Shagger

I could see Xbox eyeing up Bandai Namco for that very reason. That's a lot of JRPG franchises like the Tales series and Japanese licences like Dragonball Z in one bag.

Beek taking advantage of the free Ubisoft+ offer recently and the game I've found myself giving the most time to, to my surprise, has been Far Cry 6. I'm really liking it so far. I love it's looks, it's setting, it's soundtrack and it's got some very cool gameplay mechanics going on. Hopefully I'll get it done before the Ubisoft+ trial expires.

Finally reached the pinnacle of the Mass Effect trilogy, Mass Effect 3. Got me thinking about how 'safe' art is nowadays. The appealing thing about art is that it's provocative and encourages conversations on hard topics. Everyone wants an easy answer nowadays to social issues that our 'art' and entertainment in movies and TV shows become bland and uninspiring, just pandering to the most popular and ideals on Twitter and TikTok instead of bothering to improve and expand our perspective on life and society with controversial questions.
Mass Effect 2 had a few great examples of what I'm talking about, specifically Mordin's loyalty mission. It has aged like fine wine, and it goes to show why everyone considered Mordin's character arc the best-written storyline in the entire trilogy. His dilemma and denial over the genophage, along with his subsequently remorseful realization in Mass Effect 3, brought tears to my eyes. I remember choking up when I was questioning Mordin during his loyalty mission about the ethics of the genophage, and I wasn't just tearing up because of how heavy the topic was, but more so because I could feel Mordin's guilt and sorrow over the dead female Krogans that met their fate as an indirect result of his actions. It was so beautifully tragic, Mordin's dilemma and perspective.
But more relevant to my point is that, Mass Effect gamers also had many heated debates regarding the ethics of the genophage. You would rarely get that kind of interesting exchange over a controversial subject in media today because the big companies want to keep the narrative safe. And it's not just the genophage either, but also the Quarians' enslavement of Geths, which are essentially a machine race in the simplest definition. However, the ethics of the Quarians' actions were anything but simple, so the heated exchange about whom were in the right - the Quarians or the Geths - was just as intriguing as well. I love how a video game of all things would get people discussing about such interesting moral dilemmas, even if they aren't important issues in the context of real life. That's what art should be, provocative.
There were times while I was playing the Mass Effect games that it felt like I was watching an episode of Star Trek, specifically The Next Generation. The older Star Trek shows had always tackled intriguing moral and ethical issues with such subtlety and intelligence that the Mass Effect games' handling of their issues bore great resemblance. And it's not just the big issues like genocide and slavery either, but also the smaller inter-relationship conversations, how the crew members talk to each other like adults instead of using simple, dumbed down dialogue a teenager would use.
The Critical Drinker pointed out a great scene that exemplified such a conversation when calling out how modern movies and TV shows use dumbed down dialogue only children and immature man-children would use:
I just love this exchange so much, and I remember a similar level of depth among my conversations with the Normandy crew as well, albeit not as subtle as the conversation above. For example, it's easy to just dismiss Ashley as only a racist without understanding the nuance of her motivation. I might not have supported Ashley's views on aliens, but even I could see there's nuance between her humanist biasness and Terra Firma's "We hate all aliens" point of view. Complex issues like racism never have an easy answer, especially in our modern times when everything's grey. People tend to miss that.

