#ysxnordics — Public Fediverse posts

Ys X: Proud Nordics – Análisis

https://powerups.es/ys-x-proud-nordics-analisis/

#Anlisis #NISAmerica #YsXNordics #YsXProudNordics

Ys X Nordics (Nintendo Switch)

I’ve been playing Ys X Nordics on and off for months now, but lately I decided to do a marathon and finish it before I end up abandoning it as I had with other games. The game was released in 2023 in Japan by Nihon Falcom. An English localization came out in 2024 and was released by NIS America for Nintendo Switch and other platforms. According to some reviews on Steam it seems like an edition with updated graphics and gameplay will be released soon. I won’t play that one because I have this one, and I don’t agree with that business model (Hi, Atlus).

On the Switch, the game lacks graphical detail. I watched some gameplay on the PS5 and PC, and I can only recommend choosing one of those platforms to play the game. If graphics aren’t the main concern, then the early 2000s flat, untextured landscapes won’t be a problem. The game is positively fun, especially the combat, the exploration, managing items, materials, gear, currencies, it’s all good.

I had to put this here.

We play both on land and sea. The sea sections with the Sandras (our ship) are an enormous slog during the first half of the game. There’s no other way around it. You will suffer while navigating with minimal speed, with a boost that lasts only 1 or 2 seconds and takes ages to recharge, and the initial island hopping in the vast ocean to unlock fast-travel points. The islands are very similar to one another. Some are vast and others serve as stages for optional boss fights. The Sandras will be upgraded (slowly…) and by the end of the game you’ll have a perfectly fine ship, with a long-lasting boost, easy steering, and with absolutely crazy firepower, HP, shields, recovery speed, enough ammo to destroy a mountain, etc. It would have been better if these upgrades had come a bit earlier, though. So, if there was a reason I played the game, then stopped, and then started again, it was due to the sailing parts.

The island areas aren’t particularly varied or interesting, but at least we can traverse them relatively quickly. I usually take my time with games, explore the areas slowly, and check every nook and cranny. But with this game there wasn’t much to see or pretty landscapes to appreciate, so I found all the treasure I could and proceeded to the next area. I focused on what I thought was fun and dynamic, which was the dual combat mechanics between Adol and Karja. We can control one or the other, but they have abilities they can use together. These abilities are so effective in combat that there’s basically no need to use individual abilities, except in areas where both have to separate to open up paths for each other. In case people are playing in higher difficulties, all skills help with specific challenges, even those solo skills I haven’t really explored.

From what I checked online, I believe Karja can acquire some incredible advanced skills to break the shield of enemies and bosses while Adol inflicts massive DPS. I watched someone defeat Vermodr – the hardest boss in the game – on Inferno difficulty and they were using a very different build and play style compared to the one I was using.  It goes to show how versatile the game is and how accommodating it is to players of all skill levels.

There are a lot of side quests to do, and I completed them all. Completing quests increases the affinity with the Sandra’s crew and others; we get rewarded with items, upgrades, and individual story bits about the life of our quest givers. For context, there are more than 20 crew members not to mention everyone else. We can max out affinity with everyone before the end of the game, although it’s not necessary.

There’s only one ending and a secret cutscene at the end that is vague enough to spark some discussion about the destiny of Adol and his travel companion. The sea map, island maps, dungeons, quests, and main story took me about 40 hours to finish. I have to say it… I never skipped so much dialogue in my life. I didn’t engage with the main story and even less with any crew member. The only part I paid extra attention to was the moral message at the end, which I think is very in tune with the times we live in. All in all it was a nice game, but I don’t believe it will remain in my memories as time well spent.

#actionRpg #falcom #gaming #JRPGs #nintendoSwitch #nisAmerica #rpg #VideoGames #YsXNordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I finished #Spiderman2 and @Azurakumo #ysxnordics this week.

I’ve started #1000xResist and picked #FreedomWars up

@Azurakumo is playing b
#FantasianNeoDimension
And #AlanWake2 


What are you playing this weekend?

I’m going to finish
#MetaphorRefantazio, continue #Spiderman2, #Astrobot and dip my toes in #Chasm (I bought it for cheap) 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#FantasianNeoDimension
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #CoreKeeper and I’ll dip my toes into #infinitynikki 
#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D, #Psyhchonauts2, #WitchSpringR
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio, #Astrobot and #CoreKeeper

#wizardryvariantsdaphne is still my commute game. 

