Hopefully Photobucket won't screw up the images...

Tsukihime ~ Blue Blue Glass Moon Under the Crimson Air ~

Introduction

The player takes control of a boy named Shiki - whom finds himself waking up one day in a hospital after waking up from an accident which left a scar on his chest.
Whilst he had miraculously recovered from his wound , he also now bear the ability to see "lines" all across the walls and tables , lines of which things are easy to "cut"
However , a fated meeting with a woman named Aozaki Aoko changed his life and she even gave him a pair of glasses which covers up these lines in question.
Several years later , Shiki returns to his original household after living with the Arimas - the sudden decision of calling him back after disowning him surprised Shiki - but his willing to return for his sister , Akiha.
Thus , begins the story of Tsukihime...

Characters Review / Route Review

Tohno Shiki

The player character whom's sprite isn't actually seen other than in the CGs.
Shiki isn't a saint - he was taught not to be so but he was also taught to do what he believe is right.
Owing to that , Shiki , like any other human , feels matters such as lust , is self-aware , feels despair and pain - but unlike other humans , he goes out of his way to defend those he cares for and tends to have the habit of treating about everyone equally well - which makes it painful for those whom wants to be the closest to him.

Owing to his personality , it's hard to hate him when he does something wrong and it's always possible to sympathise with him when his being pushed to the brink out of the fear of death or some other plot-related circumstances.
Generally speaking , his personality is far more realistic than that of most since he feels emotions , both evil and good of that of a normal human but he also performs feats of which we can never hope to muster the courage to achieve.

Arcueid Brunestud

A girl whom appears in the city and in her and Ciel's route.
Shiki was willing to cooperate with her in her route as a way to compensate her.
Arcueid's personality is fairly unusual as she tends to be very child-like most of the times and she does enjoy talking - but her lack of common sense and talkative nature is owing to her past - so her personality fits unusually well with her background.

Despite her happy-go-lucky nature , when her wrath was incurred , her anger is enough to root one to the ground out of fear. Surprisingly enough , the sprites and effects of the game was done well enough to spread a little of that fear into the player themselves - the effect is magnified owing to the fact that she is usually friendly and airheaded so in some ways her personality is indeed unique but well built - though her route isn't quite as interesting as the other heroines.

Arcueid's route is mainly about Shiki's devotion to Arcueid and the short period of time they spent together - which started off as a cooperation but ended up being mutual affection for one another.

Ciel

Ciel appears in Shiki's school as a Senpai but soon reveals her true nature to him in several routes.
She is a member of the Burial Agency , a secret force of the Church which exterminates non-humans like Dead Apostles - in other words - vampires and various other non-humans.

It is unclear which is the "real" her , the friendly and somewhat pushy Senpai or the cold-blooded assassin of the Agency , she appears remarkably friendly towards Shiki most of the time but bears a well disguised hostility towards Akiha and she doesn't even bother hiding her coldness when she's confronting Arcueid.

Ciel's route was particularly emotional as Ciel struggled with her role as a Burial Agency member and she abandoned her role for Shiki - whom was willing to abandon his life for her.
She aided Shiki in his impulses and gone through lengths of pain to ensure he is safe.

Ciel's route was particularly lengthy as well , it is quite as easy as Arcueid's route but there is a deeper grain of information into the enemy , Roa and Ciel's past - as well as a heavier link into Shiki's inversion impulses.
In some ways , this is one of the darker routes.

Tohno Akiha

Akiha may appear pushy , cold and incredibly nasty at times - she is actually very concerned about Shiki's well-being and goes through lengths to ensure his safety.
After Tohno Makihisa's death , she became the head of the Tohno household and she chased everyone out of the mansion so Shiki can come back in peace.

Akiha can be possessive at times as well and she kept her desire to be with Shiki deep in her heart for many years. The irony is that whilst Shiki thinks that he is indebted to her , Akiha , likewise , thinks that she is indebted to him , that she is saved by him.

