If you haven’t been watching this mini-series, you need to. It is an adorable re-imagining of the Pokémon TCG competitive scene that doesn’t require any knowledge of Pokémon or the card game to enjoy. It has a great protagonist, a fun story, and a cute art style. If you weren’t playing the TCG before watching this, you’re going to want to after.
As I did with last weeks episode, I am going to over analyze what happened in Worlds. This will contain spoilers, so make sure you watch the episode before reading the rest. If you enjoy these posts, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
Last week, Ava experienced her first big loss. She became so consumed by her desire to win that she forgot to have fun. The loss devastates Ava because she feels like she let everyone down. This pressure breaks her, and Ava decides to quit the game. She stops going to the club or talking to her friends because of the shame she feels for losing internationals.
In previous episodes, we’ve seen her mother try to talk to Ava about the competitive scene. The cards that were the catalyst for Ava’s adventure once belonged to her mother. We got the sense that Ava’s mother was also a competitive player and that Ava’s natural talent might have also been passed down through her. In this episode, confirmation through some important back story. We get to see Ava’s mother comfort her from a place of empathy, and it is a very cute moment. Ava’s mother faced a similar loss and quit the hobby as a result. She advises Ava not to do the same and to remember why she started playing.
This is an important moment for Ava because not only does she learn how to deal with loss, she remembers why she started playing in the first place. When Ava played the game to win and be the champion she thought everyone wanted her to be, she lost the connection she had to the game. You see less of the Pokemon and more of the mounting stress that looms over Ava as she grinds through the scene. The Pokémon TCG is important to Ava because it is what helped her make important friends and find her place in society. Remembering why she played in the first place helps her deal with the stress, and she starts to have fun again. At this moment, the series shifts focus to the Pokémon, and the audience gets to see a cute and fun battle. Unfortunately, this marks the end of the series, but it was such a fun ride. I loved watching Ava grow as a character, and it even got me excited to play more Pokemon.
As someone who plays a lot of card games, this series is amazing. It had a fun story, cute art, and animation, and it was able to capture why card games are so fun. It is easy to lose sight of what’s important when you are climbing the ladder, and even easier to be stuck in a stressful grind. I’ve done my fair share of obsessing over rank, and remember the tilting frustration that came with the grind. Games and hobbies are supposed to be fun. When they start feeling like a job, it is okay to take a break. Don’t let the climb become more important than your love for the hobby.
Anyways, if you haven’t watched Path to the Peak, go check it out on the official Pokémon YouTube.
Make sure you read read the original release, and I’ll do my best to get my version out on Monday. If you enjoy my work, please like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
Eiji and Leon walk towards the Café. An awkward eagerness hangs over each step as they search for the right way to initiate conversation. Their footsteps echo off the empty corridor, and the news plays quietly somewhere behind them. The words have become unintelligible, but both knew it was about the attack on Nation X.
“It’s been a while,” Eiji finally says, breaking the silence.
“Since middle school,” Leon nods. They share a warm awkward smile between them. “It’s good to see you, man,”
“Yeah. You got a lot taller, and buff!” Eiji flexes his arm.
Leon chuckles, “Yeah, I grew up.”
Leon and Eiji swipe their IDs to get into the Café. The place is mostly empty, with only a couple patrons enjoying a small afternoon snack. The boys are hit with the rush of freshly ground coffee, but there is a faint hint of vanilla mixed somewhere in its composition. Soft jazz fill the space left behind the espresso machine and coffee grinder. The two friends find a seat in the most secluded part of the cafe.
“I can’t believe you found my information so quickly,” Eiji says as he takes a sip from his iced drink. “So you’re a big-shot hacker now?”
Leon smirks. “It wasn’t too difficult. But I was surprised to see you moved.”
Eiji is silent for a moment. There is a moment of sadness in his expression, but he shakes it off almost as quickly as it appears. He clears his throat. “Yeah…I live on my own now. Been living alone for a while now.”
“Me too. Since I got back to Japan actually. I have a place in Denrin.” Leon takes a sip of his coffee. “So you work for Professor Ryusenji now? How’s that going?”
“Oh, it’s great! The professor is a little odd, but he’s good people. He got me this steady job, with a decent paycheck!”
“And you’re also a famous Code Cracker!” Loen laughs.
“Not yet, but we will be!” Eiji winks playfully.
“Oh that’s right, you got a partner now too.” Leon pulls out a keychain with a small LCD screen on one side. The pixel sprite version of Pulsemon bounces in place. Leon dangles the keychain off his middle finger and holds it in front of Eiji. The keychain spins slowly from its chain. “You remember Pulsemon? He’s been with me since we were kids!”
Eiji bursts out laughing. “I always thought it was a fancy Tomagachi!”
Leon laughs as he scoops up the keychain and presses the hologram button. Pulsemon suddenly appears on the empty chair next to Leon. His body gives off a faint yellow glow to the furniture around him, and small sparks occasionally ark over its body. Pulsemon vibrates impatiently. His feet kick wildly over the edge of the seat.
“Oh right, we can do that here.” Eiji raises his wrist and begins scrolling through the settings of his digilinker. Loogamon’s hologram appears next to Eiji. The fur down his back stands angrily as he turns his attention to Pulsemon. He lets out a growl as his body tenses. Pulsemon smirks as he jumps up on his chair, readying himself.
“Enough!” Both Eiji and Leon say in unison.
“Loogamon, chill. That’s my friend.”
“Pulsemon, behave!”
Loogamon sits reluctantly and eyes the yellow Digimon suspiciously. Pulsemon sticks its tongue out the wolf.
“So the professor gave you a keychain dock?”
Leon nods. “He said I looked like someone who would be a good caretaker, and here we are.” He turns to Pulsemon and smiles.
“What’s that shiny rock on your head for? Does it come out?” Pulsemon asks mockingly as it reaches for the gem. Loogamon growls and snaps at Pulsemon’s hand. Pulsemon laughs, “Geez, someone’s touchy.”
“So you’re the Professor’s apprentice or something?” Eiji asks
“More of an assistant. The professor is a busy guy, and I grab his mail, set his appointments, stuff like that.”
“Ouch,” Eiji replies, feeling a bit fortunate. “But it’s kind of funny that we both met because of him.”
“Small world.” Leon stares at the watch around Eiji’s wrist, somewhat lost in a thought. “So how is it you came to have the latest version of the Digimon linker?”
“Isn’t it sweet?” Eiji raises his wrist to show it off. “I came to him for a job. He asked me to go catch him this rare Digimon… ModokiBatamon and gave it to me as a bonus.”
“He does like his Batamon…” Leon responds, still somewhat distracted.
Eiji nods. “He then told me about this job,” he says, motioning to Loogamon. “He wanted me to raise Loogamon for him. Pretty cool huh?”
Leon shakes his head. “It should have been me,” Leon snaps suddenly. “He should have asked me. I’m his actual student…” There is a undeniable hint of jealousy and resentment in his tone.
Shocked by his friends sudden outburst, Eiji is at a loss for words.
“We would have won if we fought you know,” Pulsemon says to Loogamon.
“What did you say you little…”
“You can barely keep your champion form! I’ve made it all the way to mega,” Pulsemon smiles as he flexes for Loogamon.
Loogamon snarls as he stands up angrily. Its tail waves furiously behind it.
“Enough Loogamon! Pulsemon has a point.” Eiji remembers their encounter with Kazuchimon. At this stage, they didn’t stand a chance against them, but both Eiji and Loogamon were determined to surpass their rivals.
