Strider Hiryu

I officially love Right Stuf now. They're releasing Gundam ZZ, the Original MSG, and Turn-A in the next year. Strider's wallet is going to be empty soon.

First the stomach flu for 4 days and now a severe cold. My body doesn't fuck around when it gets sick, god this sucks

Today is a very sad day for me for we lost a truly great man. RIP Leonard, you were always a hero of mine and I wish you the best in you next adventure.

Just got done playing Life is Strange Ep 1, gotta say this is a pretty damn good game. Definitely lives up to the hype I've seen about it.

Just finished Turn-A Gundam and I have to say it was a great show. I think it ranks up there with Zeta Gundam for my favorite Gundam series.

So I got the Galaxy Note 4 today since it was time for my upgrade, damn is the phone huge. Can't wait to check out all the nice features on it though

Just got a beta key to the Rainbow Six Seige beta going on this weekend. This should prove to be fun

I finally got around to beating The DIvision's story (thougth I'm still not 30). Gotta say, for an MMOish type game it has one hell of a story. I'm actually kinda hyped about the future DLC's now.

Finished watching Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, a 4 episode ONA adapted from the manga. Really enjoyed it and it's a lot darker and more gruesome than any of the other UC series (especially Zeta, that show is freaking dark but this one takes the cake) to date. The soundtrack alone is worth watching this for (if you like Jazz, they use it very well throughout the 4 episodes) if you're not into the dark gruesome stuff. Not to happy with how it ended (quite a cliffhanger, hoping for another run of episodes or for the upcoming movie to wrap it up) but that's to be expected of a show adapted from an unfinished manga. 8/10, highly recommend it for anyone with a passing fancy for UC Gundam.

Sigh, after watching so many live streams of Total War: Warhammer over the last two days I totally want to buy it (even though I've never had any interest in Warhammer before). Sadly my laptop would probably kill itself (which is why I never bought Shogun 2) and I can't afford it due to that whole being jobless thing going on.

Been screwing around in the Ghost Recon beta these last few days. Gotta say the game is fun but you can definitely tell it was made to be played with friends. Don't get me wrong the A.I. squad mates are better then what you would get in other games (almost as good as the A.I. squad mates from Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (which this game has some similar mechanics to)) but a lot of the missions seem to be built with the idea of going in with 3 other players due to enemy patrol routes and placements. Beyond that gun play is pretty solid (a little wonky at times but this is a beta), combat is quick and sometimes relentless (I made a minor mistake approaching a base in the new area for the beta and damn near paid for it with my life (fucking enemies called in 2 choppers, still trying to figure out how I survived it)), and the story is pretty good for a Tom Clancy game (not generally into Tom Clancy stuff but this game and the Rainbow Six games have always had relatively good stories to go along with good game play).

Honestly if it wasn't coming out a week after Horizon and two weeks before Andromeda I'd probably buy it but no, Ubisoft had to pick the worst time to release it. If you get a chance this weekend try it out, the beta runs until Monday and it's definitely worth a quick play through (even if you don't get through the entire first area you'll get a good feel for the game play and what the story is about in the first few missions).

Whether you were a big fan or not today is a tragic loss for the music world. Chester Bennington, lead singer and front man for Linkin Park, was found dead today at 41.

I was a huge LP fan when I was younger (though I sort of lost touch with them over the years, their music past Meteora was so so) so this hits pretty hard for me. Their music, his music, helped me through a lot.

RIP Chester, though you're gone your music and message will always remain.

Normally I'm not a fan of live-action adaptations for manga and anime but I gotta say the Blade of the Immortal movie live-action adaptation was fucking amazing. Gory as fuck, full of action, and just down right fucking awesome.

Please note that I have not read the manga, I've only seen the anime adaptation so I don't know how well they adapted it but I gotta say just based off of what little I know they did a stellar job for having to cram that much story into a 2 1/2 hour movie. Definitely recommend it if you're looking to watch something along these lines (and hell if you read the manga maybe you can tell me how well they adapted it), can't go wrong with senseless violence.

After four days of playing I finally beat Detroit: Become Human or should I say finished my first play through and boy was it a pleasure. It's been a very long time since I've played a game with such an amazing story behind it and it's been even longer since I've felt such emotion while playing. This is my game of the year and nothing will come close to over taking it. A little early to be saying this? Probably but the chances another game as rich in story, character development, and emotional attachment coming out this year is slim to none. Games like these are what influenced my decision to get my degree (even if I'm not using it or working in the industry) and it's games like this that I've always wanted to create.

True, the story has problems (and an extremely slow start after the first mission (the demo mission if you haven't played it)) and borrows heavily from real life events (civil rights movement is the big parallel with Markus coming off as the android MLK (depending on what choices you make)) and covers some pretty heavy subjects (domestic abuse, drug use, what does it mean to really be alive, etc) but they are few and far between and do little to detract from the narrative being told (in fact I think it gives the story more character). This game also does an extremely good job of making you feel the consequences of the choices you make and drives those points home later on down the line (every choice you make effects how the story ends, even the most mundane).

