Book 1 of The HEL Jumper Book 2 of The HEL Jumper -----
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“There, now we can begin properly,” Alyra declared, seating herself cross-legged upon a plush cushion on the floor of the main building in the barracks. Though the Cauthan did not have much in the way of fabric or cloth, especially for non-garment related purposes, they had plenty of leather and sinew. Being tougher than erulass fiber, leather could be stuffed fuller with more abrasive materials, and even the relatively prim and pampered Alyra swore by leather cushions. Thantis even had a scroll in his archives documenting the one time Alyra’s former master had traded for an opulent cloth cushion from the eastern coastal cities. It had not lasted very long.
“We could have started earlier,” Ratha informed her.
“I notice you didn’t deny a cushion when offered,” the priestess of the Twins pointed out, calmly looking at her claws.
“I would have been fine standing.”
“Alright, break it up you two. Sorry I don’t have much furniture in here but I’m only one Cauthan,” Staroth explained. “Alyra, thank you for the padding. And Nerazek, any chance you could finish those last couple houses so Antoth can get his temple?”
“Sure, Staroth!” Nerazek replied jovially. “I shall inform my guildsmen that they’re to report to the temple before Seil rises each day and that we’ll be putting all of our repair and winter preparation on hold so that the seven of us have a comfortable place to sit.”
“Is it just me or did our beloved smith just grow some arm feathers,” Staroth joked, looking Antoth’s way. Though a former guardsman himself, the panther-like leader of the village was not currently in a mood for humor.
“Oh yes, very funny. I shall remind you of this moment each time you complain about something in the future, if this is to be a feminine trait,” Gentia insisted, standing up for her gender before Antoth called for order. Unlike the rest of them he had gone without a seat and stood at his place in the circle of priests.
“I am glad to see you are all in good spirits. So long as we are here, are there any items that should be discussed before we talk about Veera’s cubs? Gentia, how is the granary holding up?”
“The disciples of Tyrdus finished their work this past cycle, Antoth. The roof is secured and sealed, rotten wood has been replaced, and all gaps have been dealt with. My acolytes have cleaned the floors and checked for infestations. A couple sacks of dato needed to be disposed of but we caught it before the fungi could spread. They were not the edible variety, sadly. We are ready for the harvest.”
Antoth nodded and hummed approvingly. “And those expecting cubs this year?”
“I will allow our esteemed Huntress to speak for herself,” Gentia chuckled, resting her cane across her lap. “But Asha is in good health, as are the other young ones who managed to conceive shortly after last year’s harvest festival. We should have five new cubs from them. Staroth, your mate is due for a check in with us soon.”
“I’ll remind her. Thank you, Gentia,” the Guardian bowed her way, his voice serious now that they were discussing the future generation.
“You are welcome, Staroth. The young ones are maturing healthily as well. He was rather difficult to bring into the world, but Merat’s son is healthy and active, as are the others his age. Ketra is doing as well as could be expected but none have come forward to adopt her, and I have yet to receive an answer from the human’s leader on the subject.”
“Good, that means they know when to stay out of affairs that don’t concern them,” Ratha said, an approving edge to her voice.
“So it would be best if Ketra grows up without parents?” Gentia countered just as sharply.
“I will speak to the human Admiral,” Antoth interrupted forcefully. “Regardless of what his answer is to the question, he did promise us an answer. I am glad to hear so much good news from you, Gentia. I just hope our luck does not run out. Thantis?”
“My apprentice and I have been reviewing herbs, fungi, and various other ingredients with Alice. She has gathered much for us and has been documenting their uses, applications, and the proper recipes for various brews, poultices, and medicines. Spirit Io joins us on occasion to catalog the information. When the snows fall she has suggested a conversion of all our scrolls to… oh what did she call it?” The elder scratched his chin thoughtfully, his spectacles reflecting the torchlight from outside thanks to his position within the circle. The interior of the barracks was lit by one of the human lanterns. Without the need for heat from fires, it made no sense not to rely on the brilliant, white light. “Digital! Yes, that’s what she said, digital format.”
“And what is that, exactly?” Alyra wondered. Thantis scratched the gray hairs of his chin.
“It is difficult to explain because it is not one thing, more like an idea.”
“These humans make my head spin, even if they have a decent sense of fashion at times,” the priestess of the Twins lamented as Thantis tried again.
“When I was aboard their ship, I was allowed to use some of their technology, including one of the devices that makes information digital. I spoke to the device and at the touch of a finger it repeated my words back to me. But it was not just my voice. It also transcribed what I had said into runes, before translating those runes into the human system of writing. It was as though the device was able to present my thoughts in whatever manner best suited the user. How I yearn for one myself!”
“Perhaps I shall add that to the list of questions for the humans,” Antoth suggested humorously. “I admit that sounds like a handy little contraption.”
“Add a couple suits of that armor while you’re at it,” Staroth suggested half-seriously. The village leader considered the idea thoughtfully.
“Perhaps I will. Spirit Io managed to procure one for herself. Perhaps such a thing is possible. No offense Thantis, but I believe if the humans are willing, defenses should take precedent.”
“Under other circumstances I might choose to debate with you the power of knowledge and ideas over the more martial considerations of life however, as things stand, I cannot fault your priorities, Antoth.”
“Did I miss something, mate of mine? Spirit Io is just that, a spirit. What do you mean she was armored?” Gentia’s question produced a most unique situation, namely Thantis and Antoth having a shared secret. That secret had, inevitably, been spilled on account of their honest nature. Antoth scratched the back of his head.
“Spirit Io walked on Mara several days ago to pay her respects to the fallen humans on the anniversary of their death. I sensed that doing so was uncomfortable for her, and she returned to the skies shortly thereafter. She concealed the majority of her form with her own suit of mystical armor.”
“That is a shame,” Gentia remarked sadly, taking Thantis’ hand in hers. “I would have very much liked to speak with her face to face.”
“One day, my dear,” her husband comforted her. “If I know that spirit at all, and I believe I do just a bit, she feels the same. Not to mention she is just as headstrong about getting what she wants as the human she protects.”
“While this is utterly fascinating, perhaps we’ve gotten off track?” Nerazek proposed, tapping a claw on the wooden floor of the barracks before clearing his throat. “We have ample supplies of animal products, Antoth, on account of Ratha’s hunters and Winters. It’s not a surplus, per se, but we should have enough to see us through to another spring.”
“Very good. Thank you Nerazek,” Antoth nodded. “Staroth? Anything I don’t already know?”
“No sir. There were fewer new recruits this year. I think we all expected that,” the Guardian reported. Concerned nods and ruffling of feathers could be seen around the circle of priests. “I’m just glad Winters is still here.”
“Yes, I’ll be sure to ask about that armor. Alyra?”
“We should have an average harvest of erulass, Antoth. There isn’t as much hyrven as last year, perhaps on account of the human no longer feeling the need to impress his mate, but we have ursae pelts left over. They have kept remarkably well. We will be fine when the spring comes. Losing Asha for a cycle or two isn’t ideal, but I can’t wait to see that little fluff ball of hers. She says it will be a girl!”
“That’s what the humans say,” Gentia corrected, turning her nose up slightly.
“What’s wrong, Gentia? Not so fun when the spear is in the other hand?” Ratha asked triumphantly. Antoth allowed his head to roll back in frustration but his fellows seemed to take a bit of joy in his difficult position.
“Oh here and there, Huntress, but I do not deny help when it is offered. If they save even a single life it will be worth my occasionally guessing wrong.”
“I think I’ve had enough of this little pastime,” Antoth declared. “We will wish Asha well, along with all of those who are expecting this year and who carry the future of our people within them. Now, on that subject, what is to be done about Veera?”
