alias_sqbr: Nepeta from Homestuck looking grumpy in front of the f/f parts of her shipping wall (grumpy)
Normally I wouldn't link to games I haven't played but I know I'll forget otherwise.

Eclipse: Special Forces is butch/butch military scifi, just a demo so far but worth checking out for the trailer alone if that premise appeals.

Velvet Bite: Softly, with Teeth m/m and m/f contemporary romance with vampires, was much anticipated and just came out. But tragically the reviews look pretty bad. OH WELL at least it looks pretty and we can imagine the game it could have been.
alias_sqbr: Dagna from Dragon Age reaching for a book (dagna)
So I know I just posted about how I played a whole four hours of Veilguard (a non negligible amount of which was naturally spent tweaking my character's appearance), but I can't find anyone who's laid this out in text and after watching some youtube videos I want to try and understand it. Trust nothing I say here and if anyone has corrections or better links etc please share!

This post is going to completely spoil Veilguard and assume you've played enough dragon age to like... know what the Blight is etc.

My spelling and grammar are alll over the place, sorry, this took me all day to write as it is and I just Cannot Edit Any More.
Read more... )
alias_sqbr: Dagna from Dragon Age reaching for a book (dagna)
I've been pondering this post for a while but it's taken me a while to be able to articulate my thoughts.

So: The world felt out of character, and that threw me out of the story aggressively. I could plausibly have enjoyed a very similar game if it was an original setting.

Also I hear it has platforming, which I am very bad at, but I'd have been willing to get Cam to help with those parts if I'd been enjoying the game otherwise.

It does a good enough job at other things that I can intellectually see how someone could enjoy it, and I'm legit happy for those people. But this post is about how it did not work for me.
Read more... )

Siiick

Dec. 22nd, 2024 04:00 pm
alias_sqbr: Me on a couch asleep with a cat sitting on my lap top, with the caption out of spoons error (spoons)
Cam and then I managed to develop cold symptoms JUST as we got the new Covid vaccine, so we spent a while going wow this vaccine is heavy duty before realising it was in fact a cold. Cam is already starting to feel better so I hope I do soon too, being sick suuuucks. And while Christmas isn't a HUGE deal to me I'd rather not spend it THIS sick.
alias_sqbr: A cartoon cat saying Ham! (ham!)
It really is just a small, efficient convection oven, it's less that you can cook new things and more that a bunch of recipes become faster and easier. But that has made a pretty big difference, to us as people who spent a lot of time thinking "I WOULD cook that in the oven but ehhh... too much effort".
Read more... )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
Masterlist

So turns out the Lucien route is less about romance and more about finishing the plot, and despite the hints of a Secret Route it turns out there actually isn't much after that, just a couple of epilogues to tie up loose ends and give each LI a more overtly shippy ending.

Which is all ok in theory and I didn't dislike the ending plot, or what Lucien romance we got, but it was just... fine. A bit underwritten, with some annoying moments of Gratuitous Heterosexuality (though not too much from Lucien himself).

It didn't significantly undermine my earlier enjoyment, and was an adequate enough finale that I had some Happy Ending Feels and wasn't left horribly dissatisfied with the overall Arc. But I'm glad I waited a little while to play it all after the Zenn route.

Content notes: suicide, abuse, genocide
Read more... )
alias_sqbr: Cute funny image of the androgynous Nishima praying and crying with a serious expression (nishima)
Masterlist

THIS IS SO GOOD OMG. JUST. SUCH A GOOD ANGSTY TIMELOOP FANTASY ROMANCE AHHHH

The romance itself is incredibly understated even compared to the others and I do not care I loooove himmm best boooooy.

It's very briefly just the tiniest bit queer. And I'm pretty sure Zenn is meant to be read as black?? But mostly it's all about the DELICIOUS ANGST as they like... bond and support each other despite being stuck in some deeply fucked up and traumatising fantasy timeloop bullshit :D

I have been avoiding adding images since the switch makes that troublesome and I didn't want to spoil myself, but I liked one CG so much I took a photo of the TV. And if you're curious what everyone looks like here's the official character page though I haven't clicked any of those links to avoid spoilers.

