In April I only read two books but I was playing and finishing different video games including Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Books:
The first book I read this month was Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard which I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Netgalley. Women in the Valley of the Kings is a nonfiction book about the history of Egyptology and the impact that women have had on the field. I’ve been interested in Ancient Egypt and Egyptology for years but most of the people you hear about are the famous men and their findings. I didn’t realize how many women were involved in the field and how their finds and research impacted others. I would recommend this to those studying Egyptology and those who have an interest in the field.
The other book I read this month was Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Mass. This is the last book in The Throne of Glass series which I loved. I feel at this point that this series is so popular you will know if you want to read it and if you would like it. It took me a while to finish this series mostly because I have been very bad at finishing series in the last several years. However, some of the books are a bit of a slog but the payoff is worth it.
Video Games:
This month I finished Final Fantasy VII Rebirth which I also have a full review posted for. I absolutely loved this game and I can’t wait to see where they take the story in the next game. Two things if you are interested in playing the developers are expecting you to know the story of the original games including Crisis Core for all the emotional payoffs and you should play Remake before trying this one. This is a game for fans but other would enjoy it as well.
The other game I’ve been playing has been The Oregon Trail for Nintendo Switch. I’ve been having a lot of fun playing it but as I only pick it up here and there it will take me a while to complete everything in the game. If you have fond memories of play Oregon Trail as a kid I would recommend it.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the sequel to the Final Fantasy VII Remake and is the second game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake Project. Starting immediately following the events of Remake this game follows Cloud and the party from leaving Midgar to the events in the Forgotten Capital. Before I get into more of my feelings and opinions of this game, it’s clear that the developers of the Remake Project expect players to have if not played the original and Crisis Core that you at least know the full story going in as there are things that might be confusing otherwise. At this point I will be discussing mild spoilers for the game.
You start playing this game as Zack who has just arrived at Midgar and is trying to find and save Aerith. From there we jump to Cloud and the rest of the party who are trying to track down Sephiroth to stop him from destroying the world. The game progresses like this where you occasionally play as Zack and try to find out what is going on with the timelines. Personally, I believe that there are three timelines/universes at play. We have the original game timeline where I think Sephiroth is from as there are times he knows or mentions things that he should not know or have a connection to, then there is the main Remake timeline with Cloud and the party that is more or less following the events of the original game but Aerith knows something about the Whispers and changing fate, and finally there is the timeline where Zack lived which is very different. Zack and Cloud in that timeline appear in the aftermath of the battle with the Whispers in a world that it seems like the battle was lost and most of the cast is now dead and the world is also dying.
Overall, I love this game and these characters. I terms of game play it’s mostly the same as Remake but there is added Synergized mechanic for team attacks and the Folio system to unlock new moves and other attributes. We also get new characters in Yuffie, Cait Sith, Cid, and Vincent. However, like Red XII in Remake Cid and Vincent are not playable. The other thing that I love is the emphasis on learning more about the characters and their back stories both in the main plot and in some of the side mission/content. This is one of those games that you can decide how much of the side quests and mini games that you want to do but I feel like it truly fleshes out the world. I didn’t enjoy all of these specifically the card game, Queen’s Blood but when I replay it I do plan to get through more of the side content.
Personally, I can’t wait for the next game and I hope we get answers to all the lingering questions about Aerith and Zack and the timeline changes. While this is a game for fans as long as you’ve played Remake you could play Rebirth without having knowledge of the original game but there are emotional scenes that will not have the same impact as those who know everything going in.
At the beginning of the year I went back and replayed Final Fantasy VII Remake to get ready for Rebirth and I finally got around to playing the Yuffie DLC Episode Intermission.
Before I get into the DLC, I still love Remake but when I played it again I did see a few more flaws with it this time. It did seem to me that the creators where trying to streach out the Midgar section a bit too much but on to Episode Intermission. There will be some spoliers for both Remake and Episode Intermission as I feel like I can’t properally explain my feelings without them.
This DLC follows the character Yuffie, who has come to Midgar with the help of Avalanche to attempt to steal materia from Shrina. Yuffie is joined on this mission by fellow Wutaian Sonon Kusakabe. In terms of when this story takes place it is set between the bombing of Mako Reactor 5 and the fall of the Sector Seven Plate.
This DLC is split into two chapters the first follows Yuffie as she makes her way to Avalanche headquaters to meet up with Sonon. During this section there are a few side quests that can be done and you do get to see many of the other characters from Remake but you are not allowed to interact with them.
