Hello everyone. Well, I did have some parts of my main computer replaced; but there's still more work to do before I can reinstall the OS. On top of that, I'm also looking at other material to do after I get back on track with what I had planned.
As for Yo-Kai Watch: it's been quiet on most fronts. Only thing that I've seen lately from the series stateside is an alternate piece of cover art for "Psychic Specters" leaked on Best Buy's website. I also have some episodes that I'm contemplating doing; and a host of others that I couldn't find enough material for a full recap. Unless the third game officially is brought stateside, I will not recap the third movie (plus, I've only begun experimenting with live-action coverage; and doing those parts of the movie would be a bit more to talk about than me just riffing on the new Ghost in the Shell).
In the meantime, I have also got myself some souvenirs from my visit to California, one of which is a copy of Yo-Kai Watch 2: Fleshy Souls. Like the last game, after 9 months of no flowers blooming; I finally caved and got a used copy of the game, and... it's actually not that bad. It's definitely not on the same order of magnitude as Pokémon Sun and Moon or Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, but it is a slight improvement over the first game in many respects. I will give you some early impressions of the first few hours of gameplay, and I will skip the rap version of the opening in favor of something else, something juicy.
I will definitely admit for the first six hours of gameplay, there is an aura of familiarity hanging over the game. The rationale for this is a case of amnesia that causes many events of the first game to be done over again. While this is a point of contention among many, I will admit I have mixed feelings about the idea. On one hand, this may seem a bit weak on paper. The first few hours of Gold and Silver weren't a rehash of Red and Blue, after all. The first events of Majora's Mask weren't a rehash of the ones in Ocarina of Time either. On the other, it does also allow some wiggle room for the new mechanics. The changes are not as noticeable as they would be in a Pokémon game (I have been trying not to use the P-word too often, but sometimes it fits), but there some tweaks that I appreciate as someone who was disappointed with the first game. For example, the map system is much easier to figure out where you need to go for certain missions; especially since the area of the game is still daunting to navigate at times. While a newer Pokémon game or Breath of the Wild can easily make exploring the land feel satisfying and free, this game still feels like someone trying to cram the entire Bay Area into a shot glass. There are also some modifications to combat and finding certain Yokai for your quest. Still, there is some guesswork to finding out what you need to do as opposed to just throwing a Poké Ball after lowering an enemy's HP; and the autonomous combat system still lacks the challenge of most Pokémon games or other RPGs. The graphics, while competent for a game that came out in Japan in 2014; still feel a bit too much like a cutesy Saturday morning cartoon for my tastes. Even bosses such as Gutsy Bones lack the sheer power of Primal Groudon and Kyogre.
Though I have gotten to the point where I will be going to see relatives in Harrisville (Kemamoto in Japan), the pacing feels much slower than it did in Sun and Moon; let alone other RPGs I've played. Maybe it's just me, but I'm just not feeling the whole "everyday life with yokai" premise. Despite that selling point, the only major difference between our world and theirs is that there are yokai. Again, I have to ask: does it even need to be in our world? Here's an idea: why not have a world where there are yokai and go from there? Why have the series in our world at all? I know the whole thing is ludicrous; but a concept doesn't have to make sense for someone to enjoy playing a video game about it. Sonic can run at speeds that break the sound barrier but sinks like a stone in water. Mario can get big from eating mushrooms but dies when he falls down a pit. A 10-year-old can bomb around the world with an electric mouse and a waterbending ninja frog and nobody will ask questions.
I don't know if Psychic Specters will be able to succeed where its seniors failed in the US, but we'll see. Given how the game is once again coming out against a murderer's row of anticipated installments from big series, Hino has an uphill battle on his hands. The third game could potentially come to the US if Level-5 published it on their own, but nothing has been confirmed. I will also give you more thoughts on the game as I continue playing it in between the latest Global Mission for Sun and Moon. In short: it's OK. Definitely not horrible, but also far from my favorite. With this, the first half of 2017 draws to a close at the stroke of midnight. It's been crazy, but at least better than 2016 was by this point. Hopefully things will go well, and I will be able to give you more soon. That will be all for now. See you, space cowboy.
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