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@my-current-obsession
KH4 Roxas and Namine in Miyashita Park 🍃
Just watched the June 2026 State of Play, and as someone who had a huge (but temporary) Until Dawn phase, I'm glad we're getting another game like that. But like. Why is it being marketed as a sequel (literally Until Dawn 2).
From what I can tell none of the characters are the same. It's an entirely different crew and story with no connection to the first game, from what the trailer indicates.
We've had other games with the same concept (The Quarry, Little Hope, etc), this could have been another one of those with its own name. If you're going to call something Until Dawn 2, I expect it to be a followup to Until Dawn. I expect at least some of the (PLAYABLE) characters from that game to return in major roles.
And I've seen some people argue that given the choice-based nature of it, you CAN'T have a sequel. But I think the perfect middleground is to have just one or two members from the first game return, solidifying them as "canonically" surviving, while having them make vague references to everyone else and implying AT LEAST one person died (because let's be real it's a horror game. As much as I like a good ending it makes sense for at least one person to die).
Also NGL I think there is still untapped potential for Until Dawn. I think you could have the "canon" survivors return to the mountain, specifically to look for Josh and/or try to kill any remaining wendigos (I think we're meant to believe they all died in the explosion at the end, but it's possible some escaped. And it's even possible the old guy hadn't rounded up all but one of them so some might still be wandering the mountain and coincidentally the cast never encountered them). So yeah. While I'm looking forward to this new game and will almost certainly get it, I'm miffed that it's being touted as a sequel to the original game when it's clearly not.
I heard it was that time of year again.
And this is why I’m putting Windows 10 on my new PC.
It's in windows 10 too :( I just checked my system and had to turn it off.
Time & Language > Language > Spelling, typing, & keyboard settings > "How AI has helped you" Typing Insights
Favorite way to write?
Computer
Tablet
Cell phone (I’m evil)
Pen and paper
Typewriter
Sit back and stare at the ceiling imagining my blorbos running around
Wait, you guys are writing?
Reading the tags on this is my favorite thing. Keep it up.
computer is best for me, as i type a lot quicker on the familiar big keyboard. but the phone could also work sometimes, and also it's a way for me to continue writing when not at home.
Constructing Legends: Episode 09 is now live on YouTube!
In this video, i finally stop beating around the bush and address how the executive meddling of the final season affected the show's major romance arcs and what the themes, parallels, and signs of editing indicate the writers were actually intending.
From a player-choice perspective, I'm really glad that you CAN hook up Rebecca and Ashton. From a writing/narrative perspective... it feels like the story really, REALLY favors Ashton/Isabella instead.
Part of it is that they straight up have more moments in addition to Rebecca being slapped in the face by the knowledge of his feelings on an Isabella dead or hospitalized route. But I also feel like there's a a subtle difference in how the two relationships are portrayed in the little things. Like... if you don't have high enough affection and Isabella rejects Ashton, it's explicitly a problem of "not right now". She has other priorities. But while the LOW friendship rejection has the scene end very strained & awkward, and Ashton ruminate that the events lately might have proven they're not a good fit... The HIGH friendship rejection is genuinely still very sweet and honestly makes it feel like Belle really is just too preoccupied for romance right now. There's a door left open to the possibility later.
Meanwhile Rebecca getting "rejected" by Ash goes one of two ways. Either she had a wakeup call from Luke earlier, prompting her to reflect on her feelings and choose to let him go (regardless of affinity; you can have MAX affinity but she'll still choose to move on rather than want him to reciprocate) and even ENCOURAGE him to confess to Belle (or comfort him over the missed opportunity if she's dead). Or she didn't receive Luke's wisdom and is still pining, in which case the rejection HURTS. Depending on your affinity, she can take it okay at best (still upset but she'll get over it) or she'll be a combination of devastated and angry. There's no real good outcome here. The good outcome IS her resolving to let Ash go and confessing just for closure's sake.
