occasionally subtle
Cosimo Galluzzi
Peter Solarz
Origami Around
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
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JVL
izzy's playlists!
Misplaced Lens Cap
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Mike Driver
Aqua Utopiaļ½ęµ·ć®åŗć§čØę¶ćē“”ć
Not today Justin
taylor price
Discoholic šŖ©
@theartofmadeline
styofa doing anything
blake kathryn
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Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
seen from TĆ¼rkiye
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seen from Canada
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seen from United States
seen from France
seen from TĆ¼rkiye
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@jswhitfield8
5 more games off the pile of shame!
5 more games off the pile ofĀ shame!
I may not have been posting for a little while, but that doesnāt mean Iāve stopped playing video games. Oh no. Currently, Iām putting the final flourishes to 3, yes 3 reviews and theyāll be up shortly. Probably. While you wait on that, Iām here for some pile of shame updates. Thereās been a few! (moreā¦)
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The American Way: Those Above and Below
Here's a few words on The American Way: Those Above and Below from @DCComics
Depressingly, The American Way: Those Above and Below shows just how little weāve come since the 1970s. While we exceed in scientific or technological fields, humans are still pricks to one and other. Why? Because of different genders and skin colour? Some 45 years after the book takes place, the subject matter feels alarmingly familiar. These problems should be confined to history and thatāsā¦
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Two for one - Mario & Sonic
Its two-for-one off the shame pile... The DS classics, New Super Mario & Sonic Rush.
Next on my pile of shame list is a couple of Nintendo DS games featuring the behemoths of 90s platformers, Mario & Sonic. Before the turn of the millennium, Mario & Sonic were untouchable. Competing for kidās pocket money and always trading blows. 6 Golden Coins was countered by Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Nintendo had Super Mario All Stars, Sega had Sonic 3 & Knuckles. When Super Mario World came out,ā¦
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The Platinum Effect
A few words on getting a Platinum Trophy and what it means to me.
My 15th Platinum trophy had just pinged in the top left corner of the screen. A familiar sense of achievement rushed through my brain and onto the hairs on the back of my neck. That shot of adrenaline was what I needed. Getting that elusive trophy meant more to me than completing the game. Truly. (moreā¦)
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Reading 1Q84, an epic challenge
Reading 1Q84, an epic challenge that took years.
1Q84 has been sitting on my shelf for a few years. Iāve attempted to read it twice and failed both times. Donāt get me wrong, it is a good read, but my attention seemed to wain somewhat. The third time was different. I was going to finish Haruki Murakamiās nearly 1000-page epic. (moreā¦)
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Hit list: Picross S
Next up on my Hit List: Picross S for the Nintendo Switch.
I love puzzles and brain teasers. As youāre probably aware, Iām also into Video Games. Can you see where Iām headed with this? As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the Brain Training series on the Nintendo DS, it doesnāt take a Professor Layton to work out that I play virtual puzzle games at any opportunity I can. Since the Nintendo Switch released, there was a certain itch I needed scratching,ā¦
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All You Need Is Kill
Is it true? All You Need Is Kill? I dunno but it's a good book.
I heard about All You Need Is Kill from the film Edge of Tomorrow. Iām sure thatās how most people in the West found out about Hiroshi Sakurazakaās novel and it wouldnāt surprise me if the book was written for the sole purpose of becoming a movie. (moreā¦)
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PokƩmon - The Movies so far
Ah the PokĆ©mon craze. That thing parents of the mid-nineties dismissed as a flash in the pan, just another fad or an excuse to get angry that little Joe wasnāt doing his homework. Being bribed in AA batteries for my GameBoy Color for the best part of 2 years was definitely a highlight of my childhood. I imagine that I looked at double Aās exactly as a prison inmate looks at a pack of smokes. Iādā¦
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The 25th Ward: The Silver Case or how I've been away for a month
Sorry team. I know Iāve been gone a while. Itās for one singular reason. The 25th Ward: The Silver Case. It started off like any other review; play the game, tap up my thoughts and post my opinion publiclyā¦ Sounds simple right? WRONG. Something pulled me into the game and wouldnāt let me go until it was finished. Iām not even joking. This weird, crazy, and sometimes vulgar game has kept me lockedā¦
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Iāve never been to Japan. Iāve wanted to since I can remember, but Iāve yet to make the trip. Instead, I throw myself into Japanese culture. Manga, Anime, J-RPGs and books on Ninja can be found throughout my house. While itās great to read about Ninja, the next step in becoming Japanese was to familiarise with the surroundings (and of course, the mafia). Thatās where Yakuza 6: The Song of Life comes in.
Weāre thrown immediately into the life of Kazuma Kiryu, an ex-Yakuza. As weāve learned from old mob-films, you can never leave the life behind. His past keeps catching up to him. Iāll be honest, Iāve only played a few hours of the first game. I was apprehensive for jumping ahead 5 games. However Sega had my back. I was given enough information at the start to enjoy the game without having to catch up. It would definitely enrich the game to have played some of the previous games but itās not vital. It didnāt put me off backtracking once the credits rolled.
The Story of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
The game is more of a dramatic affair than all out action. Iād like to think of it as more of a soap opera with gangster undertones than video game. There is a lot of story and cut scenes arenāt short. I didnāt mind this as the story is rather compelling. Most text can be skipped but the game forces you to listen to the important plot points.
When you do gain control over Kiryu, you have the freedom to do whatever you want. So long as you have the Yen. If you didnāt feel like launching an assault on the Chinese Triads, then you can let off steam in one of the many mini-game outlets. There are dozens of things to do aside from the main quest. You can head to an arcade and play Super Hang-On or Virtua Fighter. Head to a Karaoke bar and partake in a rhythm game while an ex-Yakuza sings his heart out or head to a strip club. Because why not?