Thus , her route is a beautiful story of devotion.
About her willing to go through all sorts of pain to make sure her brother is healthy and well , she is willing to burden nights worth of fits to make sure her brother lives and she resists certain emotions solely for Shiki.
To put it bluntly , her eyes reflect no one but Shiki , placing all she have for him and denying any blood ties she may have to be with him.
The ending was particularly beautiful and at the same time , sad , for Shiki returns the devotion he received in his own way.

Hisui

One of the two remaining maids of the Tohno Mansion.
Hisui may appear cold and emotionless but if one observes carefully , she makes subtle expressions and does get angry when Shiki does things which is not beneficial to his health.
She takes care of Shiki as his personal maid but she finds it difficult to wake Shiki in the morning as she felt it is rude to do so owing to the fact that Shiki looks remarkably peaceful when his asleep.

Hisui's route is a unique one.
Misunderstanding , surprises , a plot twist and how she manages to help Shiki in her own way - waking him up from his delusions and pain - managing to convince him to live on in times of need.

The conclusion of her route was a depressing one. It's one of more depressing endings with the most sacrifices and relevations which is better left unknown.
But at the end , Hisui is starting to become more cheerful again - in some ways it is warped - but in others - it is a gem within a tale of imperfection.

Kohaku

Kohaku is the twin sister of Hisui and the personal maid of Akiha.
Despite her cheery nature , if one look closely enough , they would realise that she doesn't make as much expressions as Hisui - all she does is smile.

After Hisui's route , the player may feel reluctant to go through her route but when they do , when they know her well enough , it is difficult to dislike her and sympathy would - undeniably - appear.

This is the last tale but also a difficult one - not in terms of choices but the course of the story itself.
A story of human nature , clashing against each other , it's imperfection and it's weaknesses.
But at the end , at the very end , the fruits of the ending is a true smile - not a fake one - which is donned upon this girl's face.

It's an unusual final route , but it is an unusually bright ending to the multiple possibilities of Tsukihime.

Story Overview

Unlike the future works it had spawned - such as Kara no Kyoukai and Fate/Stay Night , Tsukihime does not bear the intensfying scenarios displayed in such plotlines.
What it had displayed is something else different - the beauty and imperfection of human nature.

How one may feel lust , jealousy , desire to kill , desire to protect your own life at all costs - but at the same time , the beauty of devotion which is strong enough to throw all these imperfections away and overcome the very instinct and desire to live.

In short , it is a beautiful tale. Everything in this plot is beautifully subtle. The emotions are not particularly strong - but they are lasting and at the same time , subtle.
Unlike other stories which simply delivers a single "pang" of emotion - Tsukihime funnels such emotions into the player slowly and carefully - but it lasts and the impact is like that of a flowing river. Soft , gentle but everpresent.

The significance of this story is not the struggles for life and death , not the battles involved and definitely not the impulses the characters feel - but how the characters communicate , how they protect the ones they love and how they struggle through turbulent times for those whom they want to protect.

The soft beauty of such a tale can never be truly explained.

Artwork Review

In terms of artwork , Tsukihime has set itself apart from other Visual Novels of it's age.
Visual Novels of it's time tends to have awkward coloring schemes , textures and tones , as well as body proportions which isn't quite pleasing to look at but Tsukihime's artwork is comparable even to modern CGs.

Certainly , the lightning , shadowing and coloring is old compared to modern artwork - but it is comparable - especially the smooth artwork.
Considering that it was a Doujin work , the illustrations can be considered exceptional.
Whilst some of the CGs lack a scenario for a background , those which does have a rather remarkably drawn scenery - some of them may feel blocky and stiff but it is still generally impressive for a work this old.

The designs of the characters can't be considered unique but they are distinct.
It is contridictory to say this but indeed , they are not unique.
The dresses that they wear , their general design - most of it is pretty plain in comparison to most Visual Novels.

But that in itself is a form of distinction and what is more , whilst the heroines doesn't wear anything strange and fluffy , the designers certainly are skilled in drawing faces which allows the player to make distinctions between the heroines in a matter of seconds.

