22/09/2025

me,

11/08/2025

someone stop me picking up games afforded a spread in past PALETTA issues simply bc they are pushed as being ~mysterious~ despite being frontloaded with all matter of turgid, grimace-inducing buffoonery

press f to a real one

when u try to skip all these tama-based sequences but the emulator crashes multiple times... what are u trying to tell me

mid june idk

Pulse erratically thrumming as an uncomfortable sensation traced its way up my spine, I came to a rather grim realization not too long into Final Fantasy XII’s opening swathe: it bears an uncanny resemblance to XIV. A terribly glib and facetious comparison, of course, yet trapezing around Rabanastre’s winding, cobblestone expanse felt like tracing the Steps of Nald, gently lulled into a trance by ‘Sultana’s Dreaming’.

Various circumstances lead to finally throwing in the XIV-patterned towel (mainly, undoubtedly, certainly due to spending countless hours painstakingly gathering and constructing materials in pursuit of a Lavender Beds cottage; a domestic e-idyll nestled amidst perpetual bloom and gentle streams… tragically lost after becoming engrossed in Baldur’s Gate 3 for over a month, allowing my proverbial deed on the property to lapse with the long-sought haven to be unceremoniously shuffled on over to the next bidder).

08/06/2025

Heteronormative expectations mercilessly foisted upon queer women calling for a supression of who they are inevitably ends in tragedy.

Quelle surprise.

23/03/2025

Cast through a glistening prism of memories, Persona 2: Innocent Sin occupied a curious position as the Persona title I would, following a moment’s pause, gesture towards being the franchise at its absolute best. Experiencing the PSP release following P3 and P4, the scope of its rumour-driven system came across as fresh and ambitious; narrative (thankfully) absent of what bothered me about those later entries.

Tatsuya & co. similarly struck me as likable compared to the wince-inducing, oftentimes juvenile figures of Stupei, Ace Defective and Yosuke (as much as I am willing to wearily offer a halfhearted statement on his existence being a dubious handled case of this and that but I did my time in the discourse mines and have no intention on returning pls and thank u xox

Returning to Innocent Sin after franchise fatigue has settled down to my marrow reminds me of what a worthwhile piece it is, particularly when contextualized amidst the technological upheaval and urban myth-making of 1998. Joker is summoned via a cell phone, reflecting rapid digitization within a shifting landscape and how communication and information dissemination filters through cybernetic highways.

Though rumours spread through IRL points of contact, the act of overhearing whispered speculations predates the imminent explosion of internet-driven discourse in a uniquely prescient manner. Joker emerges as a malevolent force of intent made manifest, an ominous symbol of both the consequences of collective misbelief and shifting, uncertain boundaries between skewed digitized portrayals and reality.

this makes me cry evrytiem...... jun :(

Update: Have finished Innocent Sin, but am stalling on Eternal Punishment lol. Soon... Soon,

18/03/2025

spooky fish go brrrrr

no for real though why are they so obsessed with me STOP destroying my boat when I’m two seconds out on the water!!!! get a job omg

Update: putting this on pause for now.

20/02/2025

Hearing the snobbish visitors with the overly large hats derisively mutter ‘were they even expecting visitors?’ after spending the last two hours constructing pretty flowerbeds and water features to welcome them onto my island… My village representative did The Florence Pugh Walk™ all the way over to the harbour to greet them but at what cost.

Have no idea how trade routes work and I’m aligning myself with everyone, which naturally resulted in Beryl’s feathers getting ruffled and Oh No now she’s out for blood and my lovely little town earning a name for lovingly spun wool is now enveloped in war aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAA

Update: putting this on pause for now.

17/02/2025

BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK

23/12/2024

Enjoying Hatsuyuki Sakura, but what constitutes as its humour is dyed in the deepest of blues. Though posited as a mechanism to alienate those coming into contact with Hatsuyuki, fine-tuned to keep them at arm's length, his bawdy boundary-pushing quips are often gruelling to sit through. obligatory_comedy_scene_you_can_probably_skip_through_bgm.mp3 playing during these instances suggests that the player is meant to find such antics amusing as opposed to disconcerting; hollow laughter resounding as he highlights the imagined promiscuity of the female cast.

From time to time he will receive pushback, but such moments typically devolve into a predictable whirlwind of flustered indignation or resigned irritation, ultimately failing to hold him accountable. Take a shot whenever he calls someone a slut and you'll be on the floor before the hour is up.

Hatsuyuki himself is a complicated character, framed through a pseudo-villainous lens: self-sabotaging, seeking refuge within the inky depths of a bottle, eliciting murmured apprehension wherever his presence is felt. People don't tend to like the guy. Hatsuyuki's remarks are one of the many things meant to dissuade those hoping to dispel the oppressive miasma enveloping his existence, and while Hatsuyuki Sakura does a commendable job at showing, well, the guy being an unlikeable dick due to this and that, I'm not keen on the idea of inviting the player to laugh at what are quite frankly nasty and invasive comments. It would be one thing if there was a consensual element attached, but the subjects understandably end up being uncomfortable, more often than not.

