Non-Stop

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

As someone who likes to dabble in the art of writing, there is something to be said of the process in and of itself. Like many, I’ve often wished for the ideas circulating in my head to appear on the blank Word document fully formed. A novel come to life before my very eyes. Instead, I often myself chained to my desk, pecking out words and then scratching them out and coming up with a whole new sentence to describe the exact same thing. Except bigger. And better. And more readable.

Writing, it should be universally acknowledged, is no small feat. Especially for someone who holds down a full-time job (which is completely unrelated to my dreams of becoming a bestselling author), has a myriad of other hobbies, and also wants to squeeze in some social interactions with my friends during the week.

And yet…

Were I trapped in the Dark Place, hammering out my words in a bid to escape, I wonder what sort of narrative I would spin. Fantasy has always been my go-to genre as both a writer and a reader. But as some of the short stories I’ve provided on my blog can attest, I am no stranger to other genres. And if I’m being constrained by the Dark Presence’s emphasis on grim and dark emotions, why, I think I might churn out fantasy horrors a la T Kingfisher.

How they might lead me to freedom is a mystery although I imagine there will be swords aplenty. Maybe I’d write in a local LARPing group coming to my rescue instead of a federal agent.

One can only dream.

All of this, though is to say I’ve just finished playing the latest in Remedy’s catalogue: Alan Wake 2. This game released on the tail end of 2023 and takes place thirteen years after the first. For many, its announcement came as a surprise, although there had been some teasing threads in Remedy’s previous game: Control. Despite having no physical copy available, I was still eager to try it out. Alas, with the slew of video games I had to get through, it was not until the end of 2024 that I was able to enjoy my time with the narrative brought about from the creative mind of Mr Sam Lake himself.

Just to shake things up, however, let’s start with the gameplay. Why, I hear you ask? Well, there’s a lot to unpack with the narrative. Especially with the symbolisms present within. So, you’ll forgive me for wanting to discuss it afterwards.

Alan Wake 2 is a third-person shooter that plays like many a horror game: resources are scant and there are jump scares every few minutes to keep one on their tones. Of course, these jump scares are mostly prevalent when tackling overlaps. But what disconcerted me the most was how these were all live-action. Thankfully, though, the game wasn’t too terrifying for me. The music cues helped in preparing myself for what might happen next even as it had me looking around every corner as it helped build up the atmosphere.

From a combat perspective, Alan Wake 2 expands on the first game. Yes, you still shine your torch and then shoot the Taken but there are now a myriad of weapons and other tools at your disposal. Saga and Alan are also able to duck away as the enemies take a swing. Yet, I’d have to say the game is also quite a bit harder than the first. Especially when Saga or Alan are overwhelmed by foes. These were few and far between but it was enough that during the Final Draft playthrough, I put the difficulty down instead of making it harder.

The other gameplay aspect of the game I liked was how different Saga and Alan played. While their loadouts are similar, they each have their own respective upgrade and ability system. But what stood out to me was how the different characters had access to a unique menu to assess the information the game presents. Saga used a mind palace and often utilised a case board or profiling to help solve the murders plaguing the town of Bright Falls. Alan, on the other hand, thinks very much like a writer. In his mind, he has a plot board to the side where he can brainstorm the ideas he stumbles upon and change the scenes of the story he’s in. Doing so impacts the immediate environment, an important factor allowing Alan to progress through his chapters.

Now here comes the bit where I try to analyse the shit out of the game.

Alan Wake 2 begins with Saga Anderson, an FBI agent, arriving at Cauldron Lake following the discovery of the body of former agent Nightingale. The man had lurched out from the lake and was then murdered by masked cultists. Or so it was believed. Later, at the morgue, Nightingale returns to life and takes out several officers before escaping.

It soon becomes clear something supernatural is happening. Saga soon finds a manuscript page from a new novel: Return. Seeing how the words change the world around her, she puts her faith in the writing and sets out to Cauldron Lake. And like the traditional hero, she follows the plot beats as set out by the story. Along the way she uncovers more of her family history, figures out the true mastermind behind the Cult of the Tree, and tangles with corrupted forms of the local townsfolk. All culminating in a final confrontation with the Dark Presence where the other hero, Alan Wake, pays the ultimate price.

Alan’s story sees him trapped in the Dark Place, looking for an escape. The way he does so? By writing. This allows him to project out of the writer’s room he is trapped in and navigate a gritty and dark version of New York. There, he tangles first with talk show host: Warlin Door, where it is revealed he has written a sequel to his seminal piece from the first game: Initiation. However, Alan has no memory of ever penning the piece.

Fearing for his mind, he manages to escape out into the streets of New York. His first order of business? Finding a murder site so he can then transport himself back to Parliament Tower where his wife is.

Once he does enter his apartment, he finds another manuscript entitled Return. Another story he does not remember ever writing. Before he can contemplate the piece further, the Dark Presence catches up with him and Alan wakes again in his writer’s room.

Thus he returns once more to his story, projecting himself back into the fake New York to find a way out of the Dark Place once and for all. During one such loop through, Alan partakes in a wild and chaotic musical: The Herald of Darkness. But always, the set route he takes follows the same rhyme. Like most writers, Alan is a creature of habit and he follows the rules of three to bring him ever closer to solving the mysteries he no longer remembers.

In the Dark Place, Alan muses, time loops. And while there are slight variations, it inevitably brings him back to the beginning where he must try again.

This, in and of itself, is important when it comes to discussing the themes of the game. I think it obvious that the Dark Place is a stand-in for depression. Of being at rock bottom.

Alan’s journey, unlike Saga, is about trying to claw his way out. Of escaping the cycle he finds himself in.

For most people suffering from depression or mental illness, it can often feel like you take one step forward and two steps back. Progress can easily be obscured by backsliding. Especially during crucial moments.

There is no concept of time when you’re depressed. Emotions are raw. Memory, too, is unreliable.

Yet, as we all know, the tortured artist is the one who can present to us, the audience, the most exquisite of works. Think Vincent Van Gogh or Sylvia Plath. In the Alan Wake videogames, our tortured artist here is Alan Wake himself. Tormented by his own words and living a tormented life trapped in the Dark Place, how could he not be the quintessential trope we all know and love?

The way the game plays with the use of light and darkness, too, further echoes these themes. In the Final Draft, the presence of Alice helps break Alan out of the spiral he finds himself in and he is able to ascend out.

His characterisation contrasts with Saga. She has a loving family and a support network. When she is trapped in the Dark Place at the end of the game, she shows her resilience by putting the self-doubt and negative self-talk on hold. Instead, she is able to focus on the positives in her life and in the evidence she has around her that proves she is more than what the critical inner-voice would have her believe. Saga, too, quickly realises that it is her own anxiety and fear preventing her from leaving. By tackling it head-on, she is able to find her way to the exit.

Something which Alan struggles with as his only way of finding an escape is to use his art as a means to rationalise the negative emotions he feels.

It is these elements that make Alan Wake 2 stand out as a piece of media. Yes, it has its own absurd Finnish deadpan humour too (especially in the Night Springs DLC) but the primary story being told here is one mans’ struggle with mental illness and navigating his way out. Focused solely on his own determined path out, Alan fails to acknowledge the other ways he can escape (as an aside, he does write the Lake House DLC addendum, but it feels like an attempt to use features in Bright Falls to better add to the worldbuilding of the world he has created in Return). Nor does he ponder the factors that brought him to the Dark Place in the first place.

The ending, too, even during the Final Draft also felt open enough for further entries. Especially with Alice’s status still unknown. And while Alan does seem to be in a better headspace at the end (like when he was finally freed of the Dark Presence at the end of Chapter Seven of Return), it’s anyone’s guess if he might still fall back onto old patterns.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t take Alan another thirteen years to push out the ending he deserves. Perhaps he needs a little of the Brandon Sanderson magic to pull him out of his slump?

On a completely unrelated note, is it me or does Sam Lake seem to be having the time of his life? As both the creative lead and the writer, he sure enjoys inserting himself into his own games. Even playing the role of Alex Casey and doing the ‘Max Payne’ scrunch face. Not to mention the short film Yoton Yo!

By the way, Mr Sam Lake, it’s okay if you want to set the game in Finland. I’d still play it. America is too saturated a setting!

Also, if you want to pursue other artistic forms, I’m also down.