“Don’t be annoying Pulsemon!” Leon regains his composure. He looks down at his drink as the soft jazz attempts to cover up the awkward silence. “Sorry, it’s just…” Leon begins. “This is a serious deal Eiji. This isn’t a game. Loogamon isn’t just some Code Cracker tool. This is a huge responsibility, and you need to be sure this is something you really want.””Eiji looks over at Loogamon. The two Digimon continue to bicker quietly. The sight puts a smile on his face. “I am taking this seriously. I took this job because I want to help Digimon. He may be a little grumpy, but Loogamon is my friend. I made him a promise, and I am going to work hard to make sure we become strong enough to protect the Digital World.”Eiji looks over at Loogamon. The two Digimon continue to bicker quietly. The sight puts a smile on his face. “I am taking this seriously. I took this job because I want to help Digimon. He may be a little grumpy, but Loogamon is my friend. I made him a promise, and I am going to work hard to make sure we become strong enough to protect the Digital World.”
Leon sits in silence for a moment as he takes in Eiji’s response. “Alright then” he extends his fist out in the familiar way they used to when they were kids, “It’s a promise!”
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I was sent Project Apidom as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions of the game. This will be my honest review.
Project Apidomis a 3 team MOBA for PC. Teams battle it out on an open map, fighting mobs and each other until only one team is left standing. Instead of unique characters like you see in traditional MOBAs League of Legends, everyone starts with the same generic frame with customizable armor. Armor and weapons affect the stats and abilities of the character. Players have the ability to customize characters to fit their playstyle. Players can also buy stats as they play like in traditional RPGs. Project Apidom is a unique take on the MOBA, but one that needs a lot of work before it can earn a recommendation.
The game is still in early access beta and clearly unfinished. It runs fine, but it feels empty and bare in its current stage. The biggest problem I had with Project Apidom is the matchmaking. I was never able to find a game. The matchmaking isn’t great, but I think the bigger issue is its small population. The community is steadily growing, but the growth is too slow for a game whose emphasis is on PvP. If you try this game, join with friends because playing alone isn’t fun. Make sure you join the official Discord to find people to play with and for information about events run by the devs.
As this game currently sits, I can’t recommend it. I found the gameplay boring, and there aren’t enough people to play with for it to be worth the trouble of booting it up. The game runs fine, but it’s empty and unimpressive. That said, I understand the experience might differ in a full game with real players.
If you are looking for a new MOBA game, you should look into something like Eternal Returninstead. The game has a similar concept, but it is finished and it is playable. But if you don’t mind the rough early access environment, it doesn’t hurt to try it for yourself. The community on their discord is growing daily, and the devs run tournaments from time to time. As of writing this review, you can get a free key if you type /givesteamkey in general chat on their Discord.
Project Apidom is a neat concept for a MOBA, but it isn’t finished, and it isn’t impressive yet. You can check it out on Steam.
Persona 5 Tacticais coming to consoles and PCs on November 17, 2023. The Phantom Thieves find themselves in a strange realm surrounded by Legionnaires. Now they must help the revolutionaries and find a way back home. Do you have what it takes to get the Phantom Thieves back home safely?
I love the art style of this game. If you are a fan of Persona or just want a new strategy game to hop into, this might be worth looking into. It certainly gives me Mario vs. Rabbids vibes, and I love Mario vs. Rabbids.
Persona 5 Tactica will have a skill tree to unlock for each character, unique combos you can perform, and a reserve unit system that I am dying to try. You are able to change the difficulty after you start the game, which is an amazing feature for people like me who aren’t very good at strategy games but still want to enjoy the experience.
I’ll be picking up a copy when it comes out, but am still deciding which version. I am not convinced the digital deluxe version is worth getting if I am only getting two additional characters.
Preorder your copy today!
Xbox: Regular ($59.99)/ Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)
The new trailer introduces the new character Serai, and she is bringing with her a whole new dimension to combat. She can portal around the battle field and back stab enemies! It honestly doesn’t get cooler than that. I love how creative the combat system is in Sea of Stars. This isn’t your traditional turn-based RPG, it is a lot more involved than that. I haven’t had this much fun with a demo in a while, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the full game.
