CorgiShinobi

The way you can tell if you've deflected is if you see a large lighting effect and typically the clash is louder. The combat is very much a dance as you'll need to feel the rhythm of your enemy's attacks and trade attacks after some defense. It's not a waste of effort if you're attacking an enemy when they're guarding as it will do Posture damage. However, once you see that the enemy has deflected your attack, you'll either need to dodge or guard. Most times it's guard, but enemies leave openings either in their timing or direction of their attacks. The near end of this game is brutal. I know which bosses FLD is referring to and I'm not looking forward to having to face them. Thankfully not every Top 5 hardest boss is required or even accessible depending on which ending you receive or consciously are striving for. Still, this is a case where the final boss is, without a doubt, the hardest and strongest boss.

Well, I've paid for Amazon Prime again, so might as well get Nintendo Online with it too.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice If you're not sure about this game, I'll try to give a good description based on my 4 hours so far. In terms of how the game plays, in relation to Dark Souls and Bloodborne, it leans more to the Bloodborne side of combat. HOWEVER! However, it's not about aggression as though you were a beast. You are very much a fragile shinobi that needs to assess your approach and understand the basis of this game's combat. The key point in how Sekrio is different is Posture. Not to be confused with Dark Souls' "Poise", Posture is a combat mechanic that acts like a Stamina bar in how much you can block. The thing is, while in Dark Souls you might be vulnerable and near death if you let your Stamina hit its limit, when Posture hits its limit, you're as good a dead because this game utilizes Deathblows. Should the enemy or you have your Posture meter full, a red dot appears indicating a Deathblow can be performed. For common enemies, this is basically an insta-kill as a Deathblow drains the health bar. For bosses, they require multiple deathblows. Posture is a deeper mechanic than just attacking something that's guarding. Enemies still have health bars and as you lower their health, they take more "damage" to their Posture meter. Guarding will help empty the Posture meter faster and even if your meter is almost full, it doesn't affect your swing speed or sprint speed (as far as I can tell). My criticism to this game so far is that while you'll get explanations about a mechanic, there's no Help section to review them. Ergo, you'll probably be online to research something. However, there is a very handy NPC that you can practice techniques and combat on. I underestimated his value at first, but when I started getting my butt handed to me by a boss, it greatly helped me understand the logic in the combat. It's very much a challenging game, but this should come expected when we're discussing FromSoftware. So to repeat, you can't just go in swinging and at the same time there's little room to turtle against enemies. Knowing when to attack, deflect, and counter is the key to victory in Sekiro.

My folks live in Idaho and their plan through their ISP was 300GB per month. Then it was upgraded to 600GB and then recently they were given Unlimited. Which is both a positive and a negative. On the plus side, they're not going to be charged for going over a limit. The negative is now they watch 700-800GB worth of streamed television and movies. Retired folk and what not. Doesn't mean their bandwidth is any better and the router is definitely capable of more. I also suspect their ISP throttles, but at the same time it could just be the ISP being crap when traffic hits.

So, how about that Stadia? Personal opinion is that we're not quite ready for cloud streaming for video games yet. Not saying it can't work, but I can't see a majority of customers having good enough Internet service to make use of the service. Heck any amount of input lag would eventually make the experience grating, though it's quite the power move to advertise Doom Eternal. It would be cool to stream AAA games to my Chromebook, but then why would that ever be my main source of gaming? If I'm traveling I can't trust the ISP or the bandwidth that either the hotel has or one of my relatives.

Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix I still have more optional fights and things to accomplish, but I'm leaving on vacation soon and wanted to get the main story finished. I never actually played the game on Proud back in the day, and with how KH3 holds your hand, I was not prepared for the challenge. But at least there was a challenge... I forgot how many final boss phases there were for Xemnas and that got annoying. I've never been a fan for when KH games throw different gameplay controls outta nowhere, so you've got to learn how to play and here it's for the final boss. Also, there is something I have to hand to KH3. Xemnas in KH2 was so far up his own ass, but in KH3 he felt like a viable threat and became a tragic character. Tends to happen when you're a Nobody. Still, all in all I enjoy KH2 so much. It feels like a proper sequel and even at its low points (Atlantica), there's an actual depth to how you play. What abilities you want to prioritize because AP actually matters and is limited. Really, I never used AP Boost on Donald and Goofy in KH3, but I probably ended up using at least 12. Actually had to mind what combos I was throwing out and adapt to the boss I was fighting. Drives are so much fun, though the Anti-Form mechanic creates hesitance should you feel like using them in a boss battle. You can't use Reaction Commands in Anti-Form and sometimes you really got to use those Reaction Commands. Oh, and I actually had to use items rather than rely on four different abilities that make MP Charge almost non-existent. I also like Final Fantasy characters in my Kingdom Hearts, so yeah...

Oh yeah Xaldin was a real bastard and his.... *sees Final Mix* Oh Larxene, you cruel, cruel mistress. Never have I spammed Reflega in fear of my life. Speaking of, I've got something for the Beat thread.