Finally finished Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition again with the Audemus' Happy Ending Mod installed. It was refreshing to see the game with a different ending this time, albeit a modded, fan-made happy ending. This was the first time I played the game with one of these happy ending mods, so it was pretty cool. I might install other similar mods in my next replay to spice things up and make the experience feel even more different.
But now that I finally finished the trilogy once again, it feels kinda tedious to go back to my usual routine of SMT games, especially when Devil Survivor: Overclocked reminds me how much I suck at the game. I think I'm probably gonna give up on the game soon, if not already. I'm stuck at the battle against the Shomonkai Founder and Belberith, and it really sucks how I can't just grind my level up to get better at beating it because the first playthrough has an xp-lock to keep you from being overpowered. I'm literally forced to fight a challenging boss battle with one hand tied behind my back. And sure, maybe that just means I need to "git gud," but I suck at strategy games, so there's nothing I could do about my lack of talent.
I'm using vinheim's walkthrough on GameFAQ, and it still didn't help. These are the stats of my team. Maybe someone else could help me figure out what I'm doing wrong:
Team 1:
Protagonist: Level 64
Laksmi: Level 55
Astaroth: Level 57
Team 2:
Atsuro: Level 60
Laksmi: Level 52
Orochi: Level 61
Team 3:
Yuzu: Level 62
Norn: Level 58
Hecate: Level 52
Team 4:
Mari: Level 61
Laksmi: Level 54
Cerberus: Level 55
I've leveled up my protagonist to 64 already and I gave my team almost the same demons the walkthrough instructed (except Behemoth, which the walkthrough miswritten as level 63 when it's actually level 70 or something, meaning I have to grind my protag to even get it, which is impossible very hard to do during the first playthrough). Maybe I should just get different demons from the ones stated in the walkthrough. Now that my protagonist is level 64, there are actually demons that are higher leveled than the ones suggested in the walkthrough, but I'm not sure if "higher level" equates to "better demons" in the context of SMT, because they might not have skills that are as efficient. But I guess I have nothing to lose by trying that out.
I guess I could also try using the "Ban Element" auto-skills instead of the auto-skills suggested in the walkthrough. One thing that frustrates me is how my teams kept dying because they got one-shot by the enemies before I even got the chance to fight back (and forced to use Samarecarm/Recarm over and over again until my teams ran out of MP), so protecting my demons from attacks they're weak against might help. Another thing that frustrates me is how my MP ran out by the time I finally managed to beat the lackeys and lifted the required platform that I need to use to reach Belberith. It sucks how there's no MP-restoration items in this game.
And of course, the worst part of all this is the skill-cracking part. Things would probably be a lot easier if I just gang up on a single demon at the same time, but that would mean missing out on cracking useful auto-skills because you need to have specific team members delivering the killing blow to get those skills. So I might just give up on cracking those stupid skills altogether if I ever feel like giving this battle another shot.
The more I'm writing about the game though, the more I hate it and how annoying it is. Makes me feel like giving up on all the other SMT games I haven't played too, including SMT IV:A, Soul Hackers 2, and Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker, because this experience just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Leaving the game and coming back to play it after I've finished the whole Mass Effect trilogy clearly didn't help. I kinda wish there are cheats available for the game so I could get this game over with, because it's either forcing myself to lose over and over again or just abandoning the game altogether and wasting all the money I spent buying these 3DS cartridges on Amazon. I'm just so tired. Suddenly abandoning SMT games after I've been playing them for so long feels kinda weird though, especially when I haven't been able to finish them. I haven't even started New Game+ yet for the ones I did finish.
I don't know. Maybe it's a good thing. I placed a lot of good TV shows I was binging on pause just to play SMT games, so this might be a good opportunity to get back to them. Maybe it's a sign from a higher power. lol Maybe I'm just not meant to finish this game, or those other SMT games I haven't touched (which might be a good thing, considering SMT IV:A's reputation).

I can understand your confusion, you weren't here when these problems were really profound so it might seem like moderators are being a little harsh and controlling.  As someone who was here when it was it worst I promise you their not and it's nothing personal.  The General Gaming and Music sections in particular were a joke, people would just bump the same topics with generic short posts that barely relate to the topic and post the same music tracks and videos over multiple threads over and over.  We literally got the same users making about 30 posts within spans of about 10 minutes multiple times a day.  It made trying to find the most recent legitimate content an absolute nightmare, burying good threads long before their time.