@Azurakumo is playing 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D 
And 
#ysxnordics

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio

@Azurakumo moved on to 
#DragonQuestIIIHD2D
And
#ysxnordics

Oh and we might try #CoreKeeper

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio
@Azurakumo has just finished 
#RomancingSaGa2 and moving on to #ysxnordics

I might dable on some #NintendoDS nostalgia for it’s 20th anniversary

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio
@Azurakumo has just finished 
#RomancingSaGa2 and moving on to #ysxnordics

I might dable on some #NintendoDS nostalgia for it’s 20th anniversary

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio
@Azurakumo has just finished 
#RomancingSaGa2 and moving on to #ysxnordics

I might dable on some #NintendoDS nostalgia for it’s 20th anniversary

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio
@Azurakumo has just finished 
#RomancingSaGa2 and moving on to #ysxnordics

I might dable on some #NintendoDS nostalgia for it’s 20th anniversary

What are you playing this weekend?

I’m still on
#MetaphorRefantazio
@Azurakumo has just finished 
#RomancingSaGa2 and moving on to #ysxnordics

I might dable on some #NintendoDS nostalgia for it’s 20th anniversary

It’s surprising that only one year has passed since my first post! 

I am always complaining about time, or lack thereof, to do all the things I want to. However, this time around, and looking back to November last year, it feels more like a decade has passed.

My philosophy teacher talked a lot about time and he used to say that, in order to understand its flow, and the effect it has in our being, at physical, perceptive, emotional, and existential levels, a considerable amount of time and experience should have passed. All this to say that he wasn’t expecting an extreme level of maturity in our exams, but knowledge and study, yes! I think we all did well, despite our young age. 

So time is very elusive and subjective. Me being here one year later, feeling like a decade passed by, is a bit scary, but hell, I’m still questioning if I made good use of it. I had never questioned myself about this before because time was something I had in abundance. Not anymore. Many things happened that completely shattered my idea of permanence. My teacher was right.

Some months ago, in our many convos on Mastodon, the topic of video games being a waste of time was raised, and even though I met the idea with scepticism and as prejudiced, it made me think that maybe that was the case, and that I had to do something about it – to transform a passive hobby into active engagement. It’s one of the reasons why I kept writing about the games I’ve been discovering. I’m happy with what I created in the past year. 

Currently I’m playing Trails from Zero. It’s a game from the long running The Legend of Heroes franchise. I have previously mentioned my difficulty playing Trails in the Sky on PC and how Trails from Cold Steel felt much better gameplay-wise. I don’t want to go there again because a remake is coming and I’m going to play that instead. However, it was Zero that made me enjoy every other aspect. The story is extremely slow-burn but I don’t mind. It possibly was one of the most charming games I’ve ever tried, so I’m sticking with it. Also, as a side-note, is this the first JRPG ever to represent religion in a good light? I have to pinch myself. I’m sure the Septian Church will commit some abominable crime any time soon, right?

As a side-game, also from Falcom, I’m playing Ys X Nordics. It was released on Nintendo Switch (and other platforms) recently and it tells the story of Adol and a mysterious chain of attacks by sinister beings called the Griegr. It’s an action RPG and it challenges my capacity to press the right buttons at the right time for the right combos. It’s maddening but I’m having fun with it! It’s a fast paced game and a very distinctive experience from Zero. I enjoyed all the references to the Vikings and their sagas, their society, the Roman empire, the references to Spain and the trade currents of the time. It’s actually very well researched and the setting serves the game quite well. 

I plan to write more about both games in the near future but I’ll refrain from expanding on orbments and quartz. I definitely don’t understand how that thing works! It hasn’t been a problem so far because I’m playing on easy for the story and setting. I’m still a tourist with Falcom games and I think the label fits me just fine.

Another game I’m looking forward to playing is Xenoblade Chronicles X. It will be released next year and I’ll buy it as soon as my go-to online place puts it up for pre-order. I never owned a Wii U and I loved XC1 immensely. There’s a lot of criticism about the combat being too similar to a MMO with its semi-auto mechanics and (fairly) the obnoxious amount of side-quests. What can I say? I loved every aspect of it and had a great time, but boy was it long. I’ll never forget Valak Mountain and the music that played there during daylight.

And that’s it. I’m not looking forward to much else except Metaphor or whatever Atlus comes up with. I don’t play many AAA games but I’d like to try the new Ghost of Yotei and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. If I had started the blog sooner I’d love to have written about Ghost of Tsushima and Bloodborne. They’re both PS4 games worth buying a PS5 for. Any news about Fire Emblem will also be very welcome. I’m more of a fan of Three Houses than the franchise as a whole. I think the experience was very unique and I’ve never explored a game so thoroughly before.

