One-Punch Man episode 8 (and my thoughts on Digimon Adventure tri)

Warning, minor spoilers

How was the new episode? Decent enough, nothing too spectacular to be honest. When I was watching this episode, my attention wavered once in a while. While the action was tense with an actual threatening opponent for a change, I kept skipping ahead rather than watch it all in one go. Then again, I have seen all this in the Murata manga version so I was already expecting most of the events of this episode (the main reason why I occasionally skip watching Gintama and Shokugeki no Soma - I have already seen it in the original source material). Still, this does not mean the action was not good in this episode; in fact, it was tense with excitement with multiple combatants facing off against the most powerful opponent seen so far, Sea King (no relation to the goldfish). Sea King proves to be a difficult combatant for the heroes present which adds actual suspense to the fights (until our caped baldy shows up). Pri-Pri-Prisoner is another character introduced in the episode and from what I recall from watching this thirteen hours ago, his portrayal here matches his appearance in the manga, right down to the flamboyance and absolute lack of care for his audience. LICENSELESS RIDER (or Mumen Rider) also makes his way to Sea King and this episode begins to highlight more of his heroic traits. As seen by his determination to reach Sea King, Rider only seeks to do what is right and just for all around him even if he is powerless to defeat the threats. Even as heroes of various ranks flee or ignore the threat of Sea King, Rider, along with Saitama and Genos, still make their way to this grave threat to the citizens of the city. Perhaps new viewers will see why readers of the manga praise the Rider so much in this episode though I believe the next episode will probably showcase this better (if done right). One part of this episode I must praise is a well-adapted moment from the manga into the anime. This part occurs at the end when Saitama answers Licenseless Rider's discarded phone and the people on the other line attempt to warn Rider of Sea King's level of power, not realising that Saitama is on the other line. As Saitama hangs up, his expression drastically changes from his basic appearance to a well detailed expression of determined resolution, as pictured below.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/onepunchman/images/8/86/Saitama_seriousness.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/276?cb=20141206003321&format=webp

The anime successfully captures the weight and gravity behind this particular expression and moment which I heartily approve of. As a result, I left the episode with satisfaction of watching a decent adaptation. If I were to point out any flaws of this episode, it would be this: there is no real outstanding moments in the episode that may convince people that the show is good. Aside from well-adapted moments, the episode does not have outstanding moments that will leave viewers on the edge of their seat nor have comedy that will leave them with a smile. It is a basic episode at it's worst and at it's best, it is a decent episode with moments that are well-adapted from the source material (one source material at least). 

In short, I still recommend this for regular viewers while leaving a cautioned recommendation for newcomers. The episode is decent enough to continue following the show and to see how the Sea King arc will be resolved.  

Now, Digimon Adventure tri. I will admit that I was excited to watch this since I watched the original Adventure series when I was younger and enjoyed it for being a basic adventure show with complex and deep themes at times. So, how does the first movie, Saikai (or Reunion) fare?

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/digimon/images/2/2e/Digimon_Adventure_tri.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20141214021705

If I am going to be honest (and I will be honest), this movie was rather average at its best and bland at its worst. While I do appreciate the improved artwork (as the movies received a proper budget) and throwbacks to the previous instalments, the movie suffered from a number of flaws. These include: bad animation, excessive angst, the action being delayed, and too much nudging regarding characters ageing. 

The bad animation rears its ugly head during the first action sequence where Taichi (herein after referred to as Tai) is pursued by Kuwagamon. The movements in that sequence are particularly choppy and unnatural that an inattentive person like myself can notice this. The animation is not as bad as that first sequence but they are nothing special save for one sequence near the end that has appeared in some of the promotional materials. 

Another aspect that I found to be lacking is the excessive drama and angst added to indicate maturity of the characters. Throughout the movie, a recurring trait of Tai (bearer of the Crest of Courage) is his indecisiveness and sudden timidness that arise as a result of trauma of watching the carnage of a Digimon rampage and battle which is rather irksome as the movie went on. While this is understandable as a trait, the movie places too much focus on this new trait of Tai as his main feature and judging by the scenes in the opening, will put him at odds with Yamato (or Matt for English dub viewers) who winds up being the overly direct and decisive member of the group. It is like their character sheets got mixed up and my fear is that Tai's indecisiveness will become a recurring problem throughout the movie series and will lead to more excuses for drama that may test his resolve. I get that Tai is supposed to be mature and can consider the consequences now but when the other characters are able to overcome these doubts and Tai still retains some of these doubts by the end, it does seem like they might have over-compensated here. I hope to be proven wrong and that Tai becomes a mix of his younger self and the maturing teenager by the end.

