Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary Celebration Recap

 

It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since I first visited Midgar and became smitten with not only the game but the entire series as well. I have a lot to thank the seventh “numbered” entry in the series for, not the least of which is my marriage haha. I kid you not… My now brother-in-law set me up on the blind date that led to my forever gal all because he remembered seeing my rant about how excited I was for the Final Fantasy VII Remake. This was back in 2015 mind you, FIVE WHOLE YEARS before the game would actually come out… Anyway, Square Enix held a “Life Stream” (bad pun… I know) err– live stream on June 16th to announce the 25th anniversary celebration for this genre-defining classic. You can catch the full presentation on YouTube. While some of the items announced definitely made me more excited than others, I wanted to give a quick recap of what FFVII fans have to look forward to

First up on the menu, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade was announced for Steam. That’s right folks, if you’ve been wanting to play the remake and have not acquired a PS4 or PS5, you can now purchase it on Steam. Side note: it has already been available in the Epic Game Store since last December, but this with the Steam release comes the ability to play handheld on the steam deck as well! Personally, I have yet to finish the game. I know… How can I call myself a true FFVII fan if I still haven’t beaten the first installment? I blame my energetic toddlers haha. I will say however that I am grateful for the modernization that allows players to save anywhere instead of having to either return to the world map or scour the area for a save point. #NineteenNinetiesGamingProbsSomeYoungersWontUnderstand

Next up a bunch of new shiny pieces of jewelry, action figures, musical arrangements, and even a digital Buster Sword clock were announced. Most of these items cost a pretty penny, but I think Square did an excellent job in procuring high quality products. I love the idea of sporting a Shinra Bangle ring complete with a personal choice on colored gemstones to represent the different types of Materia! Will I buy one? Probably not. But would I love it and wear it pretty much every day if I did? You bet your bottom Gil that I would.

Season 3 for Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier is now underway. I haven’t tried this mobile Battle Royale yet, but if you’re into games like PUBG and the like and you’re an FFVII fan, give it a try. New goodies this season include: the new Midgar Plateside map, a Serpent Launcher, Water Materia, and the Machinist style.

A new mobile game called Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis will be entering Closed Beta sometime this year. I haven’t been able to glean too many details beyond what was shown in the trailer, but it looks to be a hybrid graphical style of the OG FFVII and Remake. Apparently the game will include other parts of the overarching FFVII storyline from Crisis Core (originally available on the PSP). If my memory serves me well, a lot of the settings seen in the trailer seem to be not just high-def ports of the original scenery renders, but actual recreations of the same framing with much better graphics.

Speaking of which, we will be seeing the remake Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion this Winter coming to all major consoles. Having never owned a PSP I wasn’t able to set my hands on the game. I of course know who Zach is (I’m trying to avoid spoilers for those who are still hoping to play the OG), but it will be fun to actually get to experience his back story first-hand.

Last but not least, the announcement I was most excited for was for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. I am curious to see how the storyline changes will play out. In the trailer we see Cloud and Sephiroth approaching the Great Northern Crater, something I don’t remember happening in the OG. Whether the platinum-haired villain is actually there or just a figment in Cloud’s head has yet to be revealed.

Originally we were told that the remake project would span multiple games. At the time, I wondered if Square-Enix would try and keep it to three parts: one for each of the discs in the original multi-disc version. Sure enough the three-part structure was confirmed by Executive Producer Yoshinori Kitase, with Rebirth set to come out Winter 2023. Beyond that, we do not have a title for the final installment, nor a release date. This does however give me ample time to finish Part I and enjoy the other projects set to come out before then. Looks like I have plenty of catching up to do!

A Wound, a Stink Spirit, and Some Gold

If you are the parent of a toddler or two, chances are you’ve encountered your fair share of #%*£?~@:&!!&#% (insert name of horrible kid video on YouTube here). The amount of times my son has asked for “cars toys!!” or “hickory dickory dock hippo!!” only to respond “NO!” every time I ask if I have found the correct video would be enough to make me pull my hair out… if I actually had any.

Anyway, you can imagine the utmost joy I feel now that my kids actually let me show them some Studio Ghibli films. It all started with Totoro. For the first time since they got sick of the Cars films, they will actually sit (or chase each other around like Mei and the little Totoro) for the entire length of the film! It’s amazing. Life goals right here.