All three main characters are interesting in their own ways and it was a joy seeing them all evolve throughout the course of the story and while I admit some of them were bland (Connor coming to mind, his character arch is the most interesting but his character is rather bland until about half way through the game) that hardly detracts from the story. If I had to choose I'd say Kara's story was my favorite for pure emotional reasons and Connor's being the most enjoyable (mostly due to the Detective he works with). Don't get me wrong Markus's story is good and the beginning of it really makes you feel for him but overall it doesn't outshine the other two. Plus the actor's they got to play these characters did an extremely amazing job bringing these characters to life so much so that I became emotionally attached to each one of them (this goes for secondary characters as well, I had to make some real hard choices at the end of the game and it was heartbreaking to do so).

While I'm not one to gush about graphics I must say this game is beyond beautiful and the motion capture and animation are top notch (not to mention the starting screen is probably the most unique one to date). It's obvious this is a game and everything is CG but sometimes you forget given how well they nailed the likeness of the actors/actresses they used (almost all the main characters and certain side characters share their likeness with the actor/actress that portrayed them). I also have to say the soundtrack is rather amazing (now to rip it off my PS4 for my listening pleasure).

All in all this game was an emotional ride and probably the best $70 I've spent on a game in years. I can't recommend it enough but I warn you this game is not for everyone. There is very little action (and what little there is completely consists of quick time events) and it's completely character driven, think of it as a CYOA movie that takes some input from the audience. Plus if you've never played a Quantic Dream game (Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls) then you probably won't really enjoy it. However if this sounds like something you'd like I highly recommend it. As I said it's been a really long time since I've enjoyed a game this much and I can't wait to play it again this weekend to try out the paths I didn't take (and to get all the trophies, this will probably be the only game I 100%) and see the other endings (I got what could be considered the best ending).

Originally I wasn't going to say anything until I actually finished watching the series (which should be Monday or Tuesday night) but you were right DX, The Ancient Magus' bride is spectacular and I say this after only watching 15 episodes.

I have to say it's up there with Violet Evergarden for both visuals and story (and it's been awhile since I've seen a show that has completely drawn me in to the point that I sacrifice sleep just to watch another episode). I honestly didn't think the premise would suck me in this much but I'm glad it did (and both episodes with Nevin were extremely well done (I shed some manly tears they were so emotionally impacting)).

I honestly have to say this is probably going down as one of my favorites shows from the last few years (which isn't really hard considering my problems with the last few seasons), only taking second to the masterpiece that was Violet Evergarden. I can't recommend this show enough for those who want a story driven show focused on character development and world building (I'm just sad I only have 8 episodes and 3 OVA's left, really hope this gets another season once the manga gets further along).

Sigh, I actually had to break down and get a FunimationNow account because half the shows I was planning on watching on CR got pulled yesterday (and I didn't actually realize Funi had the license). Going to go broke if this shit keeps happening >.<

So just found out Spotify has all of the My Hero Soundtracks (I now have epic music to game to) and all the music from Zombie Land Saga on it (even the insert songs, I get to listen to Saki's song legally now. Fucking yay!). Completely lost my shit when I found out.

Glad to see Spotify is starting to get more Japanese music streaming rights and is finally getting all those anime OPs/EDs that I love. Makes listening to them so much easier now (instead of rummaging through my 191 gigs of music). Now if only they'd get there hands on Myth & Roid's shit (outside of the one album) so I can listen to some Shadowgraph (they're extremely protective of their stuff as it all used to be up on Spotify then it was all removed suddenly).

I'm going to take a moment to say that out of all the games I've played throughout my time as a gamer Nier: Automata is probably one of the best games I've had the pleasure of playing in a very long time. By saying this I have just beaten it (well I beat it last night but I went through to get ending D today (I cheated so I didn't have to do the whole tower section again and reloaded at my save right before the final two fights). I'll most likely be redoing the whole Tower chapter again tomorrow so I can get D on my main save file so I can get ending E, the true ending. Wish me luck because I hear the final section to get E is a nightmare) and yes it took me forever but I'm glad it did. I've played many games that have great stories, great characters, great world building, great gameplay, and yes even great soundtracks (you'd be lying to yourself if you didn't think the OST for Nier was a major component of it) but none of them have ever encapsulated me this much (I say this having a complete obsession over the Suikoden series of games, by far my all time favorites when it comes to world building/story/characters).

