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1. Positive:

   2
   out of 4

2. Mixed:

   1
   out of 4

3. Negative:

   1
   out of 4

1. This is a brilliant game, I totally fell in love with it. You play as Otto, a kind of summoner (technically a shaper) on a mission to save theThis is a brilliant game, I totally fell in love with it. You play as Otto, a kind of summoner (technically a shaper) on a mission to save the world and your betrothed ! Classic story, but the world you explore is very beautiful, feels like Moana somehow, paired with a calm soothing music.

   The gameplay consists of some simple puzzles, but the main interest is in battles. You can summon different types of «guardians» to attack the enemy, and you can attack yourself using your staff. You gain experience as you win battles (and puzzles), this helps you reinforce your skill tree both on personal skills and guardians skills. Concerning personal skills, these are mostly for your constitution/melee damage, and more importantly battle cries to boost your guardians. You (Otto) has no magic, only melee attack. You have no equipment. You can reset your skills distribution at any time. This dungeon crawler is very special in that it’s pretty tactical. Each enemy will require a special strategy to win, especially on later levels. The difficulty can indeed seem infuriating later on, but I always found that by varying the composition of my team of summons, I eventually kicked the boss’ ass. Other times I had fun just spamming the guy with tons of melee fighters and fighting with them, cornering the guy without mercy.

   You will need to stay alert in battles if you want to win good victories (there is a rank). You have to move your troops when in danger, strike when you find an opening, and so on.

   I beat the game in a rather completionist fashion in 13 hours, on Normal difficulty. This may seem a bit short, but I’m satisfied, and keep in mind this game is not expensive. Perfectionists can always beat the game again on Hard. Collectibles places are not contrived, and they are useful so you are encouraged to gather them. Trophy hunters will be pleased that although I’m not a hunter myself, there are only 2 hidden I have left, so getting a platinum is doable.

   Lastly, I found you can play the game perfectly fine with the PS4 controllers, you’ll get a bit confused at first, but then everything becomes very intuitive; no need for mouse/keyboard as another review suggested.… Expand

2. Güzel bulmacamsı bi serüven, her bölümde üç dört boss, ‘guardian’ isimli büyücü, asker ve devlerden oluşan çete gibi bir parti… Üç gündeGüzel bulmacamsı bi serüven, her bölümde üç dört boss, ‘guardian’ isimli büyücü, asker ve devlerden oluşan çete gibi bir parti… Üç günde başından kalkmak istemeden tek solukta bitirdim. Gayet başarılı.… Expand




4. I remember my first time ever seeing an Xbox 360 at my friend’s house in high school. It didn’t really impress me all that much, although II remember my first time ever seeing an Xbox 360 at my friend’s house in high school. It didn’t really impress me all that much, although I was intrigued by the achievements that popped up while playing games. After graduation I went over to his place and saw the seemingly Pikmin inspired Overlord, a game where you play as a warrior that commands a horde of minions. Admittedly, it was one of those games that watching someone else play made me think I’d hate it. Of course these are the types of games that usually end up being quite a bit of fun when given the chance.

   Masters of Anima is a new entry into this sub-genre of RTS, with a newly graduated shaper that can use the world’s energy source (anima) to create different types of guardians to assist in battle. This resource is limited and Otto (you) can only carry so much at a time. Going through the levels you will be able to stray off the beaten path to solve little puzzles and use anima to gain pieces to enhance your storage space. It’s vital that you find as many of these as possible, as the game is far from kind once you get past the opening. It’s also important to choose the proper upgrades between levels, as these can seemingly make or break your progression.

   Starting the game you are given control of protectors, which are essentially your tanks in battle. You’ll have large amounts of these shielded characters and will use them generously while battling golems. The game is pretty manageable at this point, as you will attack, spawn, and use your battle cry at the opportune moment to knock over golems for extra damage with no fear of taking any yourself. However, once you acquire the sentinels, your archers, things become a bit more complicated, and continue to do so after you unlock more characters. As these classes don’t have any sort of AI outside of following your commands, they’ll sit around and die if you don’t direct them to safety. You may be thinking you’ll just grab everyone at once and keep them out of the line of fire, but the game adds in an extra timed factor in the enemy rage bar. Once the bar is depleted, all hell is brought down upon you, making the battle more difficult than it already is. Eventually it becomes impossible to win. While Otto is fully capable of attacking himself, time is your biggest enemy once you run out of anima in a fight.

   The gameplay loop is not what I expected, with wandering around the map and minor puzzle solving to what almost seems like a boss fight each time you face an encounter. None of the battles really allow for you to relax and button mash, and even more so when you get to the final portion of a level. This is hardly a bad thing, as I want to be engaged in the games I play, but at times I wondered if I was as bad as it seemed at the game, or the difficulty spiked much higher than I anticipated. It seems to be the latter, at least in regards to using a controller. I love using controllers for games, but certain genres lend themselves to a keyboard and mouse, and the RTS genre is one of them. The only recent RTS game that didn’t make me want to play on a keyboard and mouse was Tooth and Tail.