Let’s raise our swords to Seiros and to an everlasting reign of Dragons!

———–

You can keep reading from this point on or you can skip it. It’s fine. It’s about the US election, and the perspective I’m writing from will be very clear.

It doesn’t feel right to avoid mentioning the election results. I know this isn’t the right place for it, but when I look at my stats, many of you, if not the majority, are from the US. 

First I’d like to say that I’m sorry. I really am. I can’t imagine how many of you are feeling these days. Watching everything unfold at a distance isn’t the same as having to experience the events first-hand. It must be suffocating for many of you who are, or probably will be, at the receiving end of oppressive policies.

I was talking with my stepfather before the election day, and we were pretty optimistic about it. The media sources we watch may be about the same – mine are directly from the US and his are from our country – but both have informative news articles to get a better understanding of your complex political system. Also, a lot did we see about the ideology of both parties and the way it was communicated. In the end:

“Americans will have at least some common sense.”

This was one of the arguments he used to justify his optimism. I answered back with a very colourful Portuguese expression:

“Fia-te na Virgem e não corras.”

How can I translate this? You surely have some similar saying in English, but it means to take action when things aren’t looking up and not to rely on faith only to solve the problems arising right in front of you. It literally means, sarcastically, “Have faith in the Virgin (Mary) and don’t run!” It can also mean, in the case of my stepfather, to blindly trust in the accuracy of human judgement and hope for the best.

Take action. Don’t lean on faith only. But take your time to heal first.

We all have our ghosts. The difference is that yours are looking straight in your face. Fight them and have faith that you will make a better world for us all, that you will be true and smart and just. I have absolutely no doubt, and I have faith – because at this very moment it’s the only thing I can have – that you will get through this, and will find happiness, seek justice, and save your democracy if need be.

Whether they want it or not.

Be well, and reach out to your friends, families, adopted families and like-minded online communities. 

Be safe. ❤

https://swordofseiros.wordpress.com/2024/11/09/happy-birthday-sword-of-seiros/

#action #Birthday #faith #falcom #firstBirthday #gaming #ghosts #hope #nintendo #nintendoSwitch #religion #theLegendOfHeroes #time #trailsFromZero #USElection #USPolitics #VideoGames #XenobladeChroniclesX #YsXNordics

It’s surprising that only one year has passed since my first post! 

I am always complaining about time, or lack thereof, to do all the things I want to. However, this time around, and looking back to November last year, it feels more like a decade has passed.

My philosophy teacher talked a lot about time and he used to say that, in order to understand its flow, and the effect it has in our being, at physical, perceptive, emotional, and existential levels, a considerable amount of time and experience should have passed. All this to say that he wasn’t expecting an extreme level of maturity in our exams, but knowledge and study, yes! I think we all did well, despite our young age. 

So time is very elusive and subjective. Me being here one year later, feeling like a decade passed by, is a bit scary, but hell, I’m still questioning if I made good use of it. I had never questioned myself about this before because time was something I had in abundance. Not anymore. Many things happened that completely shattered my idea of permanence. My teacher was right.

Some months ago, in our many convos on Mastodon, the topic of video games being a waste of time was raised, and even though I met the idea with scepticism and as prejudiced, it made me think that maybe that was the case, and that I had to do something about it – to transform a passive hobby into active engagement. It’s one of the reasons why I kept writing about the games I’ve been discovering. I’m happy with what I created in the past year. 

Currently I’m playing Trails from Zero. It’s a game from the long running The Legend of Heroes franchise. I have previously mentioned my difficulty playing Trails in the Sky on PC and how Trails from Cold Steel felt much better gameplay-wise. I don’t want to go there again because a remake is coming and I’m going to play that instead. However, it was Zero that made me enjoy every other aspect. The story is extremely slow-burn but I don’t mind. It possibly was one of the most charming games I’ve ever tried, so I’m sticking with it. Also, as a side-note, is this the first JRPG ever to represent religion in a good light? I have to pinch myself. I’m sure the Septian Church will commit some abominable crime any time soon, right?

As a side-game, also from Falcom, I’m playing Ys X Nordics. It was released on Nintendo Switch (and other platforms) recently and it tells the story of Adol and a mysterious chain of attacks by sinister beings called the Griegr. It’s an action RPG and it challenges my capacity to press the right buttons at the right time for the right combos. It’s maddening but I’m having fun with it! It’s a fast paced game and a very distinctive experience from Zero. I enjoyed all the references to the Vikings and their sagas, their society, the Roman empire, the references to Spain and the trade currents of the time. It’s actually very well researched and the setting serves the game quite well. 

I plan to write more about both games in the near future but I’ll refrain from expanding on orbments and quartz. I definitely don’t understand how that thing works! It hasn’t been a problem so far because I’m playing on easy for the story and setting. I’m still a tourist with Falcom games and I think the label fits me just fine.

Another game I’m looking forward to playing is Xenoblade Chronicles X. It will be released next year and I’ll buy it as soon as my go-to online place puts it up for pre-order. I never owned a Wii U and I loved XC1 immensely. There’s a lot of criticism about the combat being too similar to a MMO with its semi-auto mechanics and (fairly) the obnoxious amount of side-quests. What can I say? I loved every aspect of it and had a great time, but boy was it long. I’ll never forget Valak Mountain and the music that played there during daylight.

And that’s it. I’m not looking forward to much else except Metaphor or whatever Atlus comes up with. I don’t play many AAA games but I’d like to try the new Ghost of Yotei and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. If I had started the blog sooner I’d love to have written about Ghost of Tsushima and Bloodborne. They’re both PS4 games worth buying a PS5 for. Any news about Fire Emblem will also be very welcome. I’m more of a fan of Three Houses than the franchise as a whole. I think the experience was very unique and I’ve never explored a game so thoroughly before.

Let’s raise our swords to Seiros and to an everlasting reign of Dragons!

———–

You can keep reading from this point on or you can skip it. It’s fine. It’s about the US election, and the perspective I’m writing from will be very clear.

It doesn’t feel right to avoid mentioning the election results. I know this isn’t the right place for it, but when I look at my stats, many of you, if not the majority, are from the US. 

First I’d like to say that I’m sorry. I really am. I can’t imagine how many of you are feeling these days. Watching everything unfold at a distance isn’t the same as having to experience the events first-hand. It must be suffocating for many of you who are, or probably will be, at the receiving end of oppressive policies.

I was talking with my stepfather before the election day, and we were pretty optimistic about it. The media sources we watch may be about the same – mine are directly from the US and his are from our country – but both have informative news articles to get a better understanding of your complex political system. Also, a lot did we see about the ideology of both parties and the way it was communicated. In the end:

“Americans will have at least some common sense.”

This was one of the arguments he used to justify his optimism. I answered back with a very colourful Portuguese expression:

“Fia-te na Virgem e não corras.”

How can I translate this? You surely have some similar saying in English, but it means to take action when things aren’t looking up and not to rely on faith only to solve the problems arising right in front of you. It literally means, sarcastically, “Have faith in the Virgin (Mary) and don’t run!” It can also mean, in the case of my stepfather, to blindly trust in the accuracy of human judgement and hope for the best.

Take action. Don’t lean on faith only. But take your time to heal first.

We all have our ghosts. The difference is that yours are looking straight in your face. Fight them and have faith that you will make a better world for us all, that you will be true and smart and just. I have absolutely no doubt, and I have faith – because at this very moment it’s the only thing I can have – that you will get through this, and will find happiness, seek justice, and save your democracy if need be.

Whether they want it or not.

Be well, and reach out to your friends, families, adopted families and like-minded online communities. 

Be safe. ❤

https://swordofseiros.wordpress.com/2024/11/09/happy-birthday-sword-of-seiros/

#action #Birthday #faith #falcom #firstBirthday #gaming #ghosts #hope #nintendo #nintendoSwitch #religion #theLegendOfHeroes #time #trailsFromZero #USElection #USPolitics #VideoGames #XenobladeChroniclesX #YsXNordics

It’s surprising that only one year has passed since my first post! 

I am always complaining about time, or lack thereof, to do all the things I want to. However, this time around, and looking back to November last year, it feels more like a decade has passed.

My philosophy teacher talked a lot about time and he used to say that, in order to understand its flow, and the effect it has in our being, at physical, perceptive, emotional, and existential levels, a considerable amount of time and experience should have passed. All this to say that he wasn’t expecting an extreme level of maturity in our exams, but knowledge and study, yes! I think we all did well, despite our young age. 

So time is very elusive and subjective. Me being here one year later, feeling like a decade passed by, is a bit scary, but hell, I’m still questioning if I made good use of it. I had never questioned myself about this before because time was something I had in abundance. Not anymore. Many things happened that completely shattered my idea of permanence. My teacher was right.