Tied into this is another problem; the delay to the action. The Digimon only appear after twenty whole minutes into the movie and after that, there is a bare minimum of action with the Digimon. While they do appear as side characters in various scenes, most of these scenes tend to be based around their human partners who are too busy discussing their upcoming challenges and daily lives. While I am not opposed to delaying action for the sake of establishing background and setting, there should not be a long delay as well. There is a rather large gap between the first action sequence and the last action sequence in this movie. It does not help that the original Digimon series was able to balance the drama with action involving Digimon. Most of the drama here seems to be based around the tension from a romantic triangle between Tai, Yamato and Sora (that appears whenever all thee of them are together in the same area) along with a burgeoning romance between Koushiro (Izzy for the dub viewers) and Mimi along with Jo (Joe for the dub viewers) feeling the weight of oncoming exams. While they are now teenagers with more responsibilities and issues, it should not take up so much of the air time to showcase their reactions but instead balance by showing these strains in their teamwork in the action thereby highlighting that they have these problems that can be resolved gradually and with more character interactions in later instalments.

This may sound like nitpicking but stay with me, readers, this was an issue for me. Something I found rather odd is the amount of times characters in the show will blurt out lines or remarks aimed at highlighting the fact that the characters are now teenagers. There will be moments where the characters will suddenly weave into casual highschool dialogue after serious discussions which do happen in real life. What does not happen as often is these conversations being dropped seconds later such as a particular moment where Mimi suddenly teases Sora about her triangle with Tai and Yamato which fades into the background immediately after. For me, this seems to be attempts to remind the audience that these kids that we knew from the original series are grown up and do teenage activities now (kinda like All Grown Up but less cringe-worthy). Whether these will become more natural or remain out of place will depend on the next instalment's performance.

Despite these negatives, there are positive aspects to the show. One of these aspects is the nostalgia service in the form of the songs with Butterfly, Brave Heart and I Wish that appeared in the original. I can admit that hearing Butterfly again was a nice experience that faded away slowly as the movie progressed. Aside from that, the fact that the show even got a second sequel was already a nice feature that drew out the nostalgia in me. Seeing the Digimon (along with my favourite one, WarGreymon) once more was a treat and for the most part, they were fun though sadly lacked in appearance during battle.

The other good thing about the show was the big climatic battle near the end. I will not go into too much detail about it (except that it involved a major Digimon that appeared in the promotional material) but it was able to recapture some of the charm of the original while leaving the audience with anticipation of a future clash, as the fight ends with neither sides gaining an upper hand. 

Overall, I will give a cautioned mention of Digimon Adventure tri for now. It does not have enough content now to make it worth a cautioned recommendation and with the lack of events in the current movie, it may not even be entertaining enough.

Why Undertale could be a GotY contender (and One-Punch Man episode 7)

[This week's episode is okay, I guess. The first half showing the giant meteor was well-animated for the most part and introduces Professor Bofoy (Metal Knight) along with Bang, 2 other S-class heroes. While Bang is portrayed as the wise martial arts mentor, Bofoy has a less noble alignment which hints at his potential role in future events (in the manga, the anime may not even get there yet). It was nice to watch the technological devices on Genos and Bofoy operate in their attempts to destroy the meteor and Saitama's punch against the meteor was well-animated.

The second half however is where a problem arises. While it did depict mob mentality in an acceptable manner (and reminds us why the Tanktop disciples are a bunch of twats), Saitama's response is weak. Though he shouts loudly in reply, the voice acting here falls flat as he shouts like a wimpy child retorting weakly to an insult. While that tone of voice works for his later replies, the character establishing moment of Saitama is made weaker by that halfhearted tone. This scene is supposed to start characterizing Saitama further by showing that his desire to be a hero is a result of a genuine desire to do the right thing rather than fame or fortune. It might have been better if Saitama shouted in a harsher and more serious tone; failing that, he could sound more weary at least. It did not help that Saitama's appearance in his reply was his usual appearance rather than his serious expression. While this is a problem, Madhouse can rectify this in the oncoming arc (Sea King) as that moment further establishes Saitama's characteristics as a hero. So I have to mark the anime down here for this flub in an otherwise decent adaptation. Others may excuse it but personally, I had issues with it. I can still recommend this episode (with a greater degree of caution attached) as this episode ties together with the next episode or two. If they do those episodes well enough, I can forgive them for this flub.
Now on with the post!]