   Story wise, the game is pretty straightforward. Opposed to Otto feeling the need to save the world, he is set on saving his fiancée from the clutches of evil. When told that everyone’s existence is at stake, he only replies in a nonchalant manner, stating if it’s a necessary part of saving his future betrothed, he’d consider it. Otherwise, he’s heading to a beach and waiting for the whole thing to blow over after he gets his lady back. The plot device is a bit weird in that the woman is portrayed as one of the best shapers to ever live, while Otto is a bit of a joke having not even passed the test during the opening of the game, but she’s sundered like she’s nothing and Otto is soon shown to have a special gift and must save her. It’s all pretty familiar, but it doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously which is nice.

   Determining what makes something like Pikmin fun is hard to do for me. It’s a bit like finding why Smash Bros. is so much better than Brawlout. They’re very similar in gameplay, but one has a special factor that makes it soar above the other. If you choose to play it, I highly recommend doing so on PC or hooking up a mouse and keyboard to your platform of choice. Masters of Anima is a fun take on the genre, but ultimately falls short of what makes its inspiration memorable.… Expand

5. This game had such promise. But it is just awful. The difficulty spikes and conditions made the combat a chore and not fun in the lightest.This game had such promise. But it is just awful. The difficulty spikes and conditions made the combat a chore and not fun in the lightest. Having finite resources and then adding a monster rage timer and then after all that grading you is just too much. Considering how shallow the level up system is — and that it can only be done between levels — the developer would have made the game infinitely more fun if it was more arcade like with the combat. The controls are also very cumbersome and frustrating when in combat and would have been better suited if you could just use single face buttons to control groups… similar to No No Kuni 2’s skirmish mode controls to an extent.

   In its present state, the game is simply unfun and not worth a purchase. I feel a bit shafted and hope they make some changes to it in patches…… Expand

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Mushi master.

Review without spoilers — Anime on DTF

Travel notes of an unusual doctor.

2881
views

Original title : Mushishi

Release years : 2005-2015 (including specials)

Studio-author : Artland

Introduction/my expectations

700,000 ratings on myanimelist, a rating of about nine and the status of «one of the best yashikeys of all time» (according to the rating on the same mal). Only the criminally low number of ratings on shikimori was alarming. nine0003

Needless to say, I expected a lot from this anime? I don’t think so, but I can definitely say that I wanted to see a set of kind and fabulously mystical stories in medieval Japan . And the success of the title for me from the very beginning depended on the main character, because if you like him, then you will like everything else.

Plot

Look at your hand, imagine that 4 fingers are animals, the big one is plants. This means that they are farthest from the heart, and the closer to it, the more primitive the beings become. In the wrist, blood vessels merge into one — this is a place of bacteria and microbes, where it is already difficult to separate plants from animals. Go further along the arm and sooner or later you will reach the heart, that is where the mushas are. nine0003

And the whole world of this anime is built on their existence, and this description of Ginko (the main character) gives in the first series and I could not resist inserting it into this article. After all, I would hardly be able to describe the very concept of mush so gracefully. It is also important to note that for most people they are invisible, which is why not everyone even believes in their existence.

The general plot itself, as such, is absent here, because this anime is a sort of collection of stories about a wandering mushi master (I also liked the translation “mushived”, it sounds funny). And these stories manage to be completely different, even despite the general concept: someone got sick with a strange disease, and Ginko , passing by, decided to look in and cure the poor fellow. But you never know where a new case will lead. Maybe an epidemic or the destruction of an entire mountain. Or maybe to an unknown and rare type of fly, for which a cure has not yet been invented. Or it will even turn out to be an ordinary case of infection with a ubiquitous species. And often it all feels like a detective story, in which you, along with the hero, have to unravel the events that have occurred and prescribe the right medicine.

But it is not always as simple as I described, because each case is unique, and many people live well even with musha in their bodies. Because of this, Ginko regularly faces moral dilemmas, the right or wrong solution of which simply does not exist. nine0003

However, even in such situations, the authors do everything as gently as possible and do not show any gesture, allowing you to feel some kind of sad calmness. The main concept of the title also plays on this, because a person cannot greatly influence nature, but he can admire and use it. And Ginko understands this very well, as do the authors, often revealing the world by introducing new details, which, although based on mushi, greatly alter their basic laws.

