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Thursday, March 14, 2024

Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core Reunion -- Revisited

Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core (PSP version) was the first video game (handheld or otherwise) I ever played and I remember having a hard time beating some of the mission bosses (cos I had no idea about accessories and boosts). Over a decade later, the title has been ported over to the Switch and I knew I had to play it again.

But I didn't get into it right away. The overall graphics/ presentation definitely received a makeover -- but I was disappointed by how some of the characters (I'm looking at you Angeal) still look so I left the game on the shelves for a few months.

After all the hype surrounding the Rebirth release though, and with Zack Fair putting in a guest appearance, I decided to give it another go (and in doing so I have to take a break from Final Fantasy XV). And within a couple of weeks I'm already on Chapter 7, where I should be completing more than half the 300 missions.



One thing that really stuck in my mind re the original Crisis Core is how grindy it was to max out Zack's stats: getting HP + 999% x 2 (yup, I fused Costly Punch) and 255 VIT and SPR for the Minerva (big optional boss) fight. I remember after maxing all his stats I said I would never replay the game again. It got just too tedious.

Luckily with Reunion, the game is less grindy, partly because there are now more than one way to break damage limit (so, not just Costly Punch in the original); with the new Buster Sword battle stance limit break skill, Zack can do 99,999 damage with any other command abilities (like, High Jump and Darkness). All I need to focus on is getting the +100 ATK. I don't even need to worry about boosting HP cos I am not using Costly Punch in this play through. And getting +100 ATK definitely is less grindy and was actually quite fun. Though that has invariably pushed Zack's level to 40+. I am hoping to end the game at around level 60 (90 in the original game, which I still have on my Final Fantasy VII PSP special edition !! 

I should be able to complete 50%+ mission by end of this week and then will jump back into the story -- there is ONE mini game that I am not looking forward to and that is to save someone from a burning house, like, blind... it's such a ridiculous side quest I wish they had gotten rid of that... 

Monday, October 2, 2023

ELDEN RING (PART 14)

This Tarnished's journey takes him deeper into the lore of Melina ... who exactly is she? There are speculations that she is the daughter of Queen Marika, and even the younger sibling of Malenia and Miquella.. the weapon she wields (the Balde of Calling dagger) and the incantations (Erdtree) she casts only give some clues. (Hopefully the upcoming DLC will explain it all!!!)


(Credit: Nameless Ring/ YouTube)

But whoever she is, Melina's presence is beginning to take a hold on our protagonist. 

He may have started as a prophet skilled in Two Fingers, Fire Monk, Dragon Communion and even a bit of Blood incantations but it was the Erdtree and Frenzied Flame spells that gradually had him ... enchanted, as it were. After duelling with many foes, he has also been focusing more -- and excelling -- in his combat skills, wielding the Vyke's War Spear with much dexterity; so much so that he no longer relies so heavily on the mystic (dark) arts. 

Today, he finds himself back in Limgrave, at the Fringefolk Hero's Grave, where he will be seeking out the Dragon Communion Seal as he no longer has enough faith to wield the Erdtree Sacred Seal. But his strength in the spear continues to grow ...

Sunday, June 4, 2023

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (PART 1)

I've never played any games from this franchise before but its latest release, Tears of the Kingdom, has this Elden Ring vibe to it (open world!) that I thought 'd give it a look-in. Also how can I resist Minecraft but with better/ superb graphics and possibly an interesting storyline.

So I am one week into TotK and I've been making steady process. But first, a confession: I read the game was patched to mend a "duplication" glitch so I am still playing the very glitched 1.0.0. version. And there is a reason for that.

Just like Elden Ring, the game lets players take whatever approach (mostly) however they want. So on top of the usual real time combat, the gameplay mechanism also offers a powerful new feature of crafting (which is more versatile than the system in Breath of the Wild). Here you can craft machines for combat... and as anyone can imagine, they can be extremely OP. And, as you know, I like being OP. 

From the word go (very long tutorial) I knew I was only interested in this new feature and the story itself was gonna take the back seat. However, also a bit like the alchemist/potion build in The Witcher 3, this takes some time to set up and hence the need of the duplication glitch. 

Since machines run on battery power, Link (the mute protagonist) only has one miserly battery in early game, and to increase that it involves A LOT of grinding and with tough(er) enemies. But there is a way around it, which is to get hold of the main material, something called the Large Zonaite that is need to create more batteries, and duplicate as many as possible. I think to get max power I'd need to dupe 675 Large Zonaite, which is a bit crazy (since the duping process doesn't always work and it also break the shield that you need) so, for now, I've only duplicated half that amount. Hopefully with that I will be able to grind for the material properly from now (since I imagine I will be semi-OP even with half of the max capacity, esp in early game).

I actually haven't done anything else in the game other than doing the shrines (really for puzzles) to increase Link's health and, possibly, stamina. 

But first I'd need to take out one boss to open the "forge" to actually start making those battery cells, which is my next major mission. 