Once they obtain Shinra idea cards the second chapter begins. Yuffie and Sonon attempt to inflitrate Shinra to find the materia but are spotted by Scarlet. Instead of alterting security she desides to test out new wepons on them. It is in the Shinra section of the DLC where the most happens. As you continue through Scarlet sends out Deepground to deal with Yuffie and Sonon which allows us to see Weiss and Nero for the first time and we have to fight Nero to escape Shinra. At the very end there is a short sceen with the main group getting a ride from Choco Bill and Zack showing up at the Sector 5 Church as a tease for where Rebirth is headed.
In terms of game play its very similar to Remake with some slight differences do to the party members and the fact that you can only control Yuffie directly. They also introducted Synergized actions during battle where Yuffie and Sonon will do a tag team move against the enemy.
Overall, I loved this DLC but there was some things that I wasn’t expecting. I would have loved to see Yuffie interact with the characters from Remake but for the plot I understand why we couldn’t and I wasn’t expecting Deepground to become such a big thing. Its becoming clearer and clearer that the developers expect you to know information from all the Final Fantay VII games that came before. The only other critism I have is that the ending switches tone very quickly as we have a very sad sceen followed immediately by Yuffie humming on the back of a Chocobo.
In September read seven books, watched several horror movies, and started playing a new mobile game that I will continue playing for a while. I’ve been very busy the last several months and I’m currently trying to get caught up on the posts that I’ve been meaning to write and schedule.
Books:
The first book that I finished in September was Tinker by Wen Spencer which is a fantasy/Sci-Fi novel that follows the inventor Tinker who lives in a near future Pittsburgh that now exists in the land of the elves. An interesting concept but I hated how everyone kept assuming Tinker knew certain things without anyone stopping to explain what was happening or going on. Its also very clear that it was written in the early 2000s and has many tropes common in books from then.
Next was Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire which was a reread for me as I continue on with the Wayward Children’s series. This one follows Cora and others from Eleanor West’s school going on a quest to help Rini and save her world. Rini is Sumi’s daughter but Sumi was killed in the first book which has thrown her world of Confection into chaos. To save Rini they must find a way to bring Sumi back to life. Not my favorite book in the series but I liked it better on reread.
FeedBack by Mira Grant is the last book in the Newsflesh series that retells the story of Feed from the perspective of the reporters covering the Democratic side of the election. While I enjoyed being back in this world, I loved the characters from the trilogy so much and we only get mentions of them I ended up loving this book like the others. The most interesting aspect of FeedBack to me was seeing the reactions of these characters when they find out what is really going on and how that is connected to the characters from the trilogy.
Next I read In An Absent Dream and Juice Like Wounds both by Seanan McGuire to continue reading the Wayward Children’s series. In An Absent Dream follows Lundy’s story and her experiences in the Goblin Market and Juice Like Wounds is a short story following one of Lundy’s adventures. In An Absent Dream is my least favorite of the series so far. I loved the concept of the Goblin Market but I feel like the most interesting things that happen to Lundy are not shone. Lundy has trouble choosing between her world and the family she loves to the point that the choice no longer is hers to make and is forced upon her. Juice Like Wounds is more what I was expecting Absent Dream to be like and it gives a better understanding to the choice Lundy is forced into.
The next book I read was Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling is a book written like a text book for the characters in the world of Harry Potter. I read the illustrated edition which is like a coffee table book and something I think fans should read once.
The last book I read in September was Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. This is a science fiction book where at the age of 75 you can join the Colonial Defense Force in Space. We follow John Perry who takes this deal and learns what humanity is up against in space. An interesting idea that remined me a little of Starship Troopers (I’ve only seen the movie). While this is a start to a series the end is such that you don’t have to continue it.
Movies:
The horror movies that I watched were Hell House LLC and its two sequels. Set five years after the death of 15 people on opening night of the Hell House haunted house attraction a documnetary crew is trying to find out what happened. They get tapes that show events leading up to the opening of Hell House which is set at an abounded hotel and as the movie continues you start to question is the hotel is haunted or not. The first movie is a good found footage horror movie but sequels removes all ambiguity of what happened and straight up decides to make it a battle between the forces of heaven and hell. I would recommend the first one but don’t feel the need to watch the sequels.
Video Games:
The only video game that I’ve been playing has been Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis which is a new mobile game that retells the stories of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, and The First Soldier. Currently, I’m having fun with it but I’m making a point to not spend any money on this game. If you are a Final Fantasy VII fan I would recommend trying it out as its free but I can see many people not liking it.
May was a bit of a hectic month so I only read two books, both which were early copies from Netgalley. I did also finish playing Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion.
Books:
The first book I finished was Mister Magic by Kiersten White, which I also have a full review posted for. Mister Magic is a horror book were 30 years after an accident on the children’s TV show Mister Magic the cast is coming back together. However, Val doesn’t remember the show or what happened but weird things are going on and to save those she cares about she must remember. A little confusing at times but overall a very good horror. I you want to know my full thoughts please read the full review.