As for the special effects , they aren't particularly intensifying , they do boost the general experience but not particularly well. When the screen is shaded red , it does work well for bloody scenarios but when it turns , for example , blue to represent a blackout , it would make the player think that something had gone wrong with their screen monitor instead.

Music Review

The music may sound beautiful at first but owing to it's age , as well as the fact that there is only ten tracks in the entire game and the fact that they loop from beginning to the end - that in itself can cause some pretty serious headaches in the more common scenarios.

Whilst their effect does come into play in more serious scenarios - in more gentle scenarios they may end up becoming a bother at times since the player can relax and pay more attention to the music in question.

However , like I said , whilst the music does depreciate over time - it's value returns to it's original worth in more serious scenarios and emotional scenarios.

Overall

Enjoyable? You bet it is.
Several nights of my life playing this game was well invested.
Whilst the challenge in making decisions in this game isn't particularly high - whilst one may make mistakes once in a while the choices to be made in this game can be fairly obvious at times.
However , the players may end up getting the Bad Endings on purpose to view the various possible scenarios and to learn more about the storyline - so in that sense the story may drag out for a while.

Romance

The romance in this game isn't the convenient set-ups for males , nor is it the typical soft and fluffy romance for females.
It is primarily a matter of devotion and throwing aside your darker desires to defend the one you love.
Dedication and devotion would probably be the most suitable term for this Visual Novel - though in Akiha's case it was mostly one-sided most of the time - so her's is a bit extreme compared to the other heroines.

Impulses

At times this Visual Novel may depict something disturbing such as the enjoyability in murder , bloodshed and lust.
Depending on the player's choices , Shiki may end up being a victim to such sinful delights and end up doing something he ought not have done - though this usually leads to the Bad End.
Naturally , the idea is - don't do anything bad if you can help it.

Trivia
- You may download the Non-Eroge CG Option along with the Mirror Moon English patch for the game.
- Melty Blood takes place several years after Tsukihime - though it's unclear which route it is spawned from
- Melty Blood originally started off as a Doujin work by a third-party company - Type-Moon continued their work
- There is a "sequel" called Kagetsu Tohya - it's not really a sequel but I don't want to give out spoilers
- Satsuki's route was scrapped but the developers promised to release it one way or the other
- There are various side-stories found in the Plus Disc which is a must-read
- Tsukihime 2 is also known as the "Dark Six" as seen in Kagetsu Tohya
- There is NO Tsukihime 2 as of now , there are only references in it in stories like Kagetsu Tohya

*scratches head*

I hold nothing against foreigners but anyone would be pissed if jobs are taken away by these "foreign talents".
Certainly , there are jobs of which Singaporeans do not or is incapable of performing to a satisfactory standard but there are also jobs which were taken away from locals despite having the capability to do so - simply because foreigners are generally cheaper to hire.

Naturally , this became a rather heavy issue amongst Singaporeans... though I certainly detest the way Singaporeans are treating the foreigners.
Whilst they are a threat to our livelihoods - there is no reason to spew insults and hostilities towards them... Well , most of them anyway. ( I had a... bad experience with one foreigner )

Generally speaking , literally 1/2 of our population is composed of foreigners and the other 1/2 are people borned in Singapore and was raised on local soil.
It is a frightening digit - particularly so since most of our island is composed of people whom's heart lies on foreign lands.

I strongly believe that a country is nothing without it's people - what about a country which have 1/2 of it's space occupied by people whom have little loyalty to the local soil?
Some may have changed their hearts and mind to this land but the issue is more complicated than that.

Whilst foreigners aren't of a common sight in the past ( Unless you count the central and perhaps more Eastern part of Singapore ) , foreigners can now be seen across the land.
Again , this is a complicated issue. Without foreigners , our manpower value would decrease greatly but the inconsistency of job allocations and the discontent of the people is yet another severe issue at hand.

The government is trying to convince the people to have more children ( Typical sight in most modern countries I suppose ) but the issue is - cost of living and the upbringing of a child can be harsh even with the subsidies involved.
So , all in all , I worry for the possible degeneration of this country.