This subtle but weighted difference carries over into the good & bad friendship endings. A bad friendship ending between Ash/Belle is very... wistful. It lingers on the possibility of "what could have been" and how sad it is that things ended up this way. A bad friendship ending between Ash/Becca is much more matter of fact. Whether she got Luke's wisdom or not, she struggles to let go of her feelings, and in the aftermath of her confession they drift apart. As for the high friendship endings, Ash/Becca makes a point to say her confessing once was enough. She is moving on and the pair can finally be just true friends without any baggage. Whereas Ash/Belle talks about them "finding their rhythm", how good they are together and for each other. There's nothing explicitly romantic, it IS a friendship ending. But it's not shutting the door on romance like Ash/Becca did. AND the picture choice is curious, since it brings back the special ice cream from an earlier (optional) moment they shared, on an outing I'd bet Ashton considers (or wishes at least) a date.
Finally there is the actual acceptance of romance. Even if you pair Ashton and Becca, there's never a clear moment where he pivots AWAY from Isabella and to Rebecca. We're in his head for this scene, and it kind of seems like he's just stunned and pulled along by Rebecca. He definitely doesn't dislike her, he can objectively admit she's beautiful, but there's no sudden realization or changing of his feelings. It's just that she managed to woo him in the moment. And then their epilogue makes it clear them talking it out and properly getting together was MONTHS later. Which I take to mean he needed time to let go of his feelings for Isabella and really consider being with Becca instead.
Meanwhile when he confesses to Belle, we're still in his perspective. We don't know what she's thinking, only what she says. But I do find it notable that we never got a moment while controlling her where she actually considers and dismisses the idea of romance with him. She says he's not her boyfriend, but again, that's talking. Not thinking. From what the game tells us of their backstory, it seems like Ash and Belle's dynamic and friendship has changed in the last year or two. It's become strained due to a combination of him hiding things because of his case (as well as acting out a bit due to self-loathing BECAUSE he's hiding things), as well as him being much more awkward and deliberately teasing her because of his feelings, which upsets her. I kind of think there's a soft implication that the pair has already passed one instance of "what could have been". I think maybe earlier on in their friendship, Belle might have liked (or at least been considering) HIM, before his behavior pushed her away. If Belle accepts, it comes off the heels of her being at an all-time low. Her dad just died, she feels personally responsible for what's happening with the curse. And she's been upset and mixed up for a long time now about why Ashton started treating her differently. This at least, she's just gotten an answer to. But she's so down on herself she can't help but question why, what he would even like about her. Ashton reassures her by being open and warm. In what I THINK is meant to be a "return to form" rather than something new. This is what they could have been years ago, if not for Ash's own insecurities and hesitation. But it's not too late, in this timeline.
The way the story lingers on "what could have been", if Ash and Belle don't get together. The way it includes very moving and sad moments for Ashton to mourn that loss in routes where she dies or is hospitalized, while SIMULTANEOUSLY forcing Rebecca to acknowledge and accept that. The way despite her longheld feelings, the narrative has her easily move on. Or bluntly says her inability to do so ruins their friendship. The way the narrative goes out of its way to make it clear Ashton really knows and adores Isabella for who she is. But Rebecca might be holding onto an ideal rather than anything real.
It just feels like the story really wants you to pair Ashton and Belle, and have Becca get over her feelings. Ideally by talking to Luke, since that way gives her the most introspection and closure. And for the record, I adore that narrative. The scene where Isabella smacks some sense into Ash and it moves him to FINALLY confess is possibly my favorite in the entire game. But. With the narrative weighed this heavily against them, I feel bad for anyone who prefers Ashton/Rebecca. They got kind of a raw deal.
I think more than I probably should about the Zach/Rebecca romance that never was. I don't remember where, but the devs talked about having even more routes and content planned than we ultimately got, and one of the big exclusions was these two potentially ending up together.
I think the thing that fascinates me is that... unless they planned on adding Zach/Becca interactions to the "Isabella is alive and well" route, then these two could ONLY end up together after tragedy strikes. And I kind of prefer it that way. They are canonically, explicitly, The Friends Who Never Hang. They're both closer to Bella and Ash than each other. They're "friends" but don't really know or hang out with each other solo. Until something happens to Isabella that brings them together.
