said. He approached anew, and she didn’t step back this time. “I never forgot your voice, how you shouted that day, how you told me to stop. I never forgot how frightened you sounded, or how tightly you held onto me. And part of me, the worst part, Zanza, he used that to fuel his hatred towards you. But me…”

“But you?” Meyneth stepped forwards now, the distance between them getting smaller. “Speak, Zanza. Respond to me.”

“My name is Klaus,” he said. “An arrogant man who thought he could change the future. A lonely fool who awoke to the knowledge that he’d sentenced everyone on the Rhadamanthus to death, a pathetic god who screamed your name over and over, hoping you would come and find me. I could see you through the link I shared with my body in your world. I knew everything he was doing, and I couldn’t stop him. He was me. I was him. And yet I could do nothing but wait and hope that someone would put us down. I carried the guilt of what I did for a millennia, waiting, waiting, constantly dreaming that I could one day see you again for myself.”

He closed his eyes, head ducked down low, hands in fists at his side. The Conduit’s sun grew dimmer still, the colours of the sky fading. What happened when it went out? Would their brief meeting come to an end?

Their lives were linked in the light of the Conduit. It was through it they had been reborn, been changed, been shaped. Klaus and Galea. Zanza and Meyneth. The same souls, different aliases. Humans and Gods, what became of them when there was nothing left?

Her voice would not come to her. Her mind would not work. It grew dimmer, and dimmer, and yet she didn’t know what to do.

In the light of the Conduit, brilliant and blinding, they kissed for the first time.

There was nobody around to see them, nobody around to interrupt. Most of the Rhadamanthus’ staff were tucked away in their dorms, and it was only Klaus and Galea left in the lab. One thing had led to another, and now she had her back against the window of stars while their lips chased one another in hungry desperation.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pushing further into him. He pushed back, his arms around her waist, their bodies pressed so tightly together that they were almost one. The solar system was their single witness as they abandoned their work for only each other, desperate and passionate. Planets watched, their legacy to come remembered by them and them alone.

Her hands found his hair. His held onto her hips. She’d never intended for things to go this way. What had started as simple rivalry had progressed into friendship, into late-night drinks and research. Travelling to the station beyond the stars had intensified things, their quarters now closer than ever before, their time spent mostly with each other.

For what felt like hours they simply existed to express their love, surfacing for air only to return once more. She was starving for him as he was her, and it was only later, when they finally tired, that she said, “I want to be with you, Klaus.”

“When the war is over,” he said, holding her close. “When we’ve unlocked the secrets of the Conduit and saved humanity, then we can do this right.”

“Are we not already?” she asked, touching her fingertips to her swollen lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than this moment. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than when I’m with you.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” Klaus rested his forehead against hers. “I want to take you to dinner, or to make you dinner. I want to take you home and sleep in the same bed as you. I want to be yours, to make a thousand memories with you.”

“We can start now,” Galea said, looking directly into his eyes, drowning in the depths. “Right this moment. I don’t want to be apart from you, not now, not ever. I want to hold onto you forever, not just in my memories. I want to do something fun. Can we dance?”

“Dance?” Klaus blinked, his surprise endearing. “But we have no music.”

“We need no music.” She pulled back from him and took his hand. “Sweep me off my feet. Prove to me that your head isn’t only for science.”

Ever one to rise to the challenge, Klaus took the lead. Clumsy as he was, he was enthusiastic, the two of them clasping hands in a not-entirely dreadful imitation of a ballroom dance. Around and around they went, momentum shared, joined in a union of movement that had her grinning, that had his eyes focused on her like she was all that existed in that moment. Perhaps they were all that existed. In her wildest dreams, she imagined a place for them, and them alone, untouched by war and fear, untouched by death and destruction.

“So do you believe in me now?” Klaus asked as they continued their duet, lab coats drifting with their movement. “That my head isn’t only for science?”

He dipped her low. She looked up at him, smiling. “I see it for myself, don’t I?”

So they went. So they carried on. And if she’d dared look away, dared catch sight of herself in the window’s reflection, she might have seen a future echoed in the mirror, illuminated by the Conduit itself.

A god dressed in golden tones dancing with a goddess made of steel, hand in hand, face to face. Their lips touched anew, and in the window, conflict sparked; but for Galea, all she knew in that moment was love.

“This burden is mine to bear,” Zanza said. “Everything that happened to our world. Everything that happened to you. Everything I put the innocent through.”

Meyneth turned her head, looking behind her to where the sea continued to roll on in. How unassuming it was, to not know of the conflict within her heart, to not understand and respond to her thoughts, her feelings. The sky had morphed into dusky tones, violets and emeralds and scarlets. She had the feeling they were running out of time, but she couldn’t explain why.

“You said you have a hypothesis,” she said, still looking out over that deep blue. “You believe the Conduit granted us one last wish each?”

“It is what I did for the world I came from,” Zanza replied. “After I had given up hope, a boy came to me with his friends and showed me there was still more to life than death. Perhaps the Conduit took pity on us. I for one know I’m pitiable.”

Such fascinating words coming from the mouth of the god who had decried anything that came beneath him. “Then what was your wish?”

“Have I not already told you?” His tone spoke volumes of his surprise. “It was to see you one last time, Galea. To beg your forgiveness.”

“Prove it to me,” she whispered. “Prove that you’re not him. Prove to me that you’re Klaus, not Zanza.”

“Done,” he said, and she heard his voice shatter on that single word. “I love you, Galea, more than the earth, more than the stars, more than anything. And I was wrong to choose the Conduit over you, I was wrong to submit us to destruction, and though I know forgiveness is out of reach for me, I needed to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Finally, her tears ran free. She blinked hard as they ran down her cheeks, and, cruel illusion or no, she could hold it back no longer. He was right there, the man she’d searched for in the eyes of a crazed god, looking at her like she was the world, and it broke her in two. She ran to him, arms outstretched, and he caught her as she collided with him. Together, they went down in the sand with a whumph, a flutter of coats and a mess of sobs. He pressed his lips to hers, and she let him in, responding lightly, her hands shaking as she clung to his back, his fingers gripping the back of her coat just as tightly.

“I searched for you within him for so long,” she said as they broke apart, as she buried her head into the crook of his neck. She shook off Meyneth like a snake shedding skin, searching deep within herself for the woman she might once have been. “Take me back to the start, Klaus. Let us begin again.”

“I would give anything to do that,” he said. The sky darkened further overhead. “But I fear this is all the time we have left.”

“No,” Galea lifted her head to look him in the eye. “If we are to be reborn again in the light of the Conduit or not, know that I will find you, no matter what it takes, because I never stopped searching, not even in our darkest hours.”

“And I will find you, Galea,” he said, one hand brushing against her hair. He closed his eyes and smiled. “This breeze. It’s nice, isn’t it?”

Breathless, tearful, Galea found it in her to smile; genuine and true. Her words echoed his of countless years ago. “I hadn’t noticed—but now you’ve said, I can see the appeal.”

The sun continued to die. The sky grew darker still, the colours fading from sight one-by-one, yet it mattered not to the lovers who had reunited in their final moments. They remained amidst the grains of sand, hand-in-hand, awaiting the end.

#Xenoblade Spoilers #Xenoblade Chronicles #Zanza #Meyneth #Xenoblade #My Writing

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sj4iy · 6 years

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Games: “Xenoblade Chronicles 2″ - Why I Prefer the English Dub

So, it’s not often that I talk about games on this blog, but because this game is very similar to watching an anime and the voice acting is so important to the story, I thought I’d give my opinion here. I’ve heard a lot of people complain about the English dub of this game, and while I can understand some of their complaints, I don’t understand why they believe the Japanese voice acting is any better. So I’m here to explain why I personally prefer this game in English. Spoilers ahead, of course.

First off, a little bit about the story and characters. The game is set in a world where there are no land masses, only large animals called Titans, on which the world’s entire population lives. However, all life in Alrest is facing a crisis situation now that the Titans are dying off. Rex, a young salvager and our main protagonist, meets Pyra and starts a quest that just might save all of Alrest.

Okay, now that that’s over, let’s get to the point of this article: the voice acting. While many people have said that the Japanese voice acting is better, I have to disagree. Of course, this is my opinion, and if you truly enjoy the Japanese more, that’s your right. However, I don’t, and I will give the reasons why as well as the reasons why I love the English dub.

Starting with my critique of some of the more prominent characters in Japanese, let’s start with Rex, since he’s the focal point of the story. He sounds like your typical shounen protagonist…however, there’s more to it as the story goes on. His character is described as optimistic and somewhat carefree by the other characters, but I don’t think he really comes off as that, if I’m honest. The tone of his voice often comes off as cocky, pushy or even angry at times. I think this comes from overacting, which I’ve seen many people construe as a good thing. I don’t view it that way, though…it just comes off as melodramatic. Especially Rex’s cry of anguish when Vandham dies…it comes off as comedically overdone rather than moving.

Moving on to Pyra (or Homura, in the Japanese version)…she’s bland. She’s timid, nice and has very little personality to her. I understand that they are trying to build a contrast between her and Mythra (Hikari), but you can do it without making your character sound like a complete pushover. Now, Azura (Seiryuu). I hate his voice in Japanese…it’s like nails on a chalkboard. It sounds bad when he’s huge, and even worse when he’s small. I laughed out loud when Rex was preparing the crab on his back and Azura is making this god awful wailing sound that is supposed to be a sound of contentment. It’s just bad acting. Tora also suffers from this problem, where he comes off as rather whiny and annoying. The fact that the extremely feminine voice makes him sound like a young girl rather than a male sort of makes the joke with Poppi (Hana) a little strange.

Now, to critique the English. Rex’s English voice definitely does not sound like your typical shounen protagonist. I feel like his Northern English accent immediately puts some people off, since it’s not what you’d normally hear. But I like it…I feel like it fits his character well, and that overly optimistic, carefree character Rex is supposed to be really comes through. Yes, I agree…his screams can be weaksauce at times, but it genuinely does get better as the game goes on. It’s only the first two chapters that I really noticed them, and after that they were fine. However, that cry of anguish I criticized in the Japanese is perfectly done in English…he’s actually crying, not screaming. It’s subtle, but not underacted at all.

Pyra sounds more grown up in this version, with a raspy voice. She still has a little bit of that timidity, but she never once sounds like a pushover. It makes Mythra sound that much more forceful when she comes on the scene, which makes Rex’s comment about how ‘touchy’ she is seem more valid. Tora actually sounds male and not at all whiny in this version, and Azura is better in voice quality and acting.

Another reason I prefer the English to the Japanese is the variety in accents…depending on where you’re from and what race you are, you have an accent specific to that area, which I find extremely interesting. Having Northern English, Welsh, Scottish, American accents and more in this makes it really diverse and makes you feel like you are actually traveling to different places. In the Japanese, they all have the expected accents and voices…there’s nothing new or interesting about it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but compared to the English, it makes it seem less ambitious. As someone who clearly loves language and the dialects found within them, I love when a game, movie or tv show does something out of the ordinary. Sure, it can be jarring for those who want that familiarity, but I always love it when there’s something new and unexpected.

So, there are my reasons why I enjoy the dub more. Do you have an opinion? Would you like to share it? Feel free to comment below :)

#xenoblade chronicles #voice acting #english dub #japanese #opinion #games #gaming #anime #jrpg #rpg

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joieedevivre · 7 years

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ABC Answering Game

Rules: tag 20 blogs and answer questions in a new post

A- age: 23 B- Birthplace: California C- current time: 4:08 PM D- drink you last drank: Coffee from our new Nespresso (which I’m absolutely LOVING!) with gratuitous amounts of almond milk and agave nectar in, cuz I’m like the whitest girl you’ll ever meet in that (and some other) respect! E- easiest person to talk to: My wonderful, kind, funny and silly husband @@gnoggin , though @readerofmanyworlds @red-robin44 and @necros899 come in very very close second F- favorite song: That’s a really tough one... I dunno if I have a favorite, but my current musical fixations are Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin, Goner by twenty one pilots, All Apologies by Nirvana and Lone Digger, and Wonderland, both by Caravan Palace G- grossest memory: As a preschool and infant/toddler teacher, I’ve had A LOT of very disgusting memories (like on my first day working with toddlers instead of preschoolers, a child started simultaneously projectile-vomiting and diarrhea’ing all over everyone’s lunch as I was picking them up), but the situation that takes the cake wasn’t even involving children at all. It was the time I ate fox diarrhea at a school camp on Catalina Island (which is off the coast of California and was beyond amazing!). Don’t worry, the fox poop was completely sterile, in the sense that foxes on the island only eat fruits and nuts, so its about as safe to eat as anything else you can pick up off the ground on the side of a hiking trail. And as to *why* I ate said fox poop, if you really wanna know, shoot me an ask and I’ll relay the weird, hubris-filled adolescence behind it! H- horror yes or no? Yes. Always yes. Bring it on! Unless its in movies. Idk why, but horror movies are a big no-no for me. I- in love? Heck to the ys! Been happily in love with my husband for 7 years, and married to him for almost 3! <33 J- jealous of people? No, not really. I’m not worried that someone will take what I have, and especially not worried that someone will “take” Austin away from me, because he isn’t my property, and because after 7 years of being with someone and knowing them about as well as yourself, you kinda learn that you have nothing to worry about in that department. He’s the most loyal and amazing SO anyone could ask for, so I’m pretty lucky in that department K- killed someone? Umm... what a weird question. No, I’m way too wimpy and empathetic to kill someone. Unless someone I love (or a child, but I love all children, so...) is threatened, and then I feel like I’d turn into a big ol’ mamma bear, and then all bets are off in that dept. L- love at first sight or should I walk past again? Love at first sight is fake and grossly exaggerated. But I definitely had a huge crush on Austin from the moment I met him freshman year of high school, so the idea that infatuation at first sight can lead to love is definitely true M- middle name: Marie N- number of siblings: 3, 2 brothers and 1 sister, all older than me O- one wish? To make those around me happy and well-cared-for P- person you last called? The best local cat boarding place, because we are going to a convention for an extended weekend soon, and we always leave Sasha there whenever we leave town for more than a night, because she’s a social animal, dammit, and I won’t leave her alone for that long because I have empathy, Karen! Q- question you’re always asked: Are you really adopted?? Answer: yes. Are you really married to THE Lockstin/Gnoggin?? Answer, yes, and I’m honestly as amazed by that fact as you are, and I’m so eternally grateful he loves me as much as he does R- reason to smile: I get to wake up every morning next to the best husband and best cat in the entire universe. ... Oh, you wanted a non-sappy answer? Okay. I’m super excited to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 tomorrow (Thanks Nintendo for that #freecopy!) S- song you last sang: Probably something nostalgic and memey with our housemate and my best friend Josh (aka necros899) T- time you woke up: Initially? 8:30 when my alarm went off. But then I fell back asleep and didn’t wake up again until Austin’s alarm at 11:30 lol U- underwear color: A really pretty light-ish blue (I think it’d be considered baby blue, maybe, idk) V- vacation: Just got back from visiting my family for Thanksgiving for a week (12 hr train rides by yourself are definitely an experience...) W- worst habit: Eating so much I aggravate my Irritable Bowel Syndrome X- x-rays: Turns out I have something weird with my body, which causes me to always have a false-positive for Tuberculosis, which means that from now on, whenever I need to get re-tested for it (which is a lot since I’m a preschool teacher), I have to go straight to the X-ray. Y- your favorite food: PASTA!!! And cheesecake :33 Z- zodiac sign: Leo, which is cool cuz I love Panthera so much!