I guess the government is taking into account the country well-being as a whole and not the people's desire in question. That may be the best move since our nation is small but at the same time it's not kind to those whom lived here ever since they were borned.

I wonder if this issue could EVER be resolved.

*twiddles thumbs nervously*

Right , I wonder if I have enough games to make a list...
( Side Note : Google Chrome denies me of resizing )

RPG Sector

Disgaea

Ugh... Seems like I can't resize on Chrome... maybe I should switch to Firefox.
Anyways , Disgaea has proven to be an extremely addictive RPG game since it's initial release - throwing a large pie in the faces of those who thinks "graphics makes a game what it is" with it's strangely addictive gameplay despite all the level grinding to be done.
Whilst the number of DLCs does tick me off a little , at least , for one , Disgaea has evolved it's gameplay in the various series and I'm pretty sure fans are pleased with the system of Disgaea 3.
Well , I don't have Disgaea 4 yet so I can't talk much about it =w=

Shooter Sector

Killzone

Killzone's campaigns aren't exactly top-notch when you compare it to it's other shooter competitors but on the bright side , it have an extremely addictive multiplayer feautre which seems to be able to incur less RAGE into the players.
For one , I am not fond of how much Crysis 2 had changed from it's original installment - the lacking of vehicles and oversized maps had totally killed Crysis' selling point and the new Nanosuit system is more annoying than flexible.
Call of Duty is filled with cliches like grenades raining on your head and well , Battlefield could do better judging from the previous installments.

Action Sector

Bayonetta

It seems SEGA have not abandoned us - the English consumers.
Well , the Action sector was a bit of a headache considering that I've tried out stuff like God of War III , Dante's Inferno , Ninja Gaiden and stuff like that.
However , Bayonetta sets itself apart by having a more unique and exotic form of concept. Despite the fact that it does remind one of Devil May Cry , it is generally more flexible and dynamic in it's own way - not to mention offering a bunch of various challenges to the player.

Action-RPG

Demon's Souls

I believe I'd be smitten if I didn't include this one.
Amusingly , the developers seems to be a bunch of sadists or something - the game is so incredibly difficult that it is not impossible to die in the initial chapters.
The challenge and skill required to play this game is astounding - even more so with the lack of items which can heal you.
Certainly , the bosses tends to attack in a rather fixed pattern but unlike Monster Hunter , the moves are slightly harder to read and you'd need a slightly faster reaction to deal with those attacks.
To top it all off - the multiplayer system which everyone loves and hates.

Mecha Sector

Mobile Suit Gundam Crossfire

Why are the scores so low on every review site?
Well , at the very least , it's better than most Mecha games on the PS3.
Playing this game really feels as though the player is truly caught in a real Gundam battle , unlike the cheesy rubbish we had to put up with for the past years.
I hate to admit it but graphics is really what made this game a cut above other Mecha since it brought about the feel of warfare.
Not to mention damage is no longer taken as "HP" but your respective body parts.
The game is also generally less stiff - it's still relatively mechanic in it's melee system but otherwise it's a pretty awesome game.

Strategy Game

The interesting graphics scheme , the unique gameplay , the strategy needed to complete a mission whilst intergrated with some requirements for the player to actively take part in the actual battles which commends in the battlefield and not simply just ordering his troops about.
Whilst it can be fairly tedious at times , the game have a strange ability to force you to keep at it till things got interesting again.
It's not easy describing the gameplay - in someways it may appear simplistic but it can be complex and addictive at the same time.

I'm done for now... I think I'd throw in the rest tomorrow or something.
I still don't have Catherine yet so I can't throw it in the list :X

Edit :
Happy B'Day Singapore!

I remember saying this roughly two times before , non?

Anyways , I am back! Rejunevated! Bored of the other social sites! Pissed off by trolls hidden in every corner of the globe! Humor-wise I am greater than ever before! My mentality stronger though my knowledge has weakened!
I AM BACK!

*cough*

Anyways , as some personal updates , I am currently not too much into gaming these days but more or less into Visual Novels.