There Is Always Only One Truth

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Releasing in June 2023, I picked up Master Detective Archives: Rain Code on my way down to SMASH! At the time, the game was an unknown although it came with the pedigree of being the next project for the team at Spike Chunsoft: the creators of the Danganronpa series. However, bogged down by the myriad of lengthy games that had released, it was not until late November/ December 2024 that I was finally able to sink my teeth into the game. By then, it had also released on multiple consoles, including the PlayStation 5 (though it was the Nintendo Switch copy I remained true to).

In the first few moments, I fell in love with the game. Primarily because of all the callbacks it made to Danganronpa, as well as the frequent anime references. Of note was to Detective Conan – my favourite kid-sized detective with the mind of an adult (or, in his case, a high school student).

But I also loved how unabashedly absurd and whacky the entire game was. Especially when it came to the Mystery Labyrinth protagonist Yuma Kokohead is forced to navigate to arrive at the truth of a case to combat the accusations lobbed his way in the real world (although, even here, escaping to the Mystery Labyrinth and solving the murder mystery before him doesn’t usually end up helping him in the long run because his enemies aren’t going to sit patiently for him to have his denouement moment).

Plus, our erstwhile sidekick, and constant companion, through all these shenanigans is the beloved Shinigami. And while she is usually a purple-looking ghost for most of the game, when Yuma needs to venture into a Mystery Labyrinth, she’ll transform into a more fitting humanoid form – a la Sailor Moon.

Honestly, there was no need for the game to go so hard as it did in these moments. But go hard it did. Allowing gamers to reap the benefits.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code begins with Yuma waking up in a storage room at a train station bereft of his memories. Patting himself down, he finds a letter on his person addressed, presumably, to him. It tells him a few key facts: his name, that he’s been sent to Kanai Ward and that he needs to board the Amaterasu Express. He rushes onto the train just as it’s about to leave the station and meets his fellow Master Detectives: Aphex Logan, Zilch Alexander, Melami Goldmine, Pucci Lavmin and Zange Eraser.

Except, supposedly, there are only meant to be 5 Master Detectives. Counting Yuma, the number sits at an uneasy 6. The others quickly deduce there is a doppelganger among them although they can’t say for sure who it is. After some back and forth, along with the reveal of three Master Detective Forte abilities, Yuma retires to the first carriage. Before too long, he collapses.

When next he wakes, a purple ghostly spirit is floating next to him. Enter: Shinigami. Understandably, Yuma doesn’t take kindly to the apparition. Until he notices smoke in the train carriage and goes to investigate. The first body he stumbles upon is that of Zilch Alexander. When he goes to warn the others, he finds the other bodies in quick succession. All had been burnt to death.

Before Yuma can even begin to solve the case, the train arrives at Kanai Ward and is stormed by Peacekeepers (it is here we learn that like Shinra before them, Amaterasu Corporation has a finger in every conceivable industry. They provide power to the city, create items like the drone umbrella and even have their own private security force) and is charged with the murder of the other Master Detectives on the train. Unable to even properly string together a sentence in his defence, Yuma has a hard time convincing the Peacekeepers to let him go.

It is then that Shinigami comes to his rescue and summons forth a portal to the Mystery Labyrinth. In so doing, she manages to stop time itself.

Unfortunately, Yuma isn’t able to take advantage of this effect to escape. Instead, he is kicked into the Mystery Labyrinth portal and is forced to solve the mystery of the murders on the Amaterasu Express.

With the help of Solution Keys and the other various minigames inherent in the Mystery Labyrinth, Yuma slowly manages to piece together what happened while he was knocked out in the bathroom. In so doing, he is able to deduce that it was Zilch Alexander who had killed the others and that he was the impostor all along. In fact, Zilch was an assassin sent by Amaterasu to prevent the other Master Detectives to reach Kanai Ward.

The mystery solved, Shinigami reaps the soul of the culprit and Yuma is thrust back into reality. Of course, now knowing who the murderer was, he tries to convince the Peacekeepers to let him go. Unfortunately, they aren’t having any of it. Yuma is instead rescued by Yakou Furio, a local detective of Kanai Ward, owner of the Nocturne Detective Agency, and go-between for the Master Detectives sent by the World Detective Organisation.

After the encounter with the Peacekeepers, Yuma then meets up with the other Master Detectives that successfully found their way into the city: Halara Nightmare, Desuhiko Thunderbolt, Fubuki Clockford and Vivia Twilight.

So, begins Yuma’s journey to unravel the secrets and unsolved mysteries of Kanai Ward.

While the first two cases aren’t specifically tied to the wider narrative, they serve as a great introduction to Kanai Ward and its residents. It also gives players a glimpse of the various Fortes held by the other Master Detectives, including Halara’s ability of Postcognition (which allows her to see the scene of the crime at the time it was first discovered), Desuhiko’s Disguise (as the name suggests, he is able to disguise himself as anyone. No matter their height or shape), Fubuki’s Time Leap (reversing time), and Vivia’s Spectral Projection (also self-explanatory).

It isn’t until the third case where the stakes of using the Mystery Labyrinth and Kanai Ward’s Ultimate Secret come to the fore. This is first hinted at by talk of homunculi then a search for a secret lab in a restricted area. These disparate story threads culminate in the fifth and final case where Yuma must contend with the mastermind behind it all.

Along the way, however, he must contend with the consequences of using the Mystery Labyrinth. Especially as Shinigami’s reaping of souls leaves the true culprits dead (although, in the end, they turn out to be zombies). In this way, it sets up the perfect conflict for Yuma. Especially as the sole reason he pursues the truth to save the people of Kanai Ward and those who have been falsely accused by the Peacekeepers (not unlike the protagonists of the Ace Attorney franchise).

I especially like how at the end of the game, the primary message is to seek help from the friends you make along the way. And in terms of big decisions, sometimes one person may not be able to come up with the perfect solution, so trust in those around you to help with the heavy lifting. It’s a surprisingly positive message of hope. One I wish we could see more of in this world.

Oh, and the fact that the truth will always set you free. Obscuring it, even though the truth may be cruel, will only lead to more misery.

Of course, in the real world, it certainly isn’t as easy. Truth, as many have learned, is malleable. History, as they say, is written by the victors. And what truths we can derive are shaped by our own personal biases.

From a gameplay perspective, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is, for all intents and purposes, a visual novel. There is a lot of dialogue and a lot of things to read through (honestly, one of my major gripes about the game because the pacing felt poor and getting through many of the cases felt like a slog). While the game dresses this up in a third-person adventure game, any ‘traditional’ combat is reserved solely for the Mystery Labyrinth in the form of Reasoning Death Matches. There IS also the GOD Shinigami portion which sees a giant Shinigami race through a narrow track to destroy the fortress summoned by the true culprit to hide the truth, but it’s pretty much on rails without any decent deviation for exploration.

The rest of the gameplay revolves around quick-time events as Yuma Kokohead is a short king with little to no physical prowess. Instead, he can only run away, sneak past, or distract the Peacekeepers that serve as obstacles on his quest to the truth.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a good game for any and all mystery lovers. While the underlying plot had a few good twists and turns, I also struggled with the fact that I’d mostly solve the mysteries set before Yuma and have to wait for him to catch-up. These instances were a little tedious, especially when Yuma and Shinigami would circle back on certain important facts about the case – drilling down to the nitty-gritty details.

Still, I liked how the narrative wasn’t afraid to also lay down the groundwork in its worldbuilding, cleverly using foreshadowing and the player’s own expectations against them. This was especially true in the final case.

On the downside, I would have liked to see more of the other side characters shine. Most, if not all, fall into specific tropes. Which, honestly, was a little disappointing. Especially Desuhiko. But he’s also a man’s man. So, there’s that, I suppose?

Should Master Detective Archives continue, I’d certainly be interested to see where it goes. The story, after all, neatly teases a possible sequel for the characters. But should the developers want to go anthology, there’s also potential there for a separate and unconnected story to be told.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, good rain to you!

The Friends We Make Along The Way…To Death. We’re All Going to Die. I Don’t Know What Else You Want Me To Say…

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

What does it mean to be a friend? How much of our true self do we reveal in our interactions? Is the impression I have of someone a reflection of their true character or am I completely off-base?

These are questions I’ve grappled with a long time as I’ve felt a rift widen between who I am and the perceptions people have of me. In fact, it was the inspiration behind my short story Splintered where I felt being pulled in multiple directions and failing to reflect my authentic self. The closest way to describe it, I suppose, is masking – the donning of an acceptable social facade to shield the chaos gremlin lurking within. Although the experience may vary for neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals, it is something ALL people do in order to fit in and conform.