So I’ve been introducing them little by little to some of the other entries in the Ghibli repertoire, most recently Spirited Away. Side note and fun fact, the Japanese title is 千と千尋の神隠し (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), or “the spiriting-away of Sen and Chihiro”. Kamikakushi means to be hidden by the “kami”, which can be translated as “gods” or “spirits”. I wondered how my boys would do with the film, and though it took a few tries they actually watched it with me.

So let’s talk about the scene with the Stink Spirit. Everybody in the Onsen knows that something is up. Before that point everybody had been complaining about Chihiro’s stench as a human, but they quickly forgot when they smelled the foul odor and saw the mass of sludge and giant pustules, leaving a wash of vile liquid in its wake. Intent to give Chihiro the most difficult job, Yubaba commands her to show the Spirit to his bath.

Chihiro bravely situates the spirit, calling down to Kamaji for another herbal soak. As the water pours she notices what she refers to as “a thorn” sticking out of the spirit’s side. With the help of Lin, Yubaba, and a bunch of the other employees, Chihiro successfully pulls the thorn out, only to find that it’s actually a bicycle handle, connected to a mangled deluge of metal garbage that had somehow been hidden within the spirit. It was fascinating to see just how much gunk had been stuck inside, but once the final bit was pulled free, Chihiro saw him at last for what he truly was: not a Stink spirit at all, but a Luck spirit.

How often do we find ourselves bogged down under the weight of so much gunk? Whether self-inflicted or perhaps to result of circumstances beyond our control, how much garbage are we carrying within? Do we go along with the descriptions, perceptions, or labels other people place upon us, when the truth is that we are so much more than we might appear? The true nature of the spirit was only revealed after a LOT of effort, at the hands of multiple people… Sometimes we need help from others to get to the bottom of our wounds, and sometimes it just takes a moment of courage to get in there and discover what is keeping us bogged down.

Also of note, as water drained away from the scene, many specks of gold were left on the ground, washed out with the released muck and garbage. When we actually address the thorns in our side, what gold do we find? Further understanding about ourselves and the circumstances we are in? A greater sense of compassion for others who may experience similar thorns? An increased capacity to empathize with or support those around us?

Whatever the case, I hope we can learn to deal with our thorns in healthy ways and not let them fester. May we take courage like Chihiro did, and face our thorns and problems head-on.

 

Roguelike Showdown: Hades vs Spelunky 2

 If you ask me what my favorite game currently is, chances are I am going to look at you nervously, sweat pouring down my forehead as I stress out trying to decide between two main options: Spelunky 2 and Hades. While the games are VERY different, they do share the same roguelike subgenre (procedurally generated levels, permanent death, etc). Join me as I compare the two games in the following categories and declare one of them the winner in this battle to the “permadeath” (Eh? Eh? Bad joke? Okay, I’ll get on with it…)

Story

Goddess of Night, Nyx

Journal Entry

Hades wins this category hands down. Sure, Spelunky 2 has lots of wonderful details and story tidbits, but besides the journal entries you unlock on your travels and the introductory experience when you first boot up the game, it isn't really a story-driven experience. In Hades every time I attempt to break out of the underworld I get more witty dialog and commentary filled with Greek mythology and intrigue. And it’s not just when I interact with NPCs. When I discover a new boon from the gods of Olympus I get messages filled with personality that build off of what has happened so far. The game throws you into the thick of it from the get-go. Who is Zagreus? Why does he want to escape the underworld so desperately? Why are the Olympians sending him messages and boons to aid him in his journey? PAFO (Play and find out 😉)

Artwork

Elysium

City of Gold

Another Hades victory. While the artwork of Spelunky 2 greatly surpasses its predecessor, comparing it against Hades is like comparing a comic strip to an oil painting masterpiece. I still remember the first time I FINALLY made it out of the fiery inferno of Asphodel and walked into the fields of Elysium… It was breathtaking. The stunning background imagery is part of what makes Hades such a treat, but all of the artwork is top notch - something I have come to expect from Hades developer Supergiant Games.

Gameplay

Fighting Kingu in Abzu

Receiving a boon from Zeus

I give the two games a tie in this category. It's almost hard to judge them against each other in terms of gameplay because the experiences are very different. Spelunky 2 is a side-scrolling platformer that requires a great deal of minute movements and quick thinking. Hades on the other hand is a third-person dungeon crawler full of button-mashing battles. Both games get progressively more difficult the further you descend/ascend (Spelunky and Hades respectively), and both are compelling enough to keep me coming back again and again. In Spelunky I'm driven by the desire to see what is around the next corner, and find the secrets that lay deep within the caverns. In Hades I love seeing the new combinations of boons and abilities I randomly get to build every escape attempt. If I had to pick one of these games to take with me on my Switch while getting marooned on a desert island... I just wouldn't be able to choose!