I’ve been excited to play Sea of Stars for a while now. The game looks very good, and the demo is a lot of fun. I you haven’t tried the demo yet, I highly recommend you do so now. If you weren’t thinking about buying it before, you will after the demo. The demo is available for Xbox, Steam, PlayStation, and on the Nintendo Switch. Make sure you check out my impressions of the demo.
Sea of Stars launches on August 29th. I’m hoping to pick it up on the Switch day one, and will be back with the review as soon as I can.
I have been watching the Gamescom coverage a bit passively, but one title that has stood out and has gotten me excited is Tarisland. Tarislandis an MMORPG coming to PC and Mobile devices soon. No date has been announced yet, but there is a beta coming in November. I’ll be making an announcement as soon as I know more, but you can either sign up for updates on the official website or join the official Discord.
The art style looks heavily inspired by World of Warcraft, which I kind of like. The gameplay I’ve seen seems fine, but it is too early to tell if it will be any good. The game will feature seven classes: Ranger, Paladin, Warrior, Mage, Priest, Bard, and Barbarian Fighter. Each class offers two distinct styles styles of gameplay.
Barbarian Fighter
Mage
Priest
Paladin
There is some character customization, but it is limited to things like hair style and color. I would have preferred to play set characters like in Genshin Impact instead if the characters were cooler, but I think the goal is to allow customization through cosmetics. I can only hope the price tag for cosmetics isn’t too high because these characters will need cosmetics.
The game will have dungeons, raids, and pvp like in a traditional MMO, but it isn’t going to be pay to win according to the publishers. I will have to take them to task, but I appreciate the sentiment. The game will balance players through seasons where players will start at the same power level and will have the same opportunities as they level up. I assume there will be a battle pass, but they have said no power level will be tied to the cash shop so it might just be cosmetics.
I hope this game isn’t a terrible grind because what I’ve seen so far has me interested. I am always looking for an MMO to get into, and a game I can play anywhere is always a plus. I’ll probably roll a Bard or Priest because I love to support, but I’ve been enjoying the DPS life lately. I’ll be trying to get into this beta, and will be posting updates as I receive them. I just hope Tarisland can be the one that fills the void!
Terra Memoria is a cozy turn-based RPG coming to Steam, Xbox, PS5, and Switch. This cute RPG mixes a beautifully drawn 3D world with cute 2D pixel art characters and I am here for it. It definitely gives me some Octopath Traveller vibes, but Terra Memoria seems a bit more whimsical. Terra Memoria puts its emphasis on exploration and adventure as a group of friends travel across Terra in search of a solution for the crystal shortage. What makes this game unique is its building mechanic. Players can use this mechanic to create objects, solve puzzles, and create their own village. If is anything like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, I’m never getting anything done.
If you are looking for a new RPG that might be a bit more on the casual side, you should give this a look. No release date has been set yet, but you can at least wishlist it on Steam.
I’m working on getting a review code for this, so stay tuned for the full review when it’s out. Until then, It might be time to finally start up Octopath Traveller II.
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Dragonbane just released. You can pick up your copy of the core book and everything you need from the official Free League Publishing website. I recommend you check them out if you want to experiment with a new system. They have some neat and award-winning content that might be worth a gander.
I’ve written about my excitement for Dragonbane before, I have been following the development as closely as my time allows. I believe the system introduces some neat mechanics, and the book is beautifully illustrated.
If you would like to try the system, there is a free Quickstart PDF you can download from DriveThru RPG. The guide comes with a basic rule set, pre-generated characters, and an adventure you can run through to get you started. I am still working on convincing my playgroup to try it out, but the tools are available for those who are ready. I’m hoping it can be our next campaign, even if it’s a short one.
If you would like to see live gameplay, options are a bit limited until Dragonbane gets a bit more traction. Proficiency Bonus is currently running a Dragonbane campaign on Twitch, and you can find the VODs on their Youtube channel. The first episode has some sound issues, and there is some fumbling on the rules, but I am not expecting anyone to be an expert. I like that the game doesn’t feel scripted and that I got to see the mechanics in action.
