Preface What does it mean to have freedom or slavery? Bloodborne‘s director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has admitted that the game was influenced by his own experience having a kid. Bringing a new life into the world with another shackles couples in many ways. Bound by lineage, commitment, responsibility, convention, man and woman arguably can’t come out […]
Preface While all the focus is rightfully placed on the demigods, Elden Ring has a rich history which began only after their epic had more or less concluded. Liurnia is unique in how it brings that part of the tale to the forefront, which goes a long way to justify the sheer scale of the […]
Preface While the Dark Souls narratives are designed for player choice, Director Hidetaka Miyazaki makes no stranger his bias. The theme of stagnation pervasive throughout Dark Souls III is perhaps his most overt criticism of the subject. As I am often asked about the “best” ending, I feel obliged to point out that the series’ […]
Preface The Chalice Dungeons lack the same charm as the more carefully crafted world in Bloodborne‘s main journey, without question. But despite the repetition, these strings of areas can convey a lot about the underlying places. The environmental storytelling may only project a vague aura, but when the subject covers eons of history, anything more […]
Preface The Ashes of Ariandel DLC holds a special place in my heart. Painting worlds have been deeply entwined with meta narrative since the original Dark Souls, (DS1) but this is the first time that they became vehicle for commentary. The exploration of Ariandel is a dive not only into the history of one world, […]
Preface There isn’t much to say when the good times are good. More often than not, these eras of peace and prosperity are the prelude to inciting incidents and great tragedies. Rarely do we see them carry a tale, yet it is always when those peaceful days are no more that we long to have […]
Among the various schools of magic in Melfia, astrology might be the most idiosyncratic. Astrologists study the stars’ movements under the presumption that there are rules behind their alignment from which they can derive magic power. These heavenly bodies include the sun and moon based on the designs on their robes, which explains why we […]
Pharros is a curious character. His legend remembers him for trotting across the globe, leaving various contraptions in his wake. These mechanisms invariably involve a strange “face” — two round holes above a square one. The mouth to this face is where we insert the lockstone keys for activating the mechanism. The device then triggers […]
Amidst exploring the Ruin-Strewn Precipice immediately beneath Mt. Gelmir, we can come across a body carrying the Serpent-God’s Curved Sword, shaped after the snake worshiped in the land since long ago. This serpent god in question stands out for its longevity, apparently living eternally. When the immortal reptile is ostensibly killed during our boss battle, […]
Although now defined by Erdtree civilization, there was a time when Altus Plateau was rife with barbarians. A scarab rolls up Barbaric Roar at the base of Liurnia’s waterfall streaming from Altus. Another, invisible scarab stamping along the Altus highway amusingly collects Earthshaker, which uses blunt or otherwise inelegant weapons like large hammers and axes […]
Lokey Lore 