Some months ago, in our many convos on Mastodon, the topic of video games being a waste of time was raised, and even though I met the idea with scepticism and as prejudiced, it made me think that maybe that was the case, and that I had to do something about it – to transform a passive hobby into active engagement. It’s one of the reasons why I kept writing about the games I’ve been discovering. I’m happy with what I created in the past year. 

Currently I’m playing Trails from Zero. It’s a game from the long running The Legend of Heroes franchise. I have previously mentioned my difficulty playing Trails in the Sky on PC and how Trails from Cold Steel felt much better gameplay-wise. I don’t want to go there again because a remake is coming and I’m going to play that instead. However, it was Zero that made me enjoy every other aspect. The story is extremely slow-burn but I don’t mind. It possibly was one of the most charming games I’ve ever tried, so I’m sticking with it. Also, as a side-note, is this the first JRPG ever to represent religion in a good light? I have to pinch myself. I’m sure the Septian Church will commit some abominable crime any time soon, right?

As a side-game, also from Falcom, I’m playing Ys X Nordics. It was released on Nintendo Switch (and other platforms) recently and it tells the story of Adol and a mysterious chain of attacks by sinister beings called the Griegr. It’s an action RPG and it challenges my capacity to press the right buttons at the right time for the right combos. It’s maddening but I’m having fun with it! It’s a fast paced game and a very distinctive experience from Zero. I enjoyed all the references to the Vikings and their sagas, their society, the Roman empire, the references to Spain and the trade currents of the time. It’s actually very well researched and the setting serves the game quite well. 

I plan to write more about both games in the near future but I’ll refrain from expanding on orbments and quartz. I definitely don’t understand how that thing works! It hasn’t been a problem so far because I’m playing on easy for the story and setting. I’m still a tourist with Falcom games and I think the label fits me just fine.

Another game I’m looking forward to playing is Xenoblade Chronicles X. It will be released next year and I’ll buy it as soon as my go-to online place puts it up for pre-order. I never owned a Wii U and I loved XC1 immensely. There’s a lot of criticism about the combat being too similar to a MMO with its semi-auto mechanics and (fairly) the obnoxious amount of side-quests. What can I say? I loved every aspect of it and had a great time, but boy was it long. I’ll never forget Valak Mountain and the music that played there during daylight.

And that’s it. I’m not looking forward to much else except Metaphor or whatever Atlus comes up with. I don’t play many AAA games but I’d like to try the new Ghost of Yotei and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. If I had started the blog sooner I’d love to have written about Ghost of Tsushima and Bloodborne. They’re both PS4 games worth buying a PS5 for. Any news about Fire Emblem will also be very welcome. I’m more of a fan of Three Houses than the franchise as a whole. I think the experience was very unique and I’ve never explored a game so thoroughly before.

Let’s raise our swords to Seiros and to an everlasting reign of Dragons!

———–

You can keep reading from this point on or you can skip it. It’s fine. It’s about the US election, and the perspective I’m writing from will be very clear.

It doesn’t feel right to avoid mentioning the election results. I know this isn’t the right place for it, but when I look at my stats, many of you, if not the majority, are from the US. 

First I’d like to say that I’m sorry. I really am. I can’t imagine how many of you are feeling these days. Watching everything unfold at a distance isn’t the same as having to experience the events first-hand. It must be suffocating for many of you who are, or probably will be, at the receiving end of oppressive policies.

I was talking with my stepfather before the election day, and we were pretty optimistic about it. The media sources we watch may be about the same – mine are directly from the US and his are from our country – but both have informative news articles to get a better understanding of your complex political system. Also, a lot did we see about the ideology of both parties and the way it was communicated. In the end:

“Americans will have at least some common sense.”

This was one of the arguments he used to justify his optimism. I answered back with a very colourful Portuguese expression:

“Fia-te na Virgem e não corras.”

How can I translate this? You surely have some similar saying in English, but it means to take action when things aren’t looking up and not to rely on faith only to solve the problems arising right in front of you. It literally means, sarcastically, “Have faith in the Virgin (Mary) and don’t run!” It can also mean, in the case of my stepfather, to blindly trust in the accuracy of human judgement and hope for the best.

Take action. Don’t lean on faith only. But take your time to heal first.

We all have our ghosts. The difference is that yours are looking straight in your face. Fight them and have faith that you will make a better world for us all, that you will be true and smart and just. I have absolutely no doubt, and I have faith – because at this very moment it’s the only thing I can have – that you will get through this, and will find happiness, seek justice, and save your democracy if need be.

