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retphienix · 2 years

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Persona 5 Royal.

Hm.

I think even with the newform of post shortening I'll read-more this, so let me get a gist out of the way.

This easily became one of my favorite games. It's on the list, it's embedded in my mind, it's granted me interesting plot lines and characters and it's quickly given me something I'm happy to love.

There's the gist; And the elephant in the room is that I got a smile out of the mysterious glance at what appears to be Akechi in the background, that's fun.

Now to say.

Much.

I'll try to separate different thoughts with a header of sorts because this is gonna be a mess.

This game is honestly pretty incredible.

I feel like this is a weird way to start this out but, I didn't expect to so quickly play an RPG that so enraptured my mind and heart after DQ11.

I've played a ton of games that have touched me in various ways, but it's rare for me to play one that so thoroughly entrenches itself in the miasma of experiences that make up who I am; Just finds my core and sets up shop. Offers a mirror, offers challenges, offers a shoulder, and plenty more.

Playing a game like that isn't common; It's a matter of having something to say, or do, or show, and it's a big matter of personal bias.

It's just how art can hit ya, or miss entirely. Sometimes you find one that stops you in your tracks and you dwell on it for years after.

Despite playing a lot of games, I, and I assume most others, don't play games that hit that note too often.

It's rare.

I've played so many games I would happily recommend for being phenomenal in their own ways, but that list isn't fully comprised of titles like that.

When I played DQ11 I found myself with a story so dense with things I appreciate that it took over my mind for months. It's still left quite the impact, being a title that can easily bring a happy tear to my eye if I dwell on it too long as I find what they've told to be such a beautiful heroes' tale.

Persona 5 has hit that same deep place in my mind, and, in the grand scheme of things, so quickly after I just found a different title that did the same.

And this isn't by any means a ramble on how P5 is perfect; Far from it because that doesn't exist and because it was created by people- people aren't perfect- people don't make perfect things.

Just in the way of cultural differences and personal morals there are things in P5 that I simply believe weren't handled as well as they could have been, be that gay characters, flip flopping on whether sexual assault as a subject deserves respect or laughs, or the ways in which relationships with minors and adults are presented and treated.

While conversely at least some of these faults could be argued for by virtue of life itself not being perfect, but then it becomes a matter of what is your art's morality; What is it trying to say, and is it being presented because it's true to life, or because it's titillating, silly, or something a creator believes to be right.

I digress.

This is a ramble on how what P5 is is something extremely special to me. And an incomplete one at that, as I couldn't possibly revisit every important moment in this 236 hour (inaccurate*) long story on a post made at a whim at the end of said playthrough.

*= I was AFK a lot, and my gameplay included a lot of rendering video, it wasn't this long but my save sure was lol.

I don't (currently, maybe I should) keep notes of my playthroughs- the posts themselves are catalogues of my thoughts at each time. The finale post is more to sum up where my heart lands me, not to substitute a well rehearsed and scripted video essay.

I guess that makes this even less than an essay- it's just a ramble, lmao.

Let's start with the end because it's so fresh.

I'd say what I understand to be the base game ending (I'm assuming it's just the previous god going) was bombastic, exciting, and even had the bite of the metaverse disappearing and Mona potentially dying. I fucking adore that.

The ending of Royal is a lot more clean... and reminds me of something I already mentioned lmao.

Spoilers for DQ11 skip to next red text:

but both include a Perfect ending and a Broken But Hope Filled ending but inversely placed in the story.

DQ11 ends on the Perfect ending, with the weight of knowing you created the Broken But Hope Filled ending and effectively killed yourself out of that ending to create the perfect ending.

The point of it all being that you did the best you could for the world, then found a way to try to do even better for another cursed world (parallel timeline shenanigans), so you sacrificed the life you've fought for, and the relationships you've forged to 'try again'. The Perfect ending in this case IS perfect, just not for the Hero. They gave everything up for this as a sort of ultimate sacrifice.

P5R ends on the Broken But Hope Filled ending and you spent the last dungeon literally killing the Perfect ending because you refuse to give up the relationships you've forged and the meaning you find in the struggles you're lives have experienced.

I find that interesting. (continued but not spoilers anymore)

Royal's ending is bittersweet. We're saying goodbye (THAT SUCKS), the metaverse is (I believe) gone again- but that sting isn't as bad since it's already done that before, Akechi is 'dead' but he simply doesn't compare to Morgana who was a true friend through the entire game, and we gave up a utopia to get this.

The entire moral that lead us here is literally golden in my book- I appreciate the insistence that our experiences hold value, including the negative ones as we grow from them. But I think as far as ending on a bang or whimper it's a lot less flashy than the base ending seems to have been assuming assumptions assumingly on what that is lol.

Basically, I think base had a better ending, but Royal had more to say and what it had to say was very good in my book, it just then had to end and kinda went "Uh, then we ended, shit."

I still teared the hell up multiple times doing my Earthbound walk about in the post game. And I still wish desperately that I got to get closer with Yusuke and Haru.

AH I love all the damn characters so much.

I feel I've said it all on these fuckers, I love these dunces and they are the best. The party is one of the absolute best out there- it's truly a crew you WANT to be in, you want to go hang with these guys at a ramen place, you want to go hang at a library because one of them needs help with something, you want to go wander the shops with them, you just want to be friends with absolutely all of the party members (maybe not Akechi in the later game when he actually joins the party but that's a whole other complicated goof).

It's an accomplishment to go and create so many likable and befriendable characters- I love em.

And the side characters and confidants are just a fantastic eclectic group- I'm being so vague simply because due to how P5 is formatted, I'd argue 99% of my posts are just me talking about the characters because you GET to do all these things with them. You GET to go to the movies and study and hang at the baths- so I've said all there is, I'm sure.

But I love them. <3

Another thing I've talked plenty on already but is worth mentioning in this finale post is that fantastic gameplay

I literally can't expand on it much in one post so I'll leave it simple.

It's flashy, it's EXTREMELY involved, it's combo heavy in a fantastic way (and with multiple avenues for combos!), and the worst I can say about it is that on Normal difficulty it became exploitable pretty early on and didn't really challenge directly much until the end, but, difficulty is not the end all of the gameplay's quality.

You want to feel involved and challenged in *some* way (if not direct difficulty), and I felt both of those things- just without much risk of failure. Arguably- ARGUABLY- that's damn near perfect. But for preference, I'd have preferred a slightly harder time- more HP on enemies and more risk of losing- but this isn't a complaint- it's a recognition that I will probably highly enjoy replaying on a harder difficulty :)

Simplifying the entirety of the gameplay to combat would be a crime though because this game was also half life sim, and quite an enthralling one at that. Hell, half isn't enough, MOST of this game was life sim, and I loved it so much more than I thought I would.