And they do have a compelling dynamic, I think. He's intimidated by her but ironically is safest from her wrath because he's perceptive enough not to trip her wires like Ash and Bella are. Meanwhile she respects his kindness and maturity. Together, they'd form a cute contrast as a steady, mature couple to Ash and Bella's more awkward and childish romance. Though again the irony is that these two pairs are mutually exclusive, not because they involve the same people but simply because Zach and Rebecca have no reason to spend more time with each other and come together unless something happens to Isabella. And if it does then obviously Ash loses his chance to act on his feelings.
Zach picking up on Becca's feelings for Ash also adds an interesting wrinkle to these two getting together down the line.
Genuinely I'm really sad neither The Letter or Love Esquire by Yangyang Mobile ever took off. While they're very different (one is a horror VN, the other is a parodic romance VN), they both have FANTASTIC character and relationship moments as well as amazing voice acting and appealing art.
Personally I think both games are amazing and I really wish more people knew and liked them so I'd have someone to gush about them with. The choice system in The Letter is a thing of beauty with far-reaching butterfly effects. The lore and worldbuilding of Love Esquire is really engaging and surprisingly thoughtful/detailed considering, again, this game is poking fun at romance VNs as much as it is BEING one.
And both nail character arcs and drama. Luke/Hannah is an absolute trainwreck that I love to watch and I love that you CAN salvage the relationship. But should you? The Becca/Ash/Bella love triangle is also compelling (though I have a very clear side on it) and it's wonderful that I can influence it in so many ways. Not just who Ash ends up with, but whether he ends up with anyone AT ALL. Whether the people involved can stay friends despite a bungled romance attempt, or whether this just ruins them. Whether Becca tries to confess and succeeds, whether she crashes and burns... Or my favorite outcome of all, getting a wakeup call by a certain OTHER asshole that helps her accept Ash's feelings for Bella and let him go.
All the girls' routes in Love Esquire go to some very deep and heartfelt places, which you wouldn't expect given the Squire's shallow starting motive of wanting to get laid. But as he actually gets to KNOW them and gets invested in their troubles, a genuinely moving relationship is formed and he becomes a much better person in associating with and attempting to help them. I adore them ALL, even the "what are you doing stepbro" route, but Vel has the best arc and relationship with him, IMO.
Just... based on their quality it's insane to me these games aren't more popular. People should know about them. People should TALK about them.
Here is an article from NPR about it (May 22, 2026):
Carolina Milanesi, an independent technology analyst, said Google is trying to make its cash cow business — search — richer and more personalized, and it will make shopping easier. But there is a risk that users may have fewer choices about what to click. "Right now it's: I ask a question, I get a bunch of answers and I feel that I'm in control as to which answer I take, or if I'm looking for something, which product I'm going to end up buying. That is going to be less so going forward," she said. Milanesi envisions AI-enabled search and agents proposing products to consumers — perhaps even those they have requested — but with less clarity or choice around where it's coming from. "If you're going to say: 'I want a pair of Jordans, go find them,' you're not necessarily sure what steps have been taken and whether the AI has used a source or a store that was paid for and therefore came up in the search results," she said, "or if AI actually went and did their due diligence and picked the best for me as a customer."
And here's one from Time magazine (May 20, 2026):
While Google already has “AI Mode,” the company will now power the whole search bar through its new Gemini 3.5 Flash model. Instead of the classic list of blue links, Google Search will now also generate a custom page with an AI-generated summary of what you’re searching about, which will then trigger a conversation with AI Mode on the main page, allowing users to ask follow-up questions—similar to the kind of layout you would see when opening ChatGPT.
And a little more from Time's article on how this may affect the websites that we are trying to search for:
When Google first started implementing AI-assisted results, news publishers warned of “catastrophic” impacts on the industry, much of which relies on Google search to drive users to their websites. Last year, news websites saw significant traffic declines as chatbots increasingly replaced Google search as the primary way to find sites and ask questions. Small businesses also noted drops in traffic to their sites from Google, which has traditionally delivered customers. Lily Ray, vice president of SEO strategy & research at Amsive, a digital marketing agency, warned as early as last year that Google’s planned changes to search are “going to have a devastating impact on the Internet.” “It will severely cut into the main source of revenue for most publishers and it will disincentivize content creators who rely on organic search traffic, which is millions of websites, maybe more,” she told Technology Magazine.
noai.duckduckgo.com blocks all AI content in search results automatically
"Welcome, he who holds the Spirit Stone" ✨
Liete of Alent. Grandia fan art.
The Poly Ship of the Day is:
Diamond x Pearl x Platinum Berlitz from Pokemon
Buried Stars - BURIED STARS
The more I think about it, while I really like the idea behind the quest chain involving Scarlen picking between Rozeal and Ricoth, the less I like how it ends. When it comes time to determine who he really likes better, why do the girls have different answers depending on who you talk to first?
If spoken to first, both girls have genuinely good responses that would make sense as to why he'd choose them. If spoken to second, they instead give a much more bland, basic answer that seems to only exist to justify NOT choosing her. Ultimately, both routes Scarlen can take here are valid (even if later plot events make one route end in tragedy) so why must the "2nd girl" be undermined? Was there really no way to let them both give their initial, more moving answer, and THEN still have something else to determine between them? Like, say, you choose whose response to TELL him first and he latches on to that. Or he asks outright for your opinion. Either case making this questline align more with the other matchmaking questlines where the choice is in who you pick rather than needing to talk to BOTH but the first one locking in the result.
Especially since the core of this questline seems to be how much they ALL mean to each other and want to remain close, it just feels wrong to undermine whoever ends up the "other girl".
Also polyamory is unironically the best answer here. When will games allow us to pick this obvious solution.
Not sure if this is a hot take or an incredibly cold one, but Mechonis Fields is genuinely one of my favorite areas in the game, for nearly every possible reason.
I adore the music - while this game has overall fantastic music, a lot of it is a bit... high energy to be listening to for long stretches of time. The music here is more lo-fi and just has a nice vibe I could listen to for hours without getting sick of it.
I adore the level design - largely linear but still with room to explore and lots of little places you can use to sneak around enemies, letting it become player choice whether you want to fight everything or stealth around. Also a fun puzzle-y element between being able to clearly SEE a unique monster but having to figure out how to reach it, as well as how to reach several collectibles, a quest item, and even a small populated area with a handful of quests! That's not something you want to miss but the game makes you work for it and feel so good when you figure out how where it is and how to get there.
Lastly, this is more of a taste thing, but I think of all the big "Mechon" areas this is the most visually appealing. And it has moving walkways you can rapidly cross and jump back and forth on to quickly gather all the collectibles. So that's fun!
The one slight against it is having to give everyone anti-Mechon weapons (or keep Shulk in the party full time), which sucks due to generally having less gem slots (or fixed gems) and overall less power, but that's true for several areas before and after it.
Grandia II - Come On, Let’s Travel
Gotta say I really enjoy the scene at the end of Sword Valley. It's one that is, upon first viewing, perhaps frustrating. But I think hindsight of the rest of the game's plot twists make it that much better.
Shulk's decision to stop Dunban here is a powerful show of will. Without even realizing it, he's winning. Against the "other voice in his head" that, like after the events at Colony 9, is probably screaming at him to commit or endorse murder. There is no reason that [spoiler] would want to spare Metal Face. That's genuinely Shulk behind the wheel. It definitely helps that his primary reason for revenge, what made him easy to sway up to this point, has been neutralized. He's no longer fighting to avenge Fiora. And thus...
In this moment, he prioritizes compassion for human (or rather Homs) life as well as trying to get information about what's really going on. And the more the party learns about the backstory behind this fight, the more they learn about, well, [spoiler], it's at best inconvenient for [spoiler]. At worst it could be a spanner in the works.
And while I can understand wanting to see Dunban kill the monster responsible for the attack on Colony 9, I still think Metal Face meets a very karmic death. Spared by his enemy only to die by continuing to attack and getting caught unawares by the destruction HE has wrought. Literally destroyed because of his own malice.
