Early Opinions on Mass Effect 3

Why yes, I have been playing this all day. Thank you for noticing.

-Man this game is pretty. Prettier than ME2, even, and I stared at those graphics sometimes.
-However, the facial animations aren’t that good, especially on humans (or human-likes). There’s some low res textures and animation bugs too.
-Speaking of bugs, goddamn with the DLC mission crashing. There’s a workaround, but that better be patched eventually.
-And speaking of the DLC, Mr. DLC character’s voice isn’t as bad as everyone said it was. I…haven’t used him in battle yet.
-It feels a lot…slower of a game than the last one did. Like I’m in a JRPG and taking my time with sidequests even though the world is ending, and no one cares.
-Sidequests are harder to find and complete. The quest log is too barren. I’d like it to be more like an MMO quest log with lots of detail and pointers.
-Vanguard is fun, except when you Charge+Nova into a group of enemies and don’t kill them. Then you die.

Now for more spoilery stuff considering locations and characters and scenes, blacked out to be nice. I tried to label it with what it talks about, but obviously if you’re avoiding all spoilers then don’t read any of it.

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Early Opinions on Fall 2010 Anime

A non-video game blog post? What is this!? I decided since I’ve tried so many shows this year compared to other years that I should blog about it, so there. Order is the order that I watched them in:

Early Opinions on Atelier Rorona

Ohay another new game.

-It’s sad that the graphics in this are miles better than Ar tonelico 3, and this game came first.
-I don’t like having to buy water…
-The voices are really cute :3
-It seems harder than Atelier Annie. I forget if you lost HP when you did synthesis in that game, but I don’t think you did.
-SYNTHAN GAEMS. I get so into making items for jobs and people…

Early Opinions on Valkyria Chronicles II

Been ages since I last played a new game.

-Music is as awesome as ever, though I’ve had the OST for about a week now so I already knew that.
-I really don’t like Avan much…he’s like Lyner or Lloyd but not AS stupid but MORE hotblooded. Cosette is like Colette, and Zeri is just there.
-Anisette, Mischlitt, other Darcsen girl, and creepy Zeri-loving scout girl are my favorite side characters so far. Need to learn names.
-No I will not use the bonus password/save file characters again. Yet.
-Mechanics are actually really well improved so far. Love how you distribute exp now, doesn’t take as long. Looking forward to the assorted types of terrain and tank types.
-Though there’s so much more stuff, I have to think a lot harder, and I suck at thinking in real-time strategy.

Early Opinions on Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love

-I like the OP and I like that it has subtitles
-Epic instrumental of Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan in the opening scenes :3
-Sorry, but Gemini can go DIAF. The accent doesn’t help this
-I like Subaru and all, but Ratchet is better. Shame I can’t get her ending on the first playthrough
-Thank god the battles aren’t real-time, I get the controls mixed up
-It feels like I’m playing an anime…

Early Opinions on Lunar: Silver Star Harmony

-Yaaaay I’m playing Lunar again, it’s been years~
-The new versions of the songs are good, they’re just different. And the singer’s voice got lower
-The voices are okay, but they’re more flat/badly directed/lack emotion/put the wrong emotion into parts than anything else. I actually think Nall is the best so far
-Also yay for making it easier, really. I don’t want to get stuck in the fire dragon cave again
-I don’t care about lack of world map either :V it was useless in the PS1 version anyway.

Early Opinions on Ar tonelico III

9 hours in and at the end of Phase 1, let’s go!

-Since it’s in moonspeak I’ve pretty much been skipping the text…there have been some funny scenes, though
-Okay, purging was a nice gimmick at first, but I’m tired of seeing the scenes and fake boobs now.
-The battle system is mash buttan, die anyway. I’m only on normal and I’m still having trouble with things
-Don’t like how item synthing uses precious DP
-The first song you hear after starting the game is Cutypump. The next is Ep=Nova. It’s like they want your ears to be raw and bleeding before you get to the good shit
-Hearing Tatsumi use “boku” makes me laugh
-Some dungons have an overhead camera that zooms in and out and makes me dizzy

Early Opinions on Valkyria Chronicles

Can you call it early when I’m halfway through the game? Oh well.

-This is proving how much I suck at strategy. I just can’t see ahead as to what I should do turns from now sometimes.
-Also, objectives can be a little unclear, and the maps hard to read.
-Isara is mai waifu!
-Rosie is mai other waifu! And Aika, Lynn, Nadine, Cherry, Ramona, Alicia, Ellet, Varrot…
-Hans is still cute, mooink.
-Everything is less moe than the anime.
-Just because they were in the anime doesn’t mean they’re a good character to use.
-Orders are broken.
-Selvie’s PEW PEW PEW noise scares me ;A;
-I’m on chapter 11. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THE END OF THIS ONE ;AAAA;

Early Opinions on Mana Khemia

-Oh god dammit they reused sound effects and sprites from Atelier Iris 3. I’m sick of that enemy and sound set.
-Hooray they reused the Atelier Iris 3 battle system and “random” encounter system!
-Still running around to synth items. Buy something from the store to synth an item in the workshop to synth a weapon in the…weapon-synth-place.
-Grow Book reminds me of the Sphere Grid from FF10. Interesting system.
-I thought Vayne would be less of a pussy. At least he can JUMP.
-Vayne is also mysterious. I’M SURE THIS WON’T COME INTO PLAY LATER.

Raki Battle Video and Early Opinions on Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

First off, here’s my battle with Raki from AT2 on the retail NA version of the game. So no patching to make it go past Defense Phase 3. Apologies for the blocking, I had massive lag from my setup, I’m really a TON better, especially with Raki.

Now, for some Early Opinions!
-Emil, please grow a pair.
-Marta, please stop being so tsundere/cliche clingy girl.
-Tenebrae and Colette? DON’T CHANGE I LOVE YOU BOTH.
-I’m not used to 90% of scenes being voiced! Also, getting tired of Laura Bailey…
-The waggle shortcuts for techs are FUN. Though I set the most useful one to Down on the D-pad cause it’s easier…