Whether they want it or not.

Be well, and reach out to your friends, families, adopted families and like-minded online communities. 

Be safe. ❤

https://swordofseiros.wordpress.com/2024/11/09/happy-birthday-sword-of-seiros/

#action #Birthday #faith #falcom #firstBirthday #gaming #ghosts #hope #nintendo #nintendoSwitch #religion #theLegendOfHeroes #time #trailsFromZero #USElection #USPolitics #VideoGames #XenobladeChroniclesX #YsXNordics

It’s surprising that only one year has passed since my first post! 

I am always complaining about time, or lack thereof, to do all the things I want to. However, this time around, and looking back to November last year, it feels more like a decade has passed.

My philosophy teacher talked a lot about time and he used to say that, in order to understand its flow, and the effect it has in our being, at physical, perceptive, emotional, and existential levels, a considerable amount of time and experience should have passed. All this to say that he wasn’t expecting an extreme level of maturity in our exams, but knowledge and study, yes! I think we all did well, despite our young age. 

So time is very elusive and subjective. Me being here one year later, feeling like a decade passed by, is a bit scary, but hell, I’m still questioning if I made good use of it. I had never questioned myself about this before because time was something I had in abundance. Not anymore. Many things happened that completely shattered my idea of permanence. My teacher was right.

Some months ago, in our many convos on Mastodon, the topic of video games being a waste of time was raised, and even though I met the idea with scepticism and as prejudiced, it made me think that maybe that was the case, and that I had to do something about it – to transform a passive hobby into active engagement. It’s one of the reasons why I kept writing about the games I’ve been discovering. I’m happy with what I created in the past year. 

Currently I’m playing Trails from Zero. It’s a game from the long running The Legend of Heroes franchise. I have previously mentioned my difficulty playing Trails in the Sky on PC and how Trails from Cold Steel felt much better gameplay-wise. I don’t want to go there again because a remake is coming and I’m going to play that instead. However, it was Zero that made me enjoy every other aspect. The story is extremely slow-burn but I don’t mind. It possibly was one of the most charming games I’ve ever tried, so I’m sticking with it. Also, as a side-note, is this the first JRPG ever to represent religion in a good light? I have to pinch myself. I’m sure the Septian Church will commit some abominable crime any time soon, right?

As a side-game, also from Falcom, I’m playing Ys X Nordics. It was released on Nintendo Switch (and other platforms) recently and it tells the story of Adol and a mysterious chain of attacks by sinister beings called the Griegr. It’s an action RPG and it challenges my capacity to press the right buttons at the right time for the right combos. It’s maddening but I’m having fun with it! It’s a fast paced game and a very distinctive experience from Zero. I enjoyed all the references to the Vikings and their sagas, their society, the Roman empire, the references to Spain and the trade currents of the time. It’s actually very well researched and the setting serves the game quite well. 

I plan to write more about both games in the near future but I’ll refrain from expanding on orbments and quartz. I definitely don’t understand how that thing works! It hasn’t been a problem so far because I’m playing on easy for the story and setting. I’m still a tourist with Falcom games and I think the label fits me just fine.

Another game I’m looking forward to playing is Xenoblade Chronicles X. It will be released next year and I’ll buy it as soon as my go-to online place puts it up for pre-order. I never owned a Wii U and I loved XC1 immensely. There’s a lot of criticism about the combat being too similar to a MMO with its semi-auto mechanics and (fairly) the obnoxious amount of side-quests. What can I say? I loved every aspect of it and had a great time, but boy was it long. I’ll never forget Valak Mountain and the music that played there during daylight.

And that’s it. I’m not looking forward to much else except Metaphor or whatever Atlus comes up with. I don’t play many AAA games but I’d like to try the new Ghost of Yotei and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. If I had started the blog sooner I’d love to have written about Ghost of Tsushima and Bloodborne. They’re both PS4 games worth buying a PS5 for. Any news about Fire Emblem will also be very welcome. I’m more of a fan of Three Houses than the franchise as a whole. I think the experience was very unique and I’ve never explored a game so thoroughly before.

Let’s raise our swords to Seiros and to an everlasting reign of Dragons!

———–

You can keep reading from this point on or you can skip it. It’s fine. It’s about the US election, and the perspective I’m writing from will be very clear.

It doesn’t feel right to avoid mentioning the election results. I know this isn’t the right place for it, but when I look at my stats, many of you, if not the majority, are from the US. 