It also kinda screwed me a bit because I LOVE reading everything I have access to at any given moment.... and this meant a metric ton of reading every day, sometimes accomplishing next to nothing.

You could easily do all the things I did in this game in like 10 hours of gameplay, but it took me 23 times that because I would regularly take trips EVERYWHERE to seek out new NPC dialogue that added nothing to the game itself but was quintessential to my experience.

Loved it.

And before I close for good on this playthrough, I want to just speak some appreciation towards some of the morals and themes in here.

Not all, I'm stupid (for one), and tired (another), and some fucked up third thing as well so just a couple that I feel like talking about.

For one, RIDICULOUSLY big fan of the personal justice angle. It lent itself to so many narratives about the problems with the world from the angle of these things being normalized, expected, or accepted by society at large- but that doesn't mean we should accept them and stop trying to make things better.

It's just a solid theme to build around and it tied itself to the motivations of our characters so damn well with many of them being upset at how Adults handle the world or mistreat others and seeking to make things better.

Also, if the like 8 times I brought it up didn't make it clear, a big fan of the strength of kindness in the Akechi - Joker storyline. It's really a show of how Joker's refusal to turn his back on others, even people as, to be frank, shit as Akechi with his murder fun time nonsense, is literally what grants Akechi his moment of redemption.

That murder kid really tried to turn self sacrifice into a selfish move for personal revenge, and Joker's refusal to be insincere to him left Akechi stunned as his motivations were changed in real time right before he died- that's just a fun narrative, man.

And while I think it made the stakes feel less "scary" than the prior chapter, I really do enjoy how Maruki was our final baddie since he's quite literally a goodie.

It offered a completely different angle to challenge the PT's morals and allowed us to end on a narrative about the worth of our whole life experience rather than a narrative on defeating evil, it was honestly a really good choice in my book.

And I suppose that wraps up this mindless ramble.

To close I just want to say, I fuckin' love this game. It's a favorite now, as I've said.

I'd also like to say I'm surprised that getting to the post game wasn't as demanding as I was initially lead to believe.

I had been lead to believe, since launch of Royal, that this game was some weird "Do it perfectly or you're fucked" kind of game.

I avoided playing Royal for YEARS, because I thought I'd HAVE to shove a guide down my throat in order to experience half the game.

But as it turns out the Royal content is rather short, all things considered. And the requirements are MILES less intense than I was lead to believe- like- MILES. I thought you needed all confidants or else, like, it's not that hard lol.

Getting a perfect run on a blind run is a bit rough, but even that isn't remotely out of the cards if my playthrough is anything to go by.

And on whether / when I'll play more; Now that I've seen the credits, I'm not sure.

This playthrough was.... strange for me. When I pick a game up for the blog I usually stay pretty consistent with it. I've had flubs here and there over the years, but this might be the single most disjointed playthrough I've ever done- with months of no updates multiple times throughout just because of where I was outside of playing.

But because of this, I've basically been playing this game for 8 months. That's a long time to be on one single player game that I think a few weeks coulda done.

Kinda want something else. But my desire to play through on a harder difficulty, on NG+, and to get a perfect end to my playthrough with all confidants maxed remain.

Part of me wants to just jump right back in- especially since very very little of it would "need" (I do this for fun lol) to be blogged about in the first place, but a lot of me wants to sit this on the shelf and come back later in life.

And a lot of me also worries that doing that might table it too long, as I table many things and then decide new experiences trump them.

This game has the benefit of being one of my all time favorites now, so it's less likely, but I mean. FFT is an all time favorite. Doing modded runs of that for the blog has been backlogged for years. I don't want to put replaying P5R off that long at all.

But enough idle worrying in my game diary.

I am going to play something else for a while. That's my current plan. Mostly because that whole mishap with myself that caused this playthrough to be so disjointed is very much still a struggle- so I don't want to dive into a full new playthrough that's just as disjointed.

I might set a date for myself; Come back in a year's time perhaps. I have nothing set in stone. But I want to replay this. Harder difficulty, NG+, perfect confidants. I want that.

We'll find out when.

In the mean time I'm going to bask in the post-game joy of this phenomenal title.

I'm grateful for the opportunity.

And thank you to all who saw fit to interact through this playthrough- I doubt many would get this far into this nonsense post to see said thanks, but I'm sending that out there into the world all the same.

This was a ridiculously positive gaming experience in terms of the game, and a pleasure to chat with some fans.

Everyone, have a good one :)

#Persona #Persona 5 #P5 #P5R #Persona 5 Royal #RetPlays

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pichlive · 6 months

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So this is my thoughts on the Sonic Forces DLC– Long overdue due to some IRL business, but I'm ready to get this out so I can finally transition this blog onto the next game I wanna live blog. Be warned that spoilers are beyond the read more!

So… I have… a lot of mixed feelings on this DLC. As you might have been able to tell— I myself had so much trouble with this thing that I had to use mods just to get through it after Sonic's first trial! Which is sad to me– I had such high hopes for it, and I was having fun… until all the issues came trickling in. Which is a shame– because there's so many ways in which it's really great extra content… and then so many ways it kind of… falls flat in the end to me? Like they bent back to a lot of needless criticisms of the game to… in my opinion, kind of a version of the game I don't really like all that much.

To get it out of the way right here right now: The dlc is just insanely unfairly hard. And to clarify: if this was even fair at all, I wouldn't mind. Personally, I would have preferred this difficulty be reserved… for hard. And you know. Not for people playing on easy, let alone the kids doing that? My issue isn't even just that it's hard– it's that the difficulty is made for a system that won't accommodate it. This is NOT a system made for like, the level of intensity or precision that these challenges want you to do. It feels like a desperate attempt to appear more 'hardcore' and… kind of strangely rushed? For a free DLC? Like some of it doesn't feel… all that playtested.

Now, thankfully, much of the writing is still sosososoossoooooo solid to me. I did like that Sonic's friends took more precedence here– rescuing themselves and working to help Sonic, and god, Amy's VA just NAILED IT AND WENT OFF. But these character interactions without Sonic– as much as I love him– were a treat to see, and to see different dynamics was so refreshing. If this is a step into the water of possibly having more interactions like this… then I'm all for it. However, despite how much I liked all that… the writing near the end was… how do I put it. On one hand, I love Sonic and friends and Eggman and Sage all being involved in the final battle! On the other, as cool as Sonic going all out was, removing Sage vs The End feels more… generic?