The only other book I read this month was The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear by Nat Segaloff which is a nonfiction book about the creation of the Exorcist movie and the sequels that came after it. While I enjoyed this deep dive into the history of the Exorcist with a title like Exorcist Legacy I was expecting more discussion on the impact the Exorcist has had on the horror genre as a whole. I feel like this book is best for super fans of the movie but over might enjoy it as well.
Video Games:
The only game I finished was Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion which I also have a full review posted for. This game is the remastered edition of the 2007 PSP game Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII with updated graphics, voice acting, and controls. This is a prequal to the original Final Fantasy VII focusing on Zack Fair and the events leading up to the Nibelheim incident. I loved this game and anyone who has an interest in the Final Fantasy VII Remake Project I fell should play this.
Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion is the remastered edition of the original 2007 PSP game Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII. Story wise this is the exact same game as the original with update graphics, models, new voice acting, and changes to the controls which make it look and feel more like the Remake project.
The story is a prequal to the original Final Fantasy VII, set seven years before, following SOLIDER Third Class Zack Fair as he wants to achieve a higher rank and become a hero. We find out early on the First Class Solider Genesis has left Shrina and that he is attacking the company for some reason. As the story progresses we see how Zack meets Aerith and Cloud and the events that led up to the Nibelheim incident. I don’t want to say more about the story as I feel like it should be experience without many spoilers and will have an impact of the future of the Remake project. Square Enix has made it clear with the ending of Final Fantasy VII Remake that Zack has a bigger part to play but to truly understand everything you need to see his story.
I loved this remaster not just because I love Final Fantasy VII. I did play the original Crisis Core on the PSP but I never finished it. I wanted to finish it for the story but in the original I never found the controls intuitive and would get to a point where I would just give up. Though this remaster hasn’t changed much the changes to the game play that make it more inline with the FFVII Remake makes it so much better to play. The game is set up with a liner story that will just take you from beginning to end. However, the game also allows to you take on missions at every save point and the is where the bulk of the game play is and how you level up.
I loved this game but I also love Final Fantasy VII as a whole. Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a game that I feel many will enjoy and those interested in the Final Fantasy Remake Project should play.
Octopath Traveler is a HD-2D roll playing game from Square Enix originally made for the Nintendo Switch. You choose one of the eight characters to start the game with as a protagonist and journey through the world. Eventually you will met all of the eight character which all have different jobs that effect each characters play style. Though you can only have four characters in your party at any given time you can switch out characters to play though each characters four chapters.
The story of Octopath Traveler follows these eight characters with their own journeys such as revenge, hunting down a specific monster, becoming the best merchant, and so on. I enjoyed all of the characters stories but I do wish the game had found a way to connect all of the stories as there really isn’t a reason for these characters traveling together.
The game play itself is turn based with each character welding different weapons’ and having different weakness which changes how you will play the game. My starting character was H’aanit the huntress as I liked the concept of her story best but I don’t feel like she is the best character to start with if you are trying for the most optimum play through.
I did complete almost all of the side quest as they are a good way to level up the characters but I didn’t complete the game. The final dungeon and boss of the game require you to complete it in one go and while it is the one thing that tries to tie the character stories together its not something that I feel most people will finish. I attempted it and realized that I would need to be stronger and have a better strategy to beat this section of the game. Ultimately, this is one of those games that if you enjoy it I would recommend finishing all of the character stories but there is no need to beat that last dungeon.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is a rhythm action game that is the latest (at time of posting) Kingdom Hearts game. The gameplay retells the story of the Dark Seeker Saga though the music of the games. While the plot focuses primarily on Kairi following the events of the Kingdom Hearts 3 Remind DLC.
Kairi has put herself in a deep sleep to search her heart and memories for clues for Sora whereabouts after his disappearance at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3. Kairi eventually confronts a version of Xehanort who nearly overpowers her until Sora takes over briefly. The ending tells us that Riku is going to the mysterious Quadratum to search for Sora while Kiri continues her keyblade training under Aqua. Yen Sid also sends Donald and Goofy off the inform everyone else what is going which Mickey is going to Scala ad Caelum to investigate the ancient Keyblade Masters.
Overall the game fun but I do wish that we got to play as Kairi more during the game and personally I wanted Kairi to be the one to fight Xehanort this time but I know this game was mostly to give hint as to where the Kingdom Hearts series will be going next. Though not confirmed I hope the ending means that we will be getting a game focusing on Kairi and Aqua and one with Mickey in Scala ad Caelum.
Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Remind DLC are the last games in the Kingdom Hearts Dark Seeker Saga. This game follows from the previous games where Sora and everyone are training to stop Xehanort from foraging the x-blade and destroying the world to create a new one. Before getting into it, this game is for fans and expects you to both know and understand all that has come before. The game does try to inform new players but your really not going to completely understand things if you haven’t play all the pervious games. Especially the emotional moments and how certain stories are brought together and concluded are best experienced with this prior knowledge.