Aside from the above, the Switch's first-party titles go on sale far more often than the past generations' titles. It's not the same as a lowered MSRB, but it's better than waiting for the inevitable Player's Choice Nintendo Selects run.

I'll have to see more of it because I'm still not quite a fan of the aesthetic. Link's Awakening is special to me however, much like Ocarina of Time. The difference is that when I played it, the DX version mind you, I didn't have anyone else around me who played it. This was also before you could reliably find help online, so I had to figure everything on my own as a kid. Maybe it's not the hardest Zelda title, but it was fun all the same. It was also the first handheld game that conveyed a sense of melancholy to me. If you know how the game plays out, you understand that statement. I'll play once more to hear the Ballad of the Wind Fish and see it through.

Kingdom Hearts 3 uses it as part of the final boss, believe it or not. It's not crucial in fighting the final boss, but in a sense gives you a feeling of something distant on screen yet close to your person. I know that's vague, but it is spoiler territory.

So I finished the Kingdom Hearts 3 story some time ago and felt I should bring my opinion. I'll leave spoilers at the end. I have to disagree that things were nicely wrapped up and that the story had any proper pacing. As fun as the game is to play, it feels hollow. Aside from the fated gathering that would occur once 7 Guardians of Light and 13 Seekers of Darkness clash, there's little motivation to the story for Sora to be popping up in Disney worlds. It's brought up that Sora needs to obtain the Power of Waking and that "his heart should be his guiding key." Certainly one could argue that these worlds have a lesson for Sora or that they allude to a plot point for the entire series. Yet it boils down to Sora being on an XP grind since he lost his powers from the events of Dream Drop Distance. He doesn't even play an active role in two of the worlds, meaning you need to be familiar with the events of those movies. Heck, the "real" Organizations XIII doesn't act like much of a threat for the majority of the game. Instead they love to tease Sora and speak vaguely about why they're even skulking about the worlds. Supposedly it's to find backups to the 7 Guardians of Light if Sora and company can't do it. Maybe it wouldn't bother me so much if they had done something besides talking. Not to mention, of all the time traveling, revivals, and power of the heart, that Sora's memories of Larxene and Marluxia are 100% gone so we get this whole, "Durr, who are ya!" and "I don't know about that person..." for a good while. Still, the game is fun to play. While the game bogs you with tutorials (because there's many minigames here), you can still play how you prefer. I never bothered with Flowmotion, Links, and upgraded stuff here and there. Believe it or not, I got though most of Toy Box (Toy Story's world) without adding on all my new abilities (forgot about that mechanic). So yeah, the game gives you so many options in combat that it begins to become rather easy. I only ate one meal from the Bistro and that was at the very end of the game. You'll see on online that people went through Proud (hardest difficulty) and it was still easier than normally what how other games have been on Proud. Most Attractions got old to me and I would actively NOT use them unless they gave me a window of invulnerability so my MP could fully recharge. I also turned off transformation cinematics as they got old. The music as always is fantastic. The very aesthetic of this game is appealing and even on an original PS4 the game runs mostly well. I read an article about performance issues, but either I'm blind or it was exaggerated for clicks. Not to say you won't see framedrops, but with how active the gameplay is in combat and scripted events, you'd have to really be paying attention. You can level up Keyblades, so if you like how a certain one plays, it can still be viable for the end of the game. The worlds are very huge, but that sometimes becomes a hindrance especially when you're trying to find emblems, treasure, or "This might be a good spot to find some ingredients." San Fransokyo is hurt the most by this. I know I'm really ragging on the game, but for such a big title and one that could really never live up to the hype, it's still frustrating to have these hiccups. It's almost like Metal Gear Solid 4; a game with the responsibility to wrap up all the crazy nonsense laid before it. The difference is that Kingdom Hearts 3 builds up for more games during its run, a.k.a. Saved for the Sequel. That annoyed me as I went in thinking this would focus all on... Well, spoilers now! /end

Been making full use of my VRV membership lately. Watched all of Asobi Asobase and it's so hilarious. I'll pull up some of the funniest moments on my phone just for a quick laugh. My favorite moment in the whole series has to be the segment where they play Hanako's custom board game which is more of a punishment type game. Otherwise, I've got up with Mob 100 and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. For Mob 100, I forgot to watch the rest of it until Season 2 came out, whereas Slime I wasn't sure I would enjoy. Going off of people's descriptions, they kept forgetting to described that Rimuru, formally Satoru, is actually a swell guy and makes life better for those around him. People tend to get caught up in the monster waifus, though honestly I can see why because Rimuru practically has a harem now. The latest anime I've picked up is The Rising of the Shield Hero. Only two episodes so far, though the first is an hour long special. Another Isekai type anime, but this one stands out that our main protagonist, while being a destined hero from another world, is treated so poorly from the other destined heroes. However, the story takes it another step forward and if you don't already know why, definitely watch it first before looking it up. It got some ANN staff butthurt because they couldn't comprehend that sometimes certain people are both shitty and that they lie.

Maybe if it had come out today I could have sneaked it in before KH3. Either of those games I want to focus on 100% and the reviews indicate that you'll be replaying RE2 Remake multiple times and it's fun each time.