Dragonbane introduces some interesting battle mechanics and races that I would love to mess around with. Definitely check it out if you are looking for a new system, or just need a break from D&D. At the very least you will have a very pretty rule book, and maybe some cool game pieces you can use for your other RPGS.
This is the digital only version for those of us who can only play online. This version is 60% off if you buy it with the a physical copy of the rules. I use Foundry VTT for all my D&D campaigns and can’t recommend it enough if you want to play it online. Even if you don’t buy into this system, you should definitely buy into Foundry VTT.
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Signups for the Songs of Silence closed beta for PC, which goes live on August 14th, are now open. Sign up to test out what looks to be a beautiful and unique strategy game for PC and console. Song of Silence promises to be a story-rich game, with a fantastic soundtrack, and competitive multiplayer.
Play as a young queen in search of a safe place for her people in story mode, or fight online in a competitive multiplayer mode.
Combat is turn-based. It looks like you can summon units or cast spells using cards. It reminds me a bit of a game like a clash royal, but with a bigger field to play with. Players will have control of a hero who will have unique abilities to help their armies earn their victories. They will also have access to 1000’s units, spells, and unique heroes for almost limitless combinations.
The closed beta will have three biomes available: The Light Side, The Dark Side, and the Silence. Each biome comes with a unique landscape, factions, and units. It is a great time to try the game out if you are interested in the game. Keep in mind, the beta will be rough and unfinished, so don’t judge it too harshly if you get in. The beta exists to test the game so that the devs can make it better at release, not as a demo for the actual product. I’ve already signed up and am now waiting to see if I get in. Make sure you join the official discord to stay up to date on all the news, and don’t forget to add it to your wishlist.
Songs of Silence is a very pretty game , and with Hitoshi Sakimoto as a composer, the soundtrack is going to be amazing! I am warming up to strategy games, and this one looked manageable enough for my skill level. I will be receiving my review copy when the game comes out, so stay tuned for that!
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If you have been enjoying my content and want to support what I do make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends. You can also buy me a coffee
I’ve written about the upcoming Dragonbane RPG book in a previous post. I recommend you check that out first because I won’t be repeating too much of the technical information. Dragonbane is a TTRPG that is getting its newest edition in August. It has some very cool art and some interesting mechanics. If you are looking for a new RPG system, it might be worth looking into Dragonbane. Preorders are still open on the official site. The Dragonbane bundle is currently on sale for $66.70 (normally $80.30), so now might be the perfect time to grab your copy. There is also a free quick start guide you can download from Drivethru RPG if you’d like to try the game out first.
If you are going to Gen Con this year, make sure you stop by the official Free League booth (#2641). They’ll have demos, live games, and a panel you should check out if you have any questions. Free League Publishing will be hosting games throughout Gen Con, so make sure you drop by game room #138 if you want to try out one of their systems. Don’t forget to sign up for their showcase on Thursday, August 3rd at 11 am in room ICC #244. The panelists include:
Tomas Härenstam, co-founder of Free League and lead game designer of the Dragonbane, Blade Runner RPG, ALIEN RPG, Twilight: 2000, Forbidden Lands, and Mutant: Year Zero.
Luke Stratton, designer of the upcoming MÖRK BORG spin-off game PIRATE BORG
Johan Nohr and Christian Sahlén, designers of MÖRK BORG and CY_BORG
Carl Niblaeus, designer of Death in Space
Kiku Pukk Härenstam, co-writer of Vaesen: Seasons of Mystery and Vaesen: A Wicked Secret
If you are interested in seeing gameplay, Glass Cannon Labs will be running a two-hour live play of Dragonbane next Friday, August 4th, at 10 AM ET at their booth (#174). Make sure to check out their Twitch if you are interested in Free League Publishing’s other systems.
I’m always looking for a new RPG system to try, this one seemed pretty neat so I thought I would share. Go check it out and let me know what you think!
