This one looks really good for being made back in 2010

asuka ask game? pick your favorite one

ok so i do enjoy asuka guiltygear but i have been thinking REALLY hard about asuka tekken as of late so we're talking about her today

also this took me WAY too long to post i apologize but it Is out here so yaaaay

favorite thing about them:

ok so legally i have to mention asuka's tekken 8 design because motherfucker WHAT were they thinking with that one. what the fuck was the inspiration. but i love it so much i cannot lie

other than that, i really enjoy her rivalry with lili and how moderately insane that bit has gotten, and i like how they've kept her a character who is a) defensively focused in her gameplay even among the generally aggressive play of t8, and b) has a generally down-to-earth feel to her despite. Everything. happening in tekken

least favorite thing about them:

so i was actually talking to a friend about this recently and she explained my feelings really well, its like. asuka feels like the protagonist of another story that isnt being told.

it feels like she has so much stuff that COULD be a really interesting plot focus for her but it just. hasnt been? like everything between her and feng COULD be so neat but its just been sort of...by the wayside for the past few games in favor of keeping up with the mishimas (new sitcom there btw)

favorite line:

asuka's quotes are fun but most arent super noteworthy unfortunately? its mostly pretty standard fare for fighting game open and win quotes unforch :( i will say though, i do really enjoy this win line in t8 from her:

It's not good to fight all the time. Well, see ya!

bc like. girl. what do you think youre out here doing rn. girl please

(note: i dont speak japanese so i couldnt say anything towards this, but i wonder if asuka speaks with a kansai accent/dialect in game? her being from osaka and all, itd be a cool little addition)

brOTP:

omg actually ive seen stuff between leo and asuka that's been fun before i really enjoy that, iirc theyre not super close in the main canon but i wanna say in the non-canon webcomic theyre friends? i think thats right? either way its a fun concept

OTP:

asulili...uwoagh........

fellas is it gay to buy your rival's dojo and fill it entirely with roses to get their attention? certainly not. certainly.

i do wish we saw some amount more narrative tension between them since most of it has sort of dissolved by t8 but i do think theyre really cute and as mentioned before i really do enjoy their whole bit its awesome

SHOUTOUT ASULILI WEEK BTW I DONT HAVE THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE BUT I AM HYPED ABOUT ITS EXISTENCE

nOTP:

i do not think i have been around long enough to see another pairing for asuka, let alone one i dislike, so i cannot answer this question LMAO

random headcanon:

spun my mental wheel of headcanon topics and it wouldnt stop spinning for like half an hour unfortunately so im just telling you that i think asuka would play baiken or may in strive

unpopular opinion:

i still havent been here long enough to know whats unpopular regarding her :,) although i think in terms of gameplay i think she's cooler than most people believe, though i do agree that her current iteraiton in t8 isnt very strong within the meta unforch :(

song i associate with them:

i can nigh on guarantee that it's because ive been listening to this song while thinking about her really hard recently but absolute zero by natori (banger btw go watch the music video it goes unbelievably hard), i think the lyrics arent entirely unfitting though!!!

favorite picture of them:

i really like this profile art option for her, the posing is fun and the textures on the clothing are really impressive

and then also i have to mention her preset 3 outfit which i LOVE SO SO MUCH

(apologies as i cant find a better example pic and do not feel like opening t8 at 2 in the morning on this day)

finished the beginner set of levels in the Strawberry Jam Collab, moving onto intermediate :-) here's some pics of my favorite maps from it (but not all of them; a lot were really cool). ive been jotting down short reviews of them as i go so i'll put those under a cut if you also like celeste and are curious. be warned im not very descriptive with these!!!

forest path - utilizes a very interesting take on the dreamblock mechanic (giving you a crystal to effectively dash through any wall once) which i really liked. a few of the rooms had a nice and fun fast-paced feel to them, which is what i play Celeste for. also the music is really good

azure caverns - simple. fun. it takes the thought process behind the gear blocks and changes it up a bit. overall easy, but the last room felt a bit more precise than everything else. not necessarily a bad thing though. music got a bit grating. colors were pretty and easy to see.

loopy lagoon - really unique aesthetic and mechanics. it just feels really good and lets you go fast. loved it.

seeing is believing - the concept is novel… i like that they added a version for single players. overall not much to say about it, its just kinda neat but not challenging or anything.

if my 'driveway' almost did you in… - interesting use of the falling/moving blocks. made me think a bit.

cassette cliffs - the music tempo changes were sort of annoying. concept was alright. art was pretty.

over the city - im not a huge fan of the extra jump mechanics so this one was just ok. got a bit frustrating at times. i dont feel like it overstayed its welcome though, it just isnt my type of level LOL

troposphere - i like the dream block jumping mechanic and this level had a lot of that so i liked it. very pretty. has nice music. i feel like the inclusion of feathers may have been a bit arbitary but it felt nice to play.

potential for anything - i knew this level was going to be a VVVVVV reference from the moment i saw it. It reimagines some of the rooms from the original game with celeste's added dash mechanic, which is super cool. I liked it a lot. wish the music was better. LOL.

midnight spire - this one was simple and not revolutionary but i liked it! mindless fun and pretty design.

paint - super pretty art and the mechanics were interesting but the art got in the way of visibility at times lol.

rose garden - this one was VERY delightful to play. the art is absolutely gorgeous. i thought the music was a bit too high-energy at first note, but then i realized it totally has the cadence of mario galaxy music, which i assume the main mechanic is trying to reference. it wasn't very hard, just plain fun.

treehive - sooo so silly and fun. i loved the bounciness of it. also the honey aesthetic was cute.

the squeeze - it was fine. i liked the little jingles that played each time you successfully 'squeezed' through a gap.

soap - i really like how this level looks. admittedly the mechanic had be stumped on the very first room because i didnt understand what was actually happening. once it clicked (aka, once i watched a video of someone else playing the first room) though, it became a very interesting dilemna. i was fighting my instincts to randomly dash basically the entire level. not my favorite custom mechanic but it was still neat. the heart room was also a challenge in itself instead of just being a big blank room with no danger so that was sorta cool.

switchtube vista - I REALLY LIKED THIS ONE!! the color palette was awesome, the music was awesome, and the gameplay was fast paced and somewhat precise but not in an obtuse or confusing way. The level makes it incredibly clear what you should be doing, you just have to be able to do it. i thought it was one of the easier levels so im not sure why its marked as being difficult but whatever…

a gift from the stars - this was another puzzle level. the mechanics of it sort of fucked with my brain, i won't lie. i looked up parts of solutions for hints at times… really cool though. i'll admit however that the visibility of the level kinda sucks. cool music too

strawberry orchard - music was silly but sort of distracting at times. i dont love the theo mechanics but i think they were used well here and did not overstay their welcome! overall fun

dropzle - ok admittedly the concept sort of bored me at first; i don't really play this game to be challenged by puzzles. As i played more though, i found myself being a bit more forgiving and really digging the idea more. The puzzles were hard, but not toooo hard. i loved the music, i think that contributed to my enjoyment of the level a lot. very calming.

coresaken city - didn't dislike this one as much as i thought it would (not a huge coreblock fan). i think it utilized the mechanics well without making itself too difficult which was nice for my weak hands.

blueberry bay - ohg my god the music was awesome. i loved the reusing of the lobby music. ok i'll admit i didnt love the puzzle portions of this but i know they had to be included somehow. such a beautiful testament to the overall level pack. im sure im gonna say this about very heartside though.

And at the end of the year, here’s my current status in mobage. (Feel free to compare to the beginning of the year!)

A3!: by far and away my most played game this year, I can’t believe I went up 112 levels... I won’t lie, there were times I considered spending money on this game in these past twelve months - haven’t yet, but sometimes I think I’m breaking. Rank 246, featuring Fushimi Omi.

Stand My Heroes: In contrast, I totally stopped playing Sutamai towards the end of the year. The UI changes got finalized early on this year, and we got the introduction of Seo Labs to the cast, with my new favorites. At the very least, I can definitely say I like Ikuto as opposed to being vaguely into Sosei. I do want to get back into this game, honestly; Match-3 are easy time sucks. Featuring Saotome Ikuto.

On Air!: The new coly game of the year, where the popularity and longevity of Sutamai meant they could make a move onto the same territory as A3! and Enstars. I give it grief given that I didn’t really play it much, but I did like my time with it. Also has a teacher character, and I’m Hot for Teacher type, so I’d like to give it a little more attention in the new year. Rank 6, featuring Kokuyou Mamoru.

Granblue Fantasy: The mobage king. I have a Mobage account (two even), so the best part about this game is that I’m never losing my data. The English is nice and convenient but I still skip stories, so my representative “favorite,” Holy Saber (female player avatar) Djeeta, is more “This is who I’m leveling right now.” This game feeds the part of the brain that likes numbers going up, in a traditional fantasy setting, and the collab events have me paying more attention to this one than A3! at times. Rank 58, featuring female Holy Saber.

SINoALICE: My other major game this year; it’s been a toss between A3!, GBF, and SINoALICE for which game has held my attention at any given time. If GBF feeds the numbers-go-up part of the brain, SINoALICE does the same in its sadistic fairytale bent. I guess my major gripe, if anything, is that all the jobs are so pretty that I want everything. Rank 106, featuring Invader Three Little Pigs.

THE iDOLM@STER SideM LIVE on ST@GE!: iM@S block! There were times I got really focused on events this year, then the grinding got to me until it came back with a vengeance for the Christmas event. BEST IDOL JIRO summoned, okay. P-Level 33, featuring Yamashita Jiro.

THE iDOLM@STER Million Live Theater Days: The way Mirishita’s home screen is set up, oshi units aren’t really a thing, because the idea is that you’re in the 765 office and you’ll run across the girls. But I love basically all my 765 daughters so picking a favorite is just too hard. That’s a lie. Mizuki. It’s Mizuki. Unlike MSte, the bulk of Mirishita’s event play definitely focuses more on the rhythm game side, so I’ve practically dropped it; but I swear I’m clinging to the daily login ritual just because there’s nowhere else for me to find these babies now. Level 54, featuring Yabuki Kana & Julia.

THE iDOLM@STER Shiny Colors: The new kid on iM@S block started up this past June? Ish? And after we all got freed from the hurdle of overseas players needing VPNs, has kept true to iM@S style with gorgeous character art and “idol production” gameplay. Shanimasu is more like traditional iM@S games than all the phone games, with zero rhythm element - the flip side is this is a game that needs babysitting, and so I just can’t deal with the attention it needs. Featuring Morino Rinze.

Shinen Resist: Or what I unfairly call “Apocalypse A3!” - Shinen Resist is honestly a pretty good game in its own right, with nice graphics, a level-up system, and a battle system that actually feels like your participation is valid. (But if you’re like me, you can still totally auto it if you want to.) Rank 9, featuring Volker.

World End Heroes: And yet another attempt from Squeenix to hit the otome mobage market this past year (after iFan), Wahiro’s biggest contribution to mobage is bringing Ogata Megumi on for a role. It’s got a lot of kinks to work out that it won’t ever because it’s a quick cash grab from Square Enix to see what will stick, but I played one event and hit a higher rank than I did for one event in Shinen Resist, and you can draw your own conclusions. Rank 23, featuring Hisamori Akito.

2018′s been a crazy year for mobage, with a lot of new games starting up; some being postponed (Palette Parade...) and others being revamped (Otome Yuusha); and a number of losses. Cocktail Prince, they still have yet to fill your niche. (And also Wiz;Alice, which ended just two months after it started...? Even though an English version was touted? Damn.)

But there’s already some stuff to look forward to in 2019, so here’s to more mobage amazement!