As xbox fan this always good news like music to my ears now if they slap future jrpg's on a disc and i'd be even more happy. I feel like the recent flux of jrpg's its more catered to the west tough as i doubt japanese are going to switch over to xbox, you also have to know that in japan internet is not as fast as we have over in the west, it's also one of the reason many japanese sites still look they were made 20+ years ago, so i doubt gamepass is an option for those people that live in rural japan, maybe things have changed since i last was in japan but i doubt it. 
As for How do you think they can do this? The only way i can think off make sure you have games that are worth getting an xbox for and try to keep all these more nicher japanese games out of sony and nintento claws by getting them on xbox aswell, pretty unbelievable that a big game like persona 5 and both ni no kuni games toke this long to get on an xbox platform. With the amounts of cash microsoft has you would guessed they give smaller japanese companies a sack of cash to get port their games on xbox, but no it only toke them an entire console generation to figure out that western audiences also like something more then halo/forza and gears.
Speaking from a collectors standpoint i've started to notice that a lot more smaller releases seem to be getting a physical release on xbox, where it used to be playstation and switch only mainly because microsoft their unit demand was way too big, so that is a good step in the right direction, again it only toke them an entire generation to figure out that people still buy physical games and there is money to be made.
But overall i feel like Microsoft their tokyo game show was as much focused on the west then it was focussed on japan. The message i got from it was hey we are commiting to bringing over more japanese titles so you don't need to get a playstation anymore if you want to play those games.
I'd wouldn't mind dabbling a bit in the history of xbox in japan but it would take me another hour to write and you know i doubt many even give a shit.
But yeah good topic @Techno thanks for creating it also if you feel like it please share your oppions aswell.

There are different ways to do biopunk. One is the standard one, biopunk society with it's flaws and pros, where the interaction between nature and technology is functional and a bit bizarre. And then there's this type of biopunk an horrific, macabre, revolting and terrifying union between technology and nature.

We point a TV remote at the Dragon and turn the "SAP" button off and ask "Can you repeat that, please?".

To me, if it is even possible to level your character up in such a way that they feel weak, then it's a sigh that the game (or at least the levelling system) isn't very good. It should be possible to make it work with any kind of build within the boundaries of the game with, obviously, employing the correct play style and tactics. So in answer to the OP's question I suppose that's answer, adopt and experiment with other play styles and tactics, but if a game is more rewarding to one kind of build or play style over another, that's a sign of a problem.
 
The Elder Scrolls games are bad for this. I remember myself and @Crazycrab posting on what was one of your topics on Oblivion ages ago @StaceyPowers talking about how the levelling system in that game was so messed up it could weaken you compared to the enemies in the game if one got it wrong. I've linked the thread in question, so I won't go into such detail again, but I did mention Skyrim's system was much better. It's true, it is, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's own problems. Weapon skills, blacksmithing and enchanting, those are the key to being powerful in combat in Skyrim. Do it any other way, and you're doing it wrong. One can become so overpowered so easily. Forget about using magic in combat especially, you simply can't do even close to the same amount of damage. Ironically though, in the higher levellers, the mages you fight against in Skyrim are deadly, even when wearing armour with some serious magic defences enchanted in, the whole magic system in the game is horribly balanced.

I hear you @Yaramaki. I to take much more pride in having my posts read and apricated rather than the sheer number I post, but the point I think @Techno was making, and he is right, is the the points system in essence rewards people for posting in quantity rather than quality. That could be considered a problem and what may have lead to the "post farming" problem in the first place.

The same thing was true multiple times and for year after year before the game was even announced. None of it, of course, was real. At this point, I really couldn't care less even if these leaks were the real deal or not, we'll only what we need to learn when the game actually comes out.

If this ever get's implemented into actual video games, it had better come with the ability to turn it the fuck off. If I'm playing a game because I want a challenge, I don't want the game to turn the difficulty level down because I'm getting frustrated. Likewise, if I'm playing a game more casually and just revelling the story, I don't want the game to decide I'm not being tested enough and suddenly make it harder.  I admire the technical ability to do this, I really so, but nobody wants this. It's just another pointless experiment in trying to fix something that isn't broken.

This is like asking somebody what thier favourite STD is.