Content Notes, spoilers
just suicide and major character death I think! Practically darkness free ahahahaha

Read more... )
alias_sqbr: flying mouse from Digger (fledermaus)
Masterlist

Contains major spoilers for the Tyril route.

So this had all the things that bugged me about the Tyril route but more so: He's her older commanding officer she looks up to, except this time they don't have the cute bickering tsundere thing to offset that, and he's been KINDA LIKE HER DAD since she was TEN. There's sudden angsty plot twists which aren't always convincingly consistent with previous characterisation. Some plot points just get Dropped. And there are some VERY dark and serious topics used tackily as fodder for angst.

But I still overall had a good time. Despite his VERY UNETHICAL approach to fraternisation with a subordinate, Crius is very charming and supportive and endearingly smitten. And for every bit of angsty melodrama that annoyed me there was one which worked on me exactly as intended. And I still am absolutely on the edge of my seat to find out what happens next!


Content Notes, spoilers
child abuse, terminal illness, suicide, major character death, rape

Read more... )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
Masterlist

Phew! That was wild! Some things I didn't like (lotta dark topics in those content warnings which get brought up for drama then dropped for New Twists) and the romance ended up being more bittersweet and understated than I was hoping for, but still overall a good time and I am for sure continuing on.


Content Notes, spoilers
Genocide, sexual harassment, suicide, incest, self-harm, child harm, slavery, violence from a love interest, major character death, emotional abuse, trauma, child abuse, violence

Read more... )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
Masterlist

Two chapters in out of ??, so far it's a fun romance and a fun if sometimes darkish fantasy plot which goes at an enjoyable clip with lots of twists and turns.

And yes the chapters are labelled "withered flower", not your typical romance route name and I'm still curious what it's referring to!

Some of the warnings for this section spoil the plot so I'll put it all under a cut. I found the content a little disturbing but not actively distressing.


Content Notes, spoilers
Cannibalism, child harm, major character death, violence from love interest in a non-romantic context

Read more... )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
Masterlist

Just finished the common route and it's been GREAT fun!

Content notes: Child abuse, slavery, violence, suicide, emotional abuse, narrative fatphobia (though this section was mostly just violent, hooray)
Read more... )
alias_sqbr: Torchwood spoilers for various episode numbers: Jack dies (torchwood spoilers)
Masterlist

Even if Tempest is a switch exclusive otome game. The moment I saw that page and got a couple of positive reviews, I decided to take the risky move of not looking into it further, to better experience an unspoiled wild ride. And so far, while not always interested in unnecessary things like subtlety or consistent timelines etc, it is DELIGHTFUL and EVERYTHING COULD HAVE DREAMED. And I ONLY JUST GOT TO THE OPENING CREDITS.

It's currently 50% off but seems to go on sale regularly.

Summary:
Though born the daughter of a marquess, Anastasia suffers physical and spiritual violence at the hands of her stepmother day in and day out.

The joy she had found at suffering's end is also ultimately robbed from her by someone she trusts.

As she burns at the stake, Anastasia obtains the grotesque ""Fatal Rewind"" ability.

"This time, I will transform into the ideal version of myself."

With this oath branded in her heart, Anastasia begins her life anew.
But this resolve will only lead to further misfortune.

The curtain rises on the Carnival, and this witch trial shall herald the end.

Content notes: Child abuse, slavery, violence, suicide, emotional abuse, narrative fatphobia
Read more... )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
Masterlist

This is the gen route you get if you don't romance anyone.

I had SO much trouble motivating myself to play this, since there's no romance and I wasn't sure there'd be enough else to get me through the repeated bits that I am SO sick of by now.

But once I got past the boring bits I did quite enjoy it, and there's some cute (and often shippy) unique moments with various side characters. Unfortunately they can be very fiddly to get and Kisa's female BFF Ao eluded me, boo.