Quick Review of Sega Genesis Classics

So a massive collection of Genesis games came out a few months go. So I want to give a brief take on all the games of this collection. Brace yourself, we’re in for a long haul. Alex Kidd in Enchanted Castle: I grew up playing this game, but I have to say, it has not aged well. Its not as good as Alex Kidd in Miracle World. It has its charm with the items, but the actual platfrming and attacking is a bit wonky. I wont say its bad, but there better games in this collection (2.5/5) Alien Soldier I...haven’t played this game yet.....so, no grade Alien Storm Another port of an arcade game. This port sadly lost some of the content from the Arcade version, but i still dig it as a quick little arcade port. I like the changes in the game play (switching from a general beat-em up to a FPS gallery, to a side scrolling shooter). Its a bit short, and can be a bit challenging, but honestly, its pretty decent. 3/5 Altered Beast Oh Altered Beast....so infamous. This was a pack in release title for the genesis, and it definitely shows. Very short, barely any replay value. I still like it...in a cheesy sort of way. You can beat it in like 15 minutes if you know what you’re doing. 2/5 Beyond Oasis This is a pretty good action/adventure game that has some nice gameplay similar to Streets of Rage. Also, Yuzo Koshiro does the music...but IMO its not his best word. Definitely a fun title. 4/5 Bio-Hazard Battle Haven’t played this yet either... Columns A challenging puzzle game that is once again an arcade port. It is pretty basic though with only a few variations of game modes, and no “Vs. Computer” option. Not to say its bad, but its very bare bones. 3/5 Columns III Having a Vs. Computer mode for this game was a great idea...in practice. Playing it is very slow paced and matches can take a long time. It does have up to 5 players which is cool...but im not sure if thats even possible now. None-the-less, too little too late. 2/5 Comix Zone. Now we get onto the heavy hitters. This is a creative action game where you’re literally playing through a comic book. Its brutally hard though, but rewarding. IF you can get past the difficulty curve, you’re in for a good time 4/5 Crack Down Shoot enemies, stop bombs. Rinse, repeat. Another arcade port. Its a bit ambitious for its time, but a bit too repetitive at times. Not bad, not good IMO. 2/5 Decap Attack A unique platformer that sadly got Americanized with its localization. Instead of a cutesy platformer, you get this horror themed game. I never quite got into it, but honestly its not abad game. Its probably just the theme that I never liked. If you can get past that, you will find a decently unique platformer. 3/5 Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine The game that introduced me to Puyo Puyo. I love Puyo Puyo. This game however is frustrating because of its difficulty. A shame considering that Puyo Puyo is a fun series. Considering that there are multiple puyo puyo games other places (Puyo Puyo Tetris comes to mind) I can only recommend this one mildly. 3/5 Dynamite Heady Another creative platformer. This game is challenging, but its also very fun and has catchy music. This one gets a high recommendation because of its uniqueness. 4/5 ESWAT: City Under Siege Rather than porting the Rolling Thunder like arcade game, we get an original game thats a platformer. Its not bad, but it can get pretty hard at times. You have to utilize the weapons that you have to effectively beat it. Challenging, a bit short, but still worth playing IMO. 3.5/5 Fatal Labyrinth An often overlooked Rogue-Like RPG that can be unintentionally hilarious at times. Its simple, a bit difficult, but imo fun. Be prepared to die...alot! 3/5 Flicky Another arcade port...a cutesy one at that. Simple, harmless, and not much else to be said about it. 3/5 Gain Ground Hey, another arcade port. One thats pretty unique too. You have to be strategic with how you are going to go through each level with your characters. Not too bad to be honest. 3/5 Galaxy Force II I love this game...in the arcade (or on 3DS). On genesis however...not so much. This is a very bad port that waters down everything from the speed, the graphics, and the music. If anything play it on 3DS and skip this one. 1/5 Golden Axe An arcade port that actually ADDs to the game with a few extra levels. Its a decent port, but having that extra stuff makes it a bit better IMO.  4/5 Golden Axe II More of the same, but with a few better graphics and music. While the arcade was reveling in the awesomeness that was Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder, we sadly got this game that couldn’t measure up to it.  3/5 Golden Axe III Add more characters, and change the formula. Good way to try keep the formula fresh...at least on paper. But in practice, it was bland, ugly, and just not good. 1/5 Gunstar Heroes This could be said as Sega’s answer to Contra, and it definitely shows. In your face action, fast paced greatness. Its challenging, but rewarding, and definitely one of the best games in the collection. 5/5 Kid Chameleon This game is very divisive. Its an interesting platformer that has alot of secrets traps, and frustration. Its long (unless you know what you’re doing). Some like it, some dont. Im one of the few that like it and its brutality, but I can understand why people dont like it. 3/5 Landstalker Climax made this game, and you can tell because it has alot of the things that make it like Shining Force. And so far, I dig it. No grade yet. Light Crusader Haven’t played it yet   Phantasy Star II This game...hasn’t aged well. I really like it. I think it has a great story, but has not aged well. Somewhat grindy at parts, and the third act can be very slow. If you can get past these parts, its a great JRPG. But mileage may vary.  *notice: If playing on PC, try to find a modernization patch through the steamworkshop that’ll fix those issues* 3/5 Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom Great on paper with the generation system that essentially makes possible multiple endings, but everything else is bland and confusing. The weakest of the series none-the-less. 2/5 Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium HOLY CRAP, without question one of the best RPGs on Genesis. This game would fully be appreciated if you played PS, and PSII, but even so, its a great game with an excellent story, great music. The total package...and considering how much this game cost on Genesis (up to $100!) you’re getting a great deal. 5/5 The Revenge of Shinobi IMO, one of the original killer apps for Genesis. Great action, excellent Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack, and overall great package. Some of the controls are a bit stiff, but overall well worth it. 4/5 Ristar Another unique platformer that I feel kinda got forgotten about. Its very creative, and has alot of fun moments. A bit slower than something like Sonic, but still very fun. 4/5 Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi Not a direct sequel to Revenge of Shinobi, but more of a side story. Plays more arcadey like classic Shinobi. One hit and your dead. Might be a bit of a turn off, but the challenge is balanced. Not as good as Revenge, but still good IMO. 4/5 Shining Force If Phantasy Star filled the traditional RPG niche for Genesis, then Shining Force filled in the strategy RPG niche, and it did it darn well. Simple strategic gameplay, but still deep enough strategy to be challenging. A great start for a series that sadly has gone by the wayside. 4/5 Shining Force II More of the same with Shining Force one, but in my opinion a bit more balanced and better.  If you enjoyed the game above, you’ll enjoy this one even more. 5/5 Shining in the Darkness Another traditional JRPG on this collection. The plot is very simple and the gameplay is pretty basic for a dungeon crawler RPG, but the charm is there with the characters and the art of the game. 4/5 Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Masters The pinnacle of the Shinobi series. The gameplay is vastly improved from Revenge of Shinobi, adding in new moves, and stage variety (surfing on a jet board). The music rocks. Definitely one of the best games on the collection.  5/5 Sonic the Hedgehog The game that started the Blue Blur craze is still one of the best. Laid the foundation for a (2D) series that made fans out of many people. 4/5 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Took everything that made Sonic 1 great, and made it twenty times better. More levels, a new companion, and....a halfpipe bonus stage. YUCK. Regardless, a great sequel. 5/5 Sonic Spinball More of an experimental phase for sonic. This game is decent, but frustrating and short. Not the best of the experimental phase, but you could do much worse. 3/5 Sonic 3D Blast If this were the saturn version, I would have rated it higher (for the better bonus stages, graphics, and music) but sadly, you get the bland version in the collection. Its not a bad game, but is a bit boring taking away the speed from past games.  2/5 Space Harrier II We didn’t get a proper port of Space Harrier on consoles until 32X, so instead we got this sequel, which isn’t as good as the first game, but IMO still has some memorable bosses.  It runs a bit slower and is a bit short. Then again this was a launch title. 3/5 Streets of Rage Sega’s answer to Final Fight with some kickin tunes by Yuzo Koshiro. This game started the series with some good gameplay, but definitely had some annoying enemies (I’m looking at you Mona and Lisa!). Still a good start to the series. 4/5 Streets of Rage 2 Taking everything that was great about the first game, and making it better. Though im sad they got rid of the car attacks. This game has smoother gameplay with some tweaked fighting engine. 5/5 Streets of Rage 3 IMO best game in the series...if you’re playing the Japanese version (which you can do, but untranslated). But if its the american version, its a good game thats frustratingly difficult because of its American restrictions and difficulty tweaking. Its sad because this game plays very well other than those issues. 3/5 (American), 5/5 (Japanese) Super Thunder Blade The infamous Super Thunder Blade. SLow, clunky, and with a second level that is infamous for being brutally hard. I have owned this game in the past (still do I believe), and believe it or not, its not the worst game ive played. Its not as bad as people make it out to be, but still not good. 2/5 Sword of Vermillion UGH. A great soundtrack can’t help this slouch of a game. Slow paced, battle system thats confusing and bland, and just not a fun game overall. 1/5 ToeJam & Earl This quirky game is a very fun co-op rogue-like game. Its simple to learn, but mastering it is crucial to going through the brutal upper levels. Its hilarious, fun, and definitely memorable. 4/5 ToeJam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkatron Still haven’t had the chance to play this one yet... Vectorman For the time I thought this game had great graphics and fast paced gameplay. Its got a good challenge too. Its too bad we only got 2 games in this series, because I feel like a new game would be welcome. Nevertheless, I think this game is worth checking out. 4/5 Vectorman 2 More or less the same as Vectorman 1, but a bit more polished. So if you liked the first one, you’ll like this one. 4/5 Virtua Fighter 2 *breathes* I love Virtua Fighter 2. This is NOT Virtua Fighter 2. Why even port this game on Genesis. The hardware cant handle it. making a 3d fighter a 2D fighter is a bad idea. Furthermore, it doesn’t even have the 2 new characters, so why is this even VF2. Its more like VF1.5...and thats being generous. AVOID AT ALL COSTS! 0/5 Wonder Boy III: Dragon’s Lair I have mixed feelings on this game. I feel like they tried to take classic wonder boy (SMS), and make it a side scrolling shooter. If you were expecting a true sequel to Wonder boy in Monster Land, you’d be disappointed. That being said, its not a bad game, but definitely a disappointment considering what we should have gotten (Dragon’s Trap) 2.5/5 Wonder Boy in Monster World A true Gem of a Genesis game. Has a few issues with its attack structure, and its also been Americanized (Last Boss is unnecessarily harder because of a conveyer belt) but still one of the better games on Genesis. Sadly we didn’t get Monster World IV which is just as good, if not better, than this game. 4/5