While I had I had put such musings behind me, a discussion around the lunch table at work reminded me once again how little others may see of the greater whole. This was right after the release of Wicked Part 1, with people raving about the performances of Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey – to name but a few. And as we were discussing the film, I casually mentioned I’d seen many a musical in 2024. I even listed them all in sequential order. Since, you know, theatre kid energy~

Cue the shock and disbelief. ‘Kyndaris,’ they asked, ‘you like musicals?’

It was a side of me they had not seen. Nor cared to enquire about.

Despite the fact I hadn’t tried very hard to hide it. I mean, yes, I happened NOT to watch musicals on the weekends but at least one work colleague had me on Facebook. If they had ever deigned to look at my stories every once in a while, they WOULD have known.

I have to say, it came as a shock that their perception of me seemed so narrow. The only side they’d seen of me was the jovial work professional. One who was part of the work book club and occasionally mentioned they played video games (and who never went on an obsessive rant about them out of respect for the fact they weren’t gamers themselves and clearly uninterested in what Metaphor: ReFantazio was about).

By the by, the above is called reading the room and learning the art of making conversation. A skill I had to learn quickly because growing up East Asian, I was forced to greet all the aunties and uncles at family friend events, and make a semi-decent introduction to many other children around me. Even though I’d rather have snuggled up in a corner with a good book.

It also didn’t help that in high school, I was thrust into a circle of fellow students who didn’t share much, if any, of my hobbies. None of them were as obsessed with Disney like I was. Nor were they ones to really play a lot of video games or read fantasy novels. Instead, they talked about the boys they liked or about their anime fanfiction they liked.

Let’s just say, the less said about Naruto x Sasuke, the better.

In order to fit in, I learned to skirt past what I was interested in and engage with their topics of interest. Yes, I got to enjoy my hobbies in my own time but when I was with others, I was constantly reminded how rude it was to pull out a book or a video game in their presence.

And, of course, there were other things we had in common like school, homework and the occasional popular TV show (something I’m glad I kept up with because if you can’t think of anything to talk about, it’s easy to fall back on classic shows such as The Simpsons or Glee). I suppose in that sense, it was a good thing I had an amalgamation of various interests. You couldn’t quite pigeonhole me into one specific category.

Yet, the things I was truly passionate about fell somewhat to the side. Replaced by a desire to be in-the-know so there would be SOMETHING to talk about.

As an adult, I’ve envied the other friendship circles that flourished in the school and the other people I could have, and should have, befriended. If only I’d been in the grade below. Or, maybe if I had chosen to go to the OTHER selective high school.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have some good friends that I made. Even if all our interests don’t quite align. In fact, I have multiple circles of friends where I can grumble about the vagaries of life – be they work, toxic ex-friends, badminton, video games and books.

And despite my regrets, I have made a few solid connections with people who DO seem to understand most of the nuances that make up…well…me. Sorrengail has always been someone I feel a certain kinship with. We’re both snippy curmudgeons stuck in young bodies, like games and books (although the titles in question may vary), and have a healthy appreciation of popular shows and musicals (again, the titles in question may vary). Then there’s mrsarmageddon and bleachpanda.

Heck, I even went to Japan and South Korea with bleachpanda! And she didn’t murder me in my sleep!

So, you know, rock-solid friendship right there. Even though every time I see her, all I want to do is burst into the Don Quijote theme song. But, of course, she also knows I’m pretty much Ol’ Reliable when it comes to navigation.

Another thing I’ve noted with some of my friends – many of them ARE NOT GOOD at finding their way around.

Maybe that’s why they keep me around? To read maps for them?

Who knows.

But just because I’m not grooving to every song I hear out in public or screaming out every intrusive thought in my head, doesn’t mean I’m not being authentic in my interactions with the people around me. I don’t HAVE to talk about the latest book or game that has me by my throat. After all, I have a BLOG to literally post the rants I want to have.

Does it replace in-person interactions? Hell no. But at least I can still scream into the void when there’s no other alternative.

Still, it is nice to SHARE in something with a friend. To have in-jokes or have them understand a reference because they also know and understand what it is you like.

I might not have it with all of my friends, but I have them with enough. And hey, different circles of friends can have different in-jokes. There can be SOME mutual exclusivity even though I’d rather there be no barriers. Or, in the case of my dear chinchilla, glass cages (like the ones used by Joe Goldberg in You).

Mi casa es su casa.

Except with friends!

That said, I still haven’t found anyone I can be completely chaos gremlin with. Except, maybe my family.

My poor grandmother and mother have been victims to me reading out video game dialogues, grandiose declarations of love (and hate), my most vulnerable moments and random offkey singing (usually made up of gibberish words). Oh, and did I mention I make great excellent animal noises? Barking. Meowing. Bleating. Neighing. Incoherent monkey screaming. Crow calls. The list goes on honestly.

AND, I have a wicked sense of humour. Or so I like to think.

Some would say I’d be a great catch. Once you’ve peeled off the layers.

As another aside, I think it’s a shame I don’t banter with MORE of my friends. After all, I think the sign of a healthy and robust friendship IS being able to take the piss out of each other. The texts I exchange with bleachpanda, for one, has both of us teasing and ripping each other down in equal measure. And she’s the only one who gets it when I call her such an Eustace.

Perhaps that’s why the situation with my ex-friend never worked out. And perhaps why I’m struggling now with other old friends from high school.

But that’s a bridge I’ll cross another day, dear reader. Or hopefully, never! Time will tell.

Human relationships are hard. From romantic to platonic. There’s a lot of work one needs put in.

To all the friends who do read my humble blog, thank you for being my friend. AND for taking the time out of your day to read anything I’ve written. You don’t understand how much it means to me to feel SEEN (even though I try my very hardest to keep such ramblings to myself). This blog is yet another way for me to express myself in a way nobody else might see. So, yes. Now you have the full unvarnished Kyndaris – warts and all!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find whoever has been chopping onions within my vicinity. Damn those onion choppers!

Wicked-ly Talented

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

With Wicked seeing a resurgence thanks to the release of the film adaption (albeit only the first act), there has been a renewed interest in many of the songs that feature in it. In just my workplace alone, I’ve seen people use Dancing Through Life as a coping mechanism (primarily because they admire the actor Jonathan Bailey for his charming performance) to trying to learn the melody of Defying Gravity.

In many ways, it reminds me of when I first saw the musical back in high school. Did I make it a large part of my personality and sing a slew of the songs at my friends even though they had no idea of where the songs came from?

The answer, of course, is a resounding yes.

Of course, several people in my group of friends were quite excited about Defying Gravity (but only because it featured in Glee and well, who wasn’t obsessed with Glee back in the mid-2000s?)

After watching the film in cinemas, though, I have to admit the Wicked Part 1 film is a fairly faithful adaption of the musical. In fact, it even pads out certain scenes and songs including a cameo in One Short Day for the original Broadway cast queens. I know I almost leapt out of my seat seeing them on the big screen (and since this blog post will come out in January 2025, I’m not as terrified of spoiling the movie for anyone) as they sang an original number detailing the history of the Grimmerie.

Although, to be fair, I was humming Thank Goodness after the end of the movie. I REALLY want to see Cynthia Erivo’s take on No Good Deed. And I KNOW I’ll be a sobbing mess with For Good.

On the coattails of the very successful Wicked came Moana 2. And while critics did not fall in love with the film, it has still proven to have blown up quite big at the box office. Probably because of all the kids clamouring to see it with their parents. I know my cinema was certainly packed to the gills with families as they settled in for an adventure across the ocean.

While the songs of the sequel don’t quite hit the heights of the original Moana (most likely because Lin Manuel Miranda didn’t return and we had different songwriters in the form of Barlow and Bear – the minds behind the unofficial Bridgerton musical), there were still quite a few memorable numbers. Beyond and Get Lost were great pieces. What Could Be Better Than This had several people laughing. And the one that touched my heart the most was the song sung in the native indigenous tongue of the Polynesian islands: Finding the Way.

I suppose what disappointed me the most about Moana 2 was how the villains didn’t truly interact with our protagonists in a meaningful way. Nalo just felt like a force of nature a la volcano monster. And though the trailers painted Matangi as another obstacle in Moana’s way, she actually proved to be an ally. After her solo piece, however, she vanished from the rest of the story. It just felt like lazy writing to me and if Matangi wasn’t there, I doubted there would have been any significant impacts to the overall narrative.

