Prologue: A Life Sent On Xenoblade Chronicles 3 begins with a melody. An earnest youth named Noah plays his flute as the horrors of war rage around him. Noah is an off-seer, and his song allows the souls of departed comrades to pass on. In a world of ceaseless violence, where the very earth is... Continue Reading →
Like many old-school Nintendo fans, I first discovered Fire Emblem from Super Smash Bros. Melee. The long-running strategy RPG series was Japan-exclusive for the longest time, since Nintendo thought the games would be too complicated for our tiny Western brains. But once I unlocked Marth, and his hot-headed counterpart, Roy, in Smash, I just had... Continue Reading →
When I was a kid, my favorite thing in the world was my dog-eared Game Boy Color. My family traveled a lot, and that little purple box was one of the few things that kept me sane on our endless car rides. I only had a few games on it: Pokémon (duh), Super Mario Bros.,... Continue Reading →
The 90’s and early 2000’s were a golden age for the JRPG genre. Games like Final Fantasy VII and Xenogears redefined video games as a storytelling medium with their rich characters and deep themes. But these games can often be tough to get into, due to their dense plots and obtuse battle mechanics. That’s what... Continue Reading →
I have a confession to make. For as much as I love video games, I'm kinda bad at them. My reflexes are shite, I get buttons wrong, and I get motion sickness playing first-person shooters. That always made Hollow Knight, Team Cherry's indie hit with Dark Souls-level difficulty, seem too impenetrable for a casual like... Continue Reading →
The dynamic sword duo, Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade 2, have just been released as DLC fighters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I’ve played Smash since the N64 days, but I’ve always mained Link or Marth because of how easy they are to use (read: I suck). Pyra/Mythra might change that, though. Their moves are... Continue Reading →
2020 was a horrible year, but one of the things it taught me was how to appreciate the simple comforts when life gets too overwhelming. A brisk winter's morning, a hot bowl of pasta, a cuddle sesh with my puppy, and nostalgic Legend of Zelda games from my childhood. Replaying Zelda has become my yearly... Continue Reading →
The Xeno series has a long and messy history. It started with 1998’s Xenogears on the PS1, created by Square (now Square Enix) under the direction of husband-and-wife duo Tetsuya Takahashi and Soraya Saga. The story was ambitious and ahead of its time, but budget and time constraints required most of Disc 2’s gameplay to... Continue Reading →
“I am a murderous monster. My hands are stained red. Could one such as I truly hope for such a life? As the sole survivor of that day, do I... Do I have the right to live for myself?” Dimitri Alexandre Bladdidyd, leader of the Blue Lion house and crown prince of the Kingdom of... Continue Reading →
(Yup, it’s another Three Houses character post. This is slowly becoming a Fire Emblem blog, but I promise I’ll have some anime content too, eventually. Much of the research for this post comes from Fire Emblem Wiki.) Even before Fire Emblem Three Houses came out, Claude Von Riegan was the game’s golden boy. Maybe it’s... Continue Reading →
Starting Life From Zero 