A Quick PSA

Yes, gaming is great fun and all, but here's a few tips from me to you so you can enjoy a healthy gaming life.

Between the Lines- Stardew Valley's Joja Company

There is no politics involved here; only the cold, hard facts. If you are pro-capitalism, this blog entry will challenge your beliefs and make you wholly uncomfortable. You have been warned.

Stardew Valley is one of the most relaxing games I'v ever played. It's bright, cheery, soothing, and of course, fun. But a bone of contention among the fandom, and gamers as a whole, lays in the game's criticism of capitalism via the Joja Company. The game presents Joja as a soulless, greedy megacorp that has its hands in the pockets of both government as well as local economies. I'm not here to argue that this presentation is fair; I'm here to present the real life inspirations for this company.

Final Fantasy 8- Five Points of Brilliance

When it came out, Final Fantasy 8 was quickly (and unfairly) unfavorably compared to its predecessor, Final Fantasy 7. Of course following what many hailed as the greatest game of all time is no easy task, and wether FF8 is as good as FF7 is up for debate. There is no question that FF8 is fundamentally flawed, and many of these flaws bring the game down considerably. But I have compiled a short list of five elements that underscore the BRILLIANCE of FF8, and why it deserves to be hailed as one of the finest RPG's of AT LEAST the PS1 era.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim- A Smoking Gun! Saadia vs the Alik'r

In Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim there is a side quest that, on its surface, seems to employ the old trope of He Said She Said; you don't know who's telling you the truth, and yet you still have to pick a side. Neutrality is no option. I speak of the side quest In My Time of Need, a sidequest that, until recently, had no clear cut answer. But I have found in  game what I believe to be the "smoking gun" that can put to rest this issue once and for all.