Then, of course, there was the mid-credits scene hinting at a definite sequel. Which, I am certain, will probably pad out more of the lore behind the world established in these first two films.

Furthermore, given Moana literally DIED and was then brought back as a DEMIGOD, it might be worthwhile to see how she’ll chart the rest of her adventures across the Pacific Ocean now that she’s angered Nalo and Tamatoa.

But while I did watch and engage with these two musical films at the end of 2024, I have to admit, I’m a little bit more obsessed with season 2 of Arcane. Especially the CANON relationship between Caitlyn Kiramman and Violet Nolastname. Forget Catra x Adora and Luz Noceda x Amity Blight (or even Princess Bubblegum and Marceline, though since I never did watch Adventure Time, I can’t really say they ever truly consumed my waking moments), it’s all about the CaitVi (or Violyn) ship!

Time will tell if my brain will have rotted through by the time this post goes up but I know at time of writing, I’m hoping for the extended scene between the two characters to be leaked somewhere for my viewing pleasure. I also don’t want ANYONE looking at my YouTube history lest they see the amount of AMVs I’ve been watching since each Act of Season 2 came rolling through.

But I digress. This post was meant to be about all the musicals I got up to in the last two months of 2024. And to round out the year, I was able to attend Jesus Christ Superstar with Sorrengail at my side. Though she had just seen SIX: The Musical the week before with her work colleagues, it was Jesus Christ Superstar that seemed to wow her more (her words, not mine). I mean, yes, both our eardrums suffered terribly but Michael Paynter’s Gethsemane was so poignant she even muttered an ‘Oh Shit!’ to me after he pulled off what felt like the longest note I’ve ever heard.

That lung capacity! The guitar riff! The saxophone solo!

Oh, if only my mother (the fervid Andrew Llyod Webber fan in the family) had been home!

Still, I have to say both Sorrengail and I had a wonderful time out at the theatre. More importantly though, I posited to her what might happen if Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nobuo Uematsu were to collaborate on a piece of music together. After all, the two of them know their classics and share a love for rock pieces. Imagine what they could conjure!

It would be the perfect blend of West and East! Tell me I’m wrong!

Of course, the question is what kind of score would they make. A musical of Final Fantasy 7?

A uniquely role-playing musical game featuring spiky-haired protagonists who are forced to go up against God? With one or two operatic pieces thrown in?

Stray Gods this will not be. Especially because I don’t think Andrew Lloyd Webber would allow anyone who wasn’t a trained Broadway singer to come within 3 metres of the collaboration…but I know the pieces would be appropriately grandiose with a soaring melody. And because I feel like his song-writing talents are a touch more superior to Austin Wintory (no offence. I still LOVED Stray Gods for what it was but I just want the rock opera of my dreams).

So here’s to putting out an odd wish into the world and seeing if it’ll ever come to fruition. And if it doesn’t…well, no foul…right? A video game playing, musical appreciating and fantasy book lover blogger can only dream.

Now, if only the Beetlejuice musical would come to SYDNEY! I NEED to scream Dead Mom at the top of my lungs at someone. Least I have Hadestown.

Oh, and the Back to the Future musical in September!

Taking Down the Old Guard

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Nestled between the seventh and eighth installation of the Like a Dragon franchise, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a side story that turns its focus back on Kiryu Kazuma: the Dragon of Dojima and what he has been up to after his supposed death at the end of Yakuza 6. It serves as both a tribute to the main protagonist we had all come to love, as well as farewell. Especially when it came to Kiryu’s arc and role in the story.

(Yes, I know Kiryu makes a return in Infinite Wealth and he plays pivotal role in Ichiban’s romp through Hawaii, but it is clear his star is beginning to set. Even if he still has a few story threads that have yet to be fully tied up in a neat bow for the player).

Kiryu’s story and arc serve as a particularly important parallel to the main narrative, which sees the dissolution of both the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan. Together with allies of old, he is there to hand off the franchise of Like a Dragon to a new generation in the best way he knows how: by punching and kicking any dissenters to the change.

But as always, I’m getting ahead of myself.

The Man Who Erased His Name (or how I shall refer it from here on out: Like a Dragon Gaiden), begins with our hero, now going under the name of Joryu, serving as a bodyguard for the daughter of a power man. In these opening scenes, he is escorting her from a nightclub after she had a drunken night out. As is always the case, he serves as a steady presence and a protector. It isn’t long before they are approached by a predatory man and his posse, who are looking to take advantage of an inebriated young lady. Joryu, of course, is quick to teach them the error of their ways in the only way he knows how.

With his fists.

Once the young lady is seen off, Joryu returns to where he has been residing these last few years since the ending of the sixth entry: a temple run by the Daidoji faction. He is approached by his handler, a man named Hanawa, for assistance with another job. And it is here, I’d like to explain who and what the Daidoji are.

The Daidoji, as best I can make out, are a shadowy secretive faction working to maintain control of Japan’s politics and economy in the hands of a few men. In the game, they are there to do the dirty work for the people in power. Like espionage agents in the vein of James Bond or Ethan Hunt.

I mean, how else ought one describe the spiderwire gizmo watch Joryu wields? And the subsequent upgrades he receives later? An army of drones, cigarette grenades and rocket shoes?

Except, of course, it should be noted that Joryu isn’t a consenting agent of the Daidoji. Were it not for the threats laid against the children at the Morning Glory orphanage he founded back in Yakuza 3, Kiryu, i the guise of Joryu, would hardly be one to play lapdog. But play it he does as he is sent to the docks where other fellow Daidoji agents await an illicit exchange.

Unfortunately, things don’t go as smoothly as Hanawa envisions. Joryu and the rest of the Diadoji goons are attacked my members of a local yakuza family. Of course, given Joryu is STILL the Dragon of Dojima, he is able to fend off the attack and even save Hanawa from their clutches (the seeming target for the attack). In the aftermath, both he and Hanawa head to Yokohama in a bid to figure out who was responsible for masquerading as the head of the rebel group the Daidoji were meant to be meeting.

In Yokohama, Joryu tracks down the Seiryu clan but is able to cross them off the list of suspects. Instead, he finds himself entangled with the Omi Alliance – the actual culprits. Int he scuffle, Hanawa is taken.

Unable to sit around and let his one remaining connection to his past be tortured and killed, Joryu disobeys orders from the Daidoji and sets out alone to rescue Hanawa. His destination? Sotenbori!

So begins a convoluted mess where members of the Watase family try to recruit Joryu to their cause, or plead with him to defect. But instead of talking it out rationally, they force Joryu to jump through hoops and even threaten to hurt the children at Morning Glory.

Honestly, why can these yakuza types never communicate properly? If they had explained what they needed from the start, Joryu would have most likely understood. In fact, he even asks them numerous times why they’re looking for him but Tsuruno just wants to play hardball and use whatever else he can in his bid to solicit Joryu’s aid: kidnapping, torturing, sending Joryu out to an elaborate casino and fighting arena floating out on the ocean, bribing the Daidoji with 50 billion yen…

Although, if I think about it, it makes a sick amount of sense. They’re all stubborn men. Is it any wonder none of them know how to negotiate in good faith without threatening violence?

I kid, I kid.

Or am I?

In any case, after all the unnecessary underhanded dealings that consume the first two and a half chapters, the Daidoji and the Watase Family finally arrive at an agreement. In order to assist with the dissolution of the yakuza in both the Kansai and Kanto region of Japan, Joryu is tasked with taking down Homare Nishitani III, an old-school yakuza type who lives off the fear his name invokes. After all, were Nishitani to learn of Watase’s plan to disband the Omi Alliance, he would most likely lead a riot and bring together the other young disillusioned members to forge a new family. Something, which, Watase, and by extension, Daigo, cannot afford – especially when it comes to the betterment of the people under their command.

From a wider Like a Dragon narrative standpoint, Gaiden fills in some of the missing holes that were evident in Ichiban’s debut title. After all, why was Kiryu present in Yokohama and then again at the Omi Alliance clan headquarters?

More than that, though, Gaiden gives fans of the series one last peek into the life of Dragon of Dojima (until Infinite Wealth made Kiryu a playable character). But, truth be told, I can’t be mad. Kiryu Kazuma is the epitome of positive masculinity (in fact, all the protagonists of the Like a Dragon series are pinnacles of manhood).