And as for tagging, well... I tag whomever wants to do it!

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splatfest-official · 7 years

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top five favorite ships go! :D

random questions? in my inbox? its more likely than u thinkthese aren’t in order, they’re just in the order they occured to me, also sorry this is so long

1. hhhhhhh zelgreen,,,,!!! its extremely overused and p close to zelink but honestly i love it bcs there’s so many ways they can lean on each other and support each other and learn from/with each other and also green would get bragging rights and zelda would have a husband that her kingdom actually appreciates (her dad probably isnt happy he doesnt get to arrange a marriage though) so zelgreen? yes definitely one of my faves

2. Do OC ships count because jatt is my life right now (those are my splatoon OCs). i dont even have too much to say about this one, but hello yes my son jarenn is in love with the local famous barista matthias and theyre both really oblivious, insert coffeeshop AU here

3. lets see hhhhhhhhum AU vidow! i still reblog stuff thats drawn to be in canon but personally i only ship it in AUs where it makes sense because… weird. im not gonna go too far into this but i still call it my “first n forever otp” because when i was eleven and an idiot it was my first otp and even though my situations for shipping it have dwindled significantly over the years, i still like it occasionally

4. ok so look i know i already said zelgreen but fkIN SKYWARD SWORD ZELINK!! IS!! MY FAVE!! zelinK!! first of all im a little gay for both of them, so i love both of them, and also them?? together?? its more beautiful than u think bcs they have backstory, and they have chemistry, and even though its generic its my fave for reasons i cannot explain?? the fact that everything link does in the game is for zelda? 10/10 loyal couple their love defies reality goodbye

5. im so sorry this is long and these are almost all zelda ships but, also, consider medali. wind waker hd was second zelda after ss and i love the rito from that game so much… komali the temperamental birb prince and his sage in shining armor medli the harpist pls, i loved their arc(s) so much and now i just really love them and i never see content for them but they’re my, otp. from that game. i love them. let me see content. for the birb couple.

Honorable mentions: melia and shulk from xenoblade chronicles, fiora and reyn from xenoblade chronicles, blue and erune from four swords, midna and ilnk from twilight princess, beat and shiki from TWEWY, link and malon from oot, platonic fi and link from SS, there’s a lot and ill stop there

#i dont have time to tag hhhhhh #ennswers #kade tries to be funny #shippy #otp #ocs #zelda #loz #ss #ww #link #fs #i think thats all the things i feel like taggin rip

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mingu-baristagamer · 7 years

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About that Metroid Prime 4 announcement...

Yes, I know this is vastly late, but bear with me, since I’ve wanted to say all this for a while now. But really, I feel that what I have to say here not only applies today, but will apply up to the release of the game. Let’s go on with this so I can knock it out real quickly and you can return to your daily Tumblr browsing. I know that some of you have some rather good things to look at. I’m looking at you, Sherlock and Mycroft shippers.... let’s keep going.

youtube

Of course, once the trailer started, no one was really sure what this game was going to be, because it showed a bit of space, and nothing else really. My initial thought was actually Starfox because it’s one of the few Nintendo series that got love recently, but once the music started, I honestly knew for sure that this was Metroid. And then that 4 came into view, and I was actually in hysterics, because I knew for a fact that this was the announcement for Metroid Prime 4. I know right? That logo comes in view and - wait, it seems familiar - and then the subtitles comes up that it was now in development. Are Nintendo really going to - oh, yep. They are. That’s it. Somehow, that 40 second teaser was enough to satisfy every Metroid fan, or was it. I’m not so sure, so let’s take a look at a couple of points.