Other than all that– It did feel like there were way more issues here than in the original game, at least I swear there were– but I will be transparent and say I have this game on an external drive so I will account for if that caused any errors at all. Regarding how Sonic's friends played: Amy's is the best, and actually feels like she was playtested/the best balanced? Knuckles was just frustrating for me, and Tails was fun but also extremely OP in ways that I'm not sure were intended? But the cyber levels of what I've played are fantastic. Way more objectives with extremely fair level design and BANGER tracks in all of them!

I dunno, it feels like on some level they got scared of people reacting negatively to how experimental the game was, how 'easy' it was– so they tried to appeal to an audience of people who wouldn't really even like this game anyway. It feels like a really awkward hybrid of both that uh– the 'hardcore' video game people aren't… going to even look Sonic Frontiers's way, or at least they likely won't like how they balanced the game and are more likely to install their own mods. And the regular audience is obviously not going to like having to slog through the sudden 'difficulty' shift either! So… unfortunately– while the writing is easily a 4/5 to me… this DLC gets a 1/5. I could only recommend it either to people who really think they can handle the 'challenge' or are patient for it– or for the most dedicated of sonic players. Or at the very least– just get to Sonic and at least play the cyber levels. Those seem pretty solid. I guess the other cutscenes if it gets to you too much you can watch on youtube but even then, imo, I liked the original ending better– even if again I did like the character interactions here.

#sonic forces the final horizon #Sonic forces review #sonic forces thoughts #Sonic forces the final horizon spoilers

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dogtraintips · 2 years

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How To Make the Most of COVID-Restricted Vet Visits

How to get the most out of a veterinary visit when you can't go inside the vet hospital due to COVID protocols.

More than a year into living under the cloud of a worldwide pandemic, we’re all still dealing with lifestyle changes to stay safe. For most people, this includes not being able to accompany pets into the vet’s office as practices continue curbside service. Some dogs (and some owners!) are handling this reality better than others.

While COVID statistics in many states are finally trending in a better direction, it’s impossible to know exactly what the future holds or when veterinary practices will begin allowing clients back inside. The following tips will help you make the most of a challenging situation.

* Ask yourself: Is the visit absolutely necessary? At the height of the pandemic, many practices were limiting non-essential procedures, including spay/neuter surgery. While we’d never recommend denying care, if you’re comfortable, consider a watch-and-wait approach for minor issues.

Similarly, take extra caution to avoid accidents that would require veterinary care.

* Pass notes. Write down the information you’d like the vet to know about your dog’s current situation. Be concise! In many practices, a veterinary assistant will come out to your car and ask you some initial questions about your dog and his issues, before taking your dog inside for the vet to examine. Send your notes in with your dog. Then, the vet can read the notes before her examination, and discuss them with you when she calls or comes out to talk to you.

* Up your treat game. We may not be able to go inside to make sure our dog doesn’t get stressed or frightened, but we can at least send in something to try to make him feel better: High-value treats! The last time my dog needed a blood draw prior to a medication refill, I filled a plastic bag with cooked morsels of meat. I wrote, “Please be generous!” on the baggie, and handed it to the assistant as he trotted my dog inside. It must have helped, because Saber came out happy and licking his lips!

* Ask questions. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. It won’t hurt to ask if the vet would be comfortable examining your dog outside, or if you can walk your dog to the door before handing him off. Advocate for your dog, but understand sometimes the answer is “No” – and be respectful. Practices are trying to keep everyone safe. When staff calls out sick with COVID, it can devastate a practice – especially a smaller one.

* Consider a mobile vet. In the case of gut-wrenching end-of-life decisions, ask your vet if she can refer you to a mobile practitioner who can safely assist you and your dog at home. This event is already difficult emotionally, but not being present with your dog for euthanasia may be even more traumatic.

* Practice and be prepared. For some dogs, vet visits are stressful under the best circumstances. Training cooperative care skills at home can alleviate some of the anxiety during vet visits. Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (fenzidogsportsacademy.com) offers excellent online courses for cooperative canine care. (Also, see “Cooperative Care: Giving Your Dog Choice and Control” WDJ February 2021.) If your dog is extremely anxious and considered a bite risk, train him to happily wear a muzzle that you apply before sending him inside. (See “Mellow Muzzling,” page 4.)

It’s easy to become frustrated by COVID-era rules. Take a breath and practice patience and kindness – not just with your dog, but also in your interactions with your highly valued veterinary health care team.

LEARN MORE CLICK HERE

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alexdevid37 · 2 years

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Better Now - Resiliency for Life in Organizations and Individuals

Be the smooth stone. Polished, shaped, subtly different, infinitely more beautiful as time passes. Lisa Pasbjerg.

How adept are you at handling life's changes, setbacks, misfortunes? Resiliency is often described as the ability to adapt well to stress, adversity, trauma or tragedy. I would add, it also relates to our ability to adjust well to change in general. Changes or problems are handled by the resilient individual as if they are temporary disruptions to be managed as effectively as possible, or, sometimes, simply "weathered" because of their temporary nature, rather than as reasons to feel hopeless or victimized.

Resiliency in Organizations

This all make sense of course, resilience in healthcare system and always has, but as time passes more and more current research is showing us that resiliency has profound effects on many key areas that are of interest now. Among these, is the area of healthy, sustainable, and high-performing organizations. Not only are organizations filled with resilient people more likely to survive and thrive in today's tumultuous business world, a work culture created by core leadership and staff of embracing change and the learning that comes from it, has a protective effect on the future life and health of that organization. In addition, highly resilient individuals within any organization are more likely to "land on their feet" emotionally, (either within the company or elsewhere), and to retain a position with the company during periods of major turmoil, such as takeovers, buy-outs, or severe cutbacks.

Resiliency in Aging

Individually, qualities associated with resilience such as: being able to remain flexible, adapt quickly, maintain an optimistic outlook, viewing set-backs as temporary, using humor effectively and tolerating ambiguity have been strongly linked very recently with successful aging and increased longevity. This increasing interest in positive aging, fueled certainly in part, by the aging of the huge baby-boomer cohort, and the predicted effects this will have for businesses, our health care system and society in general, provides fascinating information about the connections between resiliency and aging well.