First I’d like to say that I’m sorry. I really am. I can’t imagine how many of you are feeling these days. Watching everything unfold at a distance isn’t the same as having to experience the events first-hand. It must be suffocating for many of you who are, or probably will be, at the receiving end of oppressive policies.

I was talking with my stepfather before the election day, and we were pretty optimistic about it. The media sources we watch may be about the same – mine are directly from the US and his are from our country – but both have informative news articles to get a better understanding of your complex political system. Also, a lot did we see about the ideology of both parties and the way it was communicated. In the end:

“Americans will have at least some common sense.”

This was one of the arguments he used to justify his optimism. I answered back with a very colourful Portuguese expression:

“Fia-te na Virgem e não corras.”

How can I translate this? You surely have some similar saying in English, but it means to take action when things aren’t looking up and not to rely on faith only to solve the problems arising right in front of you. It literally means, sarcastically, “Have faith in the Virgin (Mary) and don’t run!” It can also mean, in the case of my stepfather, to blindly trust in the accuracy of human judgement and hope for the best.

Take action. Don’t lean on faith only. But take your time to heal first.

We all have our ghosts. The difference is that yours are looking straight in your face. Fight them and have faith that you will make a better world for us all, that you will be true and smart and just. I have absolutely no doubt, and I have faith – because at this very moment it’s the only thing I can have – that you will get through this, and will find happiness, seek justice, and save your democracy if need be.

Whether they want it or not.

Be well, and reach out to your friends, families, adopted families and like-minded online communities. 

Be safe. ❤

https://swordofseiros.wordpress.com/2024/11/09/happy-birthday-sword-of-seiros/

#action #Birthday #faith #falcom #firstBirthday #gaming #ghosts #hope #nintendo #nintendoSwitch #religion #theLegendOfHeroes #time #trailsFromZero #USElection #USPolitics #VideoGames #XenobladeChroniclesX #YsXNordics

It’s surprising that only one year has passed since my first post! 

I am always complaining about time, or lack thereof, to do all the things I want to. However, this time around, and looking back to November last year, it feels more like a decade has passed.

My philosophy teacher talked a lot about time and he used to say that, in order to understand its flow, and the effect it has in our being, at physical, perceptive, emotional, and existential levels, a considerable amount of time and experience should have passed. All this to say that he wasn’t expecting an extreme level of maturity in our exams, but knowledge and study, yes! I think we all did well, despite our young age. 

So time is very elusive and subjective. Me being here one year later, feeling like a decade passed by, is a bit scary, but hell, I’m still questioning if I made good use of it. I had never questioned myself about this before because time was something I had in abundance. Not anymore. Many things happened that completely shattered my idea of permanence. My teacher was right.

Some months ago, in our many convos on Mastodon, the topic of video games being a waste of time was raised, and even though I met the idea with scepticism and as prejudiced, it made me think that maybe that was the case, and that I had to do something about it – to transform a passive hobby into active engagement. It’s one of the reasons why I kept writing about the games I’ve been discovering. I’m happy with what I created in the past year. 

Currently I’m playing Trails from Zero. It’s a game from the long running The Legend of Heroes franchise. I have previously mentioned my difficulty playing Trails in the Sky on PC and how Trails from Cold Steel felt much better gameplay-wise. I don’t want to go there again because a remake is coming and I’m going to play that instead. However, it was Zero that made me enjoy every other aspect. The story is extremely slow-burn but I don’t mind. It possibly was one of the most charming games I’ve ever tried, so I’m sticking with it. Also, as a side-note, is this the first JRPG ever to represent religion in a good light? I have to pinch myself. I’m sure the Septian Church will commit some abominable crime any time soon, right?

As a side-game, also from Falcom, I’m playing Ys X Nordics. It was released on Nintendo Switch (and other platforms) recently and it tells the story of Adol and a mysterious chain of attacks by sinister beings called the Griegr. It’s an action RPG and it challenges my capacity to press the right buttons at the right time for the right combos. It’s maddening but I’m having fun with it! It’s a fast paced game and a very distinctive experience from Zero. I enjoyed all the references to the Vikings and their sagas, their society, the Roman empire, the references to Spain and the trade currents of the time. It’s actually very well researched and the setting serves the game quite well. 

I plan to write more about both games in the near future but I’ll refrain from expanding on orbments and quartz. I definitely don’t understand how that thing works! It hasn’t been a problem so far because I’m playing on easy for the story and setting. I’m still a tourist with Falcom games and I think the label fits me just fine.