Mary Poppins Returns I didn't choose to see this, but my mother wanted to see it. Heck, even my niece wasn't interested in seeing it. I don't think anyone expected this to match the same magic as the original, but even so it's rather average. I think the best way I can describe the movie is that it's trying to be two movies at once. One movie where it's trying to retell the magic of Mary Poppins for both old and new generations, but then another movie that wants to make sure it's not too similar to the original. Like, you either go all in and embrace the same beats and feats of the original, or you take a gamble with something unique. Why go with lamplighters (a.k.a. "leeries")? Sure they're humble laborers, but if you're going to make yet another group of mystical/magical Mary Poppins lovers, go back to chimney sweeps. I'm gonna have to spoil this, but the underground BMX lamp skate park is not as charming as people dancing on rooftops. It's like, hey, maybe we can eat our cake and have it too! It's the same, but different! Emily Blunt is a good Mary Poppins, it's just a painfully boring adventure. Maybe because the plot itself was depressing if not tiring because Michael and Jane are given a definitive deadline to try and save the family home. The original was understanding the importance of family by putting aside time and treasuring the simple things like flying a kite. Here, it's about a widower having a near mental breakdown because his life has gone to hell. His kids have to pick up the slack so they've nearly become adults in their own right. However, if they can find this one important piece of paper, everything will be fine! Shame the Banks family didn't keep important paperwork safe in an accessible location that was known to all should there be need to obtain financial backing and avoid any dubious loans. 6 Snoring Grandmas outta 10 I'm not kidding, so many sleeping old folk in the theater. (And the songs aren't very memorable!)

Part of that, from what I've read, is that Sony done goofed by mixing NTSC and PAL versions into the device. I'll probably wait like Jack said as most of the hacks are going through experimenting and testing. Some have completely borked their device's menu interface, so definitely will want an easier go of things.

I'm slightly tempted to purchase a PlayStation Classic as it's now reduced to $60 (and maybe even less with store specific deals) and people have hacked the device to run a larger gamut of PS1 classics. Still might be more effort for what amounts to a novelty and if I would even bother playing the older games when I have newer games sitting on my shelf.

Smash Ultimate's World of Light (a.k.a. Story Mode) I did everything, aside from doing the alternative endings for not completing the requirement for the true ending. The true ending, of which, is pretty darn tough if you haven't found your main or the right Spirit to get you through the onslaught. It's Sakurai, so if you're familiar with how he does Kirby true endings, it won't be that much of a surprise. Getting every Spirit in World of Light will net you a fair amount of the game's total Spirit total. I did the Spirit Board every now and then, and honestly I would recommend doing Spirit Board after World of Light because I was getting repeats once I progressed further in the game mode.

I didn't even get through RDR2 before I picked up Smash Ultimate. Granted I know what happens because the constant barrage of spoilers on YouTube. So good luck out there. I know it's been years that anyone who cares will want to see how Ansem, I mean Xemnas, I mean Xehanort, no wait I meant Master Xehanort's ultimate plan comes about. No, perhaps it's the Master of Masters all along and his mysterious box left to Luxu and anyone who inherited No Name with the Gazing Eye! It'll all make complete sense I imagine.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse This may honestly be my favorite superhero film yet. I mean, I love Spider-Man already, but like GOH said, this film is a celebration of everything Spider-Man. It won't beat you over the head about "With great power...", but instead embody what it takes to be a Spider-Man/Woman/Ham. There is a Stan Lee cameo and it is so powerful, and maybe that's more so how he has passed away and the context in which the cameo appears. If you're well-versed in the history and different stories of Spider-Man, you'll be excited. Miles Morales is the main character along with an older Spider-Man 616 (classic/original) who is introduced as Peter B. Parker for obvious plot reasons. Spider-Woman, a.k.a. Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Ham, and Peni Parker with the SP//dr mech are all fantastic! Even the villains we get are a good opposing force to Miles & Co. There's one in particular that I won't spoil that blew me away as I honestly didn't expect it, though the signs are clear now. I want to see it again, and definitely stay for the post-credits scene. Heck, even the visuals of the credits is amazing, if not spectacular! Just so much good to this movie that it's hard to think that there was any negative. The only things I can think of is that perhaps we don't get enough time with all the Spideys as Miles is more of the focus with his growth as a Spider-Man. But, like, that's again the essence to Spider-Man and the others help him grow into the suit. Even Aunt May kicks ass! 12/10 Radioactive Spiders

I made it to Chapter 5 last night. I've been trying to collect or find all that I can because I know things go loopy for the rest of the game (YouTube loves to recommend spoilers). After the Red Dead Online update, Molly came back and I got to deliver the pocket mirror. Now though, Mary-Beth's request disappeared when I collected the fountain pen, so screw me, right? Speaking of Red Dead Online, I doubt I'm going to struggle through that mess. If it ain't the griefers, it's the joke of the game's economy. If I'm going to grind, I'm going to hunt animals and find ingredients/objects in the single player. At least there I have a quarter million accounting for inflation. People can barely afford to hunt for fear of missing with ammo or wasting resources outside of a mission.