The few PS3 games I'm still playing are probably Another Century Episode : R. I intend to get Catherine but I can't make up the time to run to some distant shop to make the orders.

Financially , I'm kinda worried about the state of the economy in the west , particularly America and the impact it will have on the globe - as well as the major slide in the stocks.

Politically speaking... meh , there's nothing much to talk about. The local politics went to a rest after the elections... People doesn't seem to be quite as heated up in choosing their Presidents. ( Unlike the U.S , the Prime Minister is actually the one taking on the role of a President. The roles are reverse y'see. )

Anyways , I'd be posting a bit more regularly from now on and hopefully , slowly expand the time I have in here to to the forums and Groups which I've left... eh... deserted?

Oh , I've also improved in reviewing come to think of it. ( As well as dealing with trolls and flamers.... and smart arses )
I may also post some stories from now on to improve my writing skills...

Edit : Did my images just get erased away? :o

..... Am I disappointed? Or should I be upset? Or should I simply be enraged?

Certainly , when one judge others one must judge oneself but when faults such as these are THAT clear , judgement is not needed.

Singapore - a country known for it's "equality" between people and yet , what do I see? Youths discriminating against Chinese Nationals , discriminating against foreign workers whom took on difficult jobs to earn a living in this country and discriminating against people whom are simply not Singaporeans.

Certainly , there are people whom live through our virtues and are morally upright , but there are thousands of youths whom speak before they think , discriminate against others , blame others before analysing the situation and is self-righteous and self-indulgent.

Those who pick on the weak and lone , those who decides it's amusing to mock other's plights , those whom are inhumane and lacking in a firm and established moral system in their minds.

The pithole of our pathetic nature is none other than in a site which was meant to debate Singapore's civil problems , STOMP. Ironically , it had became the pithole of problems itself.
Pointless accusations and posts , inconsiderate buffoons mocking at the plight of others , mockery of one's origins and state...

I find it disgusting , repulsive and ever offensive.
I admit , I do not bear the love for my country as a loyal soldier would but I have a certain extence of faith and trust in it. I believe I am living in a country which is morally upright , a country filled with people whom are simply distracted by work but is not heartless and time and time again I was proven wrong.

Alas , is it possible to maintain faith in a country filled with corrupted youths?

A personal review of The Witcher 2

Storyline
Whilst not taking on the same story construct , pattern nor exact atmosphere of The Witcher 1 , The Witcher 2's storyline has proven to be a pleasent change. From one to that of a civil conflict and the possible future of humankind to the pursue of a Kingslayer whom is killing off the kings of the Northen Kingdoms.
Minor plot elements may even be changed with a Witcher 1 Save File and what you did in the previous game may indirectly affect some minor plot elements in The Witcher 2 , such as a friend sending you a gift or some advice from the previous game.

Generally , the storyline feels slightly more well-constructed and the atmosphere is generally lighter compared to the sinful atmosphere of the previous game which had featured much of men's wrongs as the majority of the game is more focused on the hunt for the Kingslayer, though the matters of racial conflicts and political issues of the previous game was brought over to reinforce the overall structure of the game.

Gameplay
The Witcher 2 have faced some major hauls in it's overall gameplay system.
From a point-and-click RPG to a real-time action-based combat system.
Fans from the previous installment might find it a struggle to cope with the difficulty of handling an action game for they were used to the more RPG oriented setting of The Witcher.

There are also some changes which may prove to be for the better , or for the worse.
For example , Geralt can now meditate anywhere provided that there isn't any enemies around , which means he can perform the feats of meditation such as resting , potion making and Talent assigning anywhere the player wills it to be.

However , potion making have became more or less annoying for Geralt doesn't memorise the formulas of the potions and alchemical compose upon the purchase of the formula , which means you have to keep hold on these formulas in question if you ever want to compose an alchemical product.

The inventory system is transformed into a "weight-based" inventory system , which means it no longer takes on the form of the slot system in the previous Witcher but to a weight-based structure of which you can keep a certain amount of items as long as you can afford to carry them.