Difficulty

Discovering the Ankh after defeating Olmec

Battling the Lernaean Bone Hydra in Asphodel

Both games are incredibly difficult, but Spelunky 2 wins this round. In Hades, each escape attempt is an opportunity to gain more darkness - basically points you can use to upgrade your base stats like how much health you have each run, or how many times you can revive from 0 HP before getting slain back into the river Styx. You can also upgrade your arsenal of legendary weaponry to give yourself more of an advantage. Spelunky 2 however gives you nothing but the knowledge gained in each play-through. Sure, you can unlock shortcuts to the various stages of the game, but there are hefty disadvantages to using these shortcuts as you miss out on a lot of the equipment that can be gained by starting from the very beginning. There are no upgrades you get to spend run to run... If you die (which happens for me WAY more often than it does in Hades), you lose EVERYTHING and have to start completely over. The caverns don't care... they will chew you up and spit you out just about every time... But it is so worth it!

(Consolation prize goes to Hades since after you make it past the final boss a few times you unlock the ability to make your runs MORE difficult...)

Conclusion

Hades wins the victor's crown if we're judging based on these categories. It is truly a masterpiece, and my favorite game to come from Supergiant yet (though if you haven't played Transistor yet you should really give it a try). I have escaped the underworld three times so far, and apparently I have to do it seven more times to see the "final" ending.

HOWEVER, Spelunky 2 is probably my favorite game right now. I have a goal to some day make it to the Cosmic Ocean (a secret stage that takes A RIDICULOUS amount of hard work to get to... and did I mention that is has like 99 levels? Yeah, life goal for sure). No matter how many times I fall on spikes, get smashed by a rolling horned lizard, or get zapped to death by those annoying laser traps at the very top of Tiamat's Throne while trying to reach the Sunken City... It keeps me hooked.

Both games deserve your attention and require not just skill but an insane amount of luck. Enjoy!

Lost in Songlation Vol. 1: Let it Go vs. Ari no Mama De

Having served a mission in Japan, I enjoy consuming media in Japanese to help with my listening skills. So when I found the Japanese version of the Frozen soundtrack I had to give it a try. Side note: this might be an unpopular opinion, but I thought Tangled was a MUCH more compelling film than Frozen, especially when it came to the big musical numbers. Anyway don’t get me wrong, Idina Menzel is one of my favorite musicians and Broadway stars, but when she belted on about letting it go I struggled to connect with the lyrics. In the context of the story, it makes sense: Elsa has been told to suppress her gifts her whole life, and she is no longer able to hold her powers back.

The Japanese message on the other hand has a separate focus: it is more about Elsa embracing herself just as she is, aligning more truly with herself. The subtle nuances between the translations actually lead to entirely different songs. I resonate a lot with this, as I have had to come face to face with my own attributes and parts of myself that I haven’t liked or have had to struggle with. Learning how to accept and love myself right where I am at has been one of the keys to finding peace and growth.

After looking up the Japanese lyrics (I’m not always able to hear or understand what I’m listening to), I went through and translated the meaning (see below). I may be slightly off with some of the words, but it should be mostly accurate. 

For your reference, here is the English version of the song.

Here is the Japanese version.

—————————————

The snow begins to fall and erases my footprints.

In this stark whole world, I’m alone.

The wind whispers to my heart:

“You can’t go on like this…”

Confusion… wounds…

I was suffering without confiding in anyone,

But I’ve had enough!

Just as I am, I will show my form.

Just as I am, I will become myself.

I’m not afraid of anything.

Let the wind blow.

It’s not even the least bit cold.

The things I was suffering from were like a lie

But now I’m free,

I am capable of anything!

How far can I go?

I want to test myself.

That’s it, I can change

Just as I am, I will ride on the winds

Just as I am, I will fly.

I won’t shed another tear.

I will wrap up the cold ground,

And paint my dancing thoughts up high,

Just like a crystal made of flower-blooming ice.

I want to shine brightly, I’ve decided!

Is this enough,

Making myself as I like?

Is this enough,

Believing in myself?

While bathing myself in light,

I will walk forward.

It’s not even the least bit cold.

—————————————

What do you think? Which version of the lyrics do you resonate with more?

Darkness and Fear: How Much Can the Youth Handle?