Antoth’s question brought silence to the priests, who glanced at one another as if to ask who would speak first. Alyra was amenable to kicking things off. “Nerazek and I spoke about this a few times since we last met. We are not in favor of announcing Veera’s pregnancy to the broader public Antoth.”
“That being said, we are also not in favor of forbidding relationships between unmated females and humans should the situation arise naturally, as with Veera and Winters,” the chief priest of Tyrdus amended. Alyra nodded in agreement while Antoth hummed a quick acknowledgment of their opinion. A cool gust of wind blew in from the training yard, heralding colder nights, the prelude of winter, and the coming of the harvest.
“Staroth?”
“You’re asking the wrong Cauthan, Antoth. But I would throw my lot in with Alyra and Nerazek. It just doesn’t seem right to actively encourage such things, nor to speak on Veera’s behalf about her own cubs.”
Antoth lowered his head and mulled things over. “Hmm, very well. It appears that even if Thantis, Gentia and I are of like minds we are overruled, and I don’t feel the need to invoke Seil in this matter. Gentia, what are your feelings on this proposal?”
The elderly female had a conciliatory expression on her face, her usual confident humor stashed away for the time being. “Whatever Winters and Veera did or did not do, it took many cycles for them to conceive. Perhaps it is indeed prudent to not give our unpaired females such hope in an official capacity. That being said, all of us should be prepared to offer guidance on this matter, and we should be united in that advice. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds to me like we are in favor of encouraging or at least accepting relationships with human partners as a last resort. I feel the need to remind everyone of the political angle of this discussion. Veera is unique, and if she were to depart with her mate I don’t think much would change. The same would not be true of others in the village.”
“No arguments there,” Ratha agreed. “That doesn’t mean it will stop them from leaving, if that is your aim.”
“No, it does not,” Gentia allowed her the point. “But it will give us something to rely upon other than the compassion that, up until now, the humans have seemed willing to provide in ample amounts. My suspicion is that this is primarily because what they have given us so far, while revolutionary or life changing from our perspective, amounts to trinkets to them.”
“How very shrewd, Gentia,” the Huntress fluffed her feathers approvingly. The Mother snorted humorlessly.
“You think me soft because I embrace the gifts of the humans, Ratha. That is understandable, but I have lived longer than even they have. Nothing is ever given for free. I only suspect that what has been given to us is a pittance for a people who can traverse the stars.”
“Yes, and Winters got himself a mate and cubs in the deal,” Antoth chuckled, a bit more pleased at that particular outcome. “So that settles it then? We are in agreement? We will allow Veera’s pregnancy to play out and, in the event that an unpaired female wishes to mate with a human, we will support it?”
“Support is a bit difficult,” Ratha insisted, causing Antoth to groan audibly. “Oh hush, you. I never said I would reject it either. It will be tolerated at a minimum, if only to negotiate with the humans as you detailed. But mark my words here and now. I would not be surprised if a year or two from now we find ourselves meeting again because some deadbeat human father decided to abandon his mate and cub in favor of home.”
An uncomfortable silence fell around the council as they acknowledged the possibility of Ratha’s worst case scenario coming to pass. Antoth moved them on with a firm tone. “If that comes to pass we will deal with it then. Does anyone else have items that need to be discussed so long as we are here?”
“Have you thought of your speech for the harvest festival yet?” Gentia wondered, a smile and mischievous glint of the eye returning to her features. Antoth furrowed his brow her way.
“No.”
“Well start thinking then, my dear! I, for one, cannot wait to hear a former Guardian officially bless the young couples of the harvest,” she insisted, leaning against Thantis with a contented smile. Ratha sniggered while Staroth offered the village leader a sympathetic look.
“Comes with the territory,” he shrugged.
“As does this,” Antoth insisted. “You’re all dismissed. Selah.”
-----
“Mmm, that’s right. I guess I will be turning twenty eight soon,” Alice recalled, sitting around Sentaura’s cooking fire with Lachlan, the lady of the house, and Ursol. She’d been splitting time between their place and her brother’s, not wanting to intrude too heavily on the couple who had just learned that even on Mara surprise pregnancies were a thing. The topic of her age had come up on account of Ursol’s birthday, which was also fast approaching. He, like most Cauthan cubs, was a fall baby. “Maybe I can get approval from Natori to bring some cake down here!”
“If the wee laddie starts bouncin’ off the ceiling it’ll be you who runs him ragged, lassie,” Lachlan insisted with a smile at her and then a nod at Ursol himself. After about an hour of ‘hunter games’, he was content to sit politely and enjoy his evening meal, his legs still not reaching the ground from the chair.
“I am rather envious, to be twenty eight and still feel as though you have your whole life ahead of you? What a wonderful notion,” Sentaura mused, causing Lachlan’s smile to fade a bit and Alice to rack her brain for some way to politely move the topic on. She was saved by the rapping of Antoth’s knuckles against the wooden door frame of the house, the burly Cauthan made known mainly by his armor and clothing reflecting the firelight as he poked his head inside. His coat was perfect for nocturnal camouflage.
“Ah good, you are here. Sentaura, I apologize for the interruption.”
“Nonsense, high priest. Selah and welcome to our home. May I offer you something to eat?” the matron asked politely, standing and bowing to him. Ursol stayed silent out of respect and likely a bit of fear, but waved from where he was seated. Antoth smiled and waved back.
“That won’t be necessary, Sentaura. Ratha and I will be taking our own meal together shortly, and I’m sure you can understand that no matter how delightful your own cooking I would be in a difficult situation were I to accept your hospitality. Besides, it looks like you already have two guests. Meylith bless your home. And how are you, little one?”
“Ursol, Antoth asked how you’re doing. Answer him,” Sentaura advised her son with a kind but firm voice.
“I-I’m good!” Ursol replied. His mother patted him on the knee.
“And what do you say when someone is kind to you and asks how you’re doing?”
“Thank you!”
“Ah, you are very welcome,” Antoth responded with an equally gentle voice, something he was not particularly known for among his compatriots in the town guard. “I am glad to hear you’re doing well, young man. Would you mind if I speak with Lachlan and Alice for a moment?”
“Lachlan plays hunter games with me!” Ursol informed Antoth, the initial shock of having his home visited by the sun priest and being spoken to directly having worn off a bit. Sentaura looked ready to shush him, but Antoth widened his eyes slightly and nodded his head in an exaggerated motion.
“Is that right? Those must be some very fun games if you’re playing with one of the humans. They are excellent hunters. May I speak to Lachlan? There’s something I need to ask him,” Antoth explained. Alice remained seated and politely tried not to squeak or squeal at how cute the situation was. It was easy enough to refocus, however, when Ursol gave Antoth ‘permission’ to talk to the Marine, nodding quickly before returning to his meal.
“Lachlan, Alice, you’re well?” the priest asked.
“Yes, thank you,” Alice affirmed.
“What do ya need from us, boss?” Lachlan wondered curiously as both Alice and Antoth got a chuckle out of the proposed title. She privately admitted that the Cauthan would likely look excellent in a 1920’s mobster suit, or perhaps something more modern like a stereotypical Yakuza’s garb.
“I would like to speak with your Admiral, immediately if possible,” the Cauthan explained in a voice that, while insistent, did not indicate anything amiss.
“We can use the comms array at my place if you prefer? I need to head back anyway,” Alice offered, having finished her meal prior to Antoth’s arrival. He seemed amenable to the suggestion, so she handed off her bowl to Lachlan and stood, dusting off her pants. “Need anything from the ship?”
“I was just up there yesterday, but thanks Alice,” Lachlan replied. “You take care on yer way home now.”
“Something tells me I’ll be just fine given who will be accompanying me,” she said with a wink and a wave at Ursol. “Thank you for the meal, Sentaura. It was wonderful as always.”
