Soldiering On, Despite the Horrors
The Chimes of the Failed
Currently playing: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and R.E.P.O.
Between writing, doctor’s appointments, and job-hunting, I’ve started pecking away at Clair Obscur. When you hear people telling you this revitalized their love of turn-based RPGs, believe them. In most games of the genre, I grew to either dread the battles or outright hate them. In this game, though, I’m excited by them. I’m playing on the Normal difficulty (I can’t remember the name at the moment), and I’ve run into battles that I was likely under-leveled for and couldn’t get the timings right for dodging or parrying the enemy’s attacks. But it didn’t discourage me, because I know, like a Dark Souls or an Elden Ring, I can try it again and again until I’ve learned and mastered the enemy’s patterns, and I can slowly whittle its health bar down through knowledge and perseverance, rather than leaving and grinding out levels somewhere else, then coming back and trying again, or saving enough currency to buy some gear that will make it easier. And because each enemy has its own unique set of attack patterns, the fights never get stale. What Sandfall Interactive have pulled off here is a remarkable achievement. I would actually rather be playing it over writing this right now. But alas…
I also gave R.E.P.O. shot last night because, as usual, I am late to the party when it comes to multiplayer smash hits. But good lord, that game is hilarious and terrifying. I don’t have much more to say on that, as I’ve only played it for 2.6 hours. That being said, I’m looking forward to playing more of it tonight.
All quiet on the writing front
I don’t really have any real updates on my writing progress. I’m looking into how I can get into a fully-funded MFA program for Creative Writing, and will be talking to some people about that next week. Fingers crossed all goes well there. In the meantime, I continue to plug away at the first draft of my Firewind’s Accord sequel.
Honestly, it’s hard to think far enough ahead for an MFA with everything that’s going on. Nothing feels certain right now. Hell, I just learned that my area is facing an above-average risk of wildfires in the next few months. So where my money was going to go to an artist to pay for a book cover and some marketing artwork, it’s now going towards go-bags and emergency supplies because I may have to outrun a blazing inferno in the next few months. I long to move somewhere that doesn’t seem at risk of wildfires, like say, Iceland, or Norway. Ah well. I chose this life, and life must go on.