Another game I’m looking forward to playing is Xenoblade Chronicles X. It will be released next year and I’ll buy it as soon as my go-to online place puts it up for pre-order. I never owned a Wii U and I loved XC1 immensely. There’s a lot of criticism about the combat being too similar to a MMO with its semi-auto mechanics and (fairly) the obnoxious amount of side-quests. What can I say? I loved every aspect of it and had a great time, but boy was it long. I’ll never forget Valak Mountain and the music that played there during daylight.

And that’s it. I’m not looking forward to much else except Metaphor or whatever Atlus comes up with. I don’t play many AAA games but I’d like to try the new Ghost of Yotei and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. If I had started the blog sooner I’d love to have written about Ghost of Tsushima and Bloodborne. They’re both PS4 games worth buying a PS5 for. Any news about Fire Emblem will also be very welcome. I’m more of a fan of Three Houses than the franchise as a whole. I think the experience was very unique and I’ve never explored a game so thoroughly before.

Let’s raise our swords to Seiros and to an everlasting reign of Dragons!

———–

You can keep reading from this point on or you can skip it. It’s fine. It’s about the US election, and the perspective I’m writing from will be very clear.

It doesn’t feel right to avoid mentioning the election results. I know this isn’t the right place for it, but when I look at my stats, many of you, if not the majority, are from the US. 

First I’d like to say that I’m sorry. I really am. I can’t imagine how many of you are feeling these days. Watching everything unfold at a distance isn’t the same as having to experience the events first-hand. It must be suffocating for many of you who are, or probably will be, at the receiving end of oppressive policies.

I was talking with my stepfather before the election day, and we were pretty optimistic about it. The media sources we watch may be about the same – mine are directly from the US and his are from our country – but both have informative news articles to get a better understanding of your complex political system. Also, a lot did we see about the ideology of both parties and the way it was communicated. In the end:

“Americans will have at least some common sense.”

This was one of the arguments he used to justify his optimism. I answered back with a very colourful Portuguese expression:

“Fia-te na Virgem e não corras.”

How can I translate this? You surely have some similar saying in English, but it means to take action when things aren’t looking up and not to rely on faith only to solve the problems arising right in front of you. It literally means, sarcastically, “Have faith in the Virgin (Mary) and don’t run!” It can also mean, in the case of my stepfather, to blindly trust in the accuracy of human judgement and hope for the best.

Take action. Don’t lean on faith only. But take your time to heal first.

We all have our ghosts. The difference is that yours are looking straight in your face. Fight them and have faith that you will make a better world for us all, that you will be true and smart and just. I have absolutely no doubt, and I have faith – because at this very moment it’s the only thing I can have – that you will get through this, and will find happiness, seek justice, and save your democracy if need be.

Whether they want it or not.

Be well, and reach out to your friends, families, adopted families and like-minded online communities. 

Be safe. ❤

https://swordofseiros.wordpress.com/2024/11/09/happy-birthday-sword-of-seiros/

#action #Birthday #faith #falcom #firstBirthday #gaming #ghosts #hope #nintendo #nintendoSwitch #religion #theLegendOfHeroes #time #trailsFromZero #USElection #USPolitics #VideoGames #XenobladeChroniclesX #YsXNordics

Curious about the latest game in the Ys series, Ys 10 Nordics? I've put together some impressions and essential info for series veterans and newcomers alike! #YsX #YsXNordics #gaming #JRPG
https://geektogeekmedia.com/geekery/video-games/setting-sail-in-ys-10-nordics-impressions-and-faq/

Poimintoja tämän viikon (43/2024) uutuuspelien tarjonnasta.

#CallofDuty #BlackOps6 #SonicXShadowGenerations #WilmotWorksItOut #YsXNordics #RomancingSaGa2 #RevengeoftheSeven #AlanWake #Batman #Tetrachroma #suomi #Steam #playstation #xbox #nintendo #uutuuspelit #pelit #peliuutiset

Ys X: Nordics: Zehnter Teil der japanischen RPG-Reihe kommt für PC (Update) https://www.computerbase.de/2024-03/ys-x-nordics-zehnter-teil-der-japanischen-rpg-reihe-kommt-fuer-pc/#update-2024-03-13T21:21 #YsXNordics #ys #ysx

Ys X: Nordics: Zehnter Teil der japanischen RPG-Reihe kommt für PC https://www.computerbase.de/2024-03/ys-x-nordics-zehnter-teil-der-japanischen-rpg-reihe-kommt-fuer-pc/ #YsXNordics #ys #ysx