monthly media recap: september!
september 22nd, 2023
another month, another media recap!
i actually dabbled in far more than what i'm about to write about in this blog, but i don't feel as if playing or reading something for a couple of hours "counts"! so, i'll write about the media i finished, or in the case of ongoing manga, caught up with.
the best way to really see everything i consume is to follow my anilist and letterboxd. when it comes to movies, i probably won't write about them here either unless i really feel like i have something to say!
The House in Fata Morgana
i went into this game 100% blind, as per recommended by several people. i had been going around asking for visual novels to play, as i had been in a big mood to play them.
last month, i started by playing shorter titles, but this was the first longer VN that i decided to tackle. clocking in at around 20 hours, i enjoyed this game from start to finish! it was an excellent story with twists and turns that i was not expecting at ALL. towards the end i did find myself rushing through reading, but i think this wasn't the game's fault, as much as it was my ADHD kicking in despite my enjoyment.
i won't say anything regarding the plot, since i think it is best to go into this game completely blind. this game is fucked up though, so you might want to look up trigger warnings.
although i wouldn't call it my favorite visual novel, it was an excellent experience and i would recommend it to anyone looking to get into visual novels!
Smile For Me
this was a game that was purchased for me to play on stream. if you'd like to watch me play it from start to finish, you can here.
another game i went into totally blind - and what a treat it was. from the cool and colorful art style to the genuinely interesting characters, i had SUCH a fun time with this game. the light horror elements were very exciting - i love the contrast between a colorful game and deep horror. i'm so glad i played it!
dr. habit is sexy. really sexy. really really sexy. just saying ;-)
Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia
another game i played from start to finish on twitch.
honestly, this was just the fishing game i wanted. i fucking love fishing games, and i really feel like they aren't often done very well. is it weird of me to want more fishing games?
this game delightfully surprised me with it's mixture of horror and regular relaxing fishing game elements. it evokes a feeling of uneasiness as you play, however, i found it to be pleasant all the same. and the "ending" was very neat, although it seems like people had mixed opinions about it. i liked it!
Baldur's Gate 3
i saved the best game for last. this is not only my game of the year, but one of my favorite games of all time.
a while back on twitter, i asked people that followed me to suggest short games to me, as i have a wavering attention span. i've found that if a game is around 4-12 hours, i can certainly finish it before the ADHD kicks in and makes me lose interest.
when i saw baldur's gate 3 takes about 50 hours to beat, i was scared. i really don't like starting games and dropping them, it's just an awful feeling for me! so i didn't want to start this game and drop it, like the many others i have in the past.
i proceeded to play this game 5 days straight, 12 hours a day, until i beat it.
this game captivated me like no other. as a huge fan of dungeons and dragons, i was astounded by the attention to detail this game has. this game is nearly identical to playing d&d. it captures the feeling of a tabletop game so well. i was sitting in shock, wondering how the game developers so perfectly translated a tabletop gaming experience to video games.
excellent gameplay, even more excellent characters. i don't want to spoil a thing about the plot, but all of the characters in this game are compelling, interesting, entertaining, and just so very human. they're all flawed, and as the player, you fully have the option to make them better or worse. this is truly an open world game - you can make any choice you please!
without getting too much into it, astarion charmed me completely. i know a lot of people are obsessed with him, but there's a reason for that. he's so much more than what he seems to be on the surface, and his trauma is depicted in a way that is empathetic and realistic. i found myself relating to him a little too hard.
i could write more, but i really suggest picking this game up for yourself ESPECIALLY if you love dungeons and dragons.
now, if you excuse me, i need to play some more. i've started another save file with a new character already...
the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya
i wanted to try reading some "classic" light novels. i'm nearly 30, so i should have realized that reading books inteded for young teenagers would maybe not be the right fit for me.
still, this was a series i loved when i was a teen, so i wanted to read the book that started it all!
it was... okay. i just. i don't know. it was just a big shrug for me.
the summer hikaru died
really enjoying this manga so far. i don't want to say anything about the plot, but the concept of it is really cool and i suggest giving it a read, especially since it's just starting out and there aren't too many chapters to catch up on.
i think this manga is going to be gay? i think? that seems to be where it's leading? i guess we'll see!
it looks like a slice-of-life drama, but i promise there's an interesting horror element to it that makes it super compelling. check it out!
witch hat atelier
what a lovely manga. i couldn't put it down!
i really think you should check this one out, especially if you're an artist. the magic system in witch hat is like no other - and the art is just absolutely gorgeous.
i love all the characters, and i really can't wait to see the anime adaptation for this story!
summary
as for what october will bring, it's kinda hard to say!
i have a few games i plan to play and complete on stream, but as for games i'll enjoy in my personal time? well, i actually HAVE tried to play a few things already, but my brain only seems to crave more baldur's gate 3. i guess i'm playing through it a second time, then!
