[Let's start with the real reason one would come to this online journal: An opinion on the latest One-Punch Man episode. The episode in question is episode 5.
It was good, especially the second half. The comedy, action, and character interactions from previous episodes are still here so I do not need to go into too much detail. I can however point out the focus of each half of the episode.
The first half is based around the Hero Association's qualifying exam which is a comedy filled segment centered around how powerful Saitama and Genos are (though Saitama is the one shown). It was nice to see that they adapted all the gags that appeared in the manga for this segment and sometime after, show the true origins of the Association. One part that was different from the manga is regarding the founder's depiction as in the manga, his full appearance is very prominent and reveals how significant Saitama is to the whole founding whereas the anime makes it more subtle which can be a mixed bag (especially for those who were not paying attention), though I personally was okay with this switch since the dialogue explaining it was more prominent here than the manga (from what I recall).
The second half is where the action comes in with the much anticipated sparring match between Saitama and Genos. This is probably where the viewers will get the most entertainment from with fast-paced action and impressive-looking use of abilities (that are ineffective against our over-powered protagonist). It certainly is a lot better than the previous episode which gives me hope for future episodes.
The anime also adds in additional filler that, while validating my theory that there is too little going on to adapt, allows for new characters and future troubles to be introduced (such as Sweet Mask and the wall he erects to prevent advancement of rank past S). This is a decent way of using filler as it still links to the main story and ensures a smoother flow with the narrative, so that character introductions do not have to be done in single sentences and over-arcing plot threads are not simply shoe-horned in(I'm looking at you, Fuh Stuh Nut, how dare you reveal Heracles' true identity with such a short aside sentence?!). The stinger for the episode is a nice adaptation of a gag from the manga (though reduced in quality due to some changes made).
The downside to this episode is, as previously said, a lack of events in the anime. While I was entertained by the episode, I only watched the episode out of obligation to this online journal rather than actual investment. I partly blame the fact I read the manga before this but it is not helped by a lack of an over-arcing story. It feels like moving from set-piece to set-piece (great looking set-pieces) but the set-pieces are not tied with complex or at least, intriguing threads. The anime could improve on this later on and from what I have read, the manga had this similar problem with later arcs being able to build up interest with new events oncoming. Another problem that may appear is the repeated use of the series' gag that could leave some viewers annoyed or bored though personally, I was not bothered by it since I could take it in stride while relating to the whole devil-may-care attitude for fiascos.
Overall, I'd give this another recommendation to watch for entertainment. If you need an edgy and deep story with complex plot threads, you probably will be disappointed by the episodes by now as this is satire with great action and self-referential comedy fitting of such satire but with a minimum of complex story which I am okay with since I have little time to be invested with complex anime that require reading up before watching (or a marathon of the previous seasons).
Now back to the post.]
I have not been discussing current games recently. Most games I have discussed on this online journal are either old critically acclaimed games I finally found time to finish or not-so recent games that were fun for me. Today marks an end to that dry spell with a game I got for free last week on my GOG Galaxy library. The game is:
DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN ENHANCED EDITION
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| Image taken from Google Images and actual source links (according to Google Images): http://gamengage.net/divinity-original-sin-enhanced-edition-release-this-month/ and http://gamengage.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Divinity-Original-Sin-Enhanced-Edition-RPG.jpg |
Divinity: Original Sin tells the tale of two Source Hunters who are on a mission to investigate the murder of a councillor that appears to have been murdered using the corrupted magic known as Source. This simple investigation winds up being the first hint of a growing danger to the land of Rivellon that the two will have to resolve. Along the way, the two learn more about their mysterious past that links to the oncoming danger. The game is available on PC, PS4 and X-Box One.
Full disclosure: I have played 2 full playthroughs of the original edition (and half a playthrough before release) prior to this so my experience may differ from others and I have not finished the game completely (I am playing on Classic Mode so far). So, what makes or breaks this game? I will list them out as per the format.
This will be a first impressions rather than an actual opinion-based review since I have not finished it yet.
What makes it (so far)
Improvements to base gameplay are expected in new versions of a pre-existing game and the Enhanced Edition provides that. Minute improvements (such as more unique loot for certain bosses and encounters, an increased ease maintaining and identifying equipment along with appropriate re-naming of certain areas) to massive improvements (such as new abilities, tier-based ability trees, a re-vamped crafting systems, re-balanced enemy AI, new enemy abilities, changes to certain areas and more) are abound in this Enhanced Edition. Many of these changes to the original's gameplay are welcome additions to improve an already good game. Playing the first areas already feel different with the improvements made while the new abilities have allowed for new strategies to be used in battles. I have played through this game twice (and a half if I count my previous ongoing playthrough prior to the release of the Enhanced Edition) and the changes already make this game feel different from the previous versions. As for the actual gameplay, the original's turn-based system is still intact and the full interact-ability (in and out of combat) is still there though rebalanced in some areas (such as Resurrection scrolls being usable in combat rather than having a huge action point(AP) cost to use). I will not go into too much detail into the combat but it is essentially the original version's combat system: a turn-based system with actions in combat (with their on AP costs) limited to the number of AP that a character possesses that can be altered. Added into this is the interactive environment in combat where different types of surfaces (such as flammable oil, explosive ooze, water puddles that can conduct electricity and more) can be used to the benefit of the player and the detriment of the enemy. I like this system as unorthodox techniques can be used at any possible moment and could have unpredictable results (Note to future players: Keep an eye on how large is that puddle of water).
Visuals are not something I praise regularly as I am a person who believes that the gameplay, story and entertainment value must be able to carry a game with visuals and audio acting as mandatory enhancements (though great visuals (especially in terms of animation) and/or audio can go beyond this if they enhance the story - see my previous post on this point where those two elements working in tandem in key moments can enhance a game further: http://subjectivelybiasedrants.blogspot.com/2015/07/soundtrack-and-gestures.html). As a result, I was surprised at how good this game looks when I started it with enhancements to the overall visuals. While it is nothing much to write about up close (especially the character models), the landscape and in-game effects are a spectacle to look at with the first area looking straight out of a painting when looked at the default distance. Real effort seems to have been done to improve the game further and having played the original, the difference is noticeable in a good way.
Additional content is available in the Enhanced Edition as well. The first of these are the new difficulty settings with Honour mode (a difficulty that deletes the auto-save file upon total party defeat), Tactician mode for original players seeking a new challenge, Classic mode for those seeking the normal experience and an easy difficulty setting for people who only wish to play for the story (in summary, Ironman, Expert, Normal and Easy).The next additions are, for consoles at least to my knowledge, the full inclusion of split-screen co-op play and controller support. Since I am playing the game on a PC with a mouse and keyboard, I am unable to try out the aforementioned additions. I can confirm that Honour mode is difficult seeing as I died in the first battle of the game which was before the tutorial dungeon, much to my own shame though it would appear I can overcome the save file deletion by using manual saves. The additional changes and improvements may count as well but since I already stated some of these earlier, I will not repeat myself here. The addition of the new content certainly justifies more playthroughs with Honour Mode being my next challenge after finishing two more playthoughs. Some quests have even been altered to a significant extent with two having differing methods of progression from the original (I will not specify this to avoid spoilers) and some even having unique rewards that did not appear in the base game.
What breaks it
Voice acting was present in a limited capacity in the original game for certain dialogue segments and while it was not amazing, it was quite good with sarcasm-laced lines of dialogue and certain gems popping out every now and then (the vendors of Cyseal for instance). The Enhanced Edition attempts to fix this by adding in voice acting for all of the in-game dialogue (within reason). This, for me, is a mixed bag as most of the new voices that replaced the old ones are not as good. The way they speak tends to be too serious and less sarcastic, even when the dialogue is meant to be sarcastic. Some of the new dialogue ends up sounding excessively flamboyant as a result while some end up with inappropriate voices (what did they do to you, Ishmashell?!). On the other hand, the new female narrator is an improvement over the overly serious male narrator of the original game while most of the animal's voices are fitting and well done which makes the Pet Pal trait a must have for any playthrough.
Certain changes to the game are also a mixed bag. The first one I found most significant is the systems for abilities and spells. In the original, one could learn practically all the abilities of a skill tree by investing enough points in said skill whereas in this game, the number is limited based on the skill level. This is not a bad thing but it does require some getting to used to. This first change is more problematic though in conjunction with the second problem which is the changes to certain spell and ability effects. Coming straight from the original version, it took me a while to adjust to this game due to the different effects certain abilities had (the tier-1 healing spell has been altered significantly enough that it requires a readjustment of strategy) and the re-balances made to said abilities. Thankfully, the game's turn-based system gave ample opportunity to experiment and figure out these changed abilities so it was not much of a damper in my playthrough. The third change is more of a personal grievance so bear with me. In the original game, being blinded had the effect of preventing opponents (or your characters) from dodging attacks and made it impossible to attack others that cannot be seen. In the Enhanced Edition however, the blind status is re-balanced to only affect evasion while allowing some form of visibility. This makes it rather useless as a result and this change led to many deaths or mishaps since a blinded archer was somehow able to see a far-off target and shoot them with an explosive arrow. While the original status effect was rather overpowered (since it made the enemy AI confused), this change makes the status effect useless aside from confirming a hit on an enemy with a high evasion rate. In a nutshell, some of the changes will take getting used to and a less patient veteran may take offence to the changes.
[Note (not a positive point or a negative point): Narrative and plot improvements are welcome additions to games that have average story-lines. One of my major complaints of the original game was its rather average and bland story that had interesting elements that were not fleshed out well enough. The Enhanced Edition promises improvements to the story and narrative which I am starting to believe in the amount of time I have played. The first area has a significant change with the earlier introduction of a major antagonist who only appears later on. This ensures that the character and their roles retains relevance as the story progresses rather than simply appearing at a point in the game.]
Summary:
I am having a good time so far. The game is essentially the original game with enough additions, improvements and alterations that it makes it feel like a brand new product. The original game was already a great game with enough content for a long and entertaining playthrough with the additional advantage of multiplayer. While some of the new additions can be a mixed bag, the final product is still worth the money and for those who bought the original version previously, you can get the game for free. All these reasons are why I give this game an enthusiastic recommendation for RPG gamers seeking a fun time without the hassle of deep and complex lore that could alienate newcomers. The original game's multiplayer content still here and will allow for a lot of fun to be had with a trusted friend (especially when they discover the teleport spell. If you wish to purchase this game for the multiplayer content, I recommend the Steam version as the GoG version has issues with connecting online, at least this was my experience with the GoG version of the original game. With this game, I can occupy my time with a fun game until more releases show up. I may take a look at Fallout 4 if I can find the time or money and I may write up a bit more on the Enhanced Edition's plot when I finish the game.
Musings: I looked at the cutscenes and story of Halo 5. It was rubbish. Why did the writers decide on using the most cliched trope when it comes to technology?! The story I had in mind was way better than that (and I came up with it during a long shower after hearing hints of Halo 5's story on Reddit) and I can even write out the basic idea for it someday. Not now though since it will take some time to work out the details.
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