In fact, this ability to age well, and thus to remain vital and productive, of the vast numbers of people in this age group is likely to have a critical effect on the health of the nation and it's economy in the future. We now know very clearly that resilient individuals are better able to handle the bodily changes which are part of normal aging. Because they tend to "take in stride" these changes, they are much less likely to decide to "retire" from productive work or learning, choosing instead to remain in their work roles, sometimes at lesser hours, or a somewhat more narrow scope of duties, or in new and different work roles, or in extremely valuable volunteer roles.

We also know that when events are experienced as intensely stressful, especially over extended periods of time that this increases our vulnerability to many serious and chronic diseases and health conditions that can have a devastating effect on our health, vitality, and ability to remain productive as we age. The effect of severe and chronic stress on our immune systems is well documented, making us more susceptible to a long list of major health problems including hypertension, depression, heart disease, diabetes and others.

Obviously, those who are more resilient in how they respond to challenging life events, remaining flexible, looking for the learning and the positives and regarding them as only temporary setbacks, have a great advantage in the game of "positive aging".

What Can You Do?

What can you do to improve your resiliency or that of your organization? Obviously, this is a very broad topic, but a good place to begin might be the American Psychological Association's recommendations from "The Road to Resilience". They suggest the following:

Staying Flexible

Resilience involves maintaining flexibility and balance in your life as you deal with stressful circumstances and traumatic events. This happens in several ways, including: Letting yourself experience strong emotions, and also realizing when you may need to avoid experiencing them at times in order to continue functioning

Stepping forward and taking action to deal with your problems and meet the demands of daily living, and also stepping back to rest and reenergize yourself

Spending time with loved ones to gain support and encouragement, and also nurturing yourself

Relying on others, and also relying on yourself What will you do today to begin your process toward greater resiliency?

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daily-dose-of-imagines · 4 years

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𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙-𝕌𝕡 ♡

May I please get a written ship for haikyuu, attack on titan, psycho pass and yugioh? I can be described as introverted. I randomly doze off and daydream a lot. Because of my introverted personality I am mistaken for cold a lot because of my “resting bitch face.” Once people get to know me I am just emotionally shy and empathetic. When I’m with friends I am very upbeat, joyful, and hardworking by supporting my friends and family. My friends describe me as a good listener and easy to talk with because I Am open-minded and easygoing. I like to watch anime, read manga, play video games, watch DC comic films and shows, my ultimate favorite hobbies include drawing fan arts of Kpop groups & anime, while listening to music (second ultimate favorite hobby). I also like to swim and drive around because of my love for adventures and imagination (also relaxation). I especially love to eat sweets , in particular boba and macaroons. I have big brown eyes, long wavy brown hair, baby face (don’t look my age. I Am mistaken for looking 13-17). Sexuality: heterosexual Age: 23

»»————-　♡　————-««

Hello @otakupandasworld~! I hope these are to your liking~! I managed to get an idea for them all so hopefully these are up to par in comparison to Admin T’s lengthy match ups LOLOLOL Thanks for requesting with us bb~! uwu Anywho, I wanna congratulate you again on finishing up Uni!! Stay strong bb~!

» » Admin Ko

𝕀 𝕊𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘…

ɴɪꜱʜɪɴᴏʏᴀ ʏᴜᴜ

I definitely get heavy vibes that initially meeting you, Noya would be dumbstruck by your overall beauty. He’d think another Kiyoko has graced his life and unlike before, he takes this sign as a chance to go in hard to woo you over man. Like If you thought him going after Kiyoko was pretty rough, then you’re in for a whole different ball game!

Initially meeting you, he’d take your quiet state as a challenge. Even if other’s try to deter him by telling him you’re some cold ice princess. Well, we all know Noya doesn’t necessarily care. Boi will go all out to anyone he feels is capable of handling his affections.

Oml his surprise though when he finds out you’re a precious shy baby who be like a mini sunshine all in your own special light. He would deadass be the one to text you random memes he finds on the internet at 3 in the morning. He doesn’t seem like the anime type, but if you find some interesting one’s you’ll find yourself with a very cuddly puppy by your side.

THIS. BOI. VENTS. TO. YOU. ALL. THE. TIME. If he’s going through a rough spot with one of his friends he’ll vent to you while y’all are cuddled up as you play with his hair. He also drinks your advice like it’s water man– like shiet more solid advice that’ll help him? Sign him the fuck up.

He is deffo a long car ride / road trip boi. Going anywhere excites him! He loves adventure and pushing himself to new extremes! Also, the moment he sees your art– best know he’s hyping you up so hard. Spam the VBC chat? Check. Spam Tanaka till he begs for mercy? Check. I’m telling you, any chance he gets to show you off he will man.

Also, DC? Movie dates every weekend. He’ll text you like,

“babe I’m ready for another movie! I’m already on my way over!”.

Sometimes you gotta stop him from attempting to barge in when you’re fresh outta the shower oof. He too excitable. Also He loves your baby face? Like???? Kisses all the fucking time whenever he can man.

Also he worships your body. Like— he worships your body. And loves to show it any way possible– sksksk

End all, I think y’all would be a cute sort of extroverted meets introvert couple!

ᴀʀᴍɪɴ ᴀʀʟᴇʀᴛ

Okay– hear me out he vibes on you with daydreaming and being an open-minded hardworking individual. Unlike Noya, he’s super gentle and delicate with his affections. He’s just as awkward and as shy as any other boy with their love, but don’t get me wrong. The moment he feels more confident and comfortable around you he be openly showing PDA. Sometimes he has thoughts where you might leave him, but unlike most he talks to you about it.

He’s the one to keep an honest relationship with you in terms of transparent communication. Whenever he gets the chance, he will deffo try to bake or learn basic recipes to gift you with whenever you’re training or studying up for their next move.

Loves to read with you. Cuddle and read date? Big fucking check there. He recommends you books that might peak your interest. He sees you as a beacon of light. Someone who helps him retain his humanity and his morals.

He was definitely scared and wary of you on your first meeting, but remembers that he’s friends with Mikasa and with a new found confidence decides to talk to you. (After a push from both Eren and Mikasa of course)

He absolutely adores looking into your eyes whenever you guys have a casual date. He thinks that your eyes are the key to everything he wants in life because they just tell him so many stories and reflect so many beautiful emotions.

Also, like Noya, he is in love with your baby face. He finds you absolutely adorable and can’t help but sneak in kisses to your cheek or forehead when you have a cute look of concentration on your face.

Over all, I feel like y’all would be the adventure seeking ones who’ll inspire others around y’all~.