*Note: The Wonder Boy games are oddly absent on the Switch version. Notable Omissions: Sonic 3 & Knuckles From what I hear its because of the Michael Jackson music samples. Regardless, the omission of this game is a shame because its probably (IMO) the best in the series. Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco 2: The Tides of Time Another series that kinda went by the wayside, these games were kind of a staple of the Genesis. Challenging, yet very unique in gameplay and story. Just...leave Ecco Jr out of this. Thats about it. If i can think of anymore stuff, I’ll add it onto this collection.

Persona 5 Ramblings

this shit is long. like really long.

and I sound like a crazed fangirl so....

MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT. IM TALKING ABOUT LIKE ALMOST EVERYTHING BUD!!!

also, i curse way too much in this... apologies in advance 

also, happy father’s day even though this has nothing to do with it :)

THIS IS ALL BACKGROUND ON ME BEFORE I GOT THE GAME SKIP TO THE NEXT BOLD PART IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MY OPINION ON THE GAME ITSELF.

Okay, so I’ve mentioned vaguely how Persona 5 is my first encounter with the Persona series. I’d heard bits and pieces about the series but I never really understood the concept of Persona until maybe mid April of this year. I was on spring break from school and I don’t remember how exactly how I stumbled across it but i found this playthrough of Persona 5 on youtube and I was mildly interested. So I clicked on it, and into the emotional rollercoaster that is this game i went.

At the time, there was only about 11 episodes of the play through (each around an hour long) so I binged watched each episode ending up with me staying up past 2 am. I was just so invested. The opening drew me in the minute the camera showed off that smug little bastard Joker’s smirk over the casino (I’ll get into why I love this kid and the rest of the cast later). I was confused since I was going into Persona 5 with no knowledge of the whole concept of Personas at all. I was kinda just like “wow this looks badass. What is he doing? Oh my god, this game is so pretty.”

I ended up skipping around once I got tired of waiting for a new episode and watched this long ass livestream. I got to about Okumura’s Palace before there was nothing left for me to watch but the boss battles uploaded, which did spoil me a little bit and got me a bit confused but I was so interested that I honestly didn’t care. I was so surprised at Niijima’s Palace and her boss battle as a whole and was like “SHIT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME!!!! OH MY GOD EVERYTHINGS BACK”

From there, I skipped straight to the traitor - aka Akechi’s battle - and can I just say, I was not surprised that he had a Persona but I was surprised that he betrayed the group considering all the story shit I skipped. Shido’s fight was fairly interesting to me but again, I skipped a bunch of story shit so I was really just rooting for the Phantom Thieves because this was THE ASSHOLE WHO GAVE MY POOR LITTLE AKIRA A CRIMINAL RECORD.