Itās quite astounding that there is so much choice on top of the already lengthy story.
If you did want to have a round of fisticuffs, then youāll probably want to level up first. To do this you can; eat, play games, visit a naughty bar, or complete one of hundreds of missions and awards. These give you stat points to spend on whatever you want. Everything is unlocked from the start, you just gotta pay. The combat system itself can be tricky to start with. Youāre hardly ever fighting one-on-one and when someone creeps up behind you, itās frustrating that the dodge button isnāt reactive enough. This changes as you buy skills, so level up early on.
Tell me whatās bothering youā¦
This annoys me no end.
One thing that really irked me about Yakuza 6 is product placement. As Sony have the exclusive rights to the game, they felt the need to encourage the developers to include an element of product placement. Sony products of course. If subtly done, itās fine. But itās Sony weāre talking about. The main menu is controlled through an Xperia phone, and Xperia tablets are either used or have posters thrown all over Japan. It doesnāt ruin the game but having a mini-game centred around mobile voice controlā¦ Really?
I can just imagine some poor soul in Segaās headquarters having to patch the latest phone (due 5th April) to keep up to date with whatever Sony is selling at the time.
Unsubtle product placement will always annoy me but itās one flaw in an otherwise fantastic game.
Conclusion
So. Happy.
As I said at the beginning, Iāve not played much of the Yakuza series. Having said that, I enjoyed it as a standalone. Sega have taken their time to make sure Yakuza 6 is a great jumping in point. We have enough back story for the game to make sense, while not giving too to spoil the previous games.
Yakuza 6 plays more like an interactive drama with long cut-scenes full of dialogue but when youāre given freedom you can live Kazumaās life however you want. His story may seem serious but there is always a sense of humour that comes to the front when you least expect it. Iām looking at you not-siri.
The game is bursting with content to enjoy. From lengthy side-quests, to nostalgic mini-games, to searching for milk with a crying baby in the small hours. Yakuza 6 will keep you busy and the great thing is, it never feels like the game is overwhelming. This video game is a joy to play and will give you hours of entertainment.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life has been a highly enjoyable game and well recommended.
My Man!
Oh no you didnāt just stop me eating
This is what happens when you interupt my meal
Happy memories
STATS!
This annoys me no end.
Hehe
āInfluencer.jpgā
So. Happy.
Out of context shot 1
Out of context shot 2
Ā You can pick Yakuza 6: The Song of Life up from the PlayStation store digitally from 16th April. Or you can buy from Amazon (same date).
ATLUS/SEGA kindly provided an advance digital copy of this game. Iāve not been paid for this review, nor has it been given a positive spin for preferential treatment. Read more here.
My take on #Yakuza6. Iāve never been to Japan. Iāve wanted to since I can remember, but Iāve yet to make the trip.
Superman - Action Comics: The Oz Effect Deluxe Edition
Turns out, The Oz Effect is pretty damn good. #Superman
Iāve not been much of a Superman fan. Iāve always found him too goody-goody. Heās a moral alien trying to protect the planet he lives on. As such, Iāve only kept an eye on his world in Action Comics. One character however, has been playing on my mind for years; Mr Oz. The Oz Effect brings together years of questions and lays it all on the table. Thatās right comic book fans, we finally get toā¦
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Next off the list: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Theyāre taking the Hobbits to Isengard! Well, not really but I am taking Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor off my list. Thatās right, another game has fallen, and I thought Iād tap out a few words on the experience. Itās one of the younger titles on my list, since it was bought for me over Christmas. Why has it taken me years to pick this up? Well I distrusted reviews that said it was better thanā¦
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A few words on Sonic Mania
1st game off the Pile of Shame: #SonicMania
Iāve been a Sonic fan since I picked up a controller. From the chimes of SEGA to the opening drum beats of the first game, I was hooked. Going fast was all I wanted to do. Each Mega Drive instalment was devoured after school or on weekends. Always after homeworkā¦ I thought this could last forever. However, that wasnāt to be. The last 20 years (itās really been that long), has been a frustratingā¦
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The Dreaded Pile Of Shame
I own 101 games that I've not completed. Let's work on that.
Gaming is a brilliant hobby. One where you can enjoy different worlds, play through countless stories or forge a unique path through hours of exploration. At times, you might be overwhelmed by a boss or puzzle and walk away to the next adventure while the game festers in a pile of shame (or shelf of sorrow). (moreā¦)
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NFL in London 2017 - Saints vs Dolphins.
Every year, I take a pilgrimage to the home of football in the United Kingdom. While there is always 80,000+ jubilant people joining me, they arenāt here to see 22 men kick a ball. Oh no, weāre here to see 104 men move a ball 10 or so yards. Thatās right, the NFL, Americaās exciting sporting event comes to Wembley. Last weekend, I was there to see the New Orleans Saints take on the Miamiā¦
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Just Dance! Put on your Red Shoes...
I have a confession...
My name is Joe and I have a confession. I love Just Dance video games. Phew that was hard to say and I recon Iāve lost a few more readers for that comment. To be honest, Iāve been a supporter of the dancing game since it hit the Wii back in 2009. Back then, it was as popular as guitar hero. It quickly replaced the sticky, beer soaked plastic dance mats of DDR with the, well, sticky & beer soakedā¦
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4 tips to help get you into comic books
Shock statement time: I havenāt been reading comics for very long. Let me refine that; I havenāt been following comics for a long time. I have read comics since I was a young whipper-snapper but I didnāt keep up the hobby as it were. With the rise of the comic book blockbusters and various TV shows, I thought Iād give it a bash. (moreā¦)
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