ꜱʜᴜꜱᴇɪ ᴋᴀɢᴀʀɪ

Alright, despite being the jokester he’s actually not bad at being a civil human being. Yeah he’s gone through shit with the Sibyl system, but he’s managed to persevere through and at least make do with it. He absolutely loves to discover and play new video games with you! Like you, he’s super easy going– maybe too much so, but that’s where you dish him some of that serious time talk.

He’s super hesitant on talking about himself and his own feelings. The only thing he really talks about with in passion is how much he detests the Sibyl system and the occasional dark jokes of how he doesn’t have anywhere else to really go in life because of the fate he was dealt with.

Though eventually he begins to open up to you, and only you about his ideals and how people who don’t have to deal with the shit of the system.

Definitely the type who will go out for midnight drives with you. Just you, him and the night sky. He really feels like it’s you and him vs. the world sometimes but it’s usually masked by his playful attitude.

Like you, he loves sweets! Will most definitely be the one to taunt you with sweets and steal quick kisses in between whenever he can.

He will also be the one to keep you on the good side of the system. He wouldn’t want you to deal with the life he’s been dealt.

As for how you look, he literally basks in your adorableness. He loves your expressions and how expressive your eyes can be. Playing with your hair is one of the things that’ll help keep him calm or distracted from the world. Is also the type to suddenly lift you into his arms and grin cheekily at your embarrassed expression.

ᴊᴀᴅᴇɴ ʏᴜᴋɪ

OKAY so like– I really see you and Jaden together? Like ??? Y’all be going on so many cute little adventures together. And each one has it’s own memorable moment. You sometimes have to stop him from doing the stupidest shit though oml—

Tbh he didn’t really notice you at first when you joined the squad, but your caring attitude and advice had him curious. Where did you get all that knowledge from? Thus equating to him talking to you more and baby kuriboi here growing a crush on you.

He definitely loves to read manga with you! Any chill time with you is the best thing to him! Is also the type to show off your art, just not as extreme as Noya. He’s super casual about it! Whenever you guys are traveling or exploring the world to become great duelists, he likes to take you out on sudden dates.

It catches you by surprise initially, but you’ve grown accustomed to these cute little dates. Constant hand holding and talking about your futures. Sometimes when the weather is nice and it’s just you two, you both like to imagine what kind of lives you’d both live in different worlds for the fun of it.

Loves to just hold your hands tbh. He finds them so cute and delicate. He once tried to braid your hair, and well– let’s just say that ended in a bit of a mess. But it was fun and memorable nonetheless!

Over all, I feel like he’d be the one to help you break out of your shell a bit more when it comes to meeting new acquaintances. Especially since he’s pretty chill with everyone!

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homestuck-kinstuff · 4 years

Note

Could i get a tarot reading for my Daveraneasprite (Davesprite, aranea Serket, bec) timeline? (Did you get my art req? Im not sure, but i dont wanna annoy anybody,)

Hello Davearaneasprite, (@o0starlight0o)

Sorry for the delay, things had started to catch up to us a little bit. You can absolutely have a reading. 💜

I have the details for you below the cut:

Beginning

The Hierophant, Upright:

For clarity's sake, this card will represent Davearaneasprite's beginning, when they were first formed. It will tell nothing about Davesprite's, Bequeral's or Aranea's timelines.

The Hierophant embodies the bounds of tradition. What is tried and true is valued: now is not the time to strike out to uncharted waters. He can also represent the pursuit of knowledge, or a spiritual guide.

When you were first formed, you were likely very good at what sprites are supposed to do: guide their players through the complexities of the game. Between Davesprite's inherent savvy-ness, Aranea's gift of gab, and Bequeral's godhood, you had the potential to be an incredibly helpful player aid.

It's likely you were created to help players solve a game-centric problem, whether through direct player interference, or through an indirect mostly-happenstance-but-also-on-purpose kind of bullshit that so often found within the confines of S'Grub and S'Burb.

It's likely you advised the players to stick by the rules of the game at all costs.

Middle

10 of Wands, Upright:

You've been working extremely hard in order to bring something to fruition. Just before reaching your goal, however, you're finding yourself overburdened with the responsibility you created for yourself.

When reaching the final stages of the plan (whatever issue you were called into existence to help resolve, whether that be a major conflict on the timeline, or many nuanced issues scattered about) you suddenly found yourself overwhelmed.

You took on too much, and the strain is beginning to show. Why weren't you delegating tasks to the other players?

Did you not trust the other players to competently do what needed done? Did it seem easier for you to just do everything yourself? Or did your players have too much faith in you, pushing too much on your plate because of your seeming omnipotence?

Regardless, things were quite difficult for you during this time.

Towards the End

4 of Cups, Upright:

The 4 of Cups describes the experience of being so wrapped up in your own thoughts, you are blind to the goodness the world is laying at your feet. Even though your intentions are noble, you run the risk of treating the world with apathy.

It's uncertain whether or not you succeeded, or even if the final stages of your plan have begun. But it's very likely that you were extremely preoccupied with the machinations of it, the planning, the worrying, all the little metaphorical moving parts.

This preoccupation caused you to withdraw, think things through again and again. You likely withdrew emotionally from those around you, finding it harder and harder to see and hear outside of the chatter in your own head.

There were likely good things happening around you, trivial-seeming silliness that brings folks together. You likely found it difficult to participate, if even you were there at all.

Challenges

2 of Swords, Upright:

The 2 of Swords represents a very difficult choice. There is no clear "right" answer, as both options are almost exactly equally beneficial and detrimental in different ways. But one thing is obvious, to progress, a clear stance needs to be taken.

The near-omnipotence that came with your particular brand of spritehood was likely both a blessing and a curse. It's very possible that having access to so much knowledge likely created very many stalemates when decisions had to be made. It's also possible you'd have to fight the game's influence if what needed to be done went outside of the game's rules.

Another possibility is that is card represents a more specific difficulty. One impossible choice you had to make that was so hard, it took precedence as the greatest challenge you had to face in your timeline.

How you Faced it

The Tower, Reversed:

The Tower represents disaster. Absolute upheaval of everything you hold dear. Reversed as it is, it speaks to a desperate avoidance of that destruction.

An incredibly painful event is on the horizon, and you are avoiding it with all your strength, at all costs. It paralyzes you to think about.

This decision you had to make, regardless of what you chose, likely paved the way for this disaster. So, in your infinite wisdom, you never let yourself make that choice, delaying a terribly inevitable end.

You

3 of Cups, Upright:

A lovely card, representative of a warm and lively gathering of friends. You're blessed with loving relationships and camaraderie, investing time in the people you love.

