BLOG -- Recap of May

Well, May was more or less the same as April, with workload being really irregular. Just this week, my work computer was on since Monday 5:30 PM, running some syntax and creating variables -- for four days straight. And the project deadline was Friday, which I barely made (submitted most of what I needed to submit just past midnight that Friday -- submitted the rest on Saturday). There were many times I was praying there wouldn't be a power outage, because I couldn't save my work until the syntax finished running. Every bad scenario was going over and over in my head until the syntax finished running... Frankly, I was very, very, very stressed out...

One of the few things offering some form of escape from my stress is Yakuza 0... <3 The story sucks me in so much that I really feel like I'm in another world, going through Kiryu / Majima's struggles. In some ways so far, it's quite inspirational. I want to be a dragon! XD <3 

"Outings" / Events in May:

- Hung out with friends overall x0.

- Had a LINE voice chat with a couple friends on Victoria's Day. It was long and fun :D

- Had a 3-day Lieu Time one week to make up for that week I worked nearly 80 hours. Then I worked overtime the following week, haha...

- Had a gaming session with a friend. This was really fun!

- My mechanical keyboard arrived. I really enjoy the clackity sounds. ^_^

- I give a giant facepalm to that incident with the huge park gathering... =___=

- Karaoked by myself x0.

- Stayed over at my sister's place x0.


- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn achievements / news: 
-Just today, I cleared Second Coil Savage turns 2 - 4 unsynced with a couple friends. My bard was still squishy at Level 68, but it was cool seeing my friends beating up those bosses like it was nothing.
-I've been doing a mix of main story quests and side quests. I'm still really behind (at level 63 main story quests so far).
-I recently unlocked the Firmament and just love it. It's such a nice place to level up gathering and crafting classes.
-I think when my subscription expires (less than a month now!), I'll let it expire for a while... and then I'll re-sub.

Exposures:

- Nothing this month.

Finished...

Watching:

- (Anime): Kino's Journey -the Beautiful World- -- Some of the episodes were nice and interesting, but overall I think I prefer the original 2003 version.

Playing:

- (PS4): Death Road to Canada -- This is a ridiculous and fun game. So far I've beaten it 3 times -- two times with my sister (via multiple Shareplay sessions on the PS4), and one time with a friend. I wish it wasn't so brutally hard, hahaha.

- (PS2): Drakengard -- I have two more endings to get... but I beat it! What a twisted game. I did not enjoy the aerial missions.

Reading:

- (Comic): Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Gene Luen Yang, Gurihiru -- This was okay.

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS3): Borderlands 2
- (PS4): Yakuza 0
- (3DS): Tomodachi Life
- (3DS): Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies
- (GBA): The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition   
- (Wii): Fortune Street 
- (PC): UnEpic  
- (PC): King's Bounty: The Legend
- (PC): Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 7 - Episode 7)
- (TV Show): Criminal Minds (Season 15)
- (TV Show): The Strain (Season 3)
- (TV Show): The IT Crowd (Season 3)
- (TV Show): The Office (Season 8)
- (TV Show): The Goldbergs (Season 3 - Episode 15)
- (TV Show): Huff (Season 1 - Episode 10)
- (TV Show): Legend of Korra (Season 3)
- (TV Show): Nodame Cantabile Live-Action (Episode 7)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (Season 3?)
- (Anime): Attack on Titan (Season 4?)
- (Anime): Food Wars (Season 5)
- (Anime): Pyscho-Pass (Season 3)
- (Anime): Carole & Tuesday (Part 1 - Episode 5)
- (YouTube): StephenVlogs (Day 908)

Reading:

- (Comic): Bodie Troll by Jay Fosgitt
- (Manga): One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (Volume 80 -- Chapter 806)
- (Manga): Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Volume 2)


That's it for May. Here are a few pics I took this month plus a YouTube video.

One of the random events in Death Road to Canada.
I was so scared for my player's life, lol.

My mechanical keyboard! Now I have a bit more resting space for my wrists.

The Berserk collaboration is currently going on in the SMT Dx2 phone game.
After spending 30k+ gems I had collected for free over the months, 
I whaled and got at least one of every unit.

"Mistakes New Players Make in FFXIV" by Zepla HQ.
When I started playing FFXIV, I was lucky that my friends and the FC 
I was part of explained a lot about the game and mechanics 
so I didn't really experience any mistakes that I could recall.
One embarrassing moment for me, though, was playing Syrcus Tower one night 
and I was so sleepy that I nodded off while my character was still running... 
and I ended up aggro-ing the trash mob before everybody else was ready! >_<''

Thanks for reading!

As usual, if you have any questions / comments about anything, feel free. :)

I think until my workload gets better and I feel a bit more balanced with my life, I'm going to hold off on future blogs for a while (except for the monthly recap blogs). I really need to be in a state where I'm NOT desperate for "Me" time every chance I get... >_<''

Anywho... take care, stay safe, and until next time! :)

EXPOSURES (VIDEO GAME) -- Yakuza 0

After beating a couple games recently, I thought it was time to start another. Originally I was a little hesitant to start Yakuza 0. Without knowing much, I had a feeling it would be a long game, with a serious, gritty story. And knowing myself, if I enjoy it I'll pad many more hours before beating it.

And boy do I enjoy it. I'm enjoying it very much. What a world I dived into! XD

Yakuza 0

Playtime Length (so far): 24-ish hours
Platform Played on: PS4
Language: English (Cutscenes are voiced in Japanese with English subtitles)
Type of Game: Open-world Action-Adventure, Mini-games, Skill-building
Game-specific Details: I'm currently on Chapter 3, chasing down nouveau riche guys whenever I spot one.

My Impressions

Well, I was spot-on with the serious, gritty story, but I was also very off-the-mark with thinking that's all Yakuza 0 offered. Along with the tone of seriousness is a layer of pure ridiculousness and goofiness that I just love. I had some slight inklings of the game's goofiness when the main character karaoked for the first time during the main story segment. Then when I had full control to explore every which way, I knew for sure -- it was going to be a most unexpected yet enjoyable ride.

To go over the game briefly, there are two characters you control: Kazuma Kiryu in Kamurocho and Goro Majima in Sotenbori. Each seems to have their own separate story, but the gameplay routine is pretty similar: do main story objectives while exploring around their respective areas, beating up baddies, doing sidequests (called substories), and a slew of mini-games (if you so wish).

One of Kiryu's early main story objectives. I love that they keep the serious font type 

for all main story objectives, even for an objective 

that is so easy to complete (there are pay phones all over the place).

I should mention that Yakuza 0 is a pretty bloody and violent game. It is a game revolving around the world of Yakuza after all. There is an option to reduce the bloodiness, but I haven't changed any settings for my playthrough, so I can't really comment on it.

Also, with Kiryu's story taking place in Kamurocho (a fictional place based on Kabukicho), well -- let's just say the environment alone warrants the "M" rating on the game. I haven't seen anything extreme so far, but I'm pretty sure I passed by some non-interactable characters asking in Japanese if I'd like to go to a hotel or if I'd like to get a "massage". I personally don't mind the setting, but for those who would mind, be aware of it. As much as I love Yakuza 0, unfortunately, it's not a game for everybody.

Most of the goofiness in Yakuza 0 comes from the substories. Substories are optional tasks often triggered by passing by or talking to certain NPCs or after doing certain mini-games. While some of the substories are still fairly serious, other substories are just plain ridiculous. I can't count the amount of times I've laughed at the absurdity of a situation, or at the thought that Kiryu -- a serious, gruff, burly guy -- is actually going through with it. I think the substories give a nice light balance to the overall seriousness of the game.

One of Kiryu's substories. This is probably my favourite set of options from it. 

Just imagining Kiryu taunting or punching the dishes... hahahaha XD.

Also -- that isn't Kiryu's normal attire. He usually wears a dark suit.

Click the pic if you'd need to enlarge the image.

Another of Kiryu's substories. This is my favourite reaction from him.

I do have to say that from what I've played so far, the main story is really good! Main story segments are usually voiced cutscenes shown in one of these formats -- either really high-end movie-like with full character / background detail, storybook-like where character movements and background detail are limited,  or using in-game character models (usually the latter is used if it'll transition to a fight). I don't know why it's like that, but I don't mind. As long as the story keeps gripping my attention, I'll be happy.

I just have to say: Majima's introduction was absolutely superb! It completely subverted my expectations. I want to know more about his story.

Another aspect that provides some lightness to Yakuza 0 are the mini-games. I was surprised Yakuza 0 had so many. Off the top of my head, some of the mini-games you can play are:

-Darts in various types (301/501, Cricket, Count-Up)
-Karaoke (either singing or clapping along to somebody else playing)
-Catching UFOs (playing the crane game)
-A couple arcade games
-Billiards
-Mahjong
-Shogi (Japanese chess)
-Disco dancing
-Pocket Racing (racing mini-cars)
-Bowling
-Fishing
-Batting cage

Some of the mini-games are really short, while others can be pretty long and involved. I have never played mahjong until trying it in Yakuza 0 and I am still trying to figure out how to play it properly. Same with shogi. But -- I have wanted to try out mahjong and shogi for a long time, so I am happy to get the exposures.

I am pretty bad at many of the mini-games, but I like the variety. I also like giggling whenever I have Kiryu or Majima karaoking or dancing or just seeing them trying to catch a UFO. Out of all the games I've tried so far, karaoke is probably my favourite, even though it is so difficult.

Me Playing darts (301) against an NPC. My score is on the left and the goal is to get to 0 first. If only I was that good in darts in real life (I've never played darts in real life).

Kiryu singing "Bakamitai". I'm not the best at the karaoke mini-game, but I love this song. I'd love to sing this in real life for karaoke the next time I visit Japan, if it's available. All the lyrics are in Japanese so I don't know what the song is about. I got 97% score after playing it over 5 times straight.

Majima singing "24-hour Cinderella". This video is so ridiculous, I love it! 

I got 91% score after playing it a few times.

If I had anything negative to say, it'd be that maybe fights come a little too frequently sometimes. Of course I could offset it by running away, so this is just a nitpick.

Now to end this blog so I can get back to playing, hahaha. I really want to play through more of the main story. I hope that Kiryu and Majima's stories will converge at some point. I also want to just putz around in that world some more. It makes me want to go back to Japan sooooo badly!

By the way... for those who have played Yakuza 0: the dancing man Majima sees in the Odyssey... and Majima's thoughts on it... I could not stop laughing when I saw that! XD


Thanks for reading my blog! Feel free to comment on anything. But please be mindful of posting spoilers!

For those in living in Canada, enjoy your Victoria Day weekend! For everybody, stay safe, take care, and until next time! :) 

BLOG -- Recap of April

I didn't mean to post this so late. But -- I was stuck working wayyy too many hours this week. I even worked yesterday for pretty much the whole day, totalling almost 80 hours this week (a new record! Ha....). How ironic is this...

To say bluntly, I am very tired, and this upcoming week seems about as bad. Haven't even had time to keep up with what's going on outside, although I heard there were plans to re-open some businesses in Ontario. I personally think it is too soon. Hopefully when it comes to it, I'll have a choice of whether to continue working from home or travelling to work in the office. I'd choose the former, until a vaccine or some kind of treatment is developed.  

"Outings" / Events in April:

- Hung out with friends overall x0.

- Had a LINE voice chat with a couple friends for the first time. It was so fun!

- April 23rd marked the 1st year of my computer being built. It's still alive and running! <3

- Had a gaming / chat session with a friend. This was really fun, too!

- I ordered a second keyboard to be hooked up to my PS4. It'll arrive in a month, hahaha.

- I did an April Fool's prank with my team -- well, as much as I could do while working from home.

- Karaoked by myself x0.

- Stayed over at my sister's place x0.


- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn achievements / news: 
-I discovered the joys of "Ocean Fishing". I never really enjoyed leveling my Fishing class in the past, but "Ocean Fishing" is really fun! And my Fishing class gains so much experience from it! My Fishing class went from level 60 to 70 in a week. It's currently higher than my Bard, which is level 67.

-One random night while I was in Limsa, I ran through the marketboard area and was about to reach an empty-ish area to log off when I heard an instrument playing. I stopped running and moved my camera around (not my character), and found a player standing alone playing / practicing melodies. I turned my character around and just just stood there, facing the player from a distance. That went on for about 15 minutes! Partway through I muted all background music so I could hear the melody better. When the player was done, I clapped and cheered. I didn't have a keyboard hooked up to my PS4 at the time so I didn't type anything out. Even though there were some slight errors, I really enjoyed it! The player came from another server so I hope he / she drops by again and plays more melodies! :D

Exposures:

- (Video Game): Thumper -- This is a pretty catchy rhythm game, but my wrists get so tired afterwards. Also, my reflexes aren't what they used to be, hahaha... ^^''

Finished...