“Selah to you, and you as well, Antoth,” Ursol’s mother replied. Both bowed quickly before exiting into the night, with Alice bringing her hands to her arms and rubbing them quickly for a moment.
“Is something the matter?” Antoth couldn’t help but ask as they began their journey through the smaller streets of the village, quickly arriving at the main arterial road and turning east.
“No no, I’m just not quite used to how cold it gets at night now. Happens every year even on my home planet. I think I just get sad that summer is leaving and don’t want to accept it. I have a couple of sweaters back on the ship I can have brought down here. That and it was an abrupt change from the warmth of the fire. I don’t have a nice fur coat like you, after all.”
“It may not be the same thing, but you are welcome to trade for a cloak at one of the temples. Knowing you, I’m sure you will be able to procure something of equal value to exchange,” the Cauthan said. Alice bobbed her head at his choice of words.
“I have no intention of swindling anyone, promise! Might take you up on that offer though. I wasn’t allowed to bring too much on board the Event Horizon, and winter clothing was bottom of the list. Can’t say I was expecting to spend any amount of time on an Earth-like world. Do you need Natori for anything important? Er, wait, nevermind. It’s not like the two of you chat over tea every Sunday, right? Of course it’s important,” she explained more to herself than him, speaking rather quickly as she tried to tamp down a mild case of nerves. Antoth was an imposing figure by nature, even if he wasn’t upset about something.
“Hmm.” Antoth’s low hum was sufficient to convey that he wasn’t wasting her time. That was not what he decided to focus on, however. “And what are your thoughts about our world, given you did not expect it?”
“Where do I even start?” Alice demanded of the night sky, where the twin moons glowed brightly. “I am constantly in awe of you and your people. It is humbling to see with my own eyes the sort of everyday struggles that my ancestors were forced to endure too, just to survive. Food, clothing, heat, water; every single one of those items I have taken for granted almost my entire life. I still have that option today, in a way. They’re sitting right up there in orbit.”
“Though it is perhaps painful to hear it from a being as delicate as you, I do not disagree,” Antoth replied in a deep, even keel. “Before you continue, allow me to extend my thanks. While the goals of your superiors are inscrutable, you have conducted yourself in accordance with our laws, and you have rendered aid to Xan and Thantis most of all. I understand that you are helping to preserve some of his knowledge for future generations. That is a worthy goal… assuming we survive.”
“This is really out of place, but can I say something?” Alice wondered as they came upon the main square. The bleached, skeletal visage of the ursae skull dominated the southern view, casting ominous shadows by torch and lantern light. Cycles of carvings by various Cauthan from the temple of the Twins had turned it into something of a tribal piece of art, but it was still first and foremost her brother’s trophy and greatest triumph. Antoth was looking at it as well, his palm resting on his blade’s pommel, as it so often did out of habit.
“You may speak freely, Alice.”
The young woman took a deep breath and gave Antoth the respect of looking him in his light gray eyes. They almost glowed in the moonlight, and she couldn’t help but feel like prey. Eons old survival instincts died hard, apparently. “When I first got here my brother and Io almost immediately began talking about breaking the rules, about uplifting your people to be like us. I thought he was being headstrong and foolish, like he usually is. But I agree with him now. I think we should take every last one of you with us when we leave this planet, preserve your religion, culture, traditions, crops, whatever else we need to do, and let your people choose how they want to live. I’m sure we could find somewhere on Earth where you could live like this if you wanted, just with a bit more modernity at arms length. Or you could have your children go to school instead of working the fields. I think… I think that the young ones especially could compete academically with humans, become doctors or scholars or engineers. I don’t want to promise anything because it’s not like my life is just one uninterrupted hedonistic pleasure cruise. I have plenty of problems, I guess. But starvation, murder, natural disaster, disease… those aren’t among them. I’m sorry, my brother being a dad has just gotten me thinking about a lot. Like how he’s the youngest and will have children first, even if they’re little balls of alien fluffy cuteness!” Alice was forced to pause her diatribe and emit a small squeal at the idea of her brother cradling a swaddled ball of fur in the crook of his arm. Antoth saw fit to join her.
“He is young, but I believe he will make an excellent father. He is strong in mind and body, willing to stand against the majority if he thinks it is proper, and has provided for Veera from the day she allowed him into her life. I am curious, as I suspect my opinion of him contrasts sharply with yours, but he will be ready.”
“Sometimes I find it hard to believe you haven’t been Sun Priest your whole life, Antoth. You come across as very wise. Maybe that’s why I felt compelled to say what I did? I’m not sure,” Alice admitted, returning her gaze to the dirt streets below as they walked on. Antoth produced another one of those contemplative rumblings from deep within his throat.
“I have had excellent teachers over the years Alice Winters, Mara most of all. She is cruel and beautiful. What you suggest is difficult for me to even comprehend."
"You aren't the only one," Alice assured him. "I've considered discussing such things officially with the Admiral but every time I consider what I should say or how I should frame it, it comes out different. I'm not sure anyone could say what would come out of uplifting your people like we were."
"What do you mean, like you were?" Antoth asked sharply.
"I thought my brother and Io told you? Before the Ghaelen found us we were just beginning to explore space around our own star. We were catapulted forward technologically, and ended up as galactic enforcers for the so called pacifists."
"That part I was aware of," Antoth clarified. "The first part not so much. Would you say that the experience changed your people?"
"I mean of course it did in some ways, but honestly? Not really," Alice replied with ease. "If anything, I'd say making contact with the Ghaelen reminded us how important it is to hold onto our traditions and values. I don’t know how many humans could tell you what it means to be human, but they would all tell you that it’s vital."
"So Ratha isn't so far off the mark, is she?" Antoth mused. "I had many things to consider before now, Alice, but our conversation has given me that much more to think about. I would appreciate it if you would at least raise the question with your Admiral Kaczynski. He will have to consider it sooner or later."
“That’s a pretty big ask,” Alice pointed out the obvious. To her surprise, Antoth seemed amused by her characterization. They had just arrived outside Alice’s humble abode, which glowed from within on account of her various appliances, data storage devices, and other tools she'd acquired over the few weeks she’d been living on the planet.
“Perhaps it is, yes. But I suspect he will see it as no more or less grand than Gentia encouraging him to essentially abduct one of our orphaned cubs. If you could signal for him now?” he requested.
“Right away, Antoth. Let’s see, outgoing call, Event Horizon bridge,” Alice murmured to herself, selecting what was, in effect, Natori’s speed dial. A pleasant, steady pinging emanated from the communications array’s interface panel. They waited as the connection to the satellite network was established and the call was routed via non-emergency channels to the bridge. As they stood in the dark, a surprise in the form of Io’s holographic face appeared on the display.
‘Good evening you two. What’s an interesting duo such as yourselves doing ringing the Admiral at this hour?’ she wondered, the German accent lending her question an air of accusation.
“None of your beeswax, Io,” Alice responded cheekily. “But if you must know, Antoth needs to chat with Natori.”
“Good evening to you, spirit Io. Are things perhaps dull at home?” the Cauthan wondered.
‘It’s been a while since they spent so much time snuggling,’ Io admitted, her feelings on the matter indiscernible from her tone or expression. ‘And the whole belly rubbing thing is certainly new.’
“Ah, so you’re playing fourth wheel now?” Alice deduced with a chuckle.
‘Fifth wheel, dear Alice. Twins, remember? At least Fenrir never managed to unseat me despite his fluffiness and tendency to prefer scritches to violence. Oh, that’s the Admiral. Gute nacht for now.’