You are, at your core, someone who thrives in the midst of many friendships. You're a people person, (whether or not this is in a very extroverted way,) and you love getting to know new folks.

You likely craved attention from the people around you, and began to wilt (whether you realized it or not) if you went too long without it. People are your passion, your strength, and your greatest weakness.

The End

6 of Wands, Upright:

This is a lovely card that represents a very public, very loud and joyful celebration of success after a period of hard work.

It's possible you succeeded in your mission, the game was beaten and successfully won. You lived out a happy, peaceful life after the end of everything, enjoying the reward with your new friends, before a peaceful death at an old age.

However, it's also very possible when your teammates went to collect the ultimate reward, as a game construct you were not allowed to collect the reward alongside your peers. You would stay inside the game as it ended. Therefore, the success itself would have brought about your demise.

Advice

Temperance, Upright:

Temperance is all about balance, about finding it in yourself, and the world around you.

Now is the time to find balance- to reap inner peace through cultivation of that balance.

Take an honest look at yourself, at your life. Where are you spread too thin? Where are you not giving the attention that is needed?

Take a step back and breathe. Let yourself settle.

9 of Pentacles, Upright:

After much hard work, this card indicates a time of luxury and satisfaction and peace. It's implied by this card that everything gained is due to one's intelligence and self-control, and that the fruits of this labor are those that can be enjoyed over a lifetime.

Take a load off, my dear. You've already put the work in, and your satisfaction is well deserved. Now you can relax and enjoy what your hard work has grown- a time of peace for you and your loved ones.

2 of Pentacles, Upright:

This card represents the need for balance in the midst of rapid continuous change, and the sense that this sort of change has become "the norm" for you. It also implies that you've been extremely resilient and flexible with it.

The nature of spritehood is unexpected, and often comes with rapid unavoidable change. It would be good for you to remember that you have been, are, and will be incredibly talented at handling change as it comes for you.

You are well equipped to handle whatever life throws at you, darling. Keep that in mind when things seem scary. 💜

As always dear, you would know your timeline better than I. These are your memories, not mine. If something doesn't feel right, it likely isn't.

If any part of this reading doesn't strike a chord with you, I'd heartily recommend looking into the meaning of the card in question yourself. Tarot cards have many meanings, and another interpretation may make more sense to you. 💜

Kind Regards,

🌹Mod Rose🌹

#homestuck kin #homestuck #hs kin #o0starlight0o #hskin #hs kin blog #mod rose #homestuck kinstuff #tarot reading #tarot card readings #tarot #davesprite kin #davesprite #aranea kin #aranea serket kin #aranea serket #davearaneasprite kin #davearaneasprite

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rubyleaf · 4 years

Text

“Ruby, another Shadow of the Fox fic?” Look. LISTEN. It’s been some years since my last proper obsession, all right? Anyway, without further ado, have another Daisukame—this time, a take on their trip into town while Yumeko is busy talking to Lady Hanshou.

Well.

Here they are, and wonderfully trapped, unless he’s sorely mistaken.

Okame looks around his room, stressed out and miserable. It is fancy, he has to give it that. In fact, it’s entirely too good for someone of his station, and if the circumstances were even slightly different he might rejoice in the sudden luxury. As things are, however, he hates it here. Hakumei Castle is one giant trap if he ever saw one, and he feels about as comfortable as a stray dog in a cage.

And then there’s the memory of the Path of Shadows still lingering on his mind. The guilt…the shame…the debilitating terror.

The feelings he’s trying very hard not to think about, even if that’s proving a little difficult sober. And extremely difficult while he’s confined in this room.

In short, he needs to get out. The sooner the better.

Okame doesn’t think twice after coming to that conclusion. Grabbing his belongings, few as they are (they’re not worth much, but he’d rather not leave them unattended in this castle of creeps, thank you), he paces across the room and opens the door, wondering where to go from here.

“Okame-san!”

He jumps, recognizing the voice at once. The Taiyo noble. Fantastic. Yet another thing he’s not nearly drunk enough to deal with right now.

“Taiyo-san,” he says, turning around to face the figure in the neighboring doorframe. “What brings you out here?”

“I could ask you the same,” the noble replies. “But as for myself, I wished to step outside for a little, get a breath of fresh air. It does get rather stifling in this castle.”

So basically, they’re both planning to do the same thing, at the same time. This is just getting better. “You find it stifling?” Okame mocks. “This is a castle! I thought you’d feel right at home in here.”

A shadow passes over Taiyo’s face. “A castle it may be,” he says, “but not home. Besides, I miss the sunlight.”

“Try not to get too much of it, or you’ll ruin your pretty noble complexion.”

Taiyo blinks, and Okame flinches. Did he just call him pretty…out loud? Today is rapidly going from bad to worse. Then again, it’s not like he noticed, did he? Okame’s tone was probably sarcastic enough to make him believe he was making fun of him. Probably. Hopefully.

Oh, damn it. He’s definitely too sober for this.

The noble, infuriatingly, doesn’t show what he thinks of the comment; he just smiles. “I can wear a straw hat, if that reassures you,” he says, and Okame’s face feels too warm all of a sudden. “But that aside—what I actually meant to do was ask if you want to join me.”

Okame resists the sudden urge to look over his shoulder and see if Taiyo is talking to someone behind him, like a hidden shinobi or something. “You’re inviting me to join you outside?” he asks instead. “Taiyo-san, you should really work on your jokes.”

“I wasn’t joking,” the noble answers, furrowing his brow, looking mildly puzzled but somehow still refined. What kind of unearthly abomination looks confused with dignity? “You wish to leave the castle, and so do I. Why not go together? It will be less lonely”—he lowers his voice—”not to mention safer.”

“Ah.” Understanding hits Okame. “So basically, you figured out I’m planning to get pass-out drunk tonight, and you’re worried about me ending up face-down in a gutter. Got it.”

“Not exac—”

“Save the excuses, Taiyo-san, I feel pretty damn sorry about me too.” Okame shrugs, then does something impulsive he’ll likely regret later. “If you’re so keen on it, whatever, watch me embarrass myself. But just so you know, my plans for tonight won’t be fun for a noble like you.”

The noble’s face lights up in a way Okame would probably appreciate a lot more if he wasn’t so busy trying not to have a heart attack. Off limits, he reminds himself. He is off limits. And you know that.

“I doubt that,” Taiyo Daisuke says, falling into stride beside him. “It may be new to me, but if you find enjoyment in it, then perhaps so will I. Excuse me,” he says to a passing servant. “My friend and I”—Okame snorts at that, but he carries on, unfazed—”would like to see the town. Can you recommend any notable places for us to visit?”

