Yes, this is a post that is a result of my procrastination. I'm ashamed of it, but I'm also not going to deny it.
A while ago, I've mentioned about the Final Fantasy VII remake, which you can read about it here. So today, I thought I should finally get down to listing some of the things that I want to see in a remake, if money, time and talent were not a problem. Yup, I'm giving my wishlist in the FF7 remake.
1. Graphics
That was obviously a no brainer. I think the new generation cannot stand seeing hands in rectangular joints, much less cubic-hands. I tried to introduce FF7 to a group of 11 year olds back then. None of them were interested for long. If Square wants to have a remake, a remaster like what they did for FFX will not cut it. I'm not expecting FF13 graphics (though a good amount of fans are), but a remake would be lovely, no doubt.
2. Music
Of course having remade music would be awesome. As much as I love the original soundtrack, I doubt the new generation of gamers would appreciate the good ol' MIDI music. So, naturally it would be wonderful if they could remake the music, but keep the arrangement as it is. The old gamers would love the fact that nothing has changed about what they loved in the old version.
In other news, have you heard of this compilation called "Voices of the Lifestream"? It's a fanmade compilation of remade FF7 music. Some are amazing, some are normal, some sounds good enough to be used in the game itself. Do check it out.
3. Map
An upgrade of the world map would be nice. Not to mention awesome graphics to be changed when Cloud runs on the World Map. Yum. I would just drool thinking about the amazing graphics.
4. Battle system
I love the battle system in FF7, albeit simple. It was user-friendly for the RPG noob that I was, and I would not have it any other way. Camera angle, however, should be more flexible. I'm still okay with turn based and the developers could keep it that way. But you know... Crisis Core and its wonderful action RPG stint was just as amazing. It could be something that the developers would want to explore, but that's just me.
5. Translation
I loved FF7 and its primitve translation. Grammatical mistakes, incoherent conversations abound. Despite all that, it would be suicide to NOT change that. Times have changed, expectations have risen. The translations need to go. Yes, a full revamp would be what the game needs.
Yup, off the top of my head, that's what I'm looking for in an FF7 remake... if EVER. What is your wishlist?
Monday, August 25, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Book Review (8): Fire and Thorns
I realise that I have not posted a book review for a long time. Therefore, in the interest and the convenience that I've just finished a book, I shall post a review as soon as I can.
Here it is.
Fire and Thorns
Rae Carson
Story Sypnosis (in my own words): Sixteen year-old Elisa was marked by birth to be God's chosen one. However, she was definitely not looking like it and no one seemed to see her like it. An arranged marriage led her to discovering that her fate was more than what she had expected.
I picked up this book by a very sheer random process of running my finger through the book spines until I found a title intriguing enough. Apparently, this book had a longer title called "A Girl of Fire and Thorns" but my book is just titled "Fire and Thorns". The story is the same.
1. I was hooked onto the book really quickly.
When I was in the bookstore, I flipped through the first chapter and quickly found myself wanting to know more about the arranged wedding that Elisa got herself into. That was exactly what happened after I bought the book and read it properly again. Basically, I started on Saturday morning and just finished it half an hour before midnight. I did think about the book during the hours that I wasn't reading. (It took me a total of 5-6 hours or so to finish... If I'm not wrong.)
The book picked up a pretty good pace and kept at the pace throughout the entire book. I had no problems sustaining my interest over the 400 odd pages. Quite surprising, actually. It was almost too easy for me to be hooked like that. Maybe it's because it has been such a long time since I read a novel.
2. Elisa as a protagonist... together with a plethora of colourful characters.
As usual, characters make or break the story for me. You can have a cool story plot but if the characters can't deliver, the story can't shine.
Elisa is one of those unconventional heroines. Not the sort in Eon/Eona. Elisa is a fat, insecure and naive heroine who falls in love with people who give her attention because she had yearned for attention and acknowledgement all her life. She binges when she's upset and she is constantly going on about how fat she is.
I had no idea how fat she was. I mean, people were saying 'fat' in her face, she was complaining about how fat she was but it did not register in my mind. I was still thinking that she's just chubby. It was when she talked about prying breasts away in order to see her navel that I realise, "Good Lord, she is fat!" She shoves pastries in her mouth and thinks about scones. I love it.