1. That logo looks vaguely familiar.

Before I get stuck into my first point, let me warn you that there will be a lot of back and forth to cover, because while I have a lot to cover, there is only 40 seconds, and I have already been told a lot from these brief moments. Let’s get started with the most obvious sign and one of the reasons why I am anxious about this game’s release window: the actual logo they used. I mean, the 4 is new, we all saw that, but the actual words Metroid Prime are not. Let’s go back ten years, when the final game in the trilogy was released. This is the logo that came with it.

Look familiar? It should, because that is the exact logo they used for the Prime 4 teaser. If you can ignore the fact that the ‘Prime’ has been enlarged and moved a bit, and the ‘Metroid’ shrunk, it’s clear that this was a rushed job probably to get the trailer for the Spotlight at E3, and which leads to my overall point.

2. No Retro Studios?

Another thing that makes me worry as a Prime fanboy is the fact that Retro Studios, known for creating the perfect trilogy ten years prior, are not involved in Metroid Prime 4 at all, and that a new team is working on it. While this is mostly fine for me, I’m all for a new team to work on the games, but has it worked for Halo? The results are pretty divided there. I just hope that the new team takes this new game into a different yet familiar direction, and not into Other M territory. And furthermore, what are Retro Studios working on? Must be a big new IP for Nintendo. This is about the new team, so if the results of Mass Effect Andromeda is any indication, this could be a sign of trouble, unless the new team is actually quite capable of doing their jobs to the best of their extents. Because this game has to get the official Nintendo Seal of Quality, right?

Oh, that’s right. Retro Studios basically said they were done with the Metroi series after Prime 3, so that’s fine. Yep.

3. Series Seller?

Let’s be realistic here, a large reason Nintendo kept this project on the ground is probably due to the fact that Metroid has never been a huge seller for them. Sure, the sales are alright overseas though nothing special, but in Japan, Metroid is actually not very highly regarded, so I suspect that low sales and interest in the franchise is what led to Nintendo trying a new direction for this series. And that was Other M. That game was received fairly well by critics, but it got probably the harshest response from fans over the world,which probably contributed to Nintendo pulling the franchise back. And yet despite this response, Nintendo apparently saw there was a need for the series to continue from fans. Let’s be straight here, either this is Nintendo actually continuing the series because there’s something new to do with it, or because they want t win some fans back to sell the Switch? Probably the latter.

4. Development, yes. but how long?

This is probably the most critical point I will make today, because let’s be realistic, the quick teaser was amazing to see, but that’s all it was, which kind of leads to my big point here. The logo, the new team, the selling point, it screams out to me that maybe this announcement was made too soon? Sure, we know that it’s in development now, and that’s great, but really, what we want to know is, how long has Metroid Prime 4 been in development for? Seeing the logo made in such a worryingly lazy way makes me think that it hasn’t been in development for very long, like they’ve only just started and we won’t be seeing the game for a few years yet. Worst case scenario is we’ll get it in 2020 - and it won’t be shown at all next year. Really, the only reason I think they showed this announcement this year at all, is because they knew fans were quite antsy for the new game, and they had to make this announcement the night before in Adobe After Effects.

It sounds like there was a catch 22 situation with this announcement that they had to consider, and there were two options. Either they would not announce it until they had more to show, and that would satisfy the fans much more, but at the same time they would lose a lot of fans because nothing was shown at E3 this year. Or they could announce it now, let fans know that yes it is coming to the Switch, and that would make everyone excited, but then that’d mean the wait is very long. And obviously, they went with the latter, when they could have so easily gone with the former. But really, going with the latter would not have hurt them at all, because look at what else was shown. We have a new Xenoblade Chronicles, a new Fire Emblem Warriors, and a new Sonic and Mario for this year. And to top it off, they had Yoshi and Kirby games for next year with actual gameplay. There was also a Pokemon announcement in there somewhere, which was directly before the Prime 4 announcement, so it feels weird that there’s two empty announcements between a mishmash of full gameplay reveals and trailer. And the same for Pokemon can be said here - the announcement feels like it was in response to the Pokemon Direct, where a sequel to Sun and Moon were announced for the 3DS, as well as Pokken DX for Switch.