Then the setup is (finally, after a week) in place. And it's annihilation time πŸ’£πŸ’£πŸ’£πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ’₯

 

Saturday, March 11, 2023

ELDEN RING (PART 13)

The more this Tarnished fights in Colosseums across Lands Between, the more his armour set and skills evolve. In the quest for more "poise" (to withstand heavy attacks), he now sports the Veteran chest piece, which he acquired after defeating Commander Niall at Castle Sol Rooftop, as well as the Veteran gauntlets. He, however, wears the Fingerprint greaves because of his affiliation with Knight Vyke, and the Nomadic Merchant's Chapeau... maybe to pay tribute to those (of the Great Caravan) who were persecuted and then ultimately banished by the Golden Order and ended in the Cathedral of Forsaken. Together they give him 85 poise (which is pretty decent).


The Tarnished continues to wield the Vyke's War Spear, focusing on its Faith rather than Dexterity scaling because he is more skilled in frenzy flame spells and the Frenzyflame Thrust than melee attacks. But other than inflicting Madness on himself and others, he also casts Catch Flame (oh yes, remanence of his distant Fire Monk past) and Honed Bolt, a nod to Vyke's affiliation with lightning spells. 

But most recently, he decided to also dabble into (the blasphemous) "thorn sorceries"; wielding the Staff of the Guilty to cast Briars of Sin -- a Blood spell. 

He has yet "to turn" for fear of retribution from Melina. But, one day, this Tarnished will have to decide whether to sacrifice her or himself -- and be embraced (quite literally) by the Three Fingers -- to become Lord of Frenzy. For now though, he is waiting to learn more about Miquella (upcoming DLC!) ... how will that affect his ultimate journey to become the next Elden Lord? It is also worth noting that it is with the Miquella's Needle that he can cleanse and free himself from being totally consumed by Madness and, perhaps, redeem him from Melina's wraith ...

To be continued ...   

Saturday, January 28, 2023

ELDEN RING (PART 12)


 ... and after this Tarnished battled many foes in the Lands Between -- both the brave and the idiotic -- many have come to realise his Prophecy, if not true calling, lies not with Fire but Madness. And that Chaos was his vision. While he still wields the fire-affiliated Blasphemous Blade when travelling, probably as an act of defiance, when he reveals his true identity -- and armour set -- he is not unlike another (great) Tarnished before him: Vyke, Knight of the Roundtable. 

According to the Elden Ring lore, there are two versions of Vyke; there is the one who uses Ancient Dragon Cult lightning incantations -- he could be found in the Evergaol on the Mountaintops of the Giants -- and there is one who casts Frenzy Flame incantations -- and he is the invader outside of the Church of Inhibition near the Frenzy Village.

Legend has it that: "No other Tarnished was closer to the throne of the Elden Lord than Vyke. But without announcement, Vyke travelled far below the [Leyndell Royal] capital, and was scorched by the flame of frenzy. Did he make his choice for his maiden, or did some other force lure him with suggestion?"

Contemporary scholars (on Reddit), however, have made these notes:

a) Vyke is Lansseax beloved/lover. She's the Priestess of Dragon Cult, also female Ancient Dragon that took form of a human to communicate with the Cult followers. Only those, who are loved by dragons, can clad themselves in lightning, so says the description of Dragonbolt Blessing and Vyke's dragonbolt spell specifies that Lansseax loved him the most of all Cult members.

b) Dragon Cult is and was in Leyndell ever since the end of Golden Order vs Dragons war. Which was ended by Godwyn who defeated Granssax (likely) and Fortissax, the Mightiest Boulderstone (confirmed) who also is Lannseax sibling. Then he befriended Forti, and started a Cult, because both humans and dragons had the same "Gold" in them.

c) Vyke was tricked, by Shabiri (likely) to use himself as Kindling for the Forge, because being the noble hero, he wanted to protect his human maiden, who otherwise had to be burned in the Forge. And since Shabiri is "chaos incarnate" and Three fingers = Chaos, we can see where did Vyke go. To Three Fingers, as the only way to be a Kindling and survive is to burn yourself in the forge, and only grasped by the Frenzyflame seemed to be able to do this. (eg our Tarnished)

So is our Tarnished to follow the same fate as Vyke as he, too, refuses to sacrifice Melina to start anew?

Sunday, January 8, 2023

ELDEN RING (PART 11)

It has transpired that there are two types of incantation casters in the Lands Between: those whose spells are laced with curses that inflict deadly status, which can cause instant death; and those who wield (often blasphemous) magics like weapons. 

This Tarnished, the Mad Prophet, belongs to the latter. Those who have the misfortunate to cross his path (and lived to tell their tale) have seen him cast fire and frenzy spells like missiles. His build is heavy on FAITH, with reasonably high MIND, meaning his incantations are strong on damages. Boosted by the Edtree sacred seal, his castings can be devastating. His frenzy spells, however, are less likely to "proc" the madness status. 