Well, Karak from ACG Angry Centaur Gaming has presented us with exactly that. Using various different AI programs with prompts from him in into thier systems and it's the responses from the AI he has used to generate this review for The Last of Us Part I.  At the time of typing this opening post, I had not seen the full video, just the first few moments to get some idea on how this was going to work, so I have no idea what to expect. Triumph or tragedy, this is sure to be interesting.
 
 

No human being will ever say something this awesome. From the video around 9:22:
 
"One of the saddest parts of The Last Of Us is that Ellie can't whistle. Whistling can be useful. It can help you communicate when you can't speak, it can help you start a fire or help you ward off pesky bugs. Whistling is a sign of a true adult ,and when you whistle, puberty is not far behind."

Well, Karak from ACG Angry Centaur Gaming has presented us with exactly that. Using various different AI programs with prompts from him in into thier systems and it's the responses from the AI he has used to generate this review for The Last of Us Part I.  At the time of typing this opening post, I had not seen the full video, just the first few moments to get some idea on how this was going to work, so I have no idea what to expect. Triumph or tragedy, this is sure to be interesting.
 
 

Ok, first off I want to apologize. I completely misread his post.
Second of all we've discussed it and it's all good. 
So I want to put the ugliness behind and get on with the discussion.
They occasionally make pc games for the Switch. They recently brought us Ooblets which is a cute little game. A lot of times when they make something for the Switch the graphics tend to be lacking. Some of the games the gameplay is really screwed up. So I get that not all pc games can be brought over. It's nice when it works out though. 

Ubisoft's premium subscription service is available as a free trial on PC until October 10th 2022.  Check the link below for details.
 
https://store.ubi.com/uk/ubisoftplus?ucid=SCH-ID_156353&maltcode=ubisoft+_convst_SCH_googlesearch___UPLUS____&addinfo=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw94WZBhDtARIsAKxWG-_B5DVyYZtPNzmQm0_1EqeuH-M_TRuAWQO1OOEedQjDkntTcWK3nYcaAg14EALw_wcB
 
To give credit where it's due I first heard about it from this article from Gamesradar.
 
https://www.gamesradar.com/game-subscription-service-ubisoft-is-free-from-now-until-october-10/

Friends for me. That show was genuinely very funny, more so than it ever deserved to be. I mean, 6 attractive young adults living in Manhattan? How did they make that funny?

Just got told about this from my better half. Honestly, I won't shed a tear. I have little love for the royals, frankly the most significant thing Queen Elisabeth II did for Scotland happened about half an hour ago. Not that I'm happy or anything, any death is tragic and my respect and condolences, but I find it difficult to feel sorry for a woman who lived a life of obscene opulence and luxury up to age the age of 96. The only tragic thing about this is that this idiot is now king.
 

Shagger Says: Sneak Energy
 
First and foremost, another thank you to @DC and Sneak every for making this possible with the promotion here of VGR through bid for rewards. Even with my appreciation, this review is still gonna offer up nothing but the honest truth. Not that Sneak energy need to be worried as I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by this energy drink powder and everything that it offered. Still, one would have to part with with equivalent of over $90 to buy the same package I received, so is it worth it? Let's snoop around sneak and find out.
 
To set the parameters for this review, let establish what Sneak energy is. This is a caffeinated energy drink make for gaming that is mean increase alertness whilst also providing hydration. Sneak themselves recommend no more than two portions a day and to drink one portion before or during gaming. I was drinking the powder you mix with water in a shaker/drinking bottle that was part of the package. It's easy enough to make, pour either sachet or levelled scoop (10g) into the shaker, pour in 300ml – 400ml of water then shake and drink. However, I personally found much more success in ignoring the recommend 10 second shake time for closer to 20-30 seconds. Despite this, it is easy to prepare with clear instructions, so nobody should be put off by a lack of convenience.
 