5. Samus Returns!

I apologize for the literal wall of text that I made with the last point but the reason I did that is that it was the most substantial point I had to make, and really it tied into the next one I have, which is the further announcement that Samus Returns is coming to the 3DS, You heard that right, an official Nintendo remake is coming. And yes, it is a remake on Metroid 2: Return of Samus - which actually recently saw a fan remake released some time ago. Now, this is a bit problematic for me to talk about, because I honestly don’t want to anger the fans of that remake. Which... probably doesn’t matter anyway since there are already some salty people that wish to boycott Samus Returns. Why? Because that game is apparently not good enough for them, and that Nintendo should feel bad for doing this to a fan who spent ten years making a game based on content that Nintendo owns, and they have every right to DMCA or C and D, and make their own remake of. Those fans have nothing to be angry about - Samus Returns looks like it’s had a lot of work go into it, so that probably means it’s been in the works for some time, maybe even before the fan remake came out. T those fans, I saw please pull the sticks out of your asses, and be happy that Nintendo are giving one of their long dormant game series a reboot and a new game. It doesn’t matter that AM2R is free and can be downloaded right away, Samus Returns if an official product, and it should be supported as well.

They probably won’t listen, but that’s exactly my point. What if this 3DS remake is Nintendo’s way of gauging just how much interest there is in the actual Metroid franchise? It never sold very well, and the 3DS has 66 million users, so it stands to reason that they hope to see strong sales so they can decide how much Prime 4 gets in terms of development and funding. Which is a bit sad, but I’m excited for Samus Returns as well, and I’ve already preordered it. But honestly, it’s amazing to see Samus finally returning.

6. Story for Metroid Prime 4?

Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel! I’m almost done, but I wanted to speculate a bit about how Metroid Prime 4 will be done. Federation Force was pretty much almost ignored by fans, but it did have an important after credits scene with Sylux and a little Metroid egg, which stands to reason that this could be the story for Prime 4. Even if it isn’t, there was also the post credits scene for Corruption, which featured Sylux’s ship. I might be certain that Sylux will be involved in Prime 4, in one way or another. Exciting, huh?

Well, that’s it for this long LONG post. Please leave a heart, comment me your thoughts as well, or even message me if you want to discuss~! Thanks so much for reading, and I will see you in the next review.

OH, and I am planning to make this a video as well, let me know if that is a good idea.

#nintendo #metroid #metroid prime #metroid prime 4 #e3 #announcement #samus aran #federation force #corruption

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moonshroooms · 7 years

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Guess what I feel like oversharing? It’s Smash Bros stuff

So first of all, the first smash game I ever played was Brawl. Fite me. I didn’t have friends when melee and previous were out. Also I’d never heard of them then. And that’s pretty much it.

When I first played Brawl and had no idea who most anyone was, aside from like. Pikachu, Mario, Link and whatnot, I played as Pikachu, Ice Climbers, and Pit. Literally most of my ‘mains’ (back before I knew what that was), were people I’d never heard of.

Brawl Pikachu was, surprisingly, not my annoying character. Pikachu was who I considered my powerhouse. I could Thunder people at the top of the stage like no tomorrow and man it was satisfying. Down smash was my panic button and always kept people off me. Also, I could never get quick attack right. Ever.

Ice Climbers were who I used to be annoying. And when we played Brawl my friend and I weren’t quite srs about anything so we always played with items. And the power you feel. When Nana and Popo both have the fans. And your just endlessly smacking your opponent across the stage. A+ 10/10 would recommend. Though it was still before any of us were any good at the game, I did hear about wobbling back in Brawl, and sadly would never be able to even try it, as I had not the controllers needed to use it. And with Smash 4 I never will! #ripiceclimbers #ialwayslovedyou #neverforgetti

Brawl Pit was. Okay honestly, I mostly played Pit for the Subspace Emissary (which I miss and like everyone else wanted in Smash 4). I’m guessing I got attached to him just because he’s one of the first characters I played following the story line. I didn’t play him much against friend. And after Brawl I’ve never picked him up again. I’m not entirely sure why.

Brawl Toon Link. I only didn’t mention him as a main because I only started playing him a little bit before I got Smash 4. I don’t even remember using his items all that much. Know what I miss? Killing people off the top with Up Special. Why’d they get rid of that. It’s Toon Link. Who he gonna intimidate you can’t weaken my man like that.

Whoop whoop, now we go to Smash 4, which is bright and colorful and I love it. Also it was around this time me and my friends had a newcomer who was... A bajillion times better at the game than we were. And my title as Smash Queen was threatened. And our new friend was now Usurper Smash King. And me and my partner in crime were like. ‘Yo this can’t stand’. We had a pact. I was Smash Queen and he was Smash Prince. We were unstoppable in teams. But no longer. And so we made the transition. That Smash transition of being Filthy Casuals, to Being filthy Serious Casuals.