I was going to do Fallout 4 this week but I have not finished the main story or found a way to punish my companion characters for acting like they had been drinking from lead-lined bottles since birth. So, I will instead talk about a game released this year that I really like and consider a must-play game. The game in question is in the title but for those who treat titles like blemishes, the game is:

Full credit to the Wikipedia article for the image and link to the image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f1/Undertale_cover.jpg

When I bought this game, I expected a decent, if not well-rounded game based on the critical acclaim the game received. If the reader is reading this right now, go buy Undertale. It's on Steam now; here's the link (http://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/). I will not proceed until the reader buys the game and finishes it (not to completion but finish to the extent that the reader accepts as sufficient). I do not wish to spoil the game for people who have not played the game yet. Now leave my online journal and play the game.

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POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING BELOW!

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It's good, isn't it? A well-crafted experience with stellar writing, a strong narrative, smart use of medium awareness, lovable characters with enough traits and flaws to make them seem real, and a soundtrack that works together with the writing and narrative in such an amazing way. I feel determined to proceed with this post so let's get to it!

Before I go on on why Undertale is a game I would nominate for Game of the Year (GotY), I will address the flaws to the game (or at least they are flaws to me). The first main flaw for me is the bullet-hell gameplay for avoiding enemy attacks that can be frustrating, especially to those unfamiliar to the genre. On the other hand, there are moments where the bullet-hell gameplay works well with the narrative where the characters' traits and emotions interfere with their attacks. The other flaw is the ease of some puzzles where it is difficult to fail these puzzles. Once again, there is an argument against this flaw: the characters in the game are making these puzzles based on their motives and drives with their traits affecting how these puzzles work. Other flaws may include poor artistic choices at times, excessive need of healing items at times, excessively long gags and the seemingly mandatory use of a controller for certain fights.

Link to orignal image: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/391540/ss_6ded97a2c98473ac1e8a2b3c1419d93fb31b1186.jpg?t=1447254294

Now for the meat of the post. Undertale may seem like a simple game at first glance but peel away the simplistic graphics and sounds. The reader will then witness high class writing at work as the premise, settings and characters are fleshed out as the game progresses. The simple premise is enhanced by the notion of individuals acquiring medium awareness that is acknowledged while the setting is established further through dialogue and occasional remarks. The characters, for me, are among its strongest points. In most games, I am always able to find character who I am unable to like or find detestable in some way. I do not hold it against the game and for the most part, I can appreciate a well-written characters we are meant to despise. In Undertale however, I found it nearly impossible, or at least extremely difficult, to find a character to detest in this game except for one particular character (and that one may not even be a character). The characters each have basic traits and may even seem generic but the game is able to show their flaws and motives especially in conversations centered around them. It makes them more relate-able and amusing to interact with while making the aforementioned characters feel like real people in a harsh world. Even random enemies have characteristics and backgrounds to them with some even becoming rather sad when examined closely. This is part of the writing that I will talk about.

Another feature I would address about Undertale is the combat system. While seemingly basic, the addition of the Act button allows for interactions with opponents in combat. These actions tend to be required to spare said opponents rather than simply killing them. As previously mentioned, the opponents' characteristics have an effect as it determines which interaction may be the most effective in pacifying them. On the other hand, attacking opponents rely on a quick-time event-esque interface that determines critical hits based on where the indicator is when the interact button is hit. It is simple and does its job. The two options available to the player in combat have an effect on the route followed in the game as killing important NPCs can drastically change the game's environment as the player progresses on the route they set out on. Combined with the medium awareness and clever writing with regard to gameplay mechanics, the combat system gains actual weight and depth. I still dislike the bullet-hell gameplay though even if I did like seeing the attacks of certain opponents reflect their inherent character. 

The other strong point of the game is the writing. While allowing basic remarks and conversation cutscenes to flesh out the characters, setting and lore, Undertale fills these pieces with enough tongue-in-cheek humor and medium awareness that it is refreshing reading through the dialogue while character traits are presented sufficiently enough that it. Other than conversational writing, the writing in the background when interacting with objects fleshes out the setting and lore along with some characters in large ways such as the portrayal of the King of Monsters as presented by the characters and the environmental objects that reference the character. The writing is able to paint a clear picture that goes well with gameplay and deepens the experience for the player. With the aid of the soundtrack, certain sequences and moments in the game have emotional impact as the monologues, dialogues and expository texts flow by, stirring emotions in a player through these cooperating features. The reason I give so much praise to the writing is due to the fact that it was able to make me well up like a child in its stellar moments. With fully-fleshed out characters, an appropriately wonderful soundtrack and good writing, it was able to draw me into the experience while coaxing out emotions I usually keep with myself whenever I play a game. The moment that left me weeping in a corner takes place in the True Pacifist route in the final battle as the backstory and context surrounding one particular character and their motives is revealed to the player. Combining that with the soundtrack of that moment with the prior heartwarming moments from saving these characters (that showcases the amount of genuine care and love they have for the player character), it broke me in the best way: With an immersive experience that I could interact with and still be lead through by a good narrative. Even now, the game still affects me and leaves me pondering on what a game needs to truly affect a player (probably good writing, gameplay that works with the narrative, relate-able characters and an amazing soundtrack). The game's ability to draw the player into a living world with genuine individuals with an impressive soundtrack and high quality writing are my reasons for nominating this game as a potential Game of the Year. There is enough good aspects in this game to warrant a nomination.