Io promptly vanished and the screen flashed, displaying the interior wall of Natori’s personal cabin that sat directly behind his desk. The dark skinned man was dressed casually, clearly anticipating a night, or at least a couple hours, to read in relative peace. His expression changed from worry to vibrant curiosity the moment he saw Alice and Antoth, neither of whom looked harried. “Miss Winters, Antoth, to what do I owe the pleasure this evening?”
“I will not take much of your time, Admiral. Thank you for receiving my message,” Antoth began diplomatically before delivering his request. “There are several items of varying importance that I wish to discuss with you personally, face to face if possible. I would also like to be updated on your progress in cultivating our crops, and your findings at the Forge.”
Natori needed but a moment to nod his head in concurrence. “It has been a little while since we last spoke. I would be happy to visit your village tomorrow, Antoth. I will bring Lance Corporal Rodrigo Mendes with me to deliver a report on the unknown installation, and we can check in remotely with Engineer Anita Prakash in the grow rooms. I believe that should cover things from my end?”
Antoth lowered his head in agreement. “That is acceptable. Thank you, Admiral. I will leave you to the rest of your evening. Selah.”
“And to you, Antoth. Alice, all is well?” Natori questioned, figuring he might as well since she was on the line.
“Huh? Ah, me? Yeah, all good Natori!” Alice stumbled, having tuned out for a moment as the two leaders had their little chat. “Uh, do you think I could sit in tomorrow?”
“As long as Antoth is amenable I don’t see why not. Farewell!”
“And there he goes,” Alice narrated, turning to Antoth. “I promise not to be an intrusion.”
“Will you propose to him what you suggested to me?” the Cauthan demanded. Alice seemed caught trying to determine the right answer. He provided it for her. “If so, you will be welcome. Have a good night, Alice Winters. And spirit Io, good night to you as well. I know you are still listening.”
‘Is nothing sacred?!’ the AI demanded, her cover blown.
“You, perhaps? Farewell,” Antoth answered, strolling off into the night to rejoin his own mate for dinner and rest.
-----
Natori Kaczynski was a man known for his cheery demeanor, and the next morning was no exception as he stepped off one of the Event Horizon’s shuttles along with Lance Corporal Mendes. With assurances that he would radio when he had concluded his business and that two fully armed HEL Jumpers and a Marine were plenty of protection while within the village walls, the Admiral sent Pilot Cromwell on her way. Awaiting him at the open west gate was Antoth, accompanied by Alice and Lachlan. The on duty guards stood at attention, their spears pointing skyward. Natori nodded to them both before greeting Antoth with a formal bow and ‘selah’.
“Will Lieutenant Winters be joining us?” he wondered.
“There are several items I would like to discuss first. We can send for them when discussion turns to the Forge?” Antoth proposed.
“Perfect, lead the way then. Good morning Alice, Private.”
“And ta you, sir,” Lachlan replied before addressing Alice. “You going along, Lassie? If so I’ll be headin’ out I suppose. Plenty ta do out there in the fields.”
“Fancy yourself a farmer and a soldier?” Alice asked approvingly. He chuckled.
“It’s got an old time charm to it, doesn’t it? The fun hasn’t worn off yet. With yer permission, Admiral?”
“I will be quite fine with Corporal Mendes, Private. By all means.” At Natori’s dismissal, Lachlan headed out the gates before turning north, while the rest of the group headed east towards the other side of the village. Staroth had politely volunteered the barracks’ main office for yet another function of Antoth’s official duties. Adequate seating had been provided for the human visitors, and the Admiral noticed the Cauthan leader looking Mendes over critically as they were seated. “Corporal, I will summon you when conversation turns to your work at the research site. Why don’t you enjoy a bit of Maran sunshine for now?”
“Of course, sir. I’ll be outside if you need me. Thought I saw a bench or two nearby,” Mendes replied, ever ready with his sketchbook to pass a bit of time. Antoth looked respectfully at Natori when Mendes was out of earshot.
“Thank you. I do not have anything personal against him; I simply do not know him well.”
“I assure you there’s no offense taken,” Natori replied, leaning back in his chair in an effort to lend the conversation a relaxed atmosphere, at least to begin. “Perhaps you would like to start Antoth? What is on your mind?”
Sitting behind his old desk for the first time in months, Antoth laced his fingers together and gathered his thoughts. “A great many things, but let us start with an old conversation. Over a cycle ago, before you went on your expedition to gather resources from Kel’s realm, Gentia proposed the adoption of one of our orphans by human parents.”
“It was more of a demand, from my perspective,” Natori corrected, though his smile did not leave his face. “She cares deeply for her charges.”
“That she does. And she does not forget such things either,” Antoth warned. “Have you an answer?”
“I do, of course. The answer is no,” Natori provided, clasping his hands gently over his lap as Xan poked his head in the door. The gentle clack of his bone cane against the wooden floor heralded his arrival. The Admiral waved merrily as Alice watched Antoth nervously. The Cauthan did not seem pleased, though she was unsure if it was because of Natori’s willful defiance or the fact that Gentia had not gotten her wish.
“Pardon the interruption, Antoth. We heard the meeting was underway and Thantis asked if you need a scribe or tea or both.”
“Admiral?” Antoth passed the question on tersely.
“I am quite well hydrated and I have this here to record our conversation, if you would like,” the Admiral explained, plucking his personal device from his hip where it rested opposite the man’s sidearm. “I do not mind a backup, if Thantis would like to join us. It was a pleasure hosting him aboard our vessel for the mining mission.”
“Yes I daresay he felt the same,” Antoth recalled before answering Xan directly. “Please send for Thantis and a blank scroll. I believe we will suffice without tea today.”
“Sure, I’ll be back in a bit. Morning, Alice,” Xan greeted her before seeking out his master.
“Oh right, good morning!” She responded quickly, having been brought out of her own thoughts by his words. While the young xenobiologist had not expected the morning to be a frolic through a metaphorical field of flowers, she had also not anticipated Natori and Antoth crossing spears right off the bat. Their polite and reserved mannerisms only made it worse from her perspective. She wanted to believe that the introduction of Thantis and Xan might relieve some of the pressure, but that hope was dashed the moment the elder death priest and acting scribe requested a review of prior events.
“Yes, the Admiral was just preparing to explain to us why he intends to go back on his word regarding Gentia’s request for Ketra’s adoption,” Antoth explained in no uncertain terms. Xan, seated at the opposite side of the arc of chairs that lay before the sun priest’s desk, was perfectly positioned to make silent faces between himself and Alice. Both of them were ready to bolt for the exits. Natori, however, remained completely unflustered.
“Yes indeed. I admit that the Matron of Meylith, if you will, put me in a rather difficult position given Thantis’ desire to accompany us,” he said, making sure to remind those assembled that the decision to take the older Cauthan along had been a mutual one. “I see no need for evasion, Antoth, no need for such technicalities like pointing out the agreement was verbal in nature or that such stipulations were not part of our treaty. The reality is that Gentia’s demand, while made with nothing but the best intentions, would have been ruinous for that little cub as things currently stand.”
Antoth’s grunt of acknowledgement might have sounded threatening to those who did not know him well, but he swept his hand conciliatory in Natori’s direction. Alice sensed that Corporal Mendes might be finding himself with plenty of time to sketch. “Very well, Admiral Kaczynski. I’m listening.”
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Amazon Kindle submitted by Majora's Mask is many people's favourite Zelda title, and for a good reason. It's setting and tone are rather unique for the series, and the need for one to take their time in order to progress and/or obtain useful equipment rarely makes the adventure dull (unless you're waiting around for the next step of a side quest).
The thing I liked the most about Majora's was the fact it's world is relatively small yet very rich in content. Rarely did I find myself not doing anything productive or not having something to see. And side quests, for the most part, have actual meaning. Characters have their routines and goals, and you won't only get something in return if you help them out, but actually experience a story that has a meaning and is connected to what's going on with the limited time you have.