And that’s as far as it’s gonna go. Cause let’s be honest, I’m not flippin Nairo. And my God the time and effort you have to put in to memorizing everything about your character and learning the match-up and blah blah super inner workings. I’m only a little bit ‘bout that life. I only care about beating my friends into the dirt, not top-level strangers. So I watch competitive videos and tutorials sometimes, when I’m feeling competitive I practice Advanced Techniques™. I got Perfect Pivoting, though I haven’t really been able to apply it to anything but grabbing (and attempted side smashes, but I usually end up tilting instead >3<). Pikachu’s Up-B ledge canceling is more reliable for me than before, but I still mess up sometimes and have only been able to use it just to get back to the ground without lag. I also can’t do that crazy up-b-up-b-up-b-up-b-up-b-up-b nonsense others can do. Much respect for those psychos. Flippin dweebs. And for Toon Link I pretty much have A-Cancel Tossing (that’s what it’s called, right? I can’t remember), and that’s pretty much it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

After me and my friend became Casually Serious and learned more about the game, not only did we come to realize that we had no idea what we were doing when we played Brawl, but we also realized our Smash Usurper had no idea what he was doing either! :D And Oooo the day that we beat him. The day we finally beat him. Both 1v1 and when we joined teams, was the greatest day of our lives.

Fricken nerds. XD

But we got our titles back! And still we happily sit at the top as Smash Queen and Smash Prince. I like being a bit more serious about the game honestly. It’s fun because it’s less of just random chance and more about skill, and we have fun playing matches with items on and off. And with us evolving, the rest of our friends start to evolve too, and we get beat more often than we did playing Brawl and that’s A+. I like the competition, I hadn’t realized I could be competitive before Smash. It’s pretty fun. :3

Anyways, onto my Smash 4 mains! :D

I actually consider myself having 2 groups of mains. The People I Actually Main, and the People I Enjoy Playing and Kinda Know How They Work But Not Really.

First up, the Characters I Actually Main

Pikachu: I liked Pikachu before I was srs about the game and I like him just as much after. He’s quick, annoying, has ranged attacks, and is adorably evil. Have you seen his soulless possessed eyes when he gets the smash ball? Pure terror. I do miss killing off the top with Thunder. I feel like (99.9% sure they did, but don’t care enough to look up what the changes were), they changed the way that hits, as when I went from Brawl to 4 I was absolutely terrible hitting with the cloud. No longer could I tell people ‘yo don’t let me get under u you’ll regret it’ *thunder* ‘wat did I tell u I told u not to do it’. I’m still slightly terrifying with the Thunder, but my hit rate went from a solid 70% to like. 25%. Yes I absolutely calculated that I’m a mathematician. But in exchange I actually hit people with the Thunder from the bottom, when I get all explodey and have .3 seconds of super armor >:D I’m much more accurate with that and it is very much satisfying getting a kill with it. My favorite outfit is his Goggles, and then the Wizard Hat. A++

Toon Link: Toon Link, honestly, is bae. I used to like Pikachu better, but since I’ve learned more about Toon Link I like playing as him so much more. I don’t care much that he’s not high tier it’s just fun playing as him, which thankfully is the basis with everyone I play. Walling people out gives me life. And I’m good at reading my friends enough that it gets menacing, especially when I pull out a bomb. For whatever reason when I start usually I just use boomerang and arrows, and never start pulling bombs until I get into a bad situation. I’ve gotten better and sometimes I pull a bomb first thing (though throwing it first thing is another matter entirely). My favorite thing about Toon Link is that if someone actually manages to catch a bomb, it’s usually by accident, and they don’t use them as much as me so they throw it away. And if they do hit me with it, they squander it and can’t get a hit in afterwards. I’m not much scared of my bombs since I know where I’ll move when I’m hit with them. I can’t tell you how many times I hit myself with it and saving my butt cause ain’t nobody know what to do when I’m flying the other way. Also, bring back Toon Link’s Up-B kill. It’s not so easy anymore. I miss it. So much. At least forward air gives a satisfying thwack. I choose his outfit basically as whatever I happen to be feeling at the time, most often it’s Blue then Green Link. When I’m being dumb or getting annoyed about people trying to partner with me in a 4v4 (or when we partner up on purpose and I decide I’m going to betray you now but I’m not about to give that away on purpose), I become Dark Link, I Have No Friends.

Shulk: Funny thing is, I’ve never played Xenoblade Chronicles. I’ve watched a let’s play of most of it (anyone else like chuggaaconroy’s videos?), but I want to play it myself eventually so I’m holding off watching the end. I’m not particularly attached the game or characters, and honestly Shulk is way different from anyone else I play. Most everyone I’ve played are light, fast characters with some sort of projectile. Literally everyone else I play has a projectile. But I ended up really liking Shulk and the monado arts. With the different arts he has (particularly speed), it’s easy for me to get in even without a projectile. I love the counter, and how long it lasts, and that second counter you get for ‘predicting’ the attack. My only complaint is that every. Single. One. Of Shulk’s moves is slow like no tomorrow. I wish that when you put on speed it changed the frames in which some of his attacks come out, especially since you’re sacrificing so much for what’s basically just a movement boost. But regardless, I love playing as Shulk, and the monado is enough for me to feel like I don’t need to be right in my opponents face all the time. Also, being at 200% in shield is a scary thing, especially when people get desperate for attacks but oops, call me Raven cause I just got a Vision! I really should learn about Art Canceling (I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s called), but eh. Ain’t got no time recently. My favorite outfits of his is either the white Paladin Shulk, the Red and Blue, or the Orange and Pink. Depends on my mood which one I choose.