In this way, the masters of the mountains appear, firefly, rotten, coca, ether, and a lot of other terms. But they all do not load the brain, but only allow the authors to expand their horizons and create new and new stories. nine0003

In general, the potential of such an idea is unlimited, but already in the second season, the scriptwriters decided to shift the focus a little and went beyond the “doctor and his patient” scheme, focusing on people. On their thoughts, attitudes and experiences. And even this does not make the story worse, because it still remains very sincere and lamp, but such a shake-up allows you to see this world from a different perspective. And by the second half of the second season, everything returns to normal.

The result is a great set of stories with incredible variety, which, although it is less felt at the end (because some ideas become similar there), but still has a place to be. Yes, some of them are frankly weak, but for 50 episodes I was able to single out only a couple of those (and one of them is the very first episode, but it is introductory, so it’s forgivable). And that’s why my hand does not rise to put less than 30/30 points. And the single, released in 2021, only gives a ghostly hope for a sequel.

Protagonist

Ginko is a traveling mushi master. And it would seem that everything I said about him above. But first, I will invite you to think and answer the question: “based on his actions, what kind of character do you expect from him?”. Kind, honest, caring, fair and also not very verbose doctor?

So, this is not really his image either. Because he’s actually quite talkative, often plays pranks on people, isn’t shy about using foul language (albeit rarely), and also cares about getting personal gain. But at the same time, he still sincerely tries to help people, not being afraid to give them discounts on his services, and he treats many people warmly and friendly. But when necessary, he is able to show perseverance. Also inside the plot there is an inconspicuous love line that gives the hero new character traits and life goals. nine0003

But his opinion about mushi is quite obvious, because Ginko does not consider them evil or good, but is well aware that they simply live by instinct. And the fact that they often eat things that are important for a person (including feelings, emotions, and so on) is not their problem. They were just made that way. This Ginko is very different from other mushi masters, because he always tries to find a cure for the disease without killing the mushi. Yes, for him there is also a personal benefit, because live specimens are easier to sell, but it’s more difficult to get them. But not all the flies he catches go for sale, he leaves some in his huge wooden backpack, after which he investigates. In general, Ginko in all his image resembles a modern scientist who survived an unsuccessful experiment. And this even takes place, because initially the events should have developed in a later time period. nine0003

I would also like to say that Ginko is not his real name, and he does not remember his childhood either. And this is due to his backstory, which we are shown in several episodes. And to be honest, I love all these episodes, because there the main character is revealed even better, and his life was clearly not easy, and the authors explain all the small (and not so) details of his image.

In the end, I can say that I expected a completely different character, but how happy I am to be wrong again. Because Ginko is a great hero in every way and is what makes these stories so warm and memorable. 15/15

Ginko (I love winter, so I picked up the frame with a snowball)

Minor Heroes

The second longest-running hero of the title appears literally in 5 episodes, and only in one of them is he in the lead role. So in this block I will tell you literally about two characters:

Adashino is an old friend of Ginko . He works as an ordinary doctor in his village, and also enjoys collecting various things obtained under the influence of mushi. However, he does not see them himself, although he dreams about it strongly. And his interest in this topic is so great that he does not even hesitate to lose his status in the eyes of a friend, just to learn more about these mysterious creatures. And at the same time, he remains a good doctor, friend, and generally a great person, who in some situations is even sorry (especially in the story “The Shadow That Swallowed the Sun”). nine0003

Adashino

Tanyu is the fourth clerk of the Caribousha family. Moreover, the fourth in terms of generations, because her ancestors made a mistake and came into contact with the forbidden mushi, which is why this disease is now inherited. She has an infection in her leg, because of which she cannot walk normally and is forced to keep track of her home library, writing down more and more information about mushi there. But this library is far from the most common, but I won’t tell you about it. nine0003

Tanyu herself is very kind and patient, and also has a sense of duty and fulfills it with honor. She also has a dream: one day to be cured and go wandering with Ginko, because she is interested in seeing all the mushis, about which she heard so much from different masters, with her own eyes.

Now I thought so, maybe Ginko carries them with her for her? ..

This block comes to an end and it’s time to sum up: The secondary characters of the title are unique, and each time they create completely different and different stories. And many of them are really felt by people. Adequate and thinking people, because they do not have any hyperbolization, inadequate emotions, incomprehensible actions. And personally, I think that to do this on such a scale is an incredible achievement. nine0007 15/15

Atmosphere/Setting

The atmosphere in this title is incredibly peaceful, and the authors constantly emphasize this with unhurried scenes and dialogues. The setting of medieval Japan plays an important role in this, allowing you to feel the complete separation of each small village from reality. Every house, settlement, forest, and every mountain has something different, unique, and this makes them come alive, and also emphasizes the atmosphere incredibly. nine0003

This is made possible by a variety of mushi. And I thought the whole time that it would be cool if there was at least some kind of quick guide about their various types, so that, focusing on it, you could roughly understand what Ginko encountered this time. And so I decided to make it! But there will not be many species here, and they will be scattered randomly so as not to spoil the series.