Is he a bit hard-headed sometimes and not know the best way to communicate? Well, yes, but he also treats all people with respect. From women tot he homeless. And he is never one to judge how others choose to lives their lives (except when they impinge on others by taking advantage of them). It must be said, Kiryu has always had a magnetic draw. True, he is a strong and good-looking man, but it has always been his emotional vulnerability and how he isn’t afraid to shy away from anything that others may deem ‘lesser’ that shows what a wonderfully multifaceted person he is. I mean, he is an avid Pocket Circuit fan even in his early 50s!

Not to mention the other kooky shenanigans he almost always gets involved in during the optional substories. Like giving romance advice or staking out a haunted apartment. And while Like a Dragon Gaiden doesn’t have as many substories as other games (it is a much SHORTER game), they still showcase who the Dragon of Dojima is behind the image he initially projects.

Suffice it to say, Kiryu Kazuma is a multifaceted character. Something which the games never shy away from as they portray him as a flawed human.

And what tugged at my heartstring the most was the ending when Hanawa shows him a video recording of two of the kids he had raised at Morning Glory. The way he unabashedly misses them, the joy in seeing the picture Haruto has drawn…

On a personal level, I also feel like the story of Gaiden, which sees the dissolution of the Omi Alliance and the Tojo clan, echoes the slow death of the patriarchy and the hypermasculine world of the past. The traditional gender roles most people have grown up with, and which were used to prop up an unjust world, are dying out.

What we have seen in the aftermath of the 2024 US election, the rise of the anti-woke content, especially when it pertains to video games and films, are simply the remnants of the old guard in their death throes. Their attempts to revitalise something nobody even cares about is because they are scared of what the new changes might bring.

If only it were so easy to have the likes of Taiga Saejima, Goro Majima and Kiryu Kazuma on-hand to beat the living snot out of this vocal minority, and bring them kicking and screaming into the new world we’re charting.

Alas, it is much harder to shake such entrenched beliefs. But I like to think we, as a world, are making incremental steps forward. Change, after all, takes time.

From a gameplay perspective, Like a Dragon Gaiden gifts Kiryu with a new fighting style to take down his enemies: Agent. For those familiar with the series, Agent feels a lot like Rush from Yakuza 0 mixed in with a few nifty gadgets for crowd control purposes. The other fighting style Kiryu uses against his enemies is simply titled ‘Yakuza’ but plays like a combination of brawler, beast and Dragon of Dojima. It certainly sees Kiryu dealing out the most damage and includes such classic moves as the Tiger Drop.

Combat aside, the gameplay remains the same. Kiryu can still play a range of minigames including the arcade, karaoke, golf and pool. While previous cabaret clubs used in-game models, Like a Dragon Gaiden has actually used full-motion video, which was, in my honest opinion, quite a bit jarring. I mean, I knew about it going into the game but chatting with the hostesses and then going on dates with them?

Let’s just say, it wasn’t as sexy as I feel Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio thought it would be. In fact, it was downright cringey.

That aside, I still thoroughly enjoyed the vast array of optional minigame content that were readily available. Plunging into Like a Dragon Gaiden was like returning home, even though it had been a while since the Sotenbori map had been used. True, it’s not Kamurocho and it didn’t have the Don Quijote Ferris Wheel that the real life Dotonbori but it had all the signature shots of real life locations I’ve come to expect from the Like a Dragon games.

Overall, I have to say I enjoyed my time with Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the platinum was one of the easiest to obtain. Yes, you’ve read it right! This humble internet blogger has finally obtained her first and only Like a Dragon platinum, bringing my total to 22!

So, I suppose, if I have a soft spot for the game, that may be entirely to blame.

Still, it’s certainly a worthy entry and should not overlooked for the main entries!

Here’s hoping Infinite Wealth and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii don’t disappoint. But given the latter has Majima in the starring role, I know it won’t. Plus, you know, pirates!

Still Alive

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

It seems passingly strange to have my first post of 2025 to be the ending of something that had been going so well in terms of engagement. Yet, like most cases, it ended on a whimper rather than a bang. Dear reader, I would have loved to inform you that Kyndaris Tries Dating 2.0 resulted in me finding a partner. Someone who was kind, intelligent and had a decent job. Someone who ticked all the requisite boxes on paper and who sent a thrill down my spine every time I looked at them. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Trying out the dating scene for nigh on two years has given me some perspective of other people. It has let me meet a range of personalities I might not have encountered. From the neurodivergent to man-children and everything in between.

Heck, I even managed to go on a few dates with women! Although, yes, they petered out swiftly. Keyleth, in fact, told me that they simply didn’t feel a romantic vibe during our first outing – which, honestly, would have been difficult considering I am asexual and they were demisexual (I’m still wondering how they arrived at such a quick conclusion. Surely it takes more than one date to determine if you might have the inklings of romance, right? But given they’d been in a few relationships before, maybe they had more experience in knowing if it would eventuate?).

I suppose at time of writing, there is still Dikottir. While he did float the idea of attending D20 Tavern in December, nothing has been set in stone. Worse, I can’t rightly say if we might go on further ‘dates’ or if they’ll simply turn into catch-ups as we indulge our shared nerdy interests. Despite my best attempts, I don’t feel anything particularly romantic with him (and believe me, I’ve tried).

Maybe if this was a Harry Potter Marriage Law fanfiction, it might work out? I’d be a Halfblood and he, the Pureblood. We’d marry out of convenience to satisfy the requirements of the Ministry of Magic’s latest bid to preserve magic. Then we’d enjoy our current lives except it’ll be in a cohabitated space. We’ll tolerate each other’s hobbies, with possibly separate rooms. Then, at meal times, come together to discuss some interesting tidbit of history or politics, before diving back into our respective rooms.

There might not be romance or a spark, but it certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen.

But, of course, I digress.

After all, I can’t rightly say if Dikottir is all that interested in me or if he’s hoping for a little bit more spice. Before I deleted Hinge, I checked his profile again and noticed he had updated a few of his pictures. So, it’s clear he’s still trying to see other people. Whether or not he’s been successful, I couldn’t say.

And the thought of him finding the love of his life who is someone other than me?

If I’m being honest, it doesn’t bother me one bit.

I mean, I was also going on other dates and testing the waters with other folks of various genders.

Dikottir and I never said we wanted this tenuous connection between the two of us to go any further. We certainly weren’t exclusive. And I’d hardly call what we had a relationship, or even a situationship. We were two strangers who didn’t mind each other’s company but we hadn’t yet found the secret ingredient to take it further.

Were I to be generous, I’d call us friends. Acquaintances, if I was feeling less so.

Dating, I’ve come to learn, is a difficult landscape to navigate. Especially for individuals with my proclivities. But I won’t say I regretted the experience.

Rather, I’ve come to know what it is that I don’t want. Those who can’t carry a conversation to save their lives, those who see relationships in a transactional sense, and people who call friends or colleagues ‘normies.’

More than that, my dating adventures have even helped some of my friends who read this humble blog of mine to wade out on the apps and find their potential forever partners. An old work colleague of mine, after breaking up with their partner of one year, returned to the apps! Then there’s a friend who met a range of different potentials, including one in Canada, before seemingly settling for a go-with-the-flow golden retriever boyfriend.

Still, there are a few lessons I’d like to impart:

  1. Being in a relationship with another person is a minefield – whether it be romantic, platonic or something else. You hope you say the right thing at the right time and don’t stick your foot where it doesn’t belong. But if you’re there for them, they’ll be there for you (the good ones, at least). The key to any relationship is developing a decent rapport and being able to joke and take the piss if needed.
  2. Finding love is hard. Sharing your time and your space with them can be even harder.
  3. Listen. I can’t stress how important it is to listen to people and to give them the chance to voice their truths. So many of my dates couldn’t help but make the dates all about them and their interests. There is no connection, on my part at least, if all you do is do 90% of the talking.
  4. Good relationships should never be seen as transactional. Nor should anyone feel like they’re being interviewed.
  5. Go watch the Half of It. One of the best quotes about love can be found there: “Love isn’t patient and kind and humble, love is messy and horrible and selfish and… bold. It’s not finding your perfect half, it’s the trying and reaching and failing. Love is being willing to ruin your good painting for the chance at a great one.” 

I like to think throughout this journey, I’ve been striving to find love. While I’ve reached and failed, it’s hard to say if it’ll always be the case. Although I’m no longer on the apps, I still want to be open to any possible opportunities that may come knocking on my door.

