First world problems

So Steins;Gate 0 is out at the end of the month and now I learn about this other, intriguing new visual novel called Root Letter that's out a couple of weeks before that?

Why can't developers space their releases out a bit more?  I mean, honestly.  It's very inconsiderate.

*huffs*

Hmm

Just finished episode 4 of Life is Strange, and I'm not sure about the SHOCKING TWIST in its last moments.  The events of episode 5 may yet prove to justify it but at present it seems like a SHOCKING TWIST for the sake of a SHOCKING TWIST, rather than one that was properly seeded through the plot's earlier motions.  We shall see.

And another thing

As well as Life is Strange, my other big thing this week is watching the excellent Gravity Falls.  They're both frequently gorgeous to look at, and both set in Oregon.  So now I rather want to visit Oregon.

Life is Strange

So after my initial foray into Life is Strange after buying it, I basically forgot about it for four months and picked it up again at the beginning of the week.  I have not really touched any other game since.  It's absolutely stunning.  Thoughtful, beautiful, often better-directed than many films (the ending of episode 1 is just perfectly done) and an absolute credit to all those involved in its making.

I can see how certain aspects would irk some people, but I don't care.  Easily one of the best games I've ever played.  And I've still got a fair chunk of it to go!  (I'm near the beginning of episode 4 of 5.)

The 36th Chamber

I've just finished watching The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, and it was rather good.  I would recommend it.  Though the ending was bizarrely abrupt - I assumed there was some footage missing, but I can't find any corroboration to that on the interwubs. 

There were some excellent fight scenes (some very good weapon ones, particularly), but I rather liked the fact that the majority of it was about the hero's training at the Shaolin temple.  It gave it a calm, meditative quality that most martial arts movies lack, as well as some delightfully distinctive visual set-pieces.  The candle chamber was undoubtedly my highlight.

You can see why the famously kung fu-loving Wu-Tang Clan named their first album in its honour.  I initially wrote that as "fist album".  That works too.  But it does remind me of The Man with the Iron Fists, which I managed to stick about twenty minutes of before giving up.  Good lord, RZA,  Good lord.

Steins;Gate 100% CG

I just platinumed my copy of Steins;Gate on PS3 and since I had real trouble working out how to get the 100% CG trophy I thought I'd make a note here.  I have this YouTube vid to thank for it.

https://youtu.be/07aXs88xUS8

Go to the Stardust Sky chapter, the one that leads to the Mayuri ending where you haven't got any of the true ending flags.  Once you've shifted back to the Alpha wordline, you'll get a new email with the last CG.  I'm assuming this only works after you've collected all the other CGs and completely licked the game otherwise, though I don't know.  Anyway, 100% CG for you.

Zero Escape

I finished Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors last night.  Technically this morning at about 1.30 a.m. due to the mysterious phenomena that means you only ever finish a game when it's past midnight. 

It's the first title in the Zero Escape trilogy.  I'd already finished the second game, Virtue's Last Reward, back in 2014. 

I did 'em out of order because 999, originally a DS game, didn't get a UK release until a cut-down iPad port quite recently.  I imported 999 - unusual for me, I don't tend to bother importing stuff - because I loved VLR that damn much.  If you've played the games, you'll know that playing them out of order actually kind of makes a weird sense, given that several of the series' characters like to play merry hell with causality.

My point here is that if you haven't encountered the Zero Escape series, you really should.

Imagine Saw meets The Crystal Maze, to start with, then layer in a whole bunch of scientific and philosophical hypotheses, most of which I hadn't come across before and a pleasingly daft sense of humour.  They're intriguingly plotted, satisfying to work through (999 climaxes with a giant sudoku grid to solve - while I've previously understood sudoku puzzles in the abstract, I've never actually sat down and done one by myself before.  999 was the first time I ever did one under my own steam) and filled with meaty concepts to chew on.

The on-off-on-again final instalment, Zero Time Dilemma, is out this year.  Well, this year in Japan and the U.S., at least.  Europe has the good ol' ominously vague "TBD".  Still, I'll wait.  It'll be worth it.

Yep

Well, I was right about Akame Ga Kill!.  There were a grand total of four major characters left alive at the end, out of...twenty-odd?  And my joint-favourite character was one of the dead ones.  Although she died right near the end of the last episode doing something worthwhile and got quite a sweet death scene, so I'm less annoyed.  Slightly.

Gulp

I'm five episodes from the end of Akame Ga Kill! now and I'm genuinely terrified of getting any further because it's pretty obvious that everyone is going to die and I don't want them to

waaaaa

Opinions about stuff

I picked up the boxed edition of Life is Strange yesterday.  I've only had a chance to play the first forty minutes or so but it's looking very promising.