Snow ball

Description : This species lives in the mountains, most often seen in winter, as the name suggests. They roll on the snow, thereby cramming into a huge snowball, but they do not like this state, so they tend to crash on some obstacle. Most often these are trees or rocks, but if they come across a person, they will chase him. Their blows often cause avalanches, which is dangerous. nine0003

Treatment for : not required, but if he chases you, it’s best to let him fly into you before he gains too much mass.

Appearance :

Snow balls

Water mirror

Description : Lives in small mountain lakes with clear water. Reflecting someone in himself, makes him his victim. He pursues her for a long time, gradually absorbing her strength. When his target is sufficiently weakened, he manifests himself in her form and seeks to switch places with her by touching her. After that, he continues a quiet life in a different guise. nine0003

Method of treatment : at the moment when the mirror-man manifests himself and prepares to exchange with the victim, it is enough just to reflect him in the mirror, then he will immediately return to his original form.

Appearance :

Water mirror in the process of absorbing the powers of the victim

False rainbow

Description : Appears randomly after rain, very rare. It can be distinguished from an ordinary rainbow by the arrangement of colors — their order is reversed. And also it does not disappear when you approach it. But touching it is dangerous for a person, as this leads to disastrous consequences, including constant thirst, an inexplicable desire to go for a walk in the rain without any umbrella, as well as an incredible desire to see this rainbow again. In general, the purest drug. nine0003

Treatment : not found.

Appearance :

False rainbow

Grain of nothingness

Description : Spontaneously rare, but makes the land fertile and greatly improves yields. True, the price for this is great — one life per year, because at the end of its life cycle, the mushi grows on the human palate. Then it falls out, forming a new seed. The carrier dies. Because of this, it is rarely used, the moral fee is too high. nine0003

Treatment : keep the seed off the ground and do not use it. Or by all means to lure mushi to avoid accidental victims, but in this case it will be tantamount to suicide.

Appearance :

Grain of Nothingness

Sky Thread

Description : This mushi is literally a string hanging from the sky. The consequences after contact with him are almost unpredictable. Only one thing is known — it pulls you into the clouds, and after a while throws you back. But in what state you will return is unknown even to the most experienced mushi master. Only the most common case is described — people themselves become mushi, because of which they become invisible to the eyes of an ordinary person. They do not lose their memory, but they can eventually completely lose themselves. nine0003

Method of treatment : genuinely care for the victim for a number of years. That is, literally accept it as it is, invisible and silent. This will weaken the influence of mushi and return the person to normal appearance.

Appearance :

Sky Thread

And I have no idea in what universe I can give such a variety below 15/15 points.

Soundtrack/sound design

For the first few episodes, you only feel an incredible calm spreading throughout your body from the opening:

And his text describes Ginko very cool, because he is constantly on the road, which means that his legs are clearly not all right.

But then, in the episode «Soft Horns» your attention is drawn to the number of sounds that make this title come alive. And that’s it, then you just can’t help but notice them and are extremely amazed at this. After all, the authors have done a colossal job to convey the liveliness of mountains, forests, fields, to show winter, to convey all the mystical mystery of mushi. And it’s all just with the help of sounds. nine0003

The second opening also contributes to all of the above:

Same as endings:

And the soundtrack inside the episodes, which, of course, is not very noticeable:

The result is an incredibly cool combination that sometimes makes you want to close your eyes and just listen. 15/15

Visual

The anime looks incredibly good, especially for 2005. This is noticeable in the magnificent landscapes, more reminiscent of paintings, in mushi designs, and even in the appearance of Ginko, because he is truly unique. And the way the whole mystical component is shown here also causes only sincere delight, because it is so blurry, but at the same time it is clear to depict the very essence of life is an extremely difficult task. nine0003

However, there is one problem — all the secondary characters literally look the same. Their faces, clothes, habits — everything is rather nondescript and gray, which does not allow them to be separated from each other normally. So 7/10

Total

Master Mushi is a masterpiece, but for a rather narrow audience, because for many it will be banally hard to watch. It is very viscous, unhurried and has no associated history. However, I believe that if you have already experienced fatigue in your life or want to watch something not very stressful before going to bed in the format of one episode a day, then this anime will be the perfect solution for you. And for me this is one of the best anime that I watched and I think it is greatly underestimated in Russia. But keep in mind that this is not at all the usual representative of the genre, because it relaxes with completely different methods, but this is what makes it so unique and masterpiece. nine0007 97/100 ( 30/30 Plot, 15/15 The main character, 15/15 secondary heroes, 15/15 Atmosphere, 15/15 soundtrack/sound design, 7/10 visual)