I've never come to care for characters so much as I have with 2B, Pascal, and A2 (screw 9S, sorry to everyone that likes him but I do not like his character and don't get me started on actually having to use him in combat. Worst parts of the game for me even with his story being so damn good). Everything they go through and everything they experience from the minor gains to the major losses all resonated with me (and in some cases absolutely gutted me, I'm looking at you Pascal). I won't be ruining anything about their stories here or giving a major plot developments but DX will definitely understand where I'm coming from. You really grow attached to these characters in ways you don't notice until something major happens. Hell I've never been attached to a character as much as I am to 2B. Watching her grow throughout the entirety of her play through (and 9S's), watching as she struggles with the things she had to do before the events of this game, watching as she gradually opens up more to those around her, and watching her become more accepting of the new truths around her was amazing. Most main characters never get this treatment with all these minor nuances and most are lucky if they get the character growth she did. A2 is similar in a lot of ways but her growth comes a lot faster and it's harder to get really attached to her since you don't spend as much time with her (but damn do I love her sassy personality, her interactions with Pod 42 are gold). I really wish she'd of gotten more attention than she did (and you really don't even understand the depth of her backstory and character unless you read about the stage play Yoko Taro did that tells it (it's briefly mentioned in game but not much is said)). I won't get into Pascal other than he's a very well written character, lovable, and gets the shaft hard and it really sucks because he's so lovable.

Story wise it's really just your typical sci-fi plot and while good is nothing really to write home about as it's the characters that make this game so good (not trying to undermine it by any means but it's certainly not Tolkien levels of epic). It also pays, while not necessary, to have prior knowledge of both the original Nier's story and Drakengard's story as it actually helps you understand a lot of the what happened in the past to lead to where this game is at storyline wise (hell three of the NPC characters are directly from the original Nier). I'm really glad I went and read up on them before beating the game, it really helped me understand a lot of what I was seeing toward the end and helped elaborate on a bunch of the in-game text documents you find. Though it might be easier to get that backstory soon as rumor has it we might be getting a remake/remaster of the original Nier or maybe we'll get a brand new game.

The OST is where this game truly shines (so much so I bought it, a rarity for me as I usually don't buy game soundtracks (the only other exception being the Journey OST)). As I said above it's a major component of the game and a major factor behind why I love this game so much. Hell I can't even listen to Weight of the World anymore without getting teary eyed (such a great song, don't think I'll be able to do the Nier raid in FFXIV anymore with the music on. Might end up ugly crying (and they won't be manly tears)). It really sets up all the pieces quite well and adds a lot of the emotional undertone to the game.

As for gameplay I'm not the biggest hack and slash fan. Never really have been as I've always gravitated toward RPG's and Strategy games while only playing the occasional hack and slash (I mean before this my only real forays into the genre were the Dynasty and Samurai Warriors games) but I gotta say I really enjoyed the combat in Nier. After getting used to it (which did take awhile) I started to really enjoy dashing in, slashing like a mad man, evading when needed, and rotating in Pod Programs (I'm a big fan of Mirage, so OP with fully leveled weapons). Bosses are a blast as well if not somewhat annoying depending on which one you're fighting (I'm looking at you eyeball of death). My only two complaints about combat are the Pods (outside of programs they're practically useless (and I say this knowing full well how many times the missile pod saved my ass)) and the 9S hacking mini-game (god was this one of the most annoying parts of the game for me and it sucks that its so fucking powerful. I just hate the randomness of what you'll get every time you hack into an enemy).

I really don't know what else I can say about this other than I finally understand why everyone has been praising it since it came out, it really is that good. I can't recommend this game enough and it's definitely worth the money (I only wish I'd of waited on buying it until they released the Game of the YoRHa Edition so I could get that damn dynamic theme and avatars). I also need to thank Platinum Games for making it and Yoko Taro for creating such a wonderful world (he's a mad lad and I love it, I really hope we're getting a remake/remaster of Nier or another Nier game in the future as this man needs to be at the helm again). This truly has been one of my best gaming experiences in a long time (outside of Detroit, which is still a masterpiece imo).

Now to move on to other games finally. Maybe now I can finally get Horizon beaten or maybe not as I did get Pokemon Sword for Christmas and that will probably eat up my free time until Cyberpunk (hey don't judge me, I actually still like the Pokemon franchise and this one, from what little I've played, is really fun and I'm liking a lot of the new editions to the main game play loop).

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/grant-imahara-dead-mythbusters-host-was-49-1303101

Can we just end this fucking year already before it starts getting anymore ideas?

Fucking gutted over this. Grant was always my favorite host on Mythbusters.

This news comes even more at a shock considering I also found out one of my old co-workers also died from the same thing.

God this year sucks.......

So I finally got around to beating Diablo 3 this morning and on my way through Heaven I ran into a demon named Sledge. Is there something you're not telling us Sledge?

Gah, so much for going to the FFDP concert. Sicker then a dog atm. Why does this always happen when I want to go have fun? /sigh, guess I'll be on Destiny tonight.

So MSG: IBO is a pretty damn goirod anime. Yes you heard it here first, Strider actually admits a Gundam show not in the UC universe is good.

First we lose Lemmy, then we loose David Bowie, and now we just lost Alan Rickman. Fuck this month, I'm done with it. RIP guys

Finally finished watching S1 of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans. I have to admit, this is the first AU Gundam I've enjoyed since I watched Turn-A Gundam (yea, UC extremist Strider actually likes an AU Gundam). I have to say it was a lot darker than I expected it to be and was certainly a fun ride. I'm really looking forward to S2.

Well that's depressing, Willy Wonka is dead. RIP Mr. Wilder.