In my package:
 
1 x 400g (40 servings) Blue Raspberry flavour tub
1 x 700ml branded drinking bottle/shaker
5 x Strawberry flavour sachet (10g, single serving)
5 x Sneak flavour sachet (10g, single serving)
5 x Strawberry and Watermelon flavour sachet (10g, single serving)
5 x Neon Punch flavour sachet (10g, single serving)
 
I touched on the price earlier, but to understand what your getting it's important understand how much value you get. Fist step, how much does this actually cost? Well, here it is, blunt and honest (I said it my package would cost the equivalent of around $90 and it would, but 5 of the sachets I received aren't listed here. More on that later.):
 

 
To really understand this though, we have to break it down to price it per portion. Lucky for you, I've done the math for you and it works out at around £1 per 10g (300ml-400ml once mixed) portion for the tub (around $1.18) and £1.35 per sachet ($1.58). For context, that's pretty good value compared to Red Bull;
 

 
 
 
And I'd say about the same as Monster Energy, give or take.
 

(these prices are form a major supermarket chain that operates here in the UK)
 
So what we have here with Sneak is a something that isn't exactly cheap, but does offer value in the long run. One thing that does need pointing out (and in answer to @Scottypops question) is that Sneak energy contains A LOT more caffeine that the two brands I'm comparing it to here. About twice as much as in that 250ml can of Red Bull and with about the same as that can of Monster Energy, but but Monster is a larger, more diluted mix with a 500ml portion. In a more direct comparison, Red Bull has 30mg of caffeine per 100g, Monster has 36mg per 100g and Sneak (may vary depending on how you mix it) contains 50mg per 100g, so it's a lot stronger.
 
So it's a higher install price for longer term value (and more caffeine), but how does it taste compared to regular energy drinks?
 
Before I offer my thoughts on each flavour, I want to talk about the bottle itself;
 

 

 
As you can see from the images I posted, it looks cool. A new one would cost £10 to buy (equivalent to around $12-$13). For that price, you would expect something decent and that is what you get. There are a number of designs to choose from. This particular bottle is the "Bit Friday" design made of a dark grey, translucent plastic printed with very nice Sneak decals, a screw top lid with a nice, rigid drinking cap, an ice catcher that can be easily removed for cleaning and both ml and Fl ounce scales printed on the sides. I like it, it's better quality that I would have expected and feels like it's built to last provide one looks after it.
 
Onto the most important part, the actual drink and the flavours. Now, it's an energy drink, not a magic potion from Gandalf, so don't expect to suddenly go MGL by drinking it, but I would say Sneaks' claims of improving alertness and concentration whilst keeping you hydrated do hold up. It also helps cut out some hunger as it claims to be a food supplement and it does stem off hunger. I know what some of you may be thinking with that and the answer is no, I would not recommend Sneak for people as an aid to dieting as you crash hard and suddenly with hunger when the effect is gone and may in fact encourage you to eat more and outside of regular meal times. A single serving does hit like a strong cup of coffee, but Sneak is more refreshing and easier to prepare. I'll talk more about the actual flavours in a moment, but I do like it. Each flavour is distinctive and overall, they taste nice.
Now to rank each flavour. The order that you read these is the same order I tried them, with the numbers ranking them with 1 being my favourite and 5 my least favourite.
 
5. Strawberry Millions

 
Strong, potent flavour even at maximum recommended 400ml dilution. Tasted nice, not bitter like most every drinks, reminded me of milkshake in the smell and taste. It was a bit gritty, though. I shook if for the recommended 10 seconds, but it still didn't  taste like it had mixed right. After this, I started shaking it for longer and never encountered this issue again even after re-trying this flavour. My better half was along for the ride on this taste test and she wasn't a huge fan of this flavour, but even though this was my least favourite, I did still like it. It is refreshing and sweet however this does not taste like the strawberry millions sweets.
 
4. “Stealth” Flavour

 
Honestly, with such a vague name for this flavour, I wasn't sure what to expect, that became a sense of disappointment when my better half liked this one the most and claimed the remaining sachets for herself. Flavour and aroma of sherbet double dip, interesting given sneak is made with zero sugar. Sweet without being overpowering, this was a well balanced flavour that was very pleasant overall. 
 