Now, I'm aware there are plenty of other games with similar world and quest design as Majora's, like many RPGs and series like Yakuza, but I believe many open world games can take note and realise a thing or two. For example, there isn't always a need for your map to be the biggest one possible, and clutering the game with pointless and boring fetch quests with dull collectibles isn't a good way of making the player get their money's worth.
Perhaps I could be wrong and some open world games have taken into account such issues, and I'm a bit out of touch. But after playing and finishing MM, I was constantly surprised and impressed on how well made the game is made, and still a bit saddened that the people behind the making of this game have a disdain for it, due to the limited time and exhausting development.
To conclude, I think MM is definitely one of the best games ever made, and anyone interested or looking for something to sink their time in on a rainy day should definitely give it a shot.
submitted by I asked BadMovies for the worst movies they had and for my sins I was granted 61 flicks, each week I subject myself to 1 and write down my real time thoughts as I do:
RNG gave me 38 today which means its another
u/Deranged_Kitsune pick(admittedly they’re about ¼ of my entire list) Dead Sushi, which strikes me as the title of a Japanese Horror Comedy probably about Zombies in a Sushi restaurant. Normally I watch the trailer but seeing as I adore the insanity that Japanese horror comedy brings to the table I don’t want to spoil any of the high impact moments. So away we go!
*90 minutes later*
Well that was fantastic, I loved every second of that and it’s unending increasing level of crazy, like seriously if you’re going to watch this do not watch a trailer first. Just gaze it fresh and experience it….raw! Ha ha, zing! It’s really really fun and stupid and fun and really stupid and just a lot of fun. Best thing I’ve watched for this by a mile, seek it out and bask in the crazy. *obviously spoilers in this as an FYI*
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If nothing else this Pabaan studio logo is fucking awesome so already worth the watch
Ah subtitles, but I’m American, I shouldn’t have to read just make your movie in English.
Should not have watched this right before lunch, this sushi prep intro makes me so hungry.
I don’t know if that guy at my local gas station spent 8 years learning how to pack the rice in the sushi they put in the cooler…
If these fish are content to be sushi because of how it is prepared I shudder to think what the cows that go into burgers I make must feel.
Loving the Godfrey Ho sound effects on each martial arts move. Good to not state a specific style too because some jerk like me who likes to pretend he knows martial arts is going to be like ‘bah that’s wushu not ninjitsu!’.
I wonder how old my son needs to be before I can force him to play five finger fillet in order to get better at making sushi.
This is like exactly how my Mom taught me to cook, by destroying anything I made while telling me its crap.
Knowing what I know of Japanese culture her Dad is going to be very unsympathetic to her not being able to change that she was born a lady.
“I ran away from home, hitchhiked and then was approached to manage a hotel” what? How do I get that career path.
Glad to see Japanese teen girls are just as awful to other teen girls as American ones.
Oh boy…salary men…the bane of any young Japanese hostess.
What the hell was in that sticky rice to make it sticky enough to be able to hold an entire shrimp tempura to her head?
Immediately distrustful of kindly old janitor Mr. Sawata but we do both shake hands in similar ways. I wonder what he’d say looking at my hands…
Where is this hotel? In some shots it’s a chalet in the forest, in others its an apartment complex and in others it looks like an abandoned power plant.
Oh god they punched up all the sounds even the kiss ones sound like if the 4 Elements Ninjas kissed.
Playing a creepy pervert hobo is to Japanese actors like when they say English actors haven’t made it until they got to play a Nazi in a historical film.
………………………………………..………………………………….………………………….………………..So uh…12:45 is where uh…is where the real movie starts.
Is that a fucking flying dead squid chasing that girl because I’ve seen enough anime to know where this is going.
Oh good it just cut her head off which flew through the air and started French kissing her boyfriend, letting the Japanese insanity flow through my body like a fresh shot of heroine.
Ah hostess lady cheating on hubby with the sushi chef, tale as old as time.
I wonder if these creepy pervert businessmen will be creepy perverts?
YEP!
Honestly never been to Japan but are they all this totally absolutely and completely obsessed with Sushi? Like they’re sending away the waitresses they were sexually harassing to watch a guy pack rice.
I DDed a Bachelor Party once and those dudes were less horny for strippers than these guys are for sushi.
TUNA! TUNA! TUNA! TUNA! TUNA! TUNA!
Are these guys Salary men or Yakuza(the video game) bad guys?
They are Yakuza bad guys! Do a Heat action! Break a bicycle over their heads!
Scott Adkins has a great youtube page where they talk about putting together movie fights and one rule is watching where the camera is so things look good. Your camera line. In these wide shots her foot is missing by a good 18 inches. Not that she’s bad, she seems like she knows her stuff really well but the stuntmen are doing her no favors.
So much testicle and penis related punishment in this fight, its excellent. The translation really helps too because it comes off like an opera, everyone is just narrating what they do.
Okay so it is a zombie movie maybe but with like half a sushi movie in it too.
Woah that dude has a flippin gun which I think is really hard to do in Japan.
“Gather your friends” says the dying hobo to the dead squid he is injecting with the reanimator serum.
Half zombie movie, half sushi movie, half interworkings of a pharmaceutical company movie
Ah I see…literal actual zombie sushi, that talks, and flies, and bullies egg sushi.
This lady knife fight is still happening huh.
Random pervert guy touches boobs like Indiana Jones replaces golden idols with sand.
The sad 8-bit music combine with Sawada giving her a ‘you can be a hero’ speech is extremely Final Fantasy.
Holy shit Sawada accidentally ran his wife through with a sushi knife? Brutal.
I get that the sushi is reanimated and alive now but how does this juice make it like…fly?
This lady saying her husband isn’t handling the situation well is a boldface lie, dude shot that crazy hobo to death and cleaned up the body, he’s the hero this Inn deserves.
Can someone tell me if this snowballing a raw egg yolk is actually a special way that only the Japanese kiss?
In love with the dramatic singing while they all come to life.
“Any Sushi that sings that well can’t be all bad” is not really a line or concept I thought I would be dealing with today.
Okay so egg sushi is timid and afraid like the main lady who legitimately I do not know the name of so they’re best friends now and truly this is a better love story than twilight.
I am like obviously laughing my balls off at this body sushi robot dance but also this lady’s robot dance is fucking next level good!
Stretched face guy is the bee’s knees.
How come when the sushi bites people they don’t turn into weird monsters?
Keiko, her name is Keiko, good to know.
Just kinda watching people get eaten by a swarm of CGI flying sushi in increasingly hilarious ways and situations, that’s like a not insignificant portion of this. Not as much to say about it really, its just kinda great and you should watch it.
Sushi crawling up her leg followed by her screaming “its in” is just another level I wasn’t quite expecting but I am happy to be here.
I mean obviously Nosaka is evil, he’s got an anime badguy hair cut.
WHAT. THE. FUCK. This dude is reborn as a TUNA! HOBO TUNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAA!
Alright lost it a little bit when he just whipped out a battle axe.
Ah pointless movie nudity and horror films, like peanut butter and jelly.
Ha ha ha, bathing in that dudes blood is pretty awesome.
Is that sushi fucking another sushi?
IS THAT SUSHI HAVING SUSHI BABIES?!
“Things have reached the point where they no longer make any sense” is by far the line of the movie, maybe the line of any movie I’ve ever seen and that includes “Forget it Jake, its’ Chinatown”.
Mr. Sawada, that weird farting murderer just has a heart of 24k gold.
Oh hey the screenwriter answered my “why don’t they turn into monsters question”, they turn into rice zombies.
That sushi swarm can strip a body in seconds, faster than Piranha.
“MOTHER FUCKING ROAST SUSHI IS BURNING MY FACE” not the best but probably second best line of the movie.