That flaw in her was so stark, so apparent, so constant throughout the book. This really breaks all stigma about heroines needing to be beautiful and skinny. Although inexperienced, clumsy and naive, Elisa has a rather sharp acumen when it comes to reading people and gathering intelligence. She has read scriptures that makes her not only an educated princess, but one that is well-versed in war, even though she had never physically been in one.
The other characters do not pale in comparison either. Each one has some kind of quirk, a particular way of description that is so signature.
3. Twists.... Golly, I had NOT expected that!
There were SO many things that I DID NOT expect in this book. I had started the book not knowing what to expect. All my predictions came through... and then veered off into oh-my-gosh-how-did-that-happen revelations. I do not want to reveal any spoilers so I can't say more nor give examples.
I had mentioned in the Throne of Glass review that so far, the love triangles had no twists. I have to take my words back now. At the end of the book, I was quite at loss. "What now?" I ask myself.
1. First person narrative.
I shouldn't really put this as a dislike because many, MANY young adult fiction are written in first person narrative. Eon/Eona (review here), Fifty Shades (review here), Twilight, Hunger Games and many, many chick-literature. Really, people. Is it so easy to write in the first person narrative?
Personally, it was hard for me to write in first person. I used to do it in my first serious fanfiction, which was Samurai Deeper Kyo's "KISS Me!", but when I started "I Want To Be A Turk!", something pushes me in the direction of a third person narrative. I eventually grow so used to it that now it's a little weird to write in first person. I feel that I lack perspective. Hurhur.
There aren't many stories that portrays a third person perspective, but they were all good novels. Harry Potter, Eragon, Throne of Glass (review here)...
Just saying.
2. I was apprehensive at the end.
Despite being hooked from beginning to the end, I was not blown away by the ending of the book. I did not have a strong urge to buy the sequel. In fact, I even considered borrowing from the library. Perhaps the reason was because the book ended itself quite well. There was obviously a hook for the sequel, but I'm pretty contented with how the book turned out enough to not pursue the sequel. What a weird thing to say, I know.
3. Too much reference to her Godstone.
Every few pages, Elisa HAD to refer to the mark of the chosen one, a gemstone embedded in her navel called the Godstone. She uses it for prayer, for reassurance, for warning, for clue finding... It's too much for me. It reminded me of Anastasia Steele and her limited vocabulary of "Oh my"s and "Holy cow"s. However, this may just be my personal thing, since the Godstone is the main plot trigger.
It's in between Consider It and Love It, but I've placed this book under "Consider It" because as compared to the other books that I've labelled "Love It", this book does not quite make the cut. However, I do value this title very highly and will consider reading the rest of the trilogy and novellas.
Pictures taken from:
Book Cover
Disclaimer: Despite the official term, the above book review is not a wholesome and fully critical one. The book is merely reviewed and reflected on based on story writing skills and other literary elements.
Here it is.
Fire and Thorns
Rae Carson
Story Sypnosis (in my own words): Sixteen year-old Elisa was marked by birth to be God's chosen one. However, she was definitely not looking like it and no one seemed to see her like it. An arranged marriage led her to discovering that her fate was more than what she had expected.
-------
I picked up this book by a very sheer random process of running my finger through the book spines until I found a title intriguing enough. Apparently, this book had a longer title called "A Girl of Fire and Thorns" but my book is just titled "Fire and Thorns". The story is the same.
1. I was hooked onto the book really quickly.
When I was in the bookstore, I flipped through the first chapter and quickly found myself wanting to know more about the arranged wedding that Elisa got herself into. That was exactly what happened after I bought the book and read it properly again. Basically, I started on Saturday morning and just finished it half an hour before midnight. I did think about the book during the hours that I wasn't reading. (It took me a total of 5-6 hours or so to finish... If I'm not wrong.)
The book picked up a pretty good pace and kept at the pace throughout the entire book. I had no problems sustaining my interest over the 400 odd pages. Quite surprising, actually. It was almost too easy for me to be hooked like that. Maybe it's because it has been such a long time since I read a novel.
2. Elisa as a protagonist... together with a plethora of colourful characters.
As usual, characters make or break the story for me. You can have a cool story plot but if the characters can't deliver, the story can't shine.
Elisa is one of those unconventional heroines. Not the sort in Eon/Eona. Elisa is a fat, insecure and naive heroine who falls in love with people who give her attention because she had yearned for attention and acknowledgement all her life. She binges when she's upset and she is constantly going on about how fat she is.