Skipped a bunch of shit again and onto the fight with Yaldobaoth. At this point I was drawing a lot of similarities to Xenoblade Chronicles, fighting a God for freedom and then THEY PULLED THE WHOLE BELIEF THINGY (which they did at the end of Okami as well) AT THE END WITH MISHIMA AND THE REST OF TOKYO BELIEVING IN THE THIEVES AND I WAS SOBBING LIKE A LITTLE BITCH AT 2 AM.

And after that, I made it a point that one day I’d play this game for myself. And it was maybe a few days after that I finally got the game.

Now at the time (and still now) I didn’t own a PS4 and was forced to use my brother’s when he was at work. Adding to the fact that school was beginning to start up again, I had at most maybe 6 hours to play a day if homework didn’t take up all my time. So what might’ve taken me a few weeks to beat took me almost 2 months to beat because of timing. 

BUT OH WELL, I HAD THE GAME, I PLAYED THE GAME, I LOVED THE GAME AND NOW IM GOING TO SQUEAL LIKE A FANGIRL OVER EVERY ASPECT OF THIS GAME THAT I ADORED.

GAMEPLAY

Okay, so I’ve played my fair share of JRPGs and Persona 5 was a nice familiarity. All the dungeon crawling, the fighting, turn-base combat, ya’ll get it.

BUT UM THESE DUNGEONS (Palaces if you would) ARE FREAKING GORGEOUS, HELL THE GAME ITSELF IS GORGEOUS.

Each Palace and their respective Shadow ruler has their own design, personality and each are based on the seven deadly sins which (after finishing FullMetal Alchemist a few months earlier) I thought was clever and interesting.

Kamoshida’s castle was a nice balance of a first dungeon and “hey we’re not gonna hold your hand, this is fairly simply kill some Shadows, find the infiltration route and don’t get kicked out.” ALSO RYUJI AND ANN’S AWAKENINGS. JUST THAT. INCREDIBLE.

Madarame’s museum had a little bit more difficulty but was still fairly easy. The security bars kinda gave me a little anxiety considering I was still getting used to all the controls (I had just finished an Xbox One game before playing this so my buttons were mixed up) and the little painting guessing game was a bit dumb considering each Sayuri looked EXACTLY THE SAME TO ME (except the color swapped ones) ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING YUSUKE WAS THERE AND COULD HAVE EASILY TOLD US BUT NO HE WANTED TO TEST AKIRA’S ART SKILL. ARE YOU APART OF THE PHANTOM THIEVES OR NOT YUSUKE??????????

but i digress…

Kaneshiro’s bank was fun but GOD SEND THOSE FREAKING SECURITY CAMERAS AND THOSE SHADOW DOGS TO HELL OH MY GOD I HATED THOSE. See my thing is, I’m not exactly a stealthy person. Which is why I love hiding because you can sneak up on Shadows and ambush them easily. I hate raising security level and those damn dogs were so annoying and just ugh. Those dogs are honestly one of the few grips I have with the game. Also, MAKOTO IS THE ACTUAL QUEEN.

Futaba’s temple was by far the longest one for me in terms of gameplay hours (in game time took me about 2-3 days) but it was still fun nonetheless and I’m glad Futaba (who is one of my favorite female characters) got some closure on her story with her mother and was able to rise above that. I’m a sucker for tragic backstories when their well executed. (i still to this day do not know how to pronounce her Persona…)

Okumura’s spaceship was my favorite aesthetically because I’ve always been interested in space and the stars and the little puzzle at the end with the space pockets was a nice bit of challenging and flying through Metaverse space. ALSO HARU HAS FLUFFY FLUFF HAIR AND HAS MY SECOND FAVORITE PHANTOM THIEF OUTFIT 

hmm, i wonder who has my favorite Phantom Thief outfit... Joker... It’s Joker... god damn those red gloves

Niijima’s casino, which OH MY GOD WERE BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND AKECHI’S WITH US AHH, and WHIMS OF FATE IS BEST PALACE THEME.

It was my favorite palace, no questions asked.

Shido’s ship was another long one but finally getting revenge on this dick was incredible. Also, AKECHI AND RYUJI PLAYING WITH MY FEELINGS.

Mementos was a good idea as a whole but the way it was executed everything just sort of blended together for me and there were only a few requests that stood out to me. The music was bland (one of the blandest on the soundtrack, especially compared to the other Palace themes casually mentions Whims of Fates again) and during the late floors of Mementos, everything got so dark and it was really hard to see.

CHARACTERS

expect this to be me screaming a lot.

Akira Kurusu (Protagonist)

okay, um, i love this boy. like a lot. LIKE I WOULD DIE FOR HIM.

For a silent protagonist this guy sure has a lot of character. The rare times he speaks in cutscenes, specifically the ones where he’s Joker, he has this sort of cocky arrogance yet when he’s little Akira in his Shujin uniform he’s a quiet little curious boy. He’s incredible under pressure, like there’s only a few things that make him crack and his dialogue options are priceless.

