Sunless Sea Video Review

Time for another review!  I've been sinking most of my free time into Sunless Sea lately, so I figured I'd share some of it with you.  Join me as we venture to the deepest ocean, far below the surface of the earth.  Ancient monsters sleep here as rats colonize islands, the king of the sea judges his drowned souls, a reef of living coral plays chess, and devils make deals with London Citizens.

Only upon the sunless sea.

History of Final Fantasty: Final Fantasy Tactics

Today, we explore a side series of Final Fantasy.  While the numbered titles were dominating the charts as traditional JRPGs, there was a small little game that appeared with the Final Fantasy name, blending both turn based and tactical gameplay together in a smooth, creamy blend of fun.  This game called Ivalice its home and soon its name would be synonymous with excellent tactical combat.  This is the story of Final Fantasy Tactics.

History of Final Fantasy: FInal Fantasy 9

Near the end of the PS One era, we had a return to form for Final Fantasy, where the design was very reminiscent of the golden era of Final Fantasy.  It was the swan song of an era and proved to be an excellent title besides.  However, it seems to be somewhat forgotten compared to other entries into the series.  The graphics are some of the only things remembered because of their oddity.

So, I want to encourage people to remember this entry into the series because it has some of my favorite characters, music, and villains.  Let me tell you about Final Fantasy 9...and the Black Waltzs.

Hand of Fate Video Review

Since we looked at an early access game last week, let's look at a game I've been playing since early access.  This is Hand of Fate, an addictive card/board game with rogue-like and deck building mechanics blended seamlessly with 3d arena combat.  The game has an insane amount of atmosphere and charm and is a fascinating experience for DnD players of all ages...or anyone, for that matter.

History of Final Fantasy: Final Fantasy 8

Final Fantasy 8 was a game which, while popular on its initial release, received rather harsh criticisms from fans years later.  In particular, the Spoony One was very critical of changes to the games formula, especially involving magic and the progression systems.  However, despite its changes, the game still felt distinctly Final Fantasy and remains a favorite of fans.  Today, we look at why the game was good and some of the changes the game made which earned it its criticisms.

Darkest Dungeon Video Review

Hello, everybody.  Like most players and reviewers, I have become swept up with and addicted to Darkest Dungeon, which is a fantastic little game.  So, I decided to do a review of it.  My footage is...problematic, since fraps didn't want to record the game, but crappy or not, I think it gives you a good taste of what the game is like.

Enjoy

Fanservice: The Death of Storytelling

*UPDATE*

Youtube is a piece of shit that content ID me AUTOMATICALLY.  Friggin robot.  Last time I ever try and use fucking video of any AAA games, fuck you Sega, or anime, fuck you TV Tokyo, so I blacked all that shit out.  Still got some good still images and some good commentary, but yeah, this broken ass video is all that's left after Youtube bowed its head to the corporate gods of greed.

As a proponent of good stories in games, movies, anime, etc. I happen to get especially agitated when a series leaves plot holes or other issues.  However, more than even that, I get teeth grindingly frustrated when they mess up the characters.  Nothing does this more, in my opinion, than fan service.  How can we make our bad ass female warrior seem far less capable and intimidating?  Ass and boob shots.  It's nearly killed my love for the manga Fairy Tail, but it's not all as bad as that.  Sexual characters are fine.  Screwing up characters who aren't portrayed as sexual, however, is not.

So, let us examine this phenomenon, in several different anime, manga, and games.