Also , the targetting system of the game may prove to be a pain at times , seeing that the swipes of the blade that Geralt made would not be capable of harming anyone or anything else other than the NPC he is targetting. Not to mention that the player may find themselves , from time to time , accidently shifting the mouse and losing the chance to attack the character whom you had intended to attack.

As for the roaming structure of the game , it is more or less similar to the first Witcher , where you move on from area to area but is free to roam within that area in question until the next Chapter.

Magic
Magic was not as impressive as it would be like in the previous game , where the variety of effects was indeed apparent.
In The Witcher 2 , using a variety of signs in a single battle may prove unneccessary as your blade alone can get you out of most situations , whilst certain signs aren't quite as capable as they were before.

For example , the Aard sign is now only capable of pushing a single enemy back and it can no longer perform a pushback within a radius like before.
Generally speaking , the effectiveness of the signs are greatly lowered and I rarely use anything else other than the Quad sign which is capable of providing the player with invulnerability for a few seconds.

Characters and Conversations
Generally , I do enjoy the changes in some of the designs of the characters though some of the changes may prove too drastic to stomach , like Zoltan Chivay's design. He now have more beard than he have hair for one.

As for the conversations , they feel , generally speaking , far more realistic compared to the mechanic speeches in the previous game. Sure , the voice acting need a bit brushing up for some of the characters , especially Geralt himself , but the way the characters talk is no longer done in a way which makes the entire scenario look incredibly awkward.

Not to mention that there are also timed choices to be made in some of the conversational options that the players have to choose. Generally speaking , the factor of "Decision and Consequence" is still there , so the player have to watch what they say - and fast , owing to the fact that some crucial conversations are timed and the player does not have the luxury to dilly dally as they did before.

Graphics
The Witcher 2 is.... graphically demanding. Perhaps even more so than Crysis 2. For one , my framerate isn't perfect even in the lowest setting of this particular game.

But truth be told , it is quite staggering to see the drastic differences between the first game and the second. The characters look far more realistic compared to their previous counterparts. For one , you can see every facial feature chiseled into form and every single scar was incredibly detailed and every ounce of marking on the character was brought out to the finest level.

Though there is one factor that displeases me , the swordplay motions.
I remember the stylish and unique swordplay that Geralt had displayed in the first game , which makes combat look elegant yet lethal at the same time , but now , the swordwork displayed by Geralt feels crude , generally more realistic but also crude.

The elegance of the swordplay the game had once displayed is now but a remnant in the second installment. Not to mention that Coup d' Graces doesn't look as impressive in this game.

Humor
Unlike The Witcher 1 , which only have a bit of humor here and there... if there is any at all , The Witcher 2 is have generally more jokes and amusing conversations between the various characters.
So , to put it bluntly , listening in to conversations and actually going through what they say isn't quite as boring as it was in the previous Witcher , where the characters were monotonous in their conversations regardless of the voice actor's potential.

Unsafe Scenes...
You get what I mean.
Geralt was a flirt in the previous game and he still is now.
Though the amount of "possible encounters" are lowered , there are actual animations of such scenes now , though of course , you can't see a thing but you can see the motion and what not.
In someways , it'll be worse than God of War XD

Overall
Buy it , or do not buy it?
Regardless of the fact whether your a fan of RPG or Action games , just get your hands on the game.
A cast of likeable characters , an intriuging storyline , decisions and consequences , a variety of quests and missions , various monsters and characters to fight against and alchemy , not to mention some minor ero scenes to boot if your a pervert , it's hard to pass up on this one that's for sure.

If your wondering whether playing the previous game is neccessary to boost the experience of the sequel , my answer is... no , though it is suggested that you do so , The Witcher 2 features another tale of it's own with little intergration of the previous game , though it is possible to port the previous Save Data of the first game to bring over some money and items , as well as some minor plot elements to the second game.

Mmm... My opinion on Crysis 2 is rather mixed actually.