If you can stomach the above, however – from the moment Ayana’s chanting drifts through the hypnotic stupor of freak of nature: start (openings sans lyrics are rare, particularly when derived from preexisting pieces that have been around for a number of years at the time of inclusion), you’ve fallen prey to Hatsuyuki Sakura’s dreamlike, otherworldly allure. Hatsuyuki and Sakura’s own names hinting at ephemerality, our doomed pair floating throughout school halls and city areas like spectres, no one really noticing them.

Everything to do with the old town. Sakura earnestly wishing to enjoy what little time she has at the school, taking every commonplace sight as something special, and to be treasured; polished and glistening like the most precious of gems. This gruff, somewhat tsuntsun fellow with a chip on his shoulder gets his buttons pushed by an affable, well-meaning girl whose smile conceals something that isn't quiteeeee adding up.

It’s honestly incredible.

Ran route spoilers

Update: putting this on pause until winter descends.

07/12/2024

not even haruhi herself could tear me away from this

16/07/2024

A surprisingly poignant piece about bonds forged throughout one’s life, portrayed through the unexpectedly effective conduit of a turnip quite literally running through life. From the soil it sprouts, to the soil it will eventually return and it’s up to you in Minabo: A Walk Through Life how it all fares. While Minabo could ostensibly be ridded of its thought-provoking lustre after a round or two, a few hours in and the journey nevertheless remains compelling each time due to the variables which are involved, echoing our own lives.

16/06/2024

There’s just something about kitsch management sims which kneed an all too pliable, primordial part of my brain – and if they invoke a pixelated aesthetic? Be still my beating, equally squishy heart! Dave the Diver makes for a delightful entry in the ever-expanding gathering-and-utilizing-resources-with-a-pixel-backdrop multiverse, in which you apply myriad techniques in order to capture fish and sell ‘em off when the sun sets via an increasingly busy sushi joint. Despite being a staunch vegetarian, the fishing part doesn’t instil queasiness but naturally YMMV here.

12/06/2024

I want to like Buried Stars - really, I do! But there’s just so much circuitous, repetitive yapping following every single interaction in which the cast reiterates what other members have mentioned on multiple occasions. I heard nothing but praise for Buried Stars but I am not sure if my attention span can handle the arduous task that is 30+ hours of this…!

12/06/2024

Eyeing the cast of Hookah Haze had me giddy with the notion of this hookah lounge management simulator having its pixelated thumb firmly on the pulse of Harajuku fashion, incorporating a fusion of trendy substyles such as cyber futurism, yamikawa, and athleisure.

From the swirling haze of hookah smoke emerges Kurumi, all pastel braided extravagance and stitched teddy bear, poised to reflect a society mired in malaise and doused in disillusionment utilizing alternative fashion as armour. She flits about the hookah lounge, gawping at fish without engaging in meaningful conversation beyond inane one-liners; shuffling out without so much as a peep.

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However Hookah Haze seemed committed to engaging in a deliberate examination of her behaviour, seeking to reposition Kurumi away from the moe mascot stylings plaguing her introduction and demonstrating how she has been othered as a result of these actions (“For her, living in the adult world must be like living in a tiny cage. I can’t even begin to comprehend the level of frustration she experiences”).

Toru approaches Kurumi with empathy and compassion, providing her with a space to simply exist as she is bathed by the lounge’s comforting neon glow. Delving further into her background, she reflects positively on her experience in university through a lecturer being sympathetic to her communication issues, in turn fostering an environment where she could thrive. Thrown headfirst into a toxic workplace in which she is constantly disparaged and looked down upon however, Kurumi is bound by ruthless societal constraints; restraining those living beyond rigid normative behavioural patterns.

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Though there is potential for something multilayered regarding neurodiverse-coded individuals integrating with society, there’s a frustratingly infantile element which seeks to patronize Kurumi which feels at stark odds with the narrative which Hookah Haze is attempting to portray.

With Kurumi’s route down it’s a muddled game, but I’m hoping that the other two routes will be handled with more grace.

12/06/2024

to come

12/06/2024

Having spent several hours submerged in the gloomy lycoris-swathed fields of Virche Evermore, I find myself spellbound; lost amidst its wiry petals. With inhabitants of an isolated island succumbing to a mysterious illness long before celebrating their 23rd birthday, I harboured a degree of scepticism certain that it was merely convenient window dressing to ensure the cast’s age bracket doesn’t stretch too wide. To Virche’s credit however, through a rather dubious process of branding and contractual agreements this can be thwarted – though to which degree, I cannot say.

It’s a premise which coaxes the unsuspecting player into the domain of moral intrigue, dangling the prospect of the inherent fallibility of memories alongside dignity in death above their heads.

Compounding the complexity, Virche’s protagonist cuts a sombre and lonesome figure through bearing the burden of responsibility for those who’ve perished in her presence. Word quickly spreads and she’s parsed as a reaper-like figure to be avoided, resulting in a level of oppressive societal alienation which corners her emotionally.

It’s soul-crushing to see barbed jabs levelled in her direction even during these early stages, adding a distinctly melancholic note to the events which unfurl. The romantic candidates, though adhering to established tropes, are likeable. Unless things take a turn for the worst, I can’t see myself willing to crush the lycoris flowers underfoot any time soon.