another month, another media recap!
i actually dabbled in far more than what i'm about to write about in this blog, but i don't feel as if playing or reading something for a couple of hours "counts"! so, i'll write about the media i finished, or in the case of ongoing manga, caught up with.
the best way to really see everything i consume is to follow my anilist and letterboxd. when it comes to movies, i probably won't write about them here either unless i really feel like i have something to say!
games
The House in Fata Morgana
i went into this game 100% blind, as per recommended by several people. i had been going around asking for visual novels to play, as i had been in a big mood to play them.
last month, i started by playing shorter titles, but this was the first longer VN that i decided to tackle. clocking in at around 20 hours, i enjoyed this game from start to finish! it was an excellent story with twists and turns that i was not expecting at ALL. towards the end i did find myself rushing through reading, but i think this wasn't the game's fault, as much as it was my ADHD kicking in despite my enjoyment.
i won't say anything regarding the plot, since i think it is best to go into this game completely blind. this game is fucked up though, so you might want to look up trigger warnings.
although i wouldn't call it my favorite visual novel, it was an excellent experience and i would recommend it to anyone looking to get into visual novels!
Smile For Me
this was a game that was purchased for me to play on stream. if you'd like to watch me play it from start to finish, you can here.
another game i went into totally blind - and what a treat it was. from the cool and colorful art style to the genuinely interesting characters, i had SUCH a fun time with this game. the light horror elements were very exciting - i love the contrast between a colorful game and deep horror. i'm so glad i played it!
dr. habit is sexy. really sexy. really really sexy. just saying ;-)
Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia
another game i played from start to finish on twitch.
honestly, this was just the fishing game i wanted. i fucking love fishing games, and i really feel like they aren't often done very well. is it weird of me to want more fishing games?
this game delightfully surprised me with it's mixture of horror and regular relaxing fishing game elements. it evokes a feeling of uneasiness as you play, however, i found it to be pleasant all the same. and the "ending" was very neat, although it seems like people had mixed opinions about it. i liked it!
Baldur's Gate 3
i saved the best game for last. this is not only my game of the year, but one of my favorite games of all time.
a while back on twitter, i asked people that followed me to suggest short games to me, as i have a wavering attention span. i've found that if a game is around 4-12 hours, i can certainly finish it before the ADHD kicks in and makes me lose interest.
when i saw baldur's gate 3 takes about 50 hours to beat, i was scared. i really don't like starting games and dropping them, it's just an awful feeling for me! so i didn't want to start this game and drop it, like the many others i have in the past.
i proceeded to play this game 5 days straight, 12 hours a day, until i beat it.
this game captivated me like no other. as a huge fan of dungeons and dragons, i was astounded by the attention to detail this game has. this game is nearly identical to playing d&d. it captures the feeling of a tabletop game so well. i was sitting in shock, wondering how the game developers so perfectly translated a tabletop gaming experience to video games.
excellent gameplay, even more excellent characters. i don't want to spoil a thing about the plot, but all of the characters in this game are compelling, interesting, entertaining, and just so very human. they're all flawed, and as the player, you fully have the option to make them better or worse. this is truly an open world game - you can make any choice you please!
without getting too much into it, astarion charmed me completely. i know a lot of people are obsessed with him, but there's a reason for that. he's so much more than what he seems to be on the surface, and his trauma is depicted in a way that is empathetic and realistic. i found myself relating to him a little too hard.
i could write more, but i really suggest picking this game up for yourself ESPECIALLY if you love dungeons and dragons.
now, if you excuse me, i need to play some more. i've started another save file with a new character already...
manga/books
the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya
i wanted to try reading some "classic" light novels. i'm nearly 30, so i should have realized that reading books inteded for young teenagers would maybe not be the right fit for me.
still, this was a series i loved when i was a teen, so i wanted to read the book that started it all!
it was... okay. i just. i don't know. it was just a big shrug for me.
the summer hikaru died
really enjoying this manga so far. i don't want to say anything about the plot, but the concept of it is really cool and i suggest giving it a read, especially since it's just starting out and there aren't too many chapters to catch up on.
i think this manga is going to be gay? i think? that seems to be where it's leading? i guess we'll see!
it looks like a slice-of-life drama, but i promise there's an interesting horror element to it that makes it super compelling. check it out!
witch hat atelier
what a lovely manga. i couldn't put it down!
i really think you should check this one out, especially if you're an artist. the magic system in witch hat is like no other - and the art is just absolutely gorgeous.
i love all the characters, and i really can't wait to see the anime adaptation for this story!
summary
as for what october will bring, it's kinda hard to say!
i have a few games i plan to play and complete on stream, but as for games i'll enjoy in my personal time? well, i actually HAVE tried to play a few things already, but my brain only seems to crave more baldur's gate 3. i guess i'm playing through it a second time, then!