I close this post with this statement: 
I hope the reader got their money's worth with this game. If I sounded like I was forcing the reader to buy the game and made this whole post seem like advertising, I assure you it is not. Undertale is a game I came to love as it placed emphasis on writing and characters while having enough positive traits that most triple-A games seem to have forgotten or sacrificed for gimmicks that do not go far in the long run. If your opinion differs from mine, there is no issue. 
After all, almost all opinions are subjectively biased (except for most opinions when it comes to the mathematical based areas).

One Punch Man episode 6

Opinion:

Acceptable. This week's episode is acceptably decent as an adaptation of the Weekly deadline and Seaweed incident (not the actual names of the events but I had to refer to them somehow). This post will be different from the usual format since nothing much happened and whatever happened is similar to previous episodes.

It is however starting to wear the gag (Saitama being an overpowered) out though as it did not get as much laughs out of me than the previous episodes. I guess this is what happens when there is a lack of events going on which add in more varied gags and characters to run them against. It did get some chuckles but it was mostly from recalling those gags from the manga. I do not hold it against them too much though as the manga also had this problem around this time whereby the escalation of threats later on fixes this major problem.

There are some changes in the anime when compared to the manga that I will not spoil for the viewer though I will have to say that the Psychic Sisters (both of them, PRAISE WHATEVER RELEVANT DEITY HERE) do make actual fully-voiced appearances and have been well-illustrated. 

(Full disclosure: I prefer Fubuki over Tatsumaki since Fubuki undergoes more character development in the manga later on while slowly overcoming her biggest character flaw along with the fact that Tatsumaki reminds me too much of a spoiled brat that never did fix their flaws though on the flip side, she is entertaining to watch and serves as a foil to Saitama. Ultimately, both are entertaining characters with flaws that have significant effects on them. Plus Fubuki has a body that makes all the female characters pale in comparison) 

Some of the changes do flesh out the setting, systems and established lore which ensures that plot dumps will not be taking place in the middle of big events (I think there appears to be references to something big that does occur later in ONE's version but I will not confirm if I am wrong) which is what an adaptation should do: make appropriate changes to improve pacing and flow (unlike Fuh Stuh Nut) even if the die-hard fans complain about it. From the extra expository discussions, it can be established that Saitama's city of residence is a danger hotspot, Tatsumaki is condescendingly arrogant, there is a group of strong monsters gathering, the Blizzard Group exists already and Saitama does miss his hair.

Overall, it still has action (though not as much this week), comedy (that is wearing thin due to a lack of events and characters to bounce off), and entertainment value (that is still present). I can give it a cautioned recommendation for viewers who want to keep up but if you miss it, there is not much to miss. There was nothing much happening in this episode though it did flesh out the setting, systems and lore more when compared to the manga. Perhaps the next episode will bring the escalation or it may not. I have some faith though since they did adapt the Sparring bout so well and for bringing us the gem that is Fubuki so early on and so well illustrated. The facial detail does resemble the Murata version below (at least in my opinion):

Link to image: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/onepunchman/images/5/5a/Fubuki_color2.png/revision/latest?cb=20150103000806 and http://onepunchman.wikia.com/wiki/Fubuki

Still positive about this adaptation and that is an illustration from the Murata version. Bask in it's detail and if you want a picture from the anime, the nearby search engine will locate it.

[Musings: Fallout 4 this week. Got a Pip-boy app on my phone and will look at it for next week's opinion post. I have history with the series (started from Fallout 3, went to New Vegas and completed Fallout 1 & 2) so I will be harsher to the game since I preferred Fallout 1, 2 and New Vegas a lot more than 3 (not that I hated 3; I liked it as seen by this post: http://subjectivelybiasedrants.blogspot.com/2015/06/fallout-3.html ). I will try judge the game by its own merits but remember that my review-like opinion will have bias (something that all opinions and reviews have whether we like it or not). To those that pre-ordered, I hope you have actual collectible items to justify such a decision and to those that wait for the actual release, have fun buying at day one or later.]  

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition (and One-Punch Man episode 5)

[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

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.