“Unless you can eat at times like these you won’t survive” I am so onboard with this guy.
Full on Night of the Living Dead now, I hope this guys Rice Zombie wife kills him by stabbing him with a gardening spade.
I mean you didn’t attach that wood to the hole in the wall with anything so a stiff wind is getting in.
SAWADA!
Sawada is back baby and with a voice that can level a mountain, he’s the Japanese Black Bolt.
Sushi Nunchucks?!
Its lady vs tuna man in the same place they shot the crazy 88 fight in Kill Bill.
In a movie of utter ridiculousness this Tuna man spitting out rice to make a giant floating living sushi battleship roll with working 120mm cannons is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.
This entire fight where its just Tuna man trying to sexually assault this lady is incredible. “You’ve awoken my sexual desire…LET ME TOUCH YOUR BUTT!”
Man this getting dire, Sawada is dying, eggy is shot to shit. But Eggy saves the day like that random A-Wing that takes out the entire Executioner at the end of Jedi.
Kicked that tuna dude into space like Arnold chucking a bear.
Don’t eat that sushi Keiko, seriously.
Sawada is truly the father she never had.
Bummer about your job though given that the Inn is destroyed and everyone is dead, oh well just shake that off.
What a fucking trip that was.
All of y'all's year reviews made me want to do the same, so I wrote down a few sentences of everything I played last year. I was surprised it was so much as my partner moved in with me and I expected to have a lot less time, but that actually didn't happen and Corona did its thing. I'm a bit late to the review party, but I needed time to write down my thoughts and didn't want to do it in one session.
Standard platform is PC, everything else is labelled.
Done:
Darkest Dungeon – halfway through (most tier 2 bosses). it was a nice and interesting start to a game I thought I liked, but 40 hours in I realized I was in fact not having fun. It was repetitive and the payout was very low for me as rewards felt small and especially upgrades to the village took a lot of time. I did play the game with too much emphasis on keeping every character alive, in a game that wants you burn them, so maybe that’s one me. But maybe it’s just not my type of game. Visuals, presentation and the IDEA of the combat system were nice, though. 5/10
Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4) – finished story. Kingdom Hearts has become a burning pile of tires, but I hold it dear since the first game and I want to know what is happening. The visuals are amazing and the combat system is engaging, at least, yet a bit much at times, with way too many special interactions going on at all times. But KH3 is basically if the story has an alignment which is just true chaotic. The main story is…there, for most of the game, but nothing happens with it. Each world has its own story and both them and the overarching plot are almost completely irrelevant to each other. What a pity. Also, so many minigame and once-and-gone game mechanics, what the hell. I had fun, but it could have been so much better. And they skipped over most FF elements. 6/10
The Wolf Among Us – 100%. Played it with my partner who had already finished it years before. It’s one of the prime Telltale games and the first that I wasn’t familiar with the source material with. It has a very interesting lore and visuals for sure. Other than that, very much a standard Telltale game and you either like it or you don’t. I did enjoy it a lot with its interesting plot and characters. 8/10
Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Switch, digital version) – finished story. I like me some occasional space game. Starlink was an oddball in many ways for me. I probably wouldn’t have looked at it as I thought it’s just a toy merch game, but Starfox and the existence of a toyless version drew me to this. I know I could have played nicer looking version, but the tie-in with Starfox was actually not that shallow and came with a small unique storyline, so that’s the most Starfox I will get until Nintendo releases (and doesn’t fuck up) another full game. Due to its toy origins, the game has a few unique quirks, like the weapon, ship and pilot switching on-the-go to match enemy vulnerabilities and combat styles. The mix of planetary and solar exploration and gradual faction growth with even a few RTS elements sprinkled in worked for me. It was a lot of fun! 7/10
Injustice 2 – finished story, some achievement hunting, trying out all characters a bit and dabbled in the multiverse mode. I’m not a huge Beat’Em’Up player, but some concepts are too interesting to pass up. Given how few Heroe League (Avengers and Justice League) games come out well, I had to take my chances here. The story is…forced, but it works for this kind of game. The interactions between the heroes are pretty entertaining to watch. I can’t really judge if the combat system was good or not or balanced or not, but it worked for me, although some fights were pretty frustrating. 7/10
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales – 100%. Gwent really got to me in the Witcher 3. It was kinda sad to see that this is an entirely different card game (although closer to the online Gwent), but it was still a great one. Telling the really interesting story of Queen Meve, the game not only expands the lore of the really intriguing Witcherverse, it also tells it through this mix of roaming through a map and army fights presented by card battles. The visuals weren’t all too exciting, although the art style worked for me. The score was awesome, though, maybe even better than the one from W3. I can absolutely recommend this game to any person interested in card games and in the Witcher. 9/10
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden – finished story and most content. I have so many tactical RPGs on my backlog, all with very interesting settings, but animal mutants in a postapocalyptic Sweden? That’s one of the freshest ideas in a while. The top hat wearing duck really sold it to me. Unlike many other games of its genre like XCOM, the areas are connected with each other like in more classic RPGs. Stealth kills played a huge part in this game as open combat makes the game a lot harder. It’s not a very long game, which I appreciated. However, the initial premise of its animal mutants really fell short as there were actually not that many in the game. I also would have liked to have more of the characters in my team, but the stealth advantages made some characters a lot stronger than others, so there was little choice in which people to take. Itemization and progress were alright, the combat is pretty much as in XCOM etc. 7/10
Cities in Motion – played some scenarios. Preparing for Cities: Skylines, I figured I should play this first. It’s an alright public transport planning simulation that made me excited for planning stuff throughout several cities. However, I have some serious issues with it. For once, this game punished you hard for planning public transport like in real life and creating ridiculously tiny lines (like 2 stations per metro line) was the only way to any meaningful amount of money. Also, the German scenario pack has 12 scenarios, but only 4 cities (other packs are similar). It’s interesting to revisit cities in different eras, but to rebuild everything every time is annoying. And the tasks you get are borderline asinine, like building a line with three stations in far ends of the map, which I circumvented with temporary lines that I immediately deleted after completing it. In its core it had great potential, but felt lazily executed. 5,5/10
BATTLETECH – finished story, some flashpoints and fooled around with mech components for a bit afterwards. Been a while since I dived into MechWarrior games, maybe a good 17 years. Battletech is…GOOD. Maybe my favorite game I have played that year. The campaign is great, has a good plot, but also gives you an open galaxy to explore at your own leisure. The hunt for new mech chassis in the midgame was the most fun I think. Building mechs, balancing your finances, keeping your people alive and trained, random events on board of your ship and upgrading your ship all felt meaningful and well interconnected. It’s also a turn-based tactical RPG, but it works with its own rules (like weapon groups and destroyable sections) and does so very well. 9,5/10
Batman – The Telltale Series – 100%. A solid game for both Batman and Telltale fans. The story was original enough and I always enjoy a plot that isn’t focused on the way overused Joker – who has his part, but a very interesting one. Not really much more to say here. 8/10
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) – finished story and most of the map. Finally, I tackled this behemoth of this generation. I haven’t played a Zelda since Majora’s Mask and the reason for that was a lack of drive to finish either of the N64 installments. Now, 20 years and a friend with a copy available later, I felt urged to play it as I wanted to give back the copy. Didn’t expect much despite the hype, but I have to say this game is (almost) as good as people say. It’s one of the few games that really lets you do whatever you want in the order you want (after a brief tutorial). My partner is playing it right now and it’s interesting to see how different our approaches to the order of quests and also specific challenges are. It rewards creative problem solving due to its physics engine. It is not perfect, especially the weapon system is weird and non-permanency in weapons feels just odd. NPCs are not very well written. The world is rather empty and while that has a plot reason, it feels like there should be more at times. But despite that, the game is a lot of fun and deserves its reputation. 9/10
Monster Hunter World + Iceborne (PS4) – defeated everything up to Furious Rajang, about 350 hours played with a fixed group of 3 and sometimes two other RL friends. Probably the game played most intensely this year. I bought a PS4 Pro in February and soon after – also thanks to Corona – I started playing this with two other friends, almost daily for several months. I had played Tri a decade ago and liked the general idea, but hated a lot of outdated conventions (both from Nintendo and the game itself) back then. World does most things I hated so much better. The monsters are engaging and (mostly) fun, the weapons are diverse and have their niches, the progression system is addictive, I love the Palicos & the private suite customizations and there is so much to see and find in the few maps they have. Great game if you like the combat and if you don’t focus too much on story because that one is paper-thin. 9/10
