Geo VII

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A lot of people are saying some pretty dumb things about this movie that really miss the mark on messaging. Turning Red isn’t Disney/Pixar’s best film in recent years (it’s solidly middle of the road), but it’s definitely not the “overtly sexual” and “inappropriate” film that internet pearl-clutchers are making it out to be. It’s a story about a girl trying to navigate one of the most difficult times in her life, realizing her growing independence while also navigating the stresses and expectations of her family. That it mentions things almost all young people of that age go through (navigating puberty, finding where you belong in a social group, gaining more independence while still staying connected to your family) are not strikes against it. Parents who condemn this film for discussing these topics are, like Mei’s mother, mired in a tradition that serves no purpose beyond silencing conversations about growing up, and, like the protagonist, needs to change.

I have never played an SMT game before, but I now understand why it’s so acclaimed. Collect and fuse demons from world mythology to battle by your side in the post-Armageddon wasteland of Tokyo? Yes please. I can’t understand why people rail against Pokémon being evil and satanic when this game series lets you befriend the literal Devil. A definite recommend for capture-and-collect RPG enthusiasts.

About halfway through the game and loving it. MercurySteam really knows how to make a Metroid title. I came into this game knowing it was the sequel to Fusion and was prepared for all the same elements unique to that title: the sense of dread at being chased by an invincible, implacable foe; the map that procedurally changes, locking you out of areas you’ve been to until you move forward and loop back again; Samus’s higher vulnerability than in previous titles… everything was there, and ramped up to 11. For some people, these elements may take away from the traditional Metroid experience because the way forward can seem a little linear at times, and the game places obvious obstacles in your way to prevent you from going too far off the beaten path. I found enough exploring to do on my own, however, and the backtracking and item acquisition is there for those who want it. The Counter system returns from Samus Returns, and they’ve tweaked it a bit. For one, enemies with counterable attacks come at you with them MUCH faster, which I like because i don’t have to stop and wait as often when exploring, and can keep a nice flow going when I’m rushing through an area. It can be frustrating for some players, however, because the timing window is more difficult as a result. The ‘counter flash’ sometimes feels less like a signal for when to counter and more like a warning that you need to counter (except for some bosses/EMMIs). Also, the counter feels less mandatory (again, except for some bosses/EMMIs); in Samus Returns, a monster with a counterable attack took noticeably more time to defeat with your beam than it did countering them, punishing you a little for not using it. In Dread, I never get the impression that I’m being asked to work harder to kill something with my beam and missiles. Granted, monsters in Dread soak a good amount more damage than most Metroid titles, but missiles are plentiful and hit hard, and the Wide Beam triples your damage output, so it’s not a huge deal. The biggest change to the game (and the biggest complaint I’ve seen so far) are the EMMIs and how much scarier they are to deal with than SA-X. They are incredibly good at hunting you. They will frequently corner you as you dash mindlessly through their zones in a bid to escape. If they catch you, the timing window to escape is near impossible. They will insta-kill you… a lot. It is terrifying. This is by design, and the game literally tells you all of this in advance. If you keep your wits about you and use everything at your disposal, you’ll have some very tense moments and epic jukes. If you’re the sort of person who needs time to stop and breathe and think, the EMMIs will catch you. You need to learn the paths through their areas and rush them without stopping, or you will see Samus get spiked again, and again, and again. This is Pac Man on steroids: learn the maze, learn the enemy’s behavior, don’t get caught. Metroid Dread is a game that does exactly what it says on the cover. At its heart, it is a Metroid game, but one whose environment, enemies and atmosphere are constantly, oppressively pushing you to move. It is not a game you can always explore at your own pace; you play by Dread’s rules, or you die. If that sounds like a deal-breaker, then this probably isn’t the Metroid you’re looking for. For me, it’s the perfect combination of classic and new.