Making time is a privilege

I consider myself lucky to be able to write today. Most other days, I worry about producing enough money to... well do about anything other than making ends meet.

When all I've got on my mind is finances, then even my sense of time gets warped. No sleep, no leisure, and no peace. Every minute is dedicated to chasing some arbitrary goal, but somehow life always throws you a curve ball. Life won't just give you what you want, and in a bad scenario, you find yourself spending more than you should even if you did all the right things.

I might have gotten my pronouns mixed up.

And I think I also lost sight of what I can control: my thoughts.

My situation hasn't changed, but with a rational mind, I can make a plan and have my emotions under check--which is how I got time to write this. Anxiety can take a rain check and come again in the future but not today.

Gotta chug forward.  

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest: Thoroughly entertaining that requires suspension of disbelief

The third and final book of the first trilogy of Millenium, written by Stieg Larsson, captivated me from start to finish into the dark hours of the night. 

It had been years since I read the first two books, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire, but I felt compelled to buy the third book when I saw it staring at me from a stand of a pre-owned books. Imagine me racking my brain to recall that the second book actually left lots of unresolved plot threads.

So the third book picked up immediately where the second book ended, but not to the detriment of new readers (or in my case, a reader who had forgotten most of the first two books). Characters were introduced one after another like they were in some sort of runway. Some stood out; others were forgettable. An unconstitutional group, which operated in the interest of national defense, turned into a gathering of old and young men with a cult-like mind--this group, however big of a threat they were described in the beginning, didn't really act true to their reputation. When I closed the book, I wished that the story picked away some plot threads and focus on a smaller number.

The book isn't bad; the characters are great and so is the story. It remains one of the best books I've read recently and a strong recommendation for readers who enjoy thrillers. The conclusion also serves as a satisfying ending to the trilogy. The doors have closed, at least they appear to be to me, and I don't have any sense of wanting to read the next books. Let the characters have a good ending.

 

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past on the Nintendo 3DS --

Finally, the last item on the pile that gets to be dusted off today: Dragon Quest VII on the Nintendo 3DS. This was the first 3D Dragon Quest I played (might even by the first ever Dragon Quest). There's a new version called, "Dragon Quest VII Reimagined", that's out now on multiple platforms. But if you're looking for a highly portable system, then try playing the game on the Nintendo 3DS.

The game is structured much like a traditional JRPG. There's a threat to the world, and the main character and his friends are the only ones capable of fighting off the evil. The twist is that the hero, with his team, constantly travel back and forth to the past to progress their journey. Along the way, after a day's worth of play, they unlock the job class system (or "vocations" as the series calls them" at Alltrades Abbey.

Dragon Quest VII is the weakest entry of the mainline games I've played -- which excludes DQ I-III, VIII, X, and XI). The dull, slow start is a chore to go through, and the last two-thirds of the game does not make up for it. The characters are fun, and the subplots surrounding the islands and pieces range from inspired to forgettable. I didn't have any issue with finding the pieces, the art design, the music, or any other part of the game; the pacing and the unnecessary parts could have been chopped, although I admit that there is a charm to the slice-of-life atmosphere the subplots give off.

The game is hard to recommend. Players with a 3DS curious to try a Dragon Quest game are better of playing the DS releases (and that includes IX). 

The Walking Cat: A Cat's-Eye-View of the Zombie Apocalypse -- cozy cat strolling through zombies

When I was searching for a post-apocalyptic manga, "The Walking Cat: A Cat's-Eye-View of the Zombie Apocalypse," piqued my interest. No, it wasn't because the title reminded me of a very famous television show; the perspective of animals during a fictitious zombie apocalypse is rarely depicted (not that it would matter anyway if fiction becomes reality).

It has been years since I last read the manga, but what I remember about the plot is that the cat moves from place to place. Thus, his companions also change. A happy ending occurs, but the main character -- the cat -- is forced onto his next adventure.

The manga is a good read, sometimes making you feel good without all the dread and drama of zombie stories too long in the tooth. 

PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo on the Nintendo Switch: A frighteningly good mystery

 Here's another item from the draft pile.

 

When Square Enix discounted their horror mystery visual novel, "PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo", on the Nintendo eShop, I just had to grab it. I love mysteries, reading, good stories, and great characters, and the game delivered on all fronts. Oh, did I mention that the atmosphere is captivating?

The game has one of the stronger starts of any game in my opinion. It was so strong, it set the bar so high for the rest of the game. While I think game never matches that high afterward, it never falls too far. 

It's difficult to talk about a game where the plot carries it, so I'll just say that I was very pleased with it after playing and with the modern visual-novel features.

Now, please excuse me while I add the sequel to my wish list, "PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse".

God Eater 3 on Nintendo Switch: Strategize or button mash your way to victory

Here's a blast from the past:

God Eater 3 on Nintendo Switch. The game itself is already a port, having been previously released on older platforms prior to its debut on the Nintendo console. As I was dusting off my drafts for the blog, I saw this at the very bottom of the pile (and it's a large pile!).

Drawing from my hazy memory of the game, God Eater 3 focuses on a group of humans who had been altered to fight monsters. The protagonist and his friends join Hilda in her traveling ship, finishing various missions. They meet Phym and other characters and use the power of friendship in the climax of the story for a happy ending.

There's nothing wrong with the story -- albeit, the characters don't grow too much from their stereotypical templates. The shine of the game comes from the combat and arsenal of weapons and techniques. The characters are plunged into arena-type maps where they hunt down enemies, small and large. Unfortunately, the monster variety left me bored in long plays.

The difficulty doesn't ramp up, although getting high grades and the last boss got me stumped sometimes. Overall, the game is easily recommendable for players looking for short bursts of fun.

 

Petz Vet on GBA

I remember having one of those "___-in-one" collection of Game Boy Advance when I was younger, which were almost always bootleg cartridges. One of those had a really cute, simulation, veterinarian game, Petz Vet. Now, I happened to replay the game for nostalgia's sake.

The game itself is pretty long. It runs for two years in game time. It has plenty of mini-games, some presented to you before you progress. You play a female character studying to become a vet at New Yorkie Animal Hospital. There are plenty of characters to interact with, some you could even romance. The game also has elements from the visual-novel genre, with dialogue and action choices affecting your stats and romance progression. The story is a typical slice-of-life. I think that it could actually translate well into a 2-cour anime. It even felt that it went way longer than it needed to be. But like any good anime, you forgive its downtimes and feel sad when the journey's over.

Fun fact about the game: it's actually a sequel to a GBA game that never released outside of Japan. There seems to be more follow-ups too, although I haven't played them.