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4) – finished story. I liked U2 and U3 a lot, so this was a must-play after getting the PS4. It’s probably the most graphically impressive game I have played so far. The combat felt a little forced at times, but I guess that’s the genre. Although sneaking felt more possible and rewarding than in previous titles (as far as I remember). The story is a typical “one last gig” thing, but I liked the inclusion of Drake’s youth and especially how they concluded the Drake saga (maybe?). It’s a very solid game and definitely a must-play for PS4 owners. 8,5/10
EVERSPACE – finished story, post-story and most side missions. I don’t like losing progress, but like Rogue-likes with in-between progression systems, so despite my first hesitation, I picked up this game as I was craving a new space game. Though having a VR, I never got to play it in that mode, but still, I had a lot of fun with it. Some runs were intense and discovering new elements always put an excited wtf face on my head. The in-universe explanation for it being Rogue-like worked for me and getting funds to improve your ships between runs was addictive enough to try again and again. Same with weapons, they were different enough to try out different ones. Just don’t expect too much content out of this, it’s not a big game. 7/10
GRID (2019) – finished base game and some of the season pass content. I was a big fan of the first Grid and played all games in between. But like them, this one did not manage to be as engaging as the first one. While I enjoyed playing through the different leagues and liked the variety of cars and inclusion of a team mate, I did get bored to go through every cup as some of them had a severe lack of cars within them. There was no upgrading of cars, money was meaningless for 99% of the game and a overall career feeling of the ‘story’ mode was absent. At least I didn’t have to basically only race against Ravenwest anymore and other teams were still relevant. I feel like Codemasters could do a lot more with the foundation they have created here, but fail to connect the races in a meaningful way. 6/10
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness (PS4) – finished story and most side quests. This was one of my most wanted PS4 titles before Horizon: Zero Dawn came out. I loved Star Ocean 1, 2 and 4 so much. 4 in particular was just great enough to fill the small void that FFXIII had left back then. I heard about the mediocre reviews of IaF. And it was…actually mediocre. What I forgot or never knew was that I got released as a PS3 game in Japan first. And it really, really shows. The game was UGLY. Not ugly ugly, but playing it directly after Uncharted 4 was quite a shock. Not that it matters too much. However, the second problem I have with this game is directly aim at its soul. The other games had you jumping between planets and several distinct locations. And IaF started very promising, hinting at similar qualities. But then, it just…went into its climax and ended. Sure, some parts are in actual space. But you have seen about 80% of the locations within the first quarter of the game, which is ridiculous. It’s such a pity as the game’s story and combat are actually very enjoyable and I loved just grinding, which is quite unusual for me. But the narrow scope of the game wastes a lot of potential and that’s a real disappointment to me as a fan of the series. It could have easily done so much better. 6,5/10
Risen – finished. Oh boy, this game was sitting in my backlog for a LONG time – probably since its release I wanted to try it out. Unfortunately, this is a case of being TOO patient. The game is horribly outdated nowadays, the combat is not much fun and punishes you hard even on easy difficulty. The quest flow, general plot, start and choice of character skills are good, but I do think everything else – graphics, item flow, combat, sound, art design - was pretty bad. This was two years before Skyrim, but it feels like it’s been 10, honestly. I am still curious about Risen 2, 3 and Elex, however. But I might skip the first two after this. 3/10
Team Sonic Racing (Switch) – finished story. Yes, story. It’s as good dumb as you would expect from a Sonic racing game. Weirdly enough, I performed a lot better in handheld mode. The minigames are frustratingly hard as drifting is way overdone. The actual racing is nice, but no match to Mario Kart 8, although I do appreciate the idea of teams with ultimate boosts and item sharing. 6,5/10
Yakuza 0 – finished story and most major side activities. God, this game completely surprised me. I was absolutely 0 interested in crime settings, but Humble gave me this gem of a game. My partner suggested to try it out together, but lost interest in it, so we stopped for 2 months. I then picked it up again by myself and got increasingly invested in the story, the combat system and the bajillion of side things to do. THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO! And most of it is fun, doesn’t overstay its welcome too much and helps develop the main characters a little bit. The Real Estate and Hostess Club minigames are basically entire games-within-a-game, the pocket racer would also work by itself and the Karaoke songs were absolutely adorable and are a must-see in all of gaming. While I thought that the game got bloated a bit due to the two characters both having their own full-blown story, but sharing a single game, the interconnection made it kind of necessary to not separate them. But the game felt a bit long thanks to that (and all of the minigames that felt kinda mandatory at times). Anyway, I am now completely hooked on the series and look forward to the next entry – although I really need some time off lest I encounter the good old Assassin’s Creed-like fatigue. But given I couldn’t give two shits about Yakuza – even though I fucking majored in Japan Studies – this is an amazing feat. 9/10
Additional note: Getting into Yakuza memes alone is worth playing this, but the more I read and watch about this game and the series, the more and more I appreciate this franchise.
Endless Legend with a few DLCs – finished two full games (~38 hours). I was in the mood for a 4X game and this one was poking in my side for a bit. Endless Space was quite enjoyable and the overarching plot kinda works? I enjoyed expanding, researching and the quest system as well, but it felt just like Civ5 in general, with a few exceptions of course. It was weird that the ‘ages’ weren’t really differentiated visually and that you kept using the same units throughout the whole game – also there are not many of them, but there is an intriguing RPG-like customization system baked into it instead, which was cool enough. The winter and sea fortress system was also refreshing (but probably brought in from DLCs). Factions had some differences that went beyond what Civ would do, but the really deviating ones (like lava or fungus people that need different ways of city building) were hidden behind DLCs I do not have. Two games were enough for me, but I may come back in the future. 7/10
Need for Speed: Payback (PS4) – finished story. Being a PSN+ freebie, I got a bit excited over the silly F&F story that I felt like seeing with my own eyes. And the game delivered on that - but not much more. My last true NfS was Hot Pursuit (2010) (and my NfS favorites: Shift 1+2), so it had been a while. But I realize that I do not need that speed anymore. While the game was ultimately enjoyable, especially cruising around, finding stuff and customizing the cars, I especially disliked the offroad races with their weird rubber band perfect traction AI which was really frustrating. The driving in general revolved too much around drifting everything, but I guess that’s full arcade racers for you. And the automatic car reset was a bit too eager at times. 5,5/10
Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4) – finished story and Croft manor side story. Also a PSN+ freebie. I have played the first game and was quite entertained by it. As I played Uncharted not too long ago, I was able to compare those two games a bit and while Uncharted looks undoubtedly better (and I prefer non-supernatural stuff in this kind of game), I think that Tomb Raider is the better game overall. This might be due to the usage of a skill and weapon customization system, which made exploring places and looking for XP, resources and parts fun. I also think that limiting the game’s world to one location (outside the prologue) helped immersion a lot. The game has quite a bit of a different feeling than the first TR, but mostly due to Lara being kickass from the start instead of allegedly being a frail grad student that 20 hours later massacres armies of armed and trained mercenaries. I liked it quite a lot of the backstory with her dad and caretaker were quite interesting as well. 8/10
Not done / on and off:
League of Legends – almost exclusively ARAM, sometimes bot games for trying out stuff. Not much to say to this, it’s a notorious, but ultimately good MOBA. The new items overhaul was a bit of a big change, but now I am getting the hang of it, I think. Some of the new champions of this year are fun to play, like Samira, Lilia and Seraphine. One of my friends quit the game for good, I think, so only one other is left, and it’s the go-to game if it’s just the two of us. Sometimes I play by myself, but I try to play more single player games then.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) – some 70 hours to built my house, the island is my partner’s. This is my first Animal Crossing and after hesitating at the beginning, I did enjoy it quite a lot. It’s very relaxing, you can work towards small goals, but without any stress. Interactions with other villagers will become repetitive, but at the beginning it feels very sweet. It’s also nice that Nintendo supports the game with free updates every month. 8/10
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution! (Switch) – played through story mode until midway ARC-V. I have my YGO phases every now and then where I watch a show and play a corresponding game at the same time. The Switch game is pretty nice as it lets me play through all TV shows’ stories, lets me play with most characters’ decks, has reverse duels for every story battle, but I also can always use my own decks which is sometimes very necessary as some matches are VERY one-sided. There are also challenge battles against very good decks which are as difficult as I imagine actual competitive dueling. Two things I don’t like about this particular YGO game: No free battle vs. CPU and only 30 custom deck save slots. The Tag Force games were still ahead in that regard. Still, it’s a solid entry that can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment for YGO enthusiasts and is a great travel companion. 8/10
Undertale – I just can’t get into it, sorry. This is my second attempt and I got a lot further than last time (about one third in). But something just doesn’t click with me. Maybe the humor feels forced, maybe the retro graphics do, or maybe I get too hype-talked by people. I don’t know.