Watching:

- (Movie): Serenity -- This was a pretty bad movie.

- (Movie): Silent Hill: Revelation -- This was also pretty bad. But I had to watch it 'cuz it's related to Silent Hill. I still have this desire to watch all video game movie adaptations. I hope that doesn't make me a masochist, hahaha...

- (Movie): Scream 4 -- A bit cheesy, but pretty much in line with the Scream movie series. I do like that the sequels are related.

- (Movie): Jurassic Park -- Would you believe that this is my first time watching Jurassic Park in its entirety? Even after all these years, it still found a way to delight my curiosities and wonderment. What a wonderful movie <3

- (Movie): The Lost World: Jurassic Park -- This is the sequel, and I found it not as good... but still decent.

- (Movie): Jurassic Park III -- Felt the same with this one. Not as good as the first movie, but still decent.

- (Movie): The Bounty -- I watched this because it was in a DVD collection I bought a long time ago called the "Liam Neeson Collection". The next four movies were also watched for that same reason. The Bounty was interesting. Liam Neeson wasn't really in the movie all that much, though.

- (Movie): A Prayer for the Dying -- This was okay. Liam Neeson was barely in this movie either.

- (Movie): High Spirits -- This was bad and ridiculous. Liam Neeson had a bit more screen time here.

- (Movie): Shining Through -- This was pretty nice, though cheesy. Liam Neeson showed up halfway through the movie.

- (Movie): Kingdom of Heaven -- This didn't really do much for me. I can't say much about Liam Neeson -- it'd be a spoiler.

- (TV show): Galavant -- This was okay. Some of the musical numbers were nice. I think this would have been interesting if there was a second season.

- (Anime): Princess Principal -- It was okay. Things got a little confusing for me partway through.

Playing:

- (PS4): Dark Cloud -- I could have spent hours upon hours grinding / leveling for the best weapon. This is a really fun game if you enjoy random dungeon-crawling as well as town-building / collecting things. The music is quite good, too. My main was Xiao. Ranged weapons for the win! Hahaha.

- (PS4): Kingdom Hearts Final Remix (from Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix) -- I played the original PS2 game, but figured I could do with a refresh before going to the next game. I totally did not remember the last 10 hours of the game. After a while, the last battles drove me nuts. I kept thinking, 'When is this going to end??!'. That said, I understand the story a little better now. I used to hate the ending with a passion, but after a second playthrough, I think I get it now.

Reading:

- Nothing this month.

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS3): Borderlands 2
- (PS2): Drakengard
- (PS4): Death Road to Canada
- (3DS): Tomodachi Life
- (GBA): The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition   
- (Wii): Fortune Street 
- (PC): UnEpic  
- (PC): King's Bounty: The Legend
- (PC): Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 7 - Episode 7)
- (TV Show): Criminal Minds (Season 15)
- (TV Show): The Strain (Season 3)
- (TV Show): The IT Crowd (Season 3)
- (TV Show): The Office (Season 8)
- (TV Show): The Goldbergs (Season 3 - Episode 15)
- (TV Show): Huff (Season 1 - Episode 10)
- (TV Show): Legend of Korra (Season 3)
- (TV Show): Nodame Cantabile Live-Action (Episode 7)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (Season 3?)
- (Anime): Attack on Titan (Season 4?)
- (Anime): Food Wars (Season 4)
- (Anime): Pyscho-Pass (Season 3)
- (Anime): Carole & Tuesday (Part 1 - Episode 5)
- (YouTube): StephenVlogs (Day 905 <-- 95 more to Day 1000!)

Reading:

- (Comic): Bodie Troll by Jay Fosgitt
- (Manga): One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (Volume 80 -- Chapter 806)
- (Manga): Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Volume 2)


That's it for April. Here are a couple pics I took this month plus a YouTube video.

A pic I sent to a friend, telling him to hang in there during the pandemic.

Homura is totally my BAE in Magia Record and the anime series, lol.

The April Fool's prank I played on my team (I sent them this YouTube link 
with the message "Here's a little something to lift your spirits").
Would you be able to last through the whole video? Hehehe ;)

Thanks for reading!

As usual, if you have any questions / comments about anything, feel free. :)

Next week, there might not be a blog -- it will depend on my workload and how much "me" time I will want / need for myself.

Take care, stay safe, and next time! :)