I especially love Joker because I’m an honest to god mess when it comes to smug bastards and I have an unhealthy love for those crimson gloves of his.

But honestly he doesn’t deserve half the shit he gets in game. Besides the whole “game” set up by Yaldobaoth, he was sent away from his family and presumedly the friends he had back in his hometown all because of his probation, literally no one treats him with any sort of respect when he gets to Shibuya. Sojiro reminds him countless times the first what 3-4 months that he’ll be kicked out if he breaks his probation which (besides doing all that illegal shit as Phantom Thieves) he honestly just goes to school (a place where he gets even more shit from teachers and students), hangs out a little after and comes straight home. I know Akira’s been established to have a bad reputation because of his record but don’t these people have eyes??? Can’t they see that he’s obviously not a bad guy based on what he’s doing in school and not getting involved with the police??? Sojiro's exempt from this because he at least grows to like having Akira around and trusts him enough to go out at night, work in the store alone and lock up from him when he leaves.

AKIRA IS A GOOD BOY WHO DIDN’T DESERVE ALL THE SHIT GIVEN TO HIM

Also, Xander Mobus did a good ass job with his voice

Ryuji Sakamoto

see this post that basically sums up my feelings on this boy.

Also, Max Mittelman.

Ann Takamaki

CAN I JUST SAY ANN IS ONE OF THE BESTEST FRIENDS IVE EVER SEEN???????

Like she went through all that shit with Kamoshida, the harassment, possibly rape, all for freaking Shiho’s sake. Just… wow. That’s some freaking loyalty there. Shiho's the closest friend she has at Shujin (at least before the events of the game) and God knows how long she went along with Kamoshida’s bullshit all for Shiho. I mean I may sound a bit repetitive but holy shit that just amazes  me. SHE. ENDURED. SEXUAL. HARASSMENT. ALL. FOR. HER. BEST. FRIEND. And the minute she watched Shiho’s suicide attempt that was it. Any last bit of restraint she had left broke and she went full on at Kamoshida all for revenge for her best friend. My god.

Onto her confidant ranks, Ann is just a charismatic bundle of joy who just wants to make people happy. Yeah she butted heads with that girl (forgot her name…) and did fall down a little in terms of confidence but Akira and Shiho helped her through it and brought her back on her path of what she wants to do… Just ugh, I love Ann so much.

Yusuke Kitagawa

Yusuke’s a fan favorite and for good reason.

His backstory about how Madarame took him in after his mom died and overlooked his painting which led to the later plagiarism is an interesting one and I love how the Sayuri, the only thing left to connect him to his mother, is an important factor that leads to his realization of “oh shit this guy’s a dick who watched my mom die without helping her and he used me for money and fame.”

As a character though, Yusuke’s freaking weird. But i love him because of it. He has his formal tongue but that formal tongue casually overlooks any weird shit that comes out of his mouth. He doesn’t give any flying fucks about what people think of him and he speaks his mind like there’s no tomorrow. I still crack up at the nude painting scene with him and Ann because his mix of awkwardness and passion to paint a nice ass picture is just incredible. Also, another thing. He’s. So. Damn. Passionate. Like he ties art into everything, even fighting Shadows and he’s always looking for new ideas for paintings.

Also, Matt Mercer

Makoto Niijima

MAKOTO IS QUEEN.

She’s not my favorite female, that role goes to Futaba but she’s definitely number 2.

I genuinely have a love for the Niijima sisters because they complement each other so well. Sae’s the head of the house who also works tirelessly just to support her younger sister and it’s clear to see why Makoto would feel useless. She’s a high school student and as a student you really can’t do much that’ll pay the bills and keep food on the table unless you have a job which Makoto’s student council president and (i’m assuming) is in everything so it’d probably be hard as is to get a job and be of some sort of use to her sister. Then Kaneshiro comes around threatening her and Thieves and her sister and she just doesn’t want to feel useless anymore. She wants to do something after being forced to sit back and watch other people be counted on. And just, ugh, her awakening is by far my favorite out of all of them just because of everything behind it and just MAKOTO IS AMAZING, CASE CLOSED.

Also, Cherami Leigh.

Futaba Sakura

By far my favorite female as I feel our personalities are pretty damn similar. Besides her being a hacker and me not knowing anything about possibly illegal things like that, I relate to Futaba as she’s an introvert. She and I value our alone time and (although for different reasons) like being shut in. Now I’m not going to say Futaba and I share the same backstory because my God I’m honestly baffled how this girl went through years in solitude after her mother’s death thinking it was her fault. For one, she WATCHED HER MOTHER DIE IN FRONT OF HER. HOLY SHIT HOW DID THIS GIRL MANAGE TO FUNCTION WITH THAT MENTAL IMAGE IMPRINTED IN HER BRAIN???? AND THEN FOR YEARS ON END SHE LOCKED HERSELF UP AWAY FROM THE WORLD AND BEGAN HAVING ACTUAL PHYSICAL AND VERBAL HALLUCINATIONS AND IF IT WASNT FOR THE PHANTOM THIEVES SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENDED UP KILLING HERSELF AND I DONT WANT TO THINK OF A WORLD WITHOUT THIS ADORABLE LITTLE OTAKU.

also, i really ship her and Yusuke Inari

Haru Okumura

For one, Haru is freaking adorable, I mean look at her. She has the short little fluffy fluff hair and her voice is so light and feathery and polite and WHY DOES SHE COME SO LATE IN THE DAMN GAME????