And now I am done playing this game! Though I am still happily playing around in the fandom, and there is talk of a new spin off comic, and maybe a sequel...
Read more... )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (bookdragon)
Humble Book Bundle: A Wizard of Earthsea and More by Ursula K. Le Guin

30 books for $18USD/$27AUD, which isn't bad. But what was notable for me is that many of these books don't seem to be available in Australia as ebooks at all. Yet Australians can buy them for an Australian Kobo account from this bundle. So now I finally have an ebook of Steering the Craft, hooray, I've wanted one for ages.

Important note: You need to be logged into an existing Kobo account, and get them as Kobo ebooks, also you must select EVERY BOOK when you redeem your code, or lose them forever! Very strange way of doing things, but it is what it is.
alias_sqbr: (cake)
Tamsin made a nice post for people to ask for/post cute/happy animal pictures etc and I was reminded that not everyone outside Australia has heard of tawny frogmouths, which are very cute weird muppety looking native birds. Another very cute local animal is the quokka, which looks like if a capybara was a jovial marsupial hobbit.

Relatively mild discussion of emotional reactions to recent events which mentions suicide and transphobia as topics )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
Masterlist

This was a really lovely, if sometimes implausible, story of two sad, lonely, self sacrificing people learning to be happy and let themselves reach for what they want.

While the route leans heavily into Kai as the big chivalrous Jack and Kisa as the tiny beautiful Jeanne, to my surprise Kai is the closest to overtly bi of the love interests: he finds out Kisa's gender late in the game and it makes zero difference to his behaviour or feelings.

While Kai has a bunch of Angst to work through, the route also digs much deeper (which is to say... at all) into Kisa's emotional issues than the others.

There's a bunch of Big Romantic Moments which will either land for you or feel silly/unrealistic/unwise. They worked for me most of the time.

Content Note: mention of suicidal thoughts
Read more... )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
Masterlist

This was so good. I loved it!

The route is very much Not About gender, with a few minor changes they could both be any gender. It's about Mitsuki and Kisa learning to trust and rely on each other and form a creative partnership, and work with everyone else in Quartz to overcome the obstacles in their way. The romance is often pretty understated but they are absolutely lovely together and I had a lot of feels.

By being a story about two crossdressers that's not about gender, it ends up feeling really queer. Mitsuki pings pretty strongly as trans to me but could definitely be read as a cis guy who's just fine with cross-dressing and is shy about nudity. But he canonically does not care what gender Kisa is, or how she presents (except for practical consequences like the possibility of her being expelled if her gender gets out) and falls in love with her when he thinks she's a boy.

Content note: Child abuse and neglect, possible dysphoria or other body image issues
Read more... )
alias_sqbr: Cute funny image of the androgynous Nishima praying and crying with a serious expression (nishima)
Jack Jeanne Masterlist

Finally got around to finishing Sou's route.

It grew on me a bit, and I liked some parts, but is still my least fave so far.

I was actually ok with the gender stuff in the end, it was a kinda bland and heavy handed but basically ok "You don't have to fit this one narrow box of masculinity to be a real, loveable, competent man" moral. But the romance felt a bit like him... being too creepy/possessive for her, and it making her sad, and he learns to be more Acceptably Devoted. I preferred the Weirdo 4 Wierdo vibes the route had more of earlier, this felt more like Nice Girl/Slightly Weird Guy which, eh.

Read more... )
alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
Jack Jeanne Masterlist

So it turns out the reason I couldn't find these before was that I... had the title of the game wrong. It's "Jack Jeanne", not "JackJeanne", oops. I have thus now found a bunch of videos of the songs, with translations! Which belatedly added a bunch to my understanding, and I thought it made sense to write up my thoughts as one post, since it's the same songs in basically the same context for every route.

I unavoidably spoil the plots and casting of the plays, but I'll put route-spoiling thoughts under an internal cut.
Read more... )

Profile

alias_sqbr: the symbol pi on a pretty background (Default)
alias_sqbr

July 2025

S M T W T F S
  12345
6789101112
13141516171819
2021 2223242526
2728293031  

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 24th, 2025 01:43 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios