#syygames

[shadowyin-yang]

I have never played Dragon Age please tell me all the reasons why I should

I feel flattered someone trusts me with this question! D: But also happy. Thank you!~

RPG/Dating Simulator: Like any gamer, there are still preferences to what you like. If you like RPGs (even if it’s just JRPGs), Fantasy, or even just a dating sim. I would put Dragon Age under these categories. I know it sounds like I’m joking on the dating sim thing but…for reals, I legitimately fell in love with at least one of them. Unlike other dating sims, your life is probably under constant threat but you get to fight back at least! (see below for additional things related to this)

Story/Characters: note that all the games are connected and it’s pretty cool to play them in order. The first game is a nice hero fantasy, where you are put into a position to literally try and save the world. Game 2 is about your building a new family that you lose while unknowingly getting involved in world-changing event. Game 3 is surprisingly a bit harder for me to describe but if anything: it gives you both magical and political power. It may feel like none of your choices really matter in some areas, but I like having a CHOICE in what I do anyway. 

Characters are fantastic. Obviously, I don’t love every single person but I do love most of them. Even if you don’t learn about every single characters in depth, there is still a story to them. Their story and personal motivation exists whether or not you wish to acknowledge or investigate it. That’s pretty cool. 

Progressiveness: I’ll give credit where it’s due as Dragon Age is one of few titles I know of, and own, where there are people of color, competent women, and canon LGBT+ characters that you can actually GET with (and yes, there are multiple of what I just listed so they aren’t tokens). Are there problems? of hells yeah there is. There are plenty of instances of sexism, racism, homophobia, and ableism in the series. But again, considering the LACK of everything I just listed, Dragon Age is a breath of fresh air. Hell, game 2 is pretty much the most realistic depictions of LGBT+ I’ve ever seen considering at least half your party is bisexual (cuz you know, we sorta just flock together at some point. people apparently don’t believe this but we do). Obviously, I do not, and will not, excuse all the bad parts in it and neither should you. It’s still pretty nice and good, but defending the bad parts is preventing Dragon Age from becoming something great. 

In addition, someone (definitely not everyone) on the Dragon Age Bioware team understands systematic oppression in the series as Dragon Age DOES have it. It’s both infuriating and kinda cool to to see ignorance almost mirrored exactly with real life. But along with that you also get to meet other characters who GET you. I know that sounds silly, but I’m getting validated okay. So it’s super relatable just by that alone. “The oppressors are assholes” “Oh hells yeah they are!” that sort of thing. As stated before, clearly, not everyone on the writing team understands this because they’ve repeatedly try to make the oppressed and oppressors on equal playing field. It’s not, and never will be. Game 3 seriously tried framing a literal revolution as a ‘war.’ Don’t believe them! Of course the oppressors of all people want to call it a ‘war,’ it’s NOT! 

I’ll leave it at that for now. Feel free to ask me anything else if you want clarifications or detailed answers on something specific! 

[shadowyin-yang]

Grey Morality

Me being into Dragon Age for 1-2 years now: I love Dragon Age but their choices aren’t hard to make for some parts. I thought it was a series with grey morality, making me think about my choices. Hint, I don’t, because the choices are obvious: Fight the oppressors, side with the oppressed (if applicable to the decision). So basically: the Chantry in Kirkwall had it coming for years, will never side with Templars, Leliana is the only Divine, Mage and Elven Rights 100% of the time.

Me currently playing Tales of Berseria: I forgot what it was like to play a game with competent writing that has actual grey morality and better treatment of their characters and now I want to revisit Zestiria. 

I’m just salty okay. I love Dragon Age but god the writing is all over the place and their treatment of their own characters is just as “all over the place.” Zestiria and Berseria has a better handle on the concept of morality than the entire Dragon Age franchise.

[shadowyin-yang]

I had the biggest grin on my face when I (accidentally) triggered the (a?) cameo fight in Berseria

under cut

I guess in hindsight I should’ve seen it coming when I heard that this Pengyon says they’re from Rieze Maxia. But upon hearing him talk it basically confirmed it and I was not prepared for a frickin animal to turn into a human! 

I mean, I got out of it alive but I just didn’t expect to fight Jude before beating the game. 

[shadowyin-yang]

SY-Y's "oops" moment in Xillia 2

Xilla 2 story (no spoilers, just vagueness) that happened today (I think it's kinda funny? If anyone wants to laugh at my carelessness?):

So I consider myself a pretty level-headed gamer and any dumb choices I've made are mostly out of the occasional carelessness that everyone goes through or I just got an ego for that moment. Xilla 2 in particular I've progressed pretty far in the game without much trouble though I haven't beaten it yet. I've died once at most with some boss fights before bouncing back with the retry.

But Xillia 2 marked my first time (or first time in a long time) where my...passionate side got the best of me.

"Oh, these 2 party members are required for this, who should my 4th party member be? JUDE OF FUCKING COURSE!" for the reasons of  1. Jude is my favorite character from the first game and still ranking high in this game. 2. I somehow (I don't even think I have a good reason and I normally do) starting shipping Ludger/Jude ridiculously hard (Jude's my immediate and first choice for linking). I know, I'm rowing this raft alone in the fandom orz no judgy...(if anyone knows the ship name for this let me know...and if you like it also let me know)

I literally just picked Jude as my obvious choice and went into my next assignment without much thought. One annoying boss fight later I'm low on items and realized none of my party members are healers (as in, they don't need to go up to someone JUST to heal them and know more than 2 healing techniques). All 4 of them have an arte that can heal but that's going to get me so far... I mean yes, it's very much doable to get by without a healer against a boss fight but I rather it be with a party I personally set up.

I continue on and I run into my 2nd boss fight running with 3 life bottles and a few pineapple/lemon/melange gels. No, I didn't expect a boss fight that soon and no, I didn't run into a merchant on the way.

Yes, I beat it on but on my second try. However I walked out with Ludger being at low 300 HP while burnt, and everyone else KO'd with no items left except pineapple gels.

Oops. At least I was able to beat it I guess.

[PLEASE don't message me about how Jude can heal! I KNOW HE CAN HEAL! But his healing is shit compared to Leia and Elize's and I don't know a single person that actually considers Jude a healer, as in, I don't know a single person that would make Jude a designated healer! 

You can tell I got this from someone already.] 

[shadowyin-yang]

SYY's Tales of Xillia 2 mini-posts (Part 1)

6 chapters into Xillia 2 and I can't stop being severely disappointed at the lack of Ludger/Jude in the fandom. That aside: I am quite enjoying myself so far. As annoying as it is to get nagged to pay up that's not all bad for me. I love-hate Ludger right now. I guess it's overall strange for me to play a silent protagonist in a Tales of game of all things. A part of me is like "he has no personality to like or dislike" but another part of me is "I am technically giving him his personality" but it hasn't come together yet. I think I'm still early in the game so I may have to wait and see how Ludger plays out as a character. I'm indifferent about Elle; but I do enjoy how Elle and Ludger (sorta) are able to contribute to the group dynamic because I love everyone's interactions so far.