 
2. Neon Punch

 
I was honestly expecting something along the lines of sour candy with this, but it was tasted like fruity bubble-gum and was very refreshing (Bubbaloo tutti-fruity bubble-gum). It's not as sweet nor as bold as the other flavours I had tried up to this point, but one of my favourites. My better half thought this one was OK compared to the others. It was at this point that I started to notice her preference for the sweeter flavours whilst I preferred the more fruity, subtle ones. Knowing how our palettes differ, that does make sense.
 
 
1. Strawberry and Watermelon

 
Before I get onto how this one tasted, there is something a little odd about how, or perhaps why, I even got a chance to even try this flavour in the first place. Everything else that was in the package I knew was coming because it was on the invoice I got in my email and was what I had selected. These five sachets of Strawberry Watermelon Flavour, were not;
 

 
So why was it included? I honestly have no idea. Maybe Sneak gives this flavour out in all thier samples or something, but regardless I won't look a gift horse in the mouth because this ended up being my favourite flavour of the lot. Very refreshing, but still potent and strong in flavour with just enough sweetness to give it a little kick. If Sneak do give this to everyone to try as thier "best foot forward", I can see why. My better half compared it to the American sweets called NERD'S, so if that point of reference helps you, then so be it.
 
 
3. Blue Raspberry

 
This is the one I got in the form of the tub, so obviously this was the one I wanted to like the most. I didn't end up being my favourite, but I still really liked this one. The first thought that came to mind when I opened the tub was;
 

 
And that kind of set the tone really, it tasted like, well, blue. Still a nice balance of refreshing and sweet, but a little more sour than the others, but not to the point it's unpleasant. Perhaps it would be kinder to say it had more of a kick than the others. Not my favourite, but still very good and still refreshing. The best bit though is my better half didn't care for it. Apparently the raspberry flavour is not strong enough for her liking, so I at least have this one all to myself. Maybe she's right and the raspberry part was weak, but the blue held up nicely.
 
Final Verdict 9/10
 
Overall, very pleasantly surprised. The drinks make you alert, the caffeine certainly works, but was also very refreshing, especially compared to the other every drinks I've tried that are usually either very flat of very bitter and dry you out, it also help hold off hunger for a period of time but be ready for a full meal. Value is to be found in the package, but it's still difficult to recommend to people who don't drink this sort of stuff on a regular basis with the high install price. I was essentially given this, and in that capacity, I love it, I really do and would defend it to the hills, but would I buy it, with money, probably not, but only because I don't drink this stuff regularly. Having said that, this still has a very real chance to convert me as the reason I don't drink this stuff regularly is because most energy taste like salty urine to me. The fact that not only do I like Sneak energy, but actually loved some of these flavours is a testament to how good this is (minus the one that was pinched because I only got to taste it once). Yes, it's not cheap, especially in the beginning with the shaker being an essential buy and how much the tubs cost, but there is value in this is you do drink this kind of thing even on a semi-frequent basis. So yeah, you do need to be prepared to drink Sneak regularly and loyally to get the best out of it, but if you do you won't be sorry.
 

Scott just got fired!! 
 

for anyone who is interested there is a livestream of the Queen's Coffin Procession, as of this post they just left Balmoral:
 
 
It will actually go right past the back of my house at some point.

@Akun is right. The entire point of crying is to relive emotional stress, that's what it's physically supposed to do. Just like how sweating is designed to cool the body off, for example, so obviously one feels better after crying. That's why it's perfectly logical for people to want to play games, read book or watch movies/TV shows that jerk out some tears. There more to it as well. If a game gets you emotionally invested enough to actually provoke such a reaction, that's a sign that it's a good game and one worth playing. The only think I don't get is why you needed that pointed out? 
 
Onto the topic, and I do surprise myself when saying this, but there really hasn't been than many games that made me physically cry. I think Telltale's The Walking might have once or twice, but even games like TLOU didn't make me actually cry. Maybe it's down to stress overriding the sadness somewhat as stress amps me app and makes me focused and little angry rather than upset.