Those from the other school, who are extremely well versed in ARCANE and wield the Dragon Communion sacred seal are equally (if not more) deadly. As each spell can almost guarantee madness to be inflicted onto the opponent who, for a brief moment, will be completely paralysed, leaving the caster enough time to execute their final blow.

But as we have previously determined, this particular Tarnished is not likely to have any affiliation with the dragon cult. Instead, it is fire -- and the hellish burning flames -- that have seen many of his enemies fallen below his feet. 





    

    

Saturday, December 17, 2022

ELDEN RING (PART 10)

 ... so who is this Tarnished roaming in the Lands Between?

Scraps of information begin to emerge. He is often spotted at the Church of Elleh and appears to have an affinity with the nomad merchant there, Kale, who (unlike most of his peers) actually has a name. 


This Tarnished is recently sighted ... not in his usual Fire Monk outfit but his basic Prophet attire: 

-- the blindfold... "if the path leading to the future is clear, then just close your eyes, and walk"; 

-- the robe and trousers ... interesting this whole set can be bought off the hermit merchant at his shack in Leyndell Royal Capital, suggesting, perhaps, this is the area where these prophets were once based, before they were persecuted and forced into exile. The shackles around the neck "warn passerbys not to lend an ear to their [ominous] sermons".

However, what catches the eye (well, for those who dare stare at this figure of misfortune) is the weapon he wields: a metal whip that is clearly the Hoslow's Petal Whip. How this family loom from the illustrious House of Hoslow -- their tale is told in blood -- comes to be in his possession is a bit of a mystery, though it could be because The Tarnished had met one of -- if not both -- the Hoslow brothers, Juno and Diallos, while "serving" as a Rescusant (Tarnished assassin) at the Volcano Manor. 


In fact, the above scenario is extremely likely given this Tarnished has been seen also wielding the notorious Blasphemous Blade, a super powerful weapon that can only been obtained after defeating Rykard --- a demi-god; the son of Queen Rennala and Radagon and brother to Ranni and and Radahn (and later also step brother to Godwyn the Golden, Margott the Omen King and Mohg) --- at the Volcano Manor.

Also notable is that this Tarnished is skilled with Bloodhound Steps, which means he can "blink" (or teleport) between short distances, making him very hard to catch.  

But it'd be his incantations that can shed light on his identity and, perhaps, his backstory. He is skilled in both offensive and buffing spells.

Offensive

The class came with Catch Flame, which is described as "an anathema to the Erdtree... but prophets glimpse it within the faith all the same". 

Interestingly, he has also been seen casting OTHER types of fire-type incantations that could only be learnt from the Fire Monks, especially those for buffing (see below) and by slaughtering the Fire Giants, for the powerful Flame. Fall Upon Them incantation. So it is extremely probable that this Tarnished had infiltrated into the Fire Monks tribe with the sole intention to enhance his pyromancy prowess. 

What seems less likely is his devotion to any Dragon-related factions. The fact he can cast the superior Ekzykes' Decay incantation merely suggests the Tarnished is strong enough to kill the huge beast in Caelid before devouring its heart as an act of communion.  

More intriguingly, perhaps, is his ability to cast two very, very strong incantations that originated "from the maddening Three Fingers": Frenzied Burst and Unendurable Frenzy. His association with the Three Fingers, the Outer God of chaos, is yet emerge and to be played out. Perhaps this is the very fate that he foresaw long, long time ago and is simply on his path of a self fulfilling prophecy.    


Defensive  

The prophet class traditionally takes on the cleric role and this is no exception in Elden Ring. So one of the starting incantations is Heal -- "of the Two Fingers' faithful". His ability to cast this -- and the more potent Lord's Aid -- suggests this particular Tarnished was originally loyal to the Two Fingers before he turned to the Three Fingers... but why? That we don't know ... yet.

Golden Vow and Blessing of the Erdtree are two extremely good buffing spells and they seem to be "primordial" in nature. i.e. something that existed right at the beginning, like the Erdtree, and like the Aspect of the Crucible incantations. I imagine these are basic spells that a prophet in training would learn because .. well, clerics are known for their healing powers. (The primordial spells should not be confused with the Golden Order ones, despite their similarities in colours...) 

And, finally, the two buffing/debuffing incantations from the Fire Monks: Flame, Grant Strength and Flame, Cleanse Me. When dungeon crawling, with both Flame, Cleanse Me and Lord's Aid you have answers to status-build-ups including: poison, scarlet rot, blood loss and sleep. Surprisingly useful! 

A Tarnished who was once of the Two Fingers faith but renegaded to learn (heretic) incantations from the Three Fingers; one who infiltrated into the Volcano Manor as well as the Fire Monk factions to become a highly skilled caster; one who must now decide whether to sacrifice his own guiding light, Melina, or himself to rid of the Status Quo, or a future ruled by the Golden Order or Ranni and to embrace Chaos... but which one is it to be?

..to be continued...