The story starts off with Yen Sid prepping the seven keyblade wielders as the guardians of light and Sora going off to regain the power of waking. As they travel the Organization XII members that have returned are targeting the new princess of heart to make sure everything goes to plan. Finally, Riku and Mickey are in the realm of darkness trying to find Aqua while Kairi and Lea train as keyblade wielders.
In terms of gameplay I love it. The basic magic and keyblade attacks are still there but we are given situation commands, different keyblade forms, and attraction flow which summons park attractions to hit enemies with. I can see that not everyone will like all the different combat forms so I would try all of them and then just use the ones you like the most. Overall, Kingdom Hearts 3 is not my favorite game in the series its a fun ride and a good entry that answers many questions and ends this saga of the story while also leaving enough mystery for future games. My only criticism is the fact that Kairi still doesn’t have much agency in the story and is more of a plot device than an actual character. I would have also liked to have seen some Final Fantasy characters at least show up as cameos.
Now to talk about the Remind DLC I will have to spoil the ending of Kingdom Hearts 3 so now is the time to leave if you haven’t finished it.
So near the end of Kingdom Hearts 3, Xehanort provokes Sora into attacking him by destroying Kairi’s body this forges the x-blade and unlocks Kingdom Hears. Sora, Donald, and Goofy do defeat him and Xehanort gives the x-blade to Sora to seal Kingdom Hearts. However, Sora decides to use the power of waking to save Kairi though it will have grave consequences. In the scene on Destiny Islands everyone is there including Kairi and Sora but Sora disappears and it is clear that finding Sora is where the story will go next.
The Remind DLC better explains the ending as Sora is using the power of waking to save Kairi. The power of waking allows Sora to essentially travel back in time during the final battles with the Organization member by entering the hearts of his friends and allies. In terms of gameplay this allows the player to control and fight as other characters. While the concept of Sora travel in time is a little confusing I do love the extra scenes and character moments that we didn’t see before. This also better explains that Sora is breaking the laws of the universe to save his friend and love the fact that we finally get to play as Kairi. The DLC also gives us more of a glimpse of where the series is headed in the next games.
As I mentioned in May’s wrap up post I’ve been very busy the last several months and have gotten behind on posting so the next couple of months I will be catching up. In June I was able to finish three books, watch a movie, and finish playing Kingdom Hearts 3. Everything in this wrap up will also have full review posts up at some point.
Books:
For books I was only getting through audio books at this time and in June that was the next three books that I needed to read in the Dresden Files: Blood Rites, Dead Bead, and Proven Guilty.
Blood Rites is the sixth book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Out of all the Dresden books I’ve read I disliked the set up of this one the most. Harry is contracted to protect the producer and cast of an adult film as a favor to Thomas, who is a White Court vampire. However, as the story goes on we find out things that both change Harry’s life and the path of the series.
Dead Beat is the seventh book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This one follows Harry as he must find the word of Kemmler to give to the vampire Mavra to keep Murphy safe. I would say that this is one of the funniest books in the series with Butters having a larger role in this story. The story brings in elements that were introduced in other books and its starting to become clear that there is something bigger going on the Harry only currently on the outskirts of.
Proven Guilty is the eight book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This one follows Harry, who is now a warden of the White Council and is being tasked to look into rumors that black magic is being practiced in Chicago. When Molly, the daughter of Michael Charpenter, gets involved it seems like entities taking of the look of horror monsters are attacking people she knows and it turns out she has been dabbling in magic. I love the fact that Molly becomes Harry’s apprentice but I’m very glad that Butcher didn’t write it as a romantic or sexual relationship as that would have caused me to stop reading the series.
Movies:
The only movie that I watched this month was Jurassic World Dominion and was the first movie I’ve seen in theaters since February of 2020. This is the last movie in the Jurassic World series and with how it has so many call backs to the earlier movies it works as a send off to the Jurassic Park series as a whole. This is one of those movies that if you think about the plot or the “science” involved its not a great movie but its a good action popcorn movie. I liked the movie overall and I loved seeing some of the originally actors come back.
Video Games:
This month I finally finished Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Remind DLC. The reason it took me so long to get to Kingdom Hearts 3 was that I wanted to play all the games in order and experience the series to the best of my ability. Kingdom Hearts 3 is a game for fans. You can play it without having played the others but you’re not going to understand all of the plot and the emotional moments are best if you have played the other games. I loved the game play and most of the plot but I’m not a huge fan of the ending. Overall, Kingdom Hearts 3 felt very melancholy to me. The Remind DCL is mostly there to better explain the ending and give some idea of where the series is planning to go next.
Night Owl Reviews 