Super Seducer – almost done with the first one. We mostly play it together or with other people, to have a good time. I got this from Dunkey, but I have to say the first one isn’t even that funny. A lot of the explanation in how to approach women are cringy at best and predatory at worst. I guess it does teach how to behave better for some very inexperienced guys, but in general it shouldn’t be used as a guideline in how to get girls to talk to you.
Katamari Damacy REROLL – almost done. It’s a fun game for a silly afternoon. The controls are garbage, but it doesn’t matter too much. The humour is great and rolling up increasingly bigger things is weirdly satisfying.
Borderlands 2 – Playing with friends every now and then. It’s still fun and I haven’t explored all characters yet (although leave me alone with Krieg), so there’s still more to get out of it.
Jackbox 1-7 – I was a huge fan of the early YDKJ games 20 years ago, so I’m happy they are still around and have adapted new technologies to further their game concepts. The Jackbox games have become staples in many parties and were a major driver during corona to get people together online around the globe to play a few rounds of whatever minigame we wanted to enjoy. Some games are not good, of course, but the ever-growing library of minigames always manages to add refreshing new titles to the list. My favorites are Quiplash, T-K.O. and Champ’d. 10/10
Risk of Rain 2 – unlocked all characters, had a couple of runs with friends and by myself. I have to say I might not like the game too much. The characters are interesting and the upgrade system is addictive, but losing progress without much being gained from a run (except lunar coins and unlocked characters/skills) feels like making no progress at all, in a way. It’s fun to play with friends and you can somewhat relax and chat while jumping and shooting around. 6/10
Beat Saber – half of campaign mode, but mostly custom songs. I LOVE Beat Saber. It’s the reason I got a VR system this year (a used 2017 Vive, but I don’t need more for that) and I had a lot of fun (and exercise!) with it. It’s sad when your wanted songs have not been mapped or mapped really bad, but the existing database is really big and a lot of fun to go through. There are a lot of gameplay additions (like one-handed, 90° and 360° modes), but the standard mode is still the best (or most-supported). The latter half of the campaign is dumb as hell, tho - hitting a specific amount of combos within a very small threshold in both min and max is such a dumb thing. Mods make the game a whole lot better and some stuff should really be in the base game. 9/10
Audica – played through campaign mode and some custom songs. Not as good as Beat Saber, but it’s still very enjoyable. It’s hits the same spot, but with a twist. Mod support is not a big here, but still there. 8/10
Cities: Skylines + most DLCs – still working on my first city after 40 hours. Depicted as the penultimate city builder, I had to get into this at some point. I have to admit, it’s pretty good. As good as imagined? Maybe, maybe not. The base formula is not that complicated, but the DLCs add a whole lot of flavor to it. I can definitely recommend it, but I still have a lot of time ahead with it.
Postponed:
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) – I started and had a lot of fun with it, but stopped after roughly 5-10 hours as my partner was taking over the Switch with BotW (she played Witcher 3 before, so I was able to player with the Switch in the meantime) and switching cartridges all the time is a pain in the ass. Will continue soon and am very excited to do so.
Summary: 2020 was probably the most intense gaming year for me so far, mostly thanks to Corona. My top three are probably BATTLETECH, BotW and Yakuza 0, with some honorable mentions to Beat Saber, MH:W and Jackbox. My gaming year 2021 is going to look similarily awesome and I already planned to play so many very high-profile games: Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Paper Mario: The Origame King, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Starpoint Gemini Warlords (almost finished this one already), Darksiders 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Gran Turismo Sport, Persona 5 Royal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Borderlands 3, GTA V.
submitted by Wonderful! I could ramble on for pages about WHY you should play the Yakuza games, but let’s just assume you saw a funny GIF on Twitter, and it piqued your interest in this venerable series. The ... If you only want to play a single Yakuza title at first, go for Yakuza 0. If you know a little bit about it or have dabbled in the series and want to start at the beginning, start with Yakuza Kiwami . Yakuza is on of the few series where it's actually ok to start with a prequel. Usually order of release is always the correct order. But I guess you also have to play the Kiwami versions of 1&2 as they were made after 0 and include changes to account for a lot of the stuff that happens in 0. Here’s how to play them all in chronological order: Yakuza 0 (takes place in 1988) Yakuza Kiwami (a remake of Yakuza on PS2, takes place in 2005) If you cant play the original Yakuza 1 and 2 on PS2 and you cant or dont want to emulate then play them in timeline order. Kiwami makes some changes and additions that are best appreciated if you play 0 first. While I think release order with the PS2 games is best playing the remakes instead arent horrible. But I feel like you're missing out. Yakuza Kiwami 2 – (2017, 2018) – PS4, Xbox One, PC. Yakuza 3 Remastered – (2019, 2020) – PS4. Yakuza 4 Remastered – (2019, 2020) – PS4. Yakuza 5 Remastered – (2019, 2020) – PS4. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – (2016, 2018) – PS4. In complete chronological order. If what you want is to travel through all the work of the study, we leave you the list that unifies the spin offs with the numbered ones. Kiwami may be a remake of Yakuza 1, which came out first, but it chronologically came out after 0 and makes direct callbacks to that game, so you really should play 0 first. Playing 0 before Kiwami 2 is a must, because the new content in that game is a direct continuation of story threads introduced in 0. So yes, you can play through the mainline Yakuza series from start to finish on PS4. However, you need to consider how long each Yakuza game takes to complete. On average, the main story in a ... The fact that you can play the entire series on PS4 and PC at this point means that there's no excuse NOT to play them in release orderTwo things. One: You cannot play Yakuza 1 or Yakuza 2 on... Ideally you should play Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami first. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the entire series, while Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the first game. I suggest you start with Yakuza 0, since Kiwami added content that references it, but either is fine. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a soft reboot for the series and stars a new protagonist, which means you should be able to start there if you want.
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