After all, there are many who say love comes when it’s least expected. So, here’s to getting through 2025 and seeing what it may bring me. At least none of my dates turned out to be serial killers, though! Yay me!

P.S. The one downside of no longer going on dates is that between all the games I play, I now need to think up new topics and interesting topics to write about.

Oh, the struggles of being a blogger!

2024: Fear Leads to Anger, Anger Leads to Hate, Hates Leads to Suffering

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Every time when it comes to the end of the year, I’m amazed at what was crammed into just 12 short months. Yet, with two major conflicts in the world, the rising cost of living, and people looking to settle old scores, the world feels like it sits once again at a precipice. Social media, especially, has seen a resurrection of the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ discourse with outrage being the sole currency being traded on. Grace and goodness have been tossed aside. Empathy, too, is just a tool to be levied.

But what I’ve seen most in the headlines and news articles I’ve perused is an undercurrent of exhaustion. Everybody is tired.

It’s a struggle for so many to just survive.

So, to distract y’all from the dismal nature of our own persona lives, here’s a recap of the biggest events of the year. First up to bat? Queen Margrethe II of Denmark abdicating the crown where she is to be succeeded by her son, Frederik. Then there was an earthquake in northwest Japan!

In the Nordic regions of Europe, extremely cold weather buffeted the countries that called it home whilst floods persisted in Germany, France and the Netherlands.

In the ongoing Israel and Hamas conflict in the middle east, a deputy Hamas leader was killed in Lebanon in an alleged drone strike (don’t worry, we’ll return here when Israel escalates and begins targeting Hezbollah later on in the year). At least the International Court of Justice ruled that genocide was probably being carried out in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Meanwhile, the military junta was forced to cede control of the capital of the Kokang region in northeast Myanmar as rebels continued to fight against their oppressors.

There was violence, too, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, due to a glitch in payroll systems leading to about $100 being docked from the pay of public servants. And worse, Ecuador was plunged into chaos due to increased gang activity revolving around drugs.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels also vowed retaliation against the US and the UK following strikes in the area to prevent them from attacking commercial ships trying to reach the Red Sea. And in Senegal, the government delayed their election, cut off the internet and tear-gassed protestors.

All of this was to distract from how Mother Nature, too, was rebelling against her human overlords with bird flu killing thousands of elephant seal pups in the Antarctic peninsula.

In happier news, Japan was the fifth country to land on the moon! Oh, and Greece was the first Orthodox Christian same-sex marriages!

But just to shake up the status quo, King Charles was diagnosed with cancer, there was a severe fire outbreak in the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazaar, South Korean doctors resigned en masse due to being overworked and underpaid, and the Palestinian authority government resigned. Of course, a month or two after King Charles was diagnosed with cancer, Kate Middleton was also diagnosed with cancer.

And while I was hoping the Republicans would actually grow a spine, many of the other candidates pulled out of the election race leaving Trump as the sole contender. To fast forward what most people were betting on, he also soundly won the American election in November. Except, of course, Trump’s opponent at the end was not incumbent Joe Biden but rather Vice President Kamala Harris (thus shattering any faith I had in humanity and relegating the US down to the bottom of countries I would like to visit in the next four years).

Putin, too, continued on as president of Russia although his hold on the country has been tenuous at best. More so when there was an attack on a Moscow concert hall courtesy of ISIS-K.

In quick succession: there was a massive bridge collapse in Baltimore when a container ship crashed into it, an earthquake in Taiwan and a massacre on Easter in Ecuador. Israel, still trying their best to tarnish whatever goodwill they still had on the world stage, killed seven aid workers trying to help those trapped on Gaza. They also exchanged missile attacks with Iran.

Closer to home for me, there was a mass stabbing at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre. Six people were killed, including the attacker. And just to show off how big corporations consistently make misstep after misstep, Qantas’ latest travel app revealed the person information for almost all their clients, as well as their flight details!

Elsewhere in the world, as we headed towards June, the Slovakia prime minister was shot and there were mass riots in New Caledonia. The Iranian president was also killed in a helicopter crash. This was later followed up by the Malawi vice president killed in a plane crash.

Further indications of another pandemic brewing on the horizon saw the avian bird flu reaching Antarctica, with even a few cases detected in Australia (leading to brief egg shortages). Oh, and there was also a landslide in the Papua New Guinea, killing hundreds.

More chaos ensued when Trump was found guilty in a hush money trial. Unfortunately, sentencing was delayed due to the Supreme Court finding presidents can be above the law (honestly, why does anyone bother anymore?) Hunter Biden, too, was found guilty of gun charges. And before I forget, the International Court of Justice further ordered Israel to stop their assault on Rafah (which was summarily ignored).

As the world tilted on its axis following the economic struggles that came from a post-pandemic world, we also saw further unrest in Argentina following the passing of radical economic reforms. Tax changes in Kenya also sparked protests. And, to the surprise of many, the Tories were finally ousted as the ruling party of the United Kingdom. Enter Sir Keir Starmer as the new prime minister.

In other parts of the world, there was a failed coup in Bolivia and Masoud Pezeshkian wins the Iran presidential election.

Closer to home, Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, faced court on a tiny island in the Pacific before returning to Australia. And for the first time in a long while, Russian spies were detected stealing defence secrets from our small island nation!

As the months headed towards the latter half of the year, Donald Trump survived not one, but two, assassination attempts. With his flagging numbers and poor showing at the first debate, Biden stepped down as the Democratic candidate and threw his support behind Kamala Harris. Unfortunately, it was not enough to heal a fractured United States of America that was too focused on the past to see the path forward to a better future.

And, to show just how fragile our world is without the conveniences of technology, the Cloudstrike outage had everything from airports to banks shutting down.

With the social contract fraying worldwide, we saw riots in Bangladesh, Venezuela and the United Kingdom (although these were all for different reasons). Heck, there were even protests in Israel as the people wanted their loved ones back instead of the endless back and forth between Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas. But as the conflict in the Middle-East deteriorated further, Lebanon, too, was drawn into it. Several people and thousands injured in pager and radio explosions. Not content to simply send a message, the Israeli Defence Force also launched a strike on Beirut.

Mother Nature, however, was not content to simply have humans duke it out with each other. Severe flooding in Japan saw thousands evacuated. In Spain, too, homes were lost. Heck, there were also two damaging hurricanes in the United States of America as well!

But it was not all doom and gloom! For, in Thailand, the government also saw fit to legalise same-sex marriage! Oh, and King Charles and Queen Camilla came to pay a visit to Australia!

To round out the year, and to show how fractious the world had become, we saw anti-government demonstrators in Pakistan, a no-confidence motion for the French Prime Minister (with Francois Bayrou being appointed after it), antagonisms between the Vice President and President of the Philippines, martial law being declared in South Korea and Syrian rebels toppling the Bashar al-Assad government. In Canada, too, there are rumblings to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau!

Of course, nothing else truly mattered to the people except the shooting of the United Healthcare CEO in New York outside his hotel. In a rare alliance between the left and the right (at least in America), people cheered at the prospect of finally taking the fight to the ones who have truly been keeping people down despite record-breaking profits all round.

And so closed 2024.

On a personal level, 2024 hasn’t seen much change from the previous years. I’ve continued to enjoy my video games, read my books, share my musings on the internet and try my hand at posting the stories in my head online. The one thing that was a bit of a drastic change was nuking my personal Discord server (one I shared with my friends and was created during the pandemic) because I couldn’t stomach the bad faith arguments employed by people I thought were friends. Especially when they aped comments from the anti-woke crowd for games that weren’t even out yet.

While 2025 doesn’t look particularly rosy, I’m hopeful people can come together. The cycles of hatred we perpetuate do nothing to improve the current state of things. And if we were to ever stop and think, would anyone who had died want a legacy built on the blood and bones of children and innocents?

That is not to say we must forget the past.

But we must also ask ourselves, what good does it do to carry around a heavy ball of iron of hate for everyone that has wronged you.

Nobody is perfect. A bad day can lead to hurtful comments that last a week, a year or a lifetime for the person you said them to even if you forget it the very next second.

Yet to tiptoe around people, fearing offence is not the solution either.

Of course, it’s important to realise the consequences of one’s own actions. Nobody intends to do wrong by another (usually). And yet, it happens. Why?

It should come as no surprise that what inspires us to be better people can also drag us down into the depths of depravity. To quote one of my favourite shows in 2024, “Why does anyone commit acts other deem unspeakable? For love.”