I was lucky enough to manage to finish her confidant before the end of the game but when her confidant first opened up to me (getting rank 5 Proficiency was a bitch) at that point I was planning on not doing her confidant at all, I was just planning on getting Baton Pass and ditching her because I didn’t think I’d finish it. I did (at the cost of not finishing Makoto’s, still extremely disappointed on that) and I have to say Haru’s confidant was by far my favorite one out of the ones I maxed out.

Her whole thing is now that her father’s dead, she’s basically the one inheriting everything from Okumura Foods and she never really understood anything to begin with and she thinks everyone who’s trying to help her is just doing it for their own self-gain.  Okumura Foods, at this point, is attempting to rise back up after all the shit her father put the company through and all the current bad reputation it has. Haru’s never had a chance in her life to make things for herself. She’s always been told what to do and has been very obedient (even agreeing to marry a literal dickhead all for her father’s company) and suddenly she’s given all control and doesn’t know what to do with it. All these happy smiling faces offering their help just seem like people attempting to take advantage of her incompetence. Akira helps her through it like the amazing boy that he is and Haru ends up finally being able to speak her mind about the company and what SHE wants to do. She gives the company up to someone who she believes is trustworthy and decides that she’ll one day open a small little cafe like Leblanc in the future after college. And honestly, just her overcoming her distrust and her previous shell of being obedient to rising up and making her own decisions it makes me so happy and proud to see her grow and change and just UGGH I LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS DAMN CAST.

Morgana

This cat, literally this cat. HE BELONGS WITH AKIRA AND THE REST OF THE THIEVES NO ONE CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.

Loud-mouthed, a little bit arrogant, Morgana is just an amazing character in general for me. I know Ryuji’s technically supposed to be the comic relief (and he does fulfill this role, don’t get me wrong) but I feel Morgana takes this spot too, especially the two bickering like an old married couple. I know some people hate on Morgana because of how he treats Ryuji and the amount of “go to bed” memes on Tumblr but all around Morgana is just a cat who was just looking for a place to call home. He was just looking for people to accept him.

And a part of me honestly hopes if there’s an add on for this game in the future, Morgana gets a human form because I’d love to see that.

Also, please tell me I’m not the only one who still mixes up Morgana’s gender. I still sometimes call him a her just out of habit because I can’t hear Cassandra Lee Morris as anything but a girl.

Also, Cassandra Lee Morris.

Goro Akechi

OKAY SO CONTROVERSY??? MAYBE??

I LIKE AKECHI

NO FUCK THAT

I LOVE AKECHI

LIKE HONEST TO GOD THIS BOY DESERVED BETTER.

Don’t misunderstand, I know he killed people. I know he caused all those shutdowns and was planning on killing the Thieves and eventually Shido himself (which now begs the question, say he did kill Shido, what next?)

I’m not denying anything he did. And yes, his backstory (although extremely saddening) does not justify his actions. He knew what he was doing and he still did it.

Akechi took the wrong path in his life. If anything you can sort of compare his story to Futaba’s in the sense that they both lost family members and were left with nothing. In Futaba’s case however, she still had people trying to help her. She had Sojiro who took her in after her uncle was abusing her or something and she had the Thieves who literally changed her heart and made her see the truth.

Akechi had absolutely nobody.

His mom died (suicide if I remember correctly), he was thrown into foster care, his own father (seriously, fuck Shido. Not just because of how he was with Akechi but everything in this damn game) didn’t even knew he existed. He had no acknowledgement, no affection, nothing. He was forced to make do with what little scraps he could find and make a life for himself.

Again, don’t misunderstand me. I know he killed people and his backstory does not justify his actions because he knew what he was doing was wrong. I’m just saying maybe if he had someone, anyone who was there to help him out, to pull him out of his misery he most likely would have been a different person. He wouldn’t have had his revenge for Shido be his only reason for living and he wouldn’t have gone out the way he did. It’s hard not to feel bad for him. He’s been alone all his damn life and all this guy really wanted was a friend, some teammates, people who wanted him around. I just wish Akechi had gotten a way to repent. I hate the fact that he died. One because we lost a good character and two because I genuinely believe that he wanted to change at the end. Akira changed him. The Thieves changed him. I wish he had gotten an ending where he could own up to his mistakes and be able to make up for lost time.

Just… ugh.

I’m apart of the “Akechi deserved better” group.

And I also ship Akeshu really really really hard.

Also, Robbie Daymond was freaking fantastic.

VERDICT

THIS IS LONG ENOUGH SO LET ME SUM IT UP IN A SENTENCE.

PERSONA 5 IS AMAZING, I LOVED IT.