And that about does it for Characters That I Actually Main :D Three of them is pretty reasonable, right? Characters I Enjoy Playing and Kinda Know How They Work But Not Really is slightly less reasonable. A whopping four characters. That’s right. One more than my mains. Then again, that makes 7 characters in all. Not really that resonable anymore XD

To start things off, first and definitely least is Bowser Jr: Bowser Jr. was how I learned having a character that’s not as likely to die at 70% is a beautiful thing. I started playing him when I first got Smash 4, and sorta dropped him along the way. Every once in a while I’ll play as him, but it’s usually when things are just for fun. I’m not so good at getting the hammer from his up-b to hit, but I can clownkart-to-down-air like nobody’s business obvs I am a master at strategical combat. My favorite move and the objectively best move in his arsenal? Down tilt. Pblblblbl. I like the classical Bowser Jr. skin, while my friend likes to play as Wendy.

Next up is Rosalina and Chico. Or Luma: I also played Rosalina back when I first started Smash 4. It was to fill the hole in my heart left behind by the Ice Climbers. It did its job, for a time. But Chico will never be Nana. </3 But Rosalina and Luma are still pretty fun! I got as far as understanding better how they work together, separate, Rosalina by herself and running away screaming. I learned Lunar Landing, which isn’t a very hard technique in and of itself anyways. My friend more often plays as them now, and my best counter to Rosalina is either Shulk or Rosalina XD Thankfully my Rosalina is still better than his so I have that >:D Rosalina, for me, is a character I consider really good at Not Dying. When we play Time battles I have a harder time winning with her, but put me in Stock and I am Queen of the Cosmos. My favorite outfits are her white and black ones. :3

Third is the one, the only, Mewtwoooooo: Mewtwo, oddly enough, I absolutely hated. When we first got the DLC for him I tried him out and agh. The floatiness, his slow attacks, his tendency to die at 70% if you stare at him too hard, down special is impossible to hit, and the fricking smash attacks are like 2 inches away from his face. I hated him. He was awful. And somehow I kept trying to pick him up anyways??? The odd thing is my friend usually likes the floaty characters, but refuses to pick out Mewtwo. Somehow, somewhere, at some point or another, I ended up playing as Mewtwo even though I wasn’t that good. I haven’t even bothered looking for many combos or techniques for him, but he’s fun to play. He’s a glass canon, and the better I get at him the more intimidating he is. I still haven’t been able to hit anyone with confusion. Ever. >_> But his floatiness and that long tail are pretty useful tools once you get the hang of it. And that forward air is killer man. I approve. And I’ve been able to hit with his side smashes a lot more! No luck with down smash yet though. VoV I play Mewtwo quite often, often enough that if I actually bothered learning more about him, I’d probably consider him a main I could switch in an out with Shulk. My favorite skin of his is the Edgelord dark version.

And last, but certainly not least, the character that I literally play just to be annoying is, not Duck Hunt, not Pacman or Pikachu or Bayonetta, but: Charizard! Or specifically my version, Purplezard. The best thing about Charizard is that he encompasses everything I hate. He’s slow. His attacks are slow. He can’t jump high. No projectiles (flamethrower is like. Half a projectile). But for whatever reason despite me being absolute garbage in comparison to playing my other characters, I often win with him. I literally just play as Charizard to be a monster. And he is an absolute Beast. My friend particularly hates if I ever switch to him because he knows full well that I’m not playing seriously, I’m being a big fat troll, I know very little about him as a character, and I win anyways. And if it wasn’t obvious from the name Purplezard, I like his purple skin. A+

And that about does it for who I like playing in Smash! As a side note and completely unrelated to characters, for anyone who likes playing with items on, I have a tip for you:

Throw shit.

Flame rod? Throw it. Lightsaber? Throw it. Get the fricken Homerun Bat? Throw it. Throw everything. You have no idea how much it throws off people when you get the Homerun Bat and they expect you to go for the gold and you just chuck it at their face instead. And homerun bat does so much damage being thrown too. And by the time they realize it’s not in your hands and they have an opportunity to grab it, you’re probably already running at it and grab the item + hit them with a dash attack first. And who knows if your gonna start using the item like it’s supposed to be? The power is yours.

Also it’s hilarious

#super smash bros #smash 4 #sm4sh #personal #ramble #I always get excited when Toon Link is in a compilation video #I wish more people played as him #he's fun and adorable #and his combos are cool to watch

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