Redwolf's Journal (continued)

 ... is very good. The gameplay is solid. The lack of a lock-on in combat might take some getting used to for some, but I barely noticed most of the time and adapted. It's not super-difficult (at least on normal mode), but can definitely punish a player for getting in over their head. It moves well and looks gorgeous. The lovely scenery can arguably get to be a little much at times, but the only area that I actually got bored of was the Act 3 zone due to the comparative monotony of being snowy - it was unique compared to the rest of the map, but there's a lot of it. I'm not really an expert when it comes to feudal Japanese stories, but this one feels very appropriate and maturely-told. As a story that centers on a samurai surviving against incredible odds and adopting non-conventional strategies against a greater foe, it fits for there to be a conflict between tradition and effectiveness told around a central cast who are all imperfect. Lord Shimura is, perhaps, the only on

 Yeah, I perhaps got a little too <i>real</i> for my own tastes last night by delving into a short rant about the state of modern (USA, at least) society. I really do think a lot of people (especially older ones) don't grasp how far-fetched the "American Dream" has become. Being able to get a job that allows you to support a homemaking spouse, 1-2 kids, and a house with lovely white picket fense is exception more than the rule. Even as I was growing up, it felt like having both parents work became a requirement. And now my perception is that having more working young adults than bedrooms in a shared, rented apartment is approaching the <i>norm</i>. I've held what seems like it should be a <i>decent</i> job with one company for over two decades and (with some other elements of good fortune) I'm just able to fend for myself. In no way do I feel financially able to support a partner, child, or even really a pet. I often think of my

 I recently started thinking about the mask I still have sitting around that I haven't made any sort of progress with  and felt some inclination to go more cyberpunk than steampunk. Either way, I'd need to do work with the mask itself to shape it into something more, and then there's the matter of a full costume to go with. But I can't really settle on an overall look. When cosplaying a character (or even something non-unique like "a Mandalorian"), you've got something of a model to work from. Without that, I bounce around a lot. Cyberpunk could be smooth lines of corporate business suits or tattered street wear. I mentally lean toward dark colors, but bright elements can make good highlights. And pockets are good. I want to do lights in the mask eyes and that brings up the possibility of lighting other elements. Electroluminescent wire could be used in small or large amounts to run light along clothing, but I can't decide if that's a good or bad i

Hollow Knight is a good game. And I like it. It's a 2D action-platformer that performs well. It's got a certain stylistic charm mingled with the gothic darkness of a "Soulsborne" game. I wish there was a bit more interactivity and current story largely because the atmosphere and background lore seems interesting. It's also significantly larger than I expected. But, I'm probably not going to finish it. For all the good, of which there is a lot, the amount of backtracking has worn on me and I find repeating certain fights and jumping sections to be a bit above my frustration threshold. These are things that may not bother everyone equally. I encountered a number of trying boss fights and struggled through from being overwhelmed to learning and overcoming. I think what finally got me was the Traitor Lord fight. I consciously understand his move set, but I wasn't able to pull things together. It doesn't help that many of his attacks deal two hits of damag