I had no idea how fat she was. I mean, people were saying 'fat' in her face, she was complaining about how fat she was but it did not register in my mind. I was still thinking that she's just chubby. It was when she talked about prying breasts away in order to see her navel that I realise, "Good Lord, she is fat!" She shoves pastries in her mouth and thinks about scones. I love it.
That flaw in her was so stark, so apparent, so constant throughout the book. This really breaks all stigma about heroines needing to be beautiful and skinny. Although inexperienced, clumsy and naive, Elisa has a rather sharp acumen when it comes to reading people and gathering intelligence. She has read scriptures that makes her not only an educated princess, but one that is well-versed in war, even though she had never physically been in one.
The other characters do not pale in comparison either. Each one has some kind of quirk, a particular way of description that is so signature.
3. Twists.... Golly, I had NOT expected that!
There were SO many things that I DID NOT expect in this book. I had started the book not knowing what to expect. All my predictions came through... and then veered off into oh-my-gosh-how-did-that-happen revelations. I do not want to reveal any spoilers so I can't say more nor give examples.
I had mentioned in the Throne of Glass review that so far, the love triangles had no twists. I have to take my words back now. At the end of the book, I was quite at loss. "What now?" I ask myself.
-------
1. First person narrative.
I shouldn't really put this as a dislike because many, MANY young adult fiction are written in first person narrative. Eon/Eona (review here), Fifty Shades (review here), Twilight, Hunger Games and many, many chick-literature. Really, people. Is it so easy to write in the first person narrative?
Personally, it was hard for me to write in first person. I used to do it in my first serious fanfiction, which was Samurai Deeper Kyo's "KISS Me!", but when I started "I Want To Be A Turk!", something pushes me in the direction of a third person narrative. I eventually grow so used to it that now it's a little weird to write in first person. I feel that I lack perspective. Hurhur.
There aren't many stories that portrays a third person perspective, but they were all good novels. Harry Potter, Eragon, Throne of Glass (review here)...
Just saying.
2. I was apprehensive at the end.
Despite being hooked from beginning to the end, I was not blown away by the ending of the book. I did not have a strong urge to buy the sequel. In fact, I even considered borrowing from the library. Perhaps the reason was because the book ended itself quite well. There was obviously a hook for the sequel, but I'm pretty contented with how the book turned out enough to not pursue the sequel. What a weird thing to say, I know.
3. Too much reference to her Godstone.
Every few pages, Elisa HAD to refer to the mark of the chosen one, a gemstone embedded in her navel called the Godstone. She uses it for prayer, for reassurance, for warning, for clue finding... It's too much for me. It reminded me of Anastasia Steele and her limited vocabulary of "Oh my"s and "Holy cow"s. However, this may just be my personal thing, since the Godstone is the main plot trigger.
-------
Rating: Consider it.It's in between Consider It and Love It, but I've placed this book under "Consider It" because as compared to the other books that I've labelled "Love It", this book does not quite make the cut. However, I do value this title very highly and will consider reading the rest of the trilogy and novellas.
Pictures taken from:
Book Cover
Disclaimer: Despite the official term, the above book review is not a wholesome and fully critical one. The book is merely reviewed and reflected on based on story writing skills and other literary elements.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Love Triangles...
Before I get into this, I just want to clarify my previous post. I mentioned that I was going to upload Chapter 50. My mistake. I have not even uploaded Chapter 49. So we've gotta upload Chapter 49 first, right?
Then again, who is reading my story anymore? :( Silent readers, I suppose.
Back to the main point: Love triangles. I did not think about these until last year. That's when I really realised. I don't like love triangles. They are seriously the highlights of any romance story, but I don't like them still.
Oh, in case you are wondering, I stopped reading manga. Not that I lost interest. There were so many titles that I wanted to read (hmmm, sounds familiar with my novels too...) that I was not focusing on my career enough. So now I've stopped reading new titles.
Anyway, a few months back, I finished reading this manga called "Heroine Shikkaku". It was such a bittersweet story, because the guy and the girl did not get together until the very very last chapter. Sidenote: actually, it's pretty special in a way because most shoujo manga would spend more time drawing life after the protagonists get together. "Heroine Shikkaku" ended with the both of them finally coming to terms with their feelings. The journey to that moment was tedious, though. The boy was confused about who he likes. The girl was quite hurt throughout the entire manga.
It's kinda like that with the other titles too. In other titles, the girl actually ends up dating the rival because she was confused by the main boy's feelings. Even though everything worked out fine for the main boy and girl in the end, there was lots of heartbreak. In a love triangle fiasco, so many people will inevitably get hurt.