So, what can we do?

For me, I believe that’s slowing down our decision-making and listening. In the end, there is barely any difference between my beliefs and those of the person next to me. It is simply how we internalise the information presented to us that differs.

We, as humans, need to learn patience, resilience and tolerance.

Change takes times. Language evolves.

More importantly: “Sometimes taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind.”

I Am Astro Bot!

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

There is something whimsical and carefree about the latest title from Team Asobi. While the PlayStation 5 came equipped with Astro’s Playroom (primarily as a bid to showcase the powers of the console and the DualSense controller, Astro Bot takes one back to the good old days of wonder with its charm, vibrant palette and how fun it is to play. Is it any wonder it has wowed audiences of all ages despite the controversy surrounding the shuttering of Concord only a few weeks prior?

Some, of course, might feel like it’s a cash grab and celebration of all things PlayStation (which it is), but this latest mascot platformer brings something we need in this day and age (especially after the recent US election).

Levity.

I’ve never felt as much joy as I did with Astro Bot (the challenge levels notwithstanding). From the early hours of the bots cruising through space in their PlayStation spaceship to all the bosses of each galaxy where each part of the PlayStation 5 has been hidden due to some green Martian-esque bad guys. What’s more, it brings to bear the power of the PlayStation 5 without focusing on realism. The cartoony art style, in fact, makes the game pop in a way so many others games fail to do so.

And yet, it doesn’t skimp on the capabilities brought about by the PlayStation 5 with its love of filling each stage with various knick-knacks to show off the particle effects. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better game on the PlayStation 5, with the possible exception of Rachet and Clank: Rift Apart.

It just goes to show realistic graphics are not the way to go. Rather, the ones which hold up the best are the ones that pick something stylistic. Certainly, Astro Bot will be far more memorable than another bland washed-out open-world game.

More than that, Astro Bot is a game that never overstays its welcome. While I suffered from much fatigue with the likes of Tears of the Kingdom, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Horizon: Forbidden West and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Astro Bot was much more compact. Each stage, or planet, could be completed in just a few short minutes – thus making them infinitely replayable. Deaths, too, weren’t too harshly punished.

But I digress from my effusive praise.

In every sense of the word, Astro Bot is a celebration.

Of the long storied history of PlayStation, yes, but also of gaming in general.

What I liked most was how our protagonist would take on the roles of other PlayStation powerhouses. The love and care dedicated to those levels brought a smile to my face as I played through them – from the God of War inspired one to Uncharted. Heck, even Loco Roco with its very unique way of traversal!

Even without the PlayStation powerhouses, Astro Bot also had special powerups that could be used for specific stages. These included the frog boxing gloves, the dog rush, chicken booster, metal ball upgrade, the monkey, and even a magnet! I loved how each were utilised within the levels they were located in, and especially in how they could be used to tackle the galaxy bosses.

Not to mention the music!

I loved how each themed stage had specific music tied to it – from the ghostly haunted ones to the ice stages to even the underground mushroom ones! I mean, who doesn’t love a dancing fungi in the background? Heck, even the main title’s song managed to sneak its way into my head!

From a story perspective, there isn’t much to write home about. Astro and friends are attacked by a green alien. The PlayStation mothership crash lands into a desert planet, its core parts scattered. It is up to Astro to collect them all and rescue the other bots (all 300 of them). He does this by heading to five different galaxies and defeating the big hulking bosses at the end of them. Once that’s done, he and a special hero from the PlayStation roster head to one last planet to round up the missing part before taking it back to the crash land site.

In the end, Astro and his friends battle against the aliens to win back the CPU.

They win, of course, but not without some sacrifice. Yet, though the game ends on a sad note, Astro is thrown back from the void he vanished into, broken. Like the ship itself, they are brought back to life with the help of the other bots.

So ends the game, with a playable section of the credits!

What’s not to love?

And if you’re asking me why I’m referring to Astro as ‘they,’ well, I really should be referring to the bot as it. After all, Astro is a robot. To give Astro a gender would be the HEIGHT of wokeness. And since I read on an online post that the REASON why Astro Bot was such a good game was because it wasn’t woke, Astro must remain an ‘it.’ Or they/ them.

Of course, should Astro choose to go by male pronouns, who am I to argue? It certainly doesn’t affect me, or deter me from enjoying a very good game (maybe one of these days, I’ll go over how anti-woke politics on the internet has truly enraged me one of these days, but this post isn’t it. I just want to enjoy my video games without people trying to pull it down because they feel like having a woman main character or a trans side character is somehow ‘shoving the woke agenda down their throats’).

In short, Astro Bot was a joy to play through. I liked how it encapsulated what made gaming so fun in the past, and bringing it to the present. This was just a silly little robot running around colourful worlds and tackling enemies with aplomb. And while I don’t think the gaming landscape needs to be saturated with such titles, it was a welcome relief to the grittier realism that has infected a lot of modern gaming. Here’s to many more adventures with Astro (with perhaps a return for some beloved older titles).

Overruled!

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

One of my white whales in gaming was Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor’s Gambit. Much like The Great Ace Attorney duology, for many years after it was released, there was no localisation. Some attributed it to the fact that the first Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth sold poorly. Others said it was due to the difficulties of translating the subject matter for a Western audience. Despite this, there was a fan translation of the game. One that was painstakingly cobbled together by those in the fandom.

While I never did play through the fan translated version (it involved far too much shady downloading of online ROMs), I did watch snippets of a playthrough.

Alas, watching a game isn’t the same as playing it. At least, when it comes to me.

The joy I would have normally derived from playing through an Ace Attorney game simply wasn’t there for me. Besides, I had so many other games I needed to get through. And, upon stumbling upon the Danganronpa series, I could have fun with solving murders in an entirely new setting! More than that, I could also be involved in hackney-styled trials, and where, after a case is solved, the punishment for said crime is DEATH! All in gory pink blood.

My love affair, of course, with the Danganronpa series will have to wait, however, for another post (when I play and finish Master Detective Archives: Rain Code. I will get there! Eventually!).

So, imagine my surprise that shortly upon releasing the Apollo Justice trilogy, CAPCOM announced the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection for release in 2024!

Although, I suppose I should not have been surprised. They DID release the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles only a few years back despite the fact many feared it would never come to the West.

It was with glee that I grabbed hold of the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection that I set about playing through it. I may have been behind on 2023 and 2024 game releases but Miles Edgeworth standalone games were a top priority! And even though I’d already played the first game in the collection, I would gladly do it again (Turnabout Ablaze notwithstanding)!

After all, given how I write up game impressions on the internet, it doesn’t seem like proper journalism if I only play only one of the games.

The Ace Attorney Investigations games, as previously stated, stars Miles Edgeworth as the playable character. The first game sees the star prosecutor of Japanifornia getting involved in numerous murder cases in quick succession. The poor man is even knocked out a few times too. He’s even falsely accused. Despite this, our favourite cravat-wearing-British-accented (and possibly gay or aroace) rival remains cool and calm in the face of danger (the only instance being when he was tied up during the kidnapping incident at Gatewater Land).

Many of the cases in the first game are quite quick, taking only a few hours to get through. And while each murder case Miles tangles with are intriguing in their own right (with some fairly strong writing in terms of characters and the build-up of deducing the murderer), there is also an overarching narrative of an international smuggling ring. One that Interpol is trying to track down, and which the whip-happy Franziska von Karma has been assigned (I honestly forget she’s only 19 sometimes).

Speaking of which, I do like how Investigations provides some deeper insight in Franziska. As with many of the characters in the franchise, she has daddy issues. Something which is pointed out in Investigations 2 (honestly, the whole game that is Prosecutor’s Gambit should be called Daddy Issues).

In the end, Miles, in the four days from his return trip overseas (which is a little absurd given the timeframe) manages to uncover the mastermind behind the smuggling ring. He also solves four murders, reunite with a young girl who used his cravat as a tissue seven years ago, and attend a Steel Samurai show at a foreign embassy!

Talk about a whirlwind number of days!

Of course, one does not simply talk about Investigations without complaining about the last episode: Turnabout Ablaze. Back in my younger days, playing it on the Nintendo DS, I remember being frustrated at how long this last case felt. Especially when Miles is able to quickly deduce Alba’s involvement. But due to his status as ambassador and the rules around extraterritoriality, Miles and the team were hard-placed to have the ex-general arrested.