 In my youth, I remember watching a few great pieces of Anime from the early nineties, namely Ronin Warriors, Escaflowne, and Card Captors. The stories captivated my imagination, and inspired countless dreams and daydreams. It wasn’t until much later that I found out these classics were actually edited a decent amount for content before they were released stateside. I think this was actually the case with a lot of  shows before anime became more mainstream. However, I would posit that these shows didn’t need to be edited, and that the youth can handle more than we often give them credit for. 

Do you remember The Secret of Nimh? It’s the story of a brave, little, anthropomorphic mouse and her quest to find medicine to save her ill child. I was having a conversation with Joe recently about the director Don Bluth. He did work for Disney at one point but Joe told me cut ties with them, wanting to produce animation that was a little scarier for children. I LOVED this film as a child. Was it super intense? Sure. Did the scene where Mrs. Brisby had to sneak into the farmhouse terrify the Honey Nut Cheerios out of my five-year-old self? Abso-freaking-lutely! But did the darker subject matter bring extra meaning and gravitas to the whole experience? You better believe it. As an adult, I can appreciate how Don Bluth wouldn’t shy away from darker subject matter. Sure, many of the plots in Disney movies are actually pretty horrifying if you break them down… but I think they abstracted away some of the details at least in the early nineties to make things more suitable for children. 

One of my favorite lines from Saving Mr. Banks comes when Emma Thompson as PM Travers-Goff attests that Mary Poppins doesn’t shield the children from the darkness in this world, she prepares them for it. I think it is important to have more nuanced media available to our youth for this exact purpose. Obviously, parents should exercise good judgment when selecting media for their kids (we probably shouldn’t have taken our young’uns on the Pinocchio ride at Disneyland…), but I hope we can start giving kids more credit when it comes to “scary” scenes in kids films and shows.

Wanderlust… in a great big cavern full of bugs

Hollow Knight has been my current gaming obsession for the last few weeks. As I have traveled deeper into the realm of Hallownest, I have fallen more and more in love with the adorable yet dark and solemn Metroidvania title. I’m going to share some of the reasons why this game is a phenomenal experience, and completely worth your time and attention.

The Score: Anthems for the Soul

Anyone who knows me well will agree that music is my primary love language, even if it’s not actually one of the Five Love Languages… The soundtrack for this game is a love note straight to the heart. From the mysterious ambiance of Crossroads to the calming and healing melodies of City of Tears and Reflection, I was instantly hooked. The score is very effective in eliciting emotion, and paints a beautiful and complementary picture to the game’s stunning visual art. I actually listened to the soundtrack long before I played the game per a friend’s recommendation. While some of the tracks are a bit more intense (Nosk and Mantis Lords for example), I am constantly listening to the calmer songs while working or brainstorming. Great job, Christopher Larkin!

The Tone: Sadness and Hope

At first glance, one might be inclined to think of Hollow Knight as a cute little platformer with a brave little bug that hacks and slashes across the land. However, the story is quite melancholy, depicting a fallen kingdom filled with death, decay, and despair. I think the cute style brings a refreshing sense of lightness that helps to balance out the darkness, making the experience meaningful and uplifting. Lehi taught us that “there must needs be an opposition in all things.” I think Hollow Knight’s constant interplay between light and darkness is a reminder of this in a way. Even in the darkest of times, there can still be light and hope.

The Thrill of Discovery

 I won’t deny the fact that I consulted a walkthrough a few times while trying to figure out where the Mask and Soul Vessel fragments were... That being said, I had many moments of awe, when I would traverse a tunnel and accidentally stumble upon a new area I wasn’t expecting to see. Part of the allure I find in Metroidvania games is the experience of bursting through a hidden wall here, or falling down a secret shaft there. I think Hollow Knight does this exceptionally well. And the beautiful panoramas and backgrounds are overly sufficient to keep me entertained while wandering around the map for hours.

The Challenge

There are many challenging platformers out there (Spelunky and Celeste to name some others), and this is definitely one of them. I found the boss battles to be quite  difficult, requiring practice, patience, and observation to learn the enemies’ patterns and behavior. Thankfully, the bosses aren’t always required, at least not necessarily when you first encounter them. For example, when I first encountered the Mantis Lords, I had my little bug butt handed to me hard every time I challenged them, so I went back a different direction to gain some skill and strength first.

If you’re looking for something new to try and haven’t given Hollow Knight a shot, please do yourself a solid and pick up the game right now!