Honestly, I don't want that to happen to anyone, as far as possible. That's why I made it real clear with "Days of Exile" that Meia and Reno will be together. Even though I add in competition like Jasper and Kunsel, they pose no big threat. It's really difficult to console the character that is rejected, especially if a lot of emotional effort was made. I know that some manga tries to reconcile that by making the others fall in love with someone else, but that's just unrealistic.
I see love triangles being so prevalent in many books too... Twilight... Throne of Glass (review here!)... Eon/Eona (review here!)... Hunger Games... plus a gazillion shoujo manga as the entourage.
So true, Inuyasha. So true.
The million dollar question that lasts till the end of Advent Children.
This one dragged on for FOREVER!
Is it really often the way to go? I mean, look at "Eragon (review is now available!)"! A perfectly good story without any of that love triangle stuff. Maybe that's because there were so many things going on in "Eragon" too...
Well, if the story is done well, then the love triangle adds flavour and spice. However, it's kinda sad if the love triangle is the MAIN storyplot, I think. It's understandable with shoujo manga, but not so for novel. I'm sure you can do a lot more than that, right?
Those are my opinions, and I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me. For all we know, sometime down the road, I will write a full blown love triangle story, hyuk hyuk. Life is strange, sometimes.
I shall end by wishing my country a HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!
Singapore is definitely a country to visit, once in your lifetime. Probably once is more than enough because we are THAT small. Nevertheless, it is a country to visit and understand the culture, if you can catch up with us locals.
Pictures from:
Inuyasha
Tifa and Aerith
Archie Comics
Merlion
Then again, who is reading my story anymore? :( Silent readers, I suppose.
Back to the main point: Love triangles. I did not think about these until last year. That's when I really realised. I don't like love triangles. They are seriously the highlights of any romance story, but I don't like them still.
Oh, in case you are wondering, I stopped reading manga. Not that I lost interest. There were so many titles that I wanted to read (hmmm, sounds familiar with my novels too...) that I was not focusing on my career enough. So now I've stopped reading new titles.
Anyway, a few months back, I finished reading this manga called "Heroine Shikkaku". It was such a bittersweet story, because the guy and the girl did not get together until the very very last chapter. Sidenote: actually, it's pretty special in a way because most shoujo manga would spend more time drawing life after the protagonists get together. "Heroine Shikkaku" ended with the both of them finally coming to terms with their feelings. The journey to that moment was tedious, though. The boy was confused about who he likes. The girl was quite hurt throughout the entire manga.
It's kinda like that with the other titles too. In other titles, the girl actually ends up dating the rival because she was confused by the main boy's feelings. Even though everything worked out fine for the main boy and girl in the end, there was lots of heartbreak. In a love triangle fiasco, so many people will inevitably get hurt.
Honestly, I don't want that to happen to anyone, as far as possible. That's why I made it real clear with "Days of Exile" that Meia and Reno will be together. Even though I add in competition like Jasper and Kunsel, they pose no big threat. It's really difficult to console the character that is rejected, especially if a lot of emotional effort was made. I know that some manga tries to reconcile that by making the others fall in love with someone else, but that's just unrealistic.
I see love triangles being so prevalent in many books too... Twilight... Throne of Glass (review here!)... Eon/Eona (review here!)... Hunger Games... plus a gazillion shoujo manga as the entourage.
So true, Inuyasha. So true.
The million dollar question that lasts till the end of Advent Children.
This one dragged on for FOREVER!
Is it really often the way to go? I mean, look at "Eragon (review is now available!)"! A perfectly good story without any of that love triangle stuff. Maybe that's because there were so many things going on in "Eragon" too...
Well, if the story is done well, then the love triangle adds flavour and spice. However, it's kinda sad if the love triangle is the MAIN storyplot, I think. It's understandable with shoujo manga, but not so for novel. I'm sure you can do a lot more than that, right?
Those are my opinions, and I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me. For all we know, sometime down the road, I will write a full blown love triangle story, hyuk hyuk. Life is strange, sometimes.
I shall end by wishing my country a HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!
Singapore is definitely a country to visit, once in your lifetime. Probably once is more than enough because we are THAT small. Nevertheless, it is a country to visit and understand the culture, if you can catch up with us locals.
Pictures from:
Inuyasha
Tifa and Aerith
Archie Comics
Merlion
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)