NieR: Automata Review

5 / 14 / 175 / 29 / 17

Despite having put over 45 hours into NieR: Automata, I still can’t believe it exists. Director Yoko Taro has become something of a niche gaming icon over the years, but due to some very, very rough edges, NieR: Automata‘s predecessor NieR only achieved a small cult following among the few who saw past the subpar gameplay and lackluster graphics to appreciate its atmosphere and heavy-hitting themes.

I fall in the camp of folks who saw what NieR had to offer in terms of an overall experience, but always left my short sessions with the game infuriated by the miserable gameplay. It was clear to me that Yoko Taro had a lot of great ideas that would shine if he only had a just few more resources at his disposal… And lo and behold, those resources have finally come in the way of Platinum Games, a development studio that excels in smooth-as-butter action gameplay!

May 2017 Community Game-Along: Intelligent Systems

5 / 4 / 17

To celebrate the English release of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia on 3DS on May 19th, I decided to dedicate May’s Community Game-Along theme to developer Intelligent Systems! In addition to the Fire Emblem games, Intelligent Systems is also famous for Advance Wars, WarioWare, and the Paper Mario games, so there are tons of great titles to choose from!

March 2017 Favorites: Sakura Koi and Sad Robots

4 / 15 / 17

Happy Easter! I hope you’re having a wonderful, chocolate-filled weekend if you celebrate. March was a relatively quiet but busy month for me, full of trying to juggle thesis work with playing all the hot new video game releases while also remembering to take some time away from electronics to decompress. Blasphemous, I know, but I’ve been finding it really helpful to my overall mood! Read on to learn about a few of my favorite things from this past month!

Holika Holika Gudetama Lazy & Easy Skin Peeling Gel [Amazon] – I’ve really started diving into the world of Korean skin care, and I’m loving all the affordable yet good quality options there are! I fully admit I bought this peeling gel due to the amazing Gudetama packaging (it looks like an actual egg!), but it does a great job removing dead skin and leaves my face feeling super fresh. You just need to use a small dollop once a week, so it’s sure to last a while, too. And it’s only $13! This is the second item I’ve purchased in the Holika Holika Gudetama range, and I’m itching to buy more.

Sakura Koi 24 Watercolor Field Sketch Set [Amazon] – In February I started using watercolors in my Hobonichi Techo, so I decided to upgrade from my dirt cheap set to something that would give me more vibrant colors for a reasonable price. I’d heard amazing things about the Sakura watercolor sets, so I sprung for the $14 24 color set on Amazon, and as I’ve gotten to use it more, I’ve found it totally lives up to the praise! It’s technically a travel set, so it’s super compact and easy to put away when I’m done, which I really appreciate since I only bring my paints out about once a week. The brush can be filled with water, too, so you don’t even need a separate water dish! Talk about convenient!

NieR Automata [Amazon] – As I’m sure you’re aware, March was a downright killer month for video game releases! With plenty of other things to play on my plate, I thought I would be able to wait to play NieR Automata until later in the year, but after seeing people start to talk about the game, I knew I had to experience it myself as soon as possible (and hopefully avoid any big spoilers!). So far, I’m utterly loving it, from the music to the questions it raises pretty much from the get-go regarding what it means to be human and more. Look for a review and spoiler-filled discussion of my final thoughts when I finish!

What were some of your personal highlights from this past March? Let me know in the comments!

April 2017 Community Game-Along: Grasshopper Manufacture

4 / 1 / 17

April 2017 is a big month for Grasshopper Manufacture. The Japanese game developer is finally seeing its first title, a visual novel called The Silver Case, released in English on PlayStation 4 on April 18th. Originally released for PlayStation in 1999, The Silver Case has never been localized until now! The remake has been available in English for PC and Mac since last year, but to honor the widespread release of this classic title, I wanted to dedicate April’s Community Game-Along to Grasshopper Manufacture!

How I Edit Instagram Photos and Nerdy Flatlays

3 / 21 / 17

Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I edit my Instagram photos and compose pictures for #nerdyflatlay, so I thought it would be a good idea to do a post to explain my process! I’m definitely not a professional photographer, but I have learned some things about lighting, composition, and editing that I take into account when prepping photos for Instagram, and I’m happy to share my tips with you.

If you find this post helpful, please consider buying me a coffee through my new Ko-fi account! It’s a great way to give back if you enjoy my writing since I don’t get paid just to post cute pictures (I wish!). But for now, let me break down exactly how I go about taking photos and nerdy flatlays for Instagram!

February Favorites: Pokemon Stickers and Folding Clothes

3 / 14 / 17

I love how my February Favorites roundup is at two extremes: on one end, I purchased a sticker book that is meant for children, and on the other, I’m perfecting the very boring yet adult art of organizing my clothes. At least I keep things interesting! This month’s post will be shorter than previous Favorites, but you may be surprised to read what I have to say about each one of my picks!

Play All Your Retro Games in 12 in 1 Gaming Console Retro Freak

3 / 7 / 173 / 7 / 17

The impressive 12 in 1 gaming console Retro Freak has finally been released in Europe exclusively through retro game retailer Funstock.co.uk at a retail price of £169.99 ($208.54) for the standard version! Developed by Japanese company CYBERGadget, Retro Freak supports physical cartridges from 12 retro video game systems: PC engine, TruboGrafix-16, Super Grafx, NES, Famicom, SNES, Super Famicom, SEGA Genesis, SEGA Mega Drive, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. In addition, games can be installed to an SD card to be played off the console without the need of a cartridge, meaning you don’t have to be constantly swapping out cartridges or cluttering up your living room with the aftermath of your latest gaming session. To put it mildly, I’m very intrigued!