Likes

Urban Combat
For a change , I don't need to crawl in the grass , wriggle around the soil and hide behind trees which hardly provide any cover.
TIME FOR SOME URBAN COMBAT! HOORAH!!

New Weapons
Who doesn't like a new arsenal of weapons which can blow your enemy's head off in a matter of second?
New , shiny , glistening , highly-polished weapons that can bust your enemy's nanosuit in seconds.

New Abilities
For once , you can finally kill your enemies with the environment at ease.
I remember the tough time I had trying to kill an enemy by flipping the car over with strength mode , now you can just kick it over and ta-dah! Meat pancakes is served!

Improved Physics
Well , remember the time when ordinary soldiers ( and yourself ) could just die from banging a rubbish bin in the face?
Remember how those enemies become boneless meat bags when their killed!?
Finally , that had been fixed... most of it anyway.

Better Atmosphere
Despite the "godly graphics" that previous Crysis game had provided , that is something very mechanic and "game-like" of the scenarios in the previous installments.
Fortunately , that had changed a drastic deal in Crysis 2.

Dislikes

Where did the vehicles go?
I know it's urban combat but I seriously miss the times when you could just use any form of combat that your comfortable with.
Vehicles , boats , aircrafts... now we'r just a bunch of men strapped up in tight suits running across rooftops and the roads of America.

Unequal Combat Opportunities
Owing to the new system of the game , newcomers may find themselves outmatched by older players whom have unlocked a majority of the skills already.
Sure , you may say skill comes into play here , but with all the overpowered buggers running about , skill hardly matters in such situation.

Unlock , Unlock , Unlock
Has Crysis been influenced by Call of Duty or something? I really hate the typical unlock system in shooters , it doesn't really give the idea of fairplay in the game.
I don't like my enemies being in a disadvantage nor do I actually like my enemies being in the advantage.
I certainly hope Crysis would stop mimicking other shooters , the thing that had set itself apart was it's originality.

Squeezy maps
Where did all the big maps ( Remember Mesa? It's my favourite map )go?
Now no matter where I turn , there'd be some guy shooting in my face.
The idea of tactical combat is going down the ash chutes.

Arupt shifts in the Storyline
I mean , things changed a bit too quickly from Crysis 1 and it's side-story , Warhead , non?
The general scenario and cast of characters have shifted too quickly for comfort.
It's like having a big crater in the centre of a flat plain.

Title says it all

Bioware
So many Bioware games , so little time.
Neverwinter Nights , The Witcher , Star Wars : Knights of the Old Republic , Oblivion...
Bioware has given English RPGs a firm definition and standing in the markets , whilst it may not have displayed a firm standing in the storyline field but gameplay-wise , their games are pretty addictive.

NIS ( Nippon Ichi Software )
I have a fairly mixed opinion about this company actually.
They release some pretty decent goods like Disgaea and Ar Toncelio from time to time but also made rubbish like The Last Rebellion which can cause some pretty serious headaches with it's gameplay.
Their other releases aren't quite as prominent since their overshadowed by their major releases , but their actually pretty good to be honest.

Konami
Konami has released a large variety of games , but the most notable being that of the Metal Gear series , the Castlevania series and well , the Silent Hill series.
I'm pretty sure some of you guys would remember Contra as well.
Whilst their variety of game releases is large , it seems that Konami bears a greater potential in making more mature games for their fans.

Kojima Productions
Sure , Konami released MTGS , but Kojima was the one who made it XD
Still , I'm kinda worried about the future aspect of this company , they have pretty much worked solely on MTGS and have done little on anything else.
It's without a doubt the Solid series is coming to an end after all , even if they try to extend it , there's no escaping it.

Bandai Namco
Bandai releases a combination of RPG and action games , as well as Mecha games from time to time.
The Tales series , the .hack// series and the occasional Mecha games which we MAY enjoy..
Well , at least their improving on their mecha games over the years.
... Aw shuck , how can I forget about Xenosaga!
Though you gotta admit , these guys releases some pretty awful Anime games from time to time.