“Places to have fun at,” Okame pipes in, lest the poor servant girl start recommending actual sightseeing spots. “If you know what I mean.”

The girl looks flustered. “Well,” she says, “there is a geisha house, if that’s what—”

“No, thank you,” Okame says bluntly. Too fancy for someone like him, too many manners required that he can’t be bothered with at the moment. Besides, how can he possibly focus on talking to a woman with that right beside him?

“Oh! A-And then…well, there are inns.” The servant girl looks down. “And a gambling hall, called the Lucky Frog, but…”

Okame leans closer.

“Tell me more.”

---

Not much later the two of them are walking through the town, following the directions the servant gave them in search of the gambling hall. The sun is slowly setting, dyeing the streets and buildings around them a shade of orange that is just a little too intense for comfort. Okame isn’t sure what to feel. On one hand, he already feels a lot better about Hakumei Castle and the Path of Shadows with the Taiyo noble around. On the other hand, his company has given him a whole new reason to panic.

For the entire way Taiyo Daisuke has walked close to him, almost unsettlingly so. Every so often their hands will brush together, seemingly by accident, though Okame is seriously questioning how often a person can accidentally do such a thing before it stops being an accident. He locks that thought into the deep, dark closet of things he doesn’t think about and hopes desperately he won’t take too long to get drunk tonight.

“Try to keep your face low in there, Taiyo-san,” he remarks as they approach the telltale sign with the frog on it. “It’s no place for respectable samurai. If anybody recognizes you in there, you’ll be the shame of your whole clan.”

“I am not worried,” the noble says easily. “So you have gambled before, I take it?”

Okame cracks a grin. “Oh, lots,” he says. “Probably lost fortunes on it. It’s no fun unless you end the night broke in a ditch somewhere.”

“I see,” Taiyo answers with such honest fascination that Okame can barely believe it. “Then perhaps you can teach me how it goes.”

Okame nearly trips over his own feet. “You want to be taught gambling?”

“Not participate in it myself, necessarily,” the noble replies. “But I would like to learn it. One can never have too many skills.”

“What, just in case we ever get challenged by a stray gambling yokai?”

The noble gives a quiet laugh that makes Okame’s heart skip a beat. Oh, he really can’t handle this sober. “Who knows,” he says. “Perhaps we might run into a stranger who guards a bridge, refusing to let us pass unless we beat him at a game of dice.”

Despite his nerves Okame bursts out laughing. “Now that’s something I’d like to see!” he exclaims. “Oni no Mikoto, but with dice! You don’t have a twin with a gambling addiction, do you?”

“Not to my knowledge,” the noble jokes back, “though my house does hold many secrets.”

Still laughing, Okame leads them into the gambling hall. It isn’t too crowded yet, and he makes his way towards one of the quieter corners, seating himself between the Taiyo noble and the crowd as if to shield him. Just to avoid trouble, he tells himself. As a friend. Besides, Yumeko-chan would hate it if something happened to him.

Grabbing a fistful of dice, Okame begins to explain the game and whatever few rules there are. Once he’s done, he goes on with the more unofficial details: how people usually cheat at it, how to catch them cheating, and how to use all the common and uncommon cheats to your advantage. The Taiyo noble listens intently, taking everything in with wonder and fascination. Okame feels uncomfortable. He was almost certain the cheating part, at least, would be dishonorable enough to repulse him, but here he is, seemingly more intrigued than ever.

“So,” Okame says at last, at his wits’ end. “Want to give it a try?”

They play a few rounds. Without betting money, obviously; the only thing they’re betting is buying the other the next drink, and for whatever ungodly reason Taiyo Daisuke wins several times. The bastard learns too fast, Okame thinks, but he can’t really complain. Not when he gets some much-needed sake out of it for free.

And he needs it badly, he thinks, what with that guy’s tendency to keep brushing their fingers together while playing at every accursed opportunity.

He does win a few times too, but the Taiyo noble has no desire to drink the sake he wins. At first he takes one sip, pulls a face, then continues to push the rest of his cups over to Okame. “I am in no mood to drink tonight,” he says. “Besides, one of us needs to stay sober.”

Okame briefly hesitates when lifting the cup Taiyo has already taken a sip from. The two of them sharing one feels…wrong, definitely inappropriate, and entirely too good for both of these things. The same cup these lips touched, these soft, smooth, beautiful—

He downs the contents in one go to avoid finishing that thought.

It takes him a few shots to finally feel that familiar sluggishness seep into his veins. Okame relaxes a little. The memory of the Path of Shadows is slowly fading, though a tingly, jittery feeling remains. More specifically, it remains every time he looks at a certain noble sitting beside him.

“Are you all right?” Taiyo asks him, eyeing him with concern. “You are looking rather red.”

“It’s the alcohol, noble,” Okame shoots back, hoping that’s truly the only reason. He pushes himself up. His legs are uneasy, though from what, he can’t say. “Well, I’m off. Time to lose another fortune.”

“Good luck,” the noble answers, smiling again. “I shall remain here, watching from a distance. And, Okame-san?”

Okame cocks his head. Taiyo Daisuke extends a hand to place it smack-dab on top of Okame’s own.

“If you need help,” he says, “you can come to me anytime.”

So not drunk enough for this.

Okame downs another cup of sake. His body feels hot, from the alcohol or…something else, he doesn’t want to know. The Taiyo noble’s hand is cool against his skin, smooth and pale and so unbelievably beautiful.

Oh, great.

He’s not drunk enough to handle these feelings, but he realizes he can’t get too drunk around this person either. If he drinks too much and loses control of himself, he might just end up saying something he’ll regret a lot later on.

“Oh, please,” he tries to snark. “I’m more worried you’ll need help in here, princeling.”

That didn’t come out the way he wanted it to. Okame turns around and all but flees into the crowd. Off limits, the sober part of his mind keeps pounding into his head. Off limits, off limits, off limits!

He can’t keep doing this. He’d have to fear for his head if Taiyo Daisuke was just a normal samurai, but the stupid bastard just has to be nobility. Stupid, beautiful bastard. No, worse. Stupid, beautiful, kind bastard, attentive and respectful, so much so that he can’t even hate him. It would be so much easier, hating him. But the Taiyo noble isn’t so merciful. He is wicked, just cruel enough to be kind, charming, gentle, giving him hope where there cannot and must not be any.

And the grim reality is that Okame can’t even hate him for that.

He sighs. Bringing him here was a mistake he’s not likely to make again.