And I wasn’t the only one! After discussing it with bleachpanda, even she had grown tired of the endless back and forth between Ambassador Alba and Miles. All the ‘Hold It’s’ and interruptions from every single side character just to nail the man.

Still, I like to think it was all worth it in the end.

That said, I’m surprised people weren’t arrested more and evidence scrounged up later. Especially in instances where there was sufficient suspicion cast on the likes of many of the murderers in the second game.

In contrast with the first Investigations, Prosecutor’s Gambit was a much more personal case. No longer were Miles and the gang dealing with an international smuggling ring run by a foreign ambassador. True, there was Kay Faraday’s backstory and trauma to dig through in the first game, but Prosecutor’s Gambit also added further depth to Miles and his quest for the truth. The themes in Prosecutor’s Gambit were far more complex and I loved the new additions to the cast including Judge Verity Gavelle and rookie prosecutor Eustace Winner.

What’s more, Prosecutor’s Gambit also showcased off the man Gregory Edgeworth was before his untimely death in the DL-6 incident.

Ever since the first game, we knew Miles had initially wanted to be a defence attorney, like his father before him. It was not until Gregory was killed in an elevator that he chose to become a prosecutor.

But who was Gregory Edgeworth?

Prosecutor’s Gambit was able to showcase this and more as it delved into the final case Gregory was involved in before his untimely death. In so doing, it helped paint in the rough edges of who this pivotal figure was, the beliefs he carried, and how his legacy was continued by his son.

Gregory’s relationship with Miles stood in stark contrast with that of Eustace and Excelsius. While a young Miles was never seen in the third case of the game, Gregory’s thoughts were never far on his son (although, one did have to wonder who was looking after Miles while Gregory was investigating. Do NONE of these characters have loving mothers? I mean, who even knows what Phoenix’s parents are like). Eustace, on the other hand, is considered an utter and complete failure by Excelsius, a controlling and abusive individual who has risen to the position of Chairman of the Committee for Prosecutorial Excellence.

It is shown in the game that Excelsius will do anything: manipulate evidence, ‘disappear’ inconvenient witnesses and people, and take advantage of the law simply to get ahead. His is the quintessential lawful evil.

When he is taken down in the fourth case of the game, before Eustace lands the finishing blow to him in the last case, it is oh so satisfying! Especially because it shows Eustace’s own growth and ability to finally step out of his father’s shadow and be his own person. More importantly, taking out Excelsius is like extracting the cancerous corruption sitting in the heart of the legal system.

However, despite the menacing nature of Excelsius, he is not the mastermind of the game. No. Rather that is Simeon Saint: victim and criminal in equal measure.

And this is why I like Prosecutor’s Gambit so much.

The law is a necessary aspect of keeping society intact, and the people who comprise it, safe. But the law isn’t perfect. People often fall through the gaps. High numbers of indigenous in custody, racial profiling of suspects, etc. Despite our best efforts, injustice remains in our world.

Worse, many people who were wronged, who were abused in the past, end up becoming abusers themselves. Thus, perpetuating an endless cycle of hurt and pain and trauma.

There are innumerous real world comparisons that could take the place of Simeon Saint. Heck, even Miles himself started off as an antagonist wholly focused on obtaining a ‘guilty’ verdict for any and all suspects regardless if they had committed the crime or not.

It is here where Prosecutor’s Gambit shines as it casts a light on how legal systems can fail.

But, most importantly, it also sheds light on those very same servants of the law facing down the contradictions within the law itself and fixing them where possible. Humans err. As laws are written by humans, the next logical conclusion is that the law, too, can err.

By recognising where missteps have been taken, it is up to us, humans, to change the law and have it evolve with us. You see this all the time. Or, at least, you do in Western countries. New legislation is pushed through parliament quite regularly to reflect the changing landscape. Amendments and addendums are also added to clarify parts of legislation that may also be confusing.

Overall, while Ace Attorney Investigations Collection keeps the core gameplay loop very much the same, the few gimmicks that have been added (including Mind Chess and Little Thief simulations) help to bring a unique spin to the formula. As with most visual novels, however, it is the narrative and characters that shine in these games. And shine they did. From old staples like Larry to even new ones like Eustace and Verity.

In fact, I kinda want a new game starring Kay Faraday, if only for the developers to stretch their wings in an entirely new direction. Here’s hoping there will be a few more games in the franchise!

And if not Kay, why not Athena? Or maybe a spinoff with Franziska?

As a side note, it felt so weird to have Shaun call Verity his mother given there’s only a thirteen year age-gap. I mean, did she adopt him when she was fourteen? WHY DID THEY MAKE VERITY ONLY 26?!

Theatre Kid Energy

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Besides being described as epigrammatic and sardonic by a colleague in the office, I was also informed that I, an introverted 32-year-old woman, was most definitely a theatre kid. I’m not entirely sure where they would have gotten such an idea. After all, for most of my life, I’ve coasted by on my invisibility. I’m the person who sits back and observe the people around me, preferably with a book in hand. Yes, I play a little of the class clown in the office by acting jovial but it is simply a means of connecting with others so they can feed me details about their lives.

I’m certainly not the type to cavort around on stage. It’s hard enough for me to dance at a party in front of people I know! And while I like to read scripts out loud in the privacy of my own house, being up on stage in front of other people? Absolutely frightening!

That’s not to mention the fact my singing won’t win me any prizes. In fact, I was even told by someone not to make it my day job. A stunning blow to my whisper-thin self-esteem. Especially when all I wanted to do was to entertain.

No.

Rather than a theatre kid, I would describe myself as a Disney kid first and foremost. Growing up, I was obsessed with the movies from the Disney Renaissance: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Mulan, The Lion King, Tarzan, and Hercules. I also enjoyed their experimental phase with Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet.

Everyday, when I’d walk back home, unaccompanied in those halcyon days of the early 2000s, I’d sing each showstopping number under my breath.

Whereas I only truly dipped my toes into the musical scene when I was in high school. The first one I saw was The Producers followed swiftly by The Phantom of the Opera. And while they did have a large impact on me – considering my mum also enjoyed the music from many of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s productions – their grip on me was not as strong as those etched by the Disney films from my formative years.

Admittedly, these last few months have seen me watch quite a few musicals. In the month of July, August and September, I saw three different musicals in the heart of Sydney: Chicago, Hamilton and Sunset Boulevard (with the lovely Sarah Brightman – even though I think the way she chose to portray her character was a capital C Choice). And then, in October I managed to cram not one, not two…but three musicals: SIX, Kiss Me Kate (a local production by one of the community theatres) and Dear Evan Hansen.

By the time this post goes up, I may have also crossed off Jesus Christ Superstar or have at least bought tickets to see it sometime in December.

None of these, however, are any indicator that I’m a theatre kid, though. No, no. After all, the Wikipedia definition is that of a young actor, usually a student, who openly displays a talent and/ or passion for performance.

As I’ve attested many a time to those who know me: I never studied the dramatic arts in school.

Was I tempted?

A little.

But I chose to focus on subjects with a more ‘academic’ bent. Like chemistry and legal studies…and ancient history.

Besides, the whole idea of working the stage and remembering lines felt like a daunting task. When would I ever be able to find the time I needed to undertake such activities?

So the fact I give out dramatic readings at home, memorising the lines from classic video games like Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and Kingdom Hearts were simply party tricks to amuse friends and family. I do wonder, though, if my mother appreciates me reading out the Ace Attorney lines and the shifts in different accents and voices whilst I’ve been playing the game. She did comment that my fast-talking Gregory Edgeworth sounded a little unintelligible but that may only be due to the fact English is her second language.

In any case, this long and windy diatribe of a post is meant to say I’m not a theatre kid, really.

I just like being dramatic on the odd occasion. And singing. And being a menace to good-meaning folk (like poor bleachpanda). Some being will prescribe that to simply being my astrological sign. And who can blame them? But whether or not that means I was, or possibly still am, a theatre kid, I’ll leave it to you dear readers to determine.

Of course, that being said, it’s certainly not anything to Lose Ur Head about. Sometimes it’s okay to simply let things Burn if you can’t be Satisfied with the outcome. There certainly won’t be a Requiem if no decision is made.

Humans, after all, are multifaceted with a plethora of interests from video games to movies and even books. Most instances, though, we only present one side of ourselves to each other. Much like paper faces on display. But that isn’t ALL that we are.

And with that, I shall bid you all, dear readers, adieu. Until next time!