Capcom
My favourite company for some intense action games.
It is responsible for the release of fighter legends like Darkstalkers , Street Fighter and the vs Capcom series.
Not to mention being responsible for making some pretty decent survivals and some pretty decent action games such as Monster Hunter from time to time.
Sometimes a company doesn't have to make it out of their major field to make it big.

SEGA
Whilst this company doesn't make international releases as oftenly as before , you gotta admit that the Phantasy Star series , Valkyria Chronicles series as well as games such as Yakuza and End of Eternity ( Resonance of Fate ) has proved phenomenomal.
Not to mention that Project Diva has proved to be... getting more and more wide-spread by the day.

Atlus
Though Atlus , technically speaking , is no more , we would still love them for the Shin Megami Tensei series as well as their collobarative efforts with some companies to deliver one of the most epic JRPGs of it's time.
Not to mention it had released Catherine prior to it's merge.
One of my favourite Tactical games , Hoshigami , was also released by Atlus... though I kinda doubt you guys know about it T_T

Square Enix
Whilst I do hate them for messing up the Final Fantasy series , you can't deny that they had made some of the best JRPGs that outmatches other similar companies.
They had released games like Dragon Quest , Valkyrie Profile , Star Ocean , collaberted with Atlus for the Shin Megami games , Parasite Eve , The Last Remnant... you get the idea.

Arc System Works
Whilst most of you guys would remember this company for BlazBlue , I'd remember it for Guilty Gear.
Why , I'd hate them forever for making someone like Bridget.
... Come to think of it , Noel kinda reminds me of Bridget.
Don... Don't tell me...
Nah , let's not think too much about it.

Ehh , I'm pretty sure I'm missing something here but... no matter , there's too many companies to remember anyway XD

Well , I've never got to see snow seeing that I live in a country which is near the equator and all.

So , can anyone really describe to me how snow feels like? I've seen pictures and all I see is a patch of white.
.... Well , a patch of white which is remarkably beautiful in it's own way anyway XD

So , can anyone tell me how snow is like? I don't think I can go overseas to anywhere that far anytime soon so I would at least want to know how it is like beforehand.
Is it smooth or is it grainy? Is it hard or is it soft? Is it powdery or is it in lumps? :X

Well , to put it bluntly , my mother was... to put it nicely , have 68K floating out of her grasp even though the insurance policy would reach it's maturity date in one year's time.

It was under the claim that we had not paid the premium fees even though a "letter which had never really been delivered" was delivered to notify us of the fees in question a month ago.
Though truth be told , such a letter had never really existed , either that or it's the post company's fault or it's because some mysterious ninja had ursuped the services to sabotage us.

I've heard that America have some pretty... immoral Health Insurance companies but I've never really expected the same to go for here to be honest. ( I've watched some documentaries and let's face it , for some reason those people can't get the money even though they are ill as the company tries to dig out any so-called "Pre-Existent Diseases and Illnesses" to mark their policies invalid )

Hahaha , still , it was pretty amusing to watch the Agent quiver ( Well , not really quiver but... you get the idea ) under my mother's boiling rage ( I assure you , she can be pretty scary at times... I mean , REALLY INTIMIDATING )
Seriously though , even I know that these buffoons are specialised to outtalk their customers in such times and the matter of getting back the money ( Even 1/2 of it ) seems to be pretty much non-existent.

The policy was marked void and years of payment had pretty much went down the drain.
Now I'm thinking of the best possible ways to threaten them. >:D
... Seriously though , I've been trying to look for a loophole in that little policy of their's written everything down in point form and I guess they had experts writing down the stuff for a reason - there's almost no loophole to the contract by itself and even if there are , none of them can be used in this situation since it's not a health issue we'r talking about here - it's the late payment of the premium fees.

Honestly , the way the agent acted ignorance is enough to make my blood boil a little , well , certainly business is business but immoral conduct is unacceptable. Letter of notification , informant , phone calls... none were made nor issued so the date of payment was not known nor made notified of.

I know that these agents are just doing their jobs but spouting rubbish without batting an eyelid is.... well , kinda pitiful really , if they have a conscience anyway.