Oh well. At least, right now, the day can only get better.

#i haven't decided if okame is disaster gay or disaster bi but he sure is a disaster #shadow of the fox #daisukame #hino okame #taiyo daisuke #if you wanna know my personal headcanons #okame is disaster bi and daisuke is functional pan #(unless julie confirms otherwise)#me and my writings #headcanons

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mediabasedlife · 4 years

Text

Initial Impressions 07: West of Dead [Xbox One Beta]

I've been playing numerous games in recent months, but this one is something special. In short, I am head over heels with the newly released beta for UpstreamArcade's West of Dead. For those unfamiliar, as many may be; West of Dead is an in-development Twin Stick Shooter set in 1888, in a wild west themed purgatory somewhere in Wyoming. Players take the role of William Mason, a skeletal bounty hunter/gunslinger who bears a distinct resemblance to a certain Marvel Comics hero, voiced by film and voice star Ron Pearlman. The demo is a brief but wholly satisfying vertical slice, a perfect introduction to what the game will eventually become upon release.

You awaken inside a dusty, shadowy saloon, a lone barkeep polishing a glass at the counter. The saloon is small, simple, but immediately sets the tone for the rest of the beta. Players get to soak up the exquisitely crafted visuals that Purgatory has to offer in a safe, combat-free location. Pitch black shadows clash with a smattering of candles and lanterns, the shifting colors creating a satisfying contrast while also highlighting the aforementioned barkeep. Choosing to speak to him nets players a helping of expository dialogue, before you're sent on your way. Proceeding out of the saloon, William comes to a short hall, just as shadowed as the bar. A flickering lamp hangs from the ceiling, ready to be ignited, ready to reveal the true price of this room; the first two guns William can procure. The weapons you find here are very much random; there could be a simple revolver holding four bullets, a decrepit but powerful flintlock, an old but sturdy shotgun, or a decrepit musket. While there may be more in the full release, these are the four firearms I've come across in all the beta runs I've completed, at least initially. Once you acquire your weapons, it's out the door and onwards into Purgatory.

The beta only holds one floor, but each run will net you a different layout thanks to the procedurally generated nature of the game as a whole. One run could be entirely linear, seeing William run from room to room, gunning down souls until he reaches the end. Other times, you might find branching paths, with one leading to more enemies while the other leads to a cache of currency. While there's no shop in the beta, players still harvest two types of material from defeated enemies and wayward crates; Iron and Souls. How these will be implemented remains to be seen, but my bet's on an Enter the Gungeon style shop system, perhaps adding new weapons or new features to future runs through Purgatory. On the subject of new weapons, players have a chance to find several powerful tools as they progress through the deary yet charming halls, ranging from stronger firearms to sticks of dynamite or a sturdy hand axe. These tools, or William himself, can be further enhanced by randomly spawning upgrade points, which take the form of glowing green totems tucked away in the corners of rooms. While few and far between, interacting with these can net William better gun damage, faster item reloads, or extra health, all of which are quite handy to have despite the brevity of any one run.

Gameplay-wise, West of Dead handles like a dream. The controls are light and snappy with fluid movement and an easy to learn gameplay loop that does not fail to impress. Paired with the competent and well-orchestrated gunplay, William has a certain mobility about him. While the enemies are middling in their movement speed, William is just fast enough to outmaneuver them, but not so fast as to run laps around his competition. Coupled with his normal walk cycle, William comes equipped with an extremely satisfying dodge mechanic. When executed normally, William will do an omnidirectional roll, allowing you to flee a tricky situation or dodge incoming fire. When executed near cover, William will slide towards whichever barrier is closest, ducking into cover and staying low until you return a volley of your own. The dodge can also be used to slide over cover, allowing for quick escapes should your cover be in danger of collapse. Executing a dodge well enough can trigger a brief slowdown, a pseudo bullet time that allows the player to make efficient followup shots or better maneuver into a new point of cover.

Each gun you pick up has a slightly different feel; the shotguns have very short range but are quite lethal, pistols are built to be sturdy and suitable for all encounters, while the musket seems designed to stun enemies and leave them open for a quick, close-range kill. Rather than have limited ammunition, each gun operates with infinite ammo, but a strict reload timer. For example, the starter revolver holds four shots and fires fairly quickly but takes 1.5 seconds to regenerate its bullets. The shotgun, on the other hand, can hold one or two shots but takes two seconds to reload. Dodging or firing pauses this reload timer, forcing players to be economic and mindful in their positioning and availability of ammunition without the need to scrounge for more bullets yourself. To offset this inconvenience, William can carry two firearms at once, plus two extra utility items like the aforementioned dynamite and axe. On controllers, you use one trigger per gun, and one bumper per utility item.

Enemies are not just vulnerable to weaponry, however. Should all else fail, closing the gap between yourself and the enemy has a chance to instead result in a melee, a sturdy kick that breaks an enemy's defense and leaves them stunned, during which another kick will usually put them down as efficiently as a bullet. William's opponents can also be stunned by igniting the lanterns that hang from the ceiling, with the flash of light blinding those trying to attack for a few seconds, usually long enough to pick off one or two enemies before they regain their senses. Players will need to master these mechanics to progress through the mazelike halls, but once they have, William becomes a death-dealing machine, lethal and efficient as he dispatches the damned souls that bar his progression through Purgatory. Should you make it all the way to the end of the beta's lone floor, a tricky but far from impossible boss fight awaits. Here, players will face the powerful and imposing Wendigo. Defeating this beast grants you an in-game trophy; a pair of antlers greet William when he returns to the Saloon, mounted on the wall near the exit to Purgatory's shadowed halls.

To summarize, I've found my time in West of Dead to be nothing short of charming. It has a beautiful visual style, an expertly crafted soundscape, capped off by a competent and easy to follow gameplay loop that still sports a healthy dose of challenge and intrigue. UpstreamArcade has displayed a certain mastery over this genre with not but a small slice of a game that will likely be so much more than the already stellar sum of this beta's parts. For people who are already fans of twin-stick shooters or roguelikes, this game is absolutely worth your time. For newcomers intrigued by the striking visuals or the unique blend of gothic tones and western themes, this game is still a solid recommendation, though it may take some getting used to before you're completely satisfied. Overall, I'm very excited for West of Dead, and eagerly await the full game's release whenever that may be.

For those interested in checking out the Beta, you have until November 25th, 2019 to download it from the Xbox marketplace, while the full game will release across all consoles and PC sometime in 2020.

#Initial Impressions #Game Review #West of Dead #Gaming

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