As some of us suspected, this is the episode where the red-headed guy comes in and yes, he turns out to be the Welf Crozzo who smithed Bell's armor. Like Liliruca, Welf comes with his own baggage, most of which appears to stem from his past, and he's desperate for both a party and a friend. Luckily for him, after the events of last week, Bell's status has risen to Level 2, and he and Lili want to head for the middle floors of the dungeon, something that would go a lot better if there were more people in their party. When Bell sets out to buy new armor, he meets Welf, and the two strike a deal.
While the introduction of Welf into Bell's party is arguably the meat of the episode, the most important part is actually the fact that Bell is now Level 2. It's a meteoric rise to say the least: it took him roughly a month to jump levels, and when you consider that even Aiz didn't level up that quickly, it really says something about Bell as an adventurer. Part of what it reminds us is that he has an incredible will to succeed. His hidden skill, Realis Phrase, certainly helped propel him even if Hestia is keeping it a secret, and now with his new level he has acquired the “Argonaut” skill. It was mentioned last week, but with no explanation, so many viewers assumed that it was a reference to the mythical Jason and his Argonauts, indicating that the story exists in Bell's world and that those who witnessed the fight were comparing Bell to him. As it turns out, it is an actual ability that stems from a great desire to be a hero, allowing Bell to overcome almost any danger before him. As I mentioned last week, this is further evidence to support Bell's own strength of will and drive to succeed. While that may originate with his feelings for Aiz, his skills are at their best when he's actively trying to help a friend; Argonaut manifests when Lili is in danger, like how he achieved Level 2 while protecting Lili (and his reputation) from the minotaur.
There aren't any fights on the level of the one against the minotaur this time, but there are still some nice visuals. My personal favorites would be the initial manifestation of Argonaut, which the audience notices before Bell does because of our third-person perspective on the scene and the entire weaponsmithing sequence in Welf's workshop. While I cannot speak to its authenticity, having only seen farriers and blacksmiths making stove parts or horseshoes, it is still somehow fascinating. In part this is due to the concentration Welf exudes. Despite the fact that there's avoice-over about his views on weapons versus magical weapons, his attention never wavers from what he is doing, a level of seriousness we have only seen applied to fight scenes up till now. The steps he takes also add to the interest of the scene, as the show is careful to delineate multiple steps and to make sure we realize that we're seeing an abbreviated version of the process. It's a change of pace but no less intense than a major battle, reaffirming that this is a better looking show than you might at first suspect.
Although Hestia is not in much of this episode, continuing that trend as Bell makes more friends outside of the Familia, it has become very clear that she is busy in the background making sure that Bell is with the right people. Bell's naiveté hasn't really changed from episode one, and enough people realize that that he's always being looked out for. For Hestia, this means making his adventuring as smooth and safe as possible, voicing her reservations but ultimately trusting him to make his own decisions. Like with Lili, she tells Bell her worries about Welf, but stops short of making any sort of judgment call. This trust is what grounds their relationship and makes even our brief glimpses of them together so comfortable...even if she does have rotten taste in adventurer titles.
Even with all of these positive aspects, this episode simply doesn't flow as well as some of the others, jumbling together Welf's introduction with a meeting of the gods and Bell's new skill. Given that the episode count is swiftly running out, it is easy to understand why quantity of material might have been more important than perfect pacing, but it does still make this somewhat less satisfying than it might have been, which, given last week, is a shame.
Rating: B
For better or for worse, Assassination Classroom has always been eager to try out new story ideas. Some experiments have worked out well, adding exciting new elements to the series. Others have been duds, typically abandoned after a single mediocre episode. This showdown between class E and a group of professional assassins falls more into the latter category, but it looks like we'll be stuck with it for a while.
Class E sneaks into the hotel this week, dodging bad guys in search of a cure for their infected classmates. Getting past the ground floor guards proves to be a piece of cake, but things get tougher as they move further up the building. They figure out how the virus was spread after taking out a poison expert, but a cloud of paralyzing gas leaves Karasuma on the sidelines for the rest of the mission. With all of their teachers out of commission, the kids will have to face the next henchman on their own. The baddie appears to have a killer kung-fu grip worthy of a 90's action figure, but Karma quickly steps up to challenge him one on one.
This story arc marks a shift in tone for Assassination Classroom. It's trying to trade in the usual silly action-comedy for a much cooler vibe. The hotel's odd layout lets them take on one major opponent at a time, and each enemy's particular talent presents a different challenge for the class to overcome. The bad guys are all a little eccentric, but their quirks are chiefly meant to help them stand out. Making the audience laugh is a secondary priority at best. The trouble with this new approach is that it doesn't quite work. Something about the attempt rings false, like the class clown suddenly donning a pair of sunglasses and trying to play the rebel without a cause.
The show's comedic instincts are sharp as ever, and they help to carry the episode whenever the action slows down. Karasuma instructs the students to act like spoiled rich kids in order to blend in, and the resulting gallery of facial expressions is priceless. Having Koro Sensei trapped in his little defensive ball also turns out to be useful from time to time; the other characters can inflict all sorts of misery on him whenever he gets too smug. There's a moment of self-referential humor that feels a bit forced, but even that's more entertaining than the series of hallway faceoffs.
It wouldn't take much to liven up this storyline, but the script needs to get off the fence and commit to a single direction. If the show wants to play secret agent, then the stakes aren't high enough at the moment. The current set of opponents have been too easy for class E to dispatch, and it doesn't feel like the kids have to push the limits of their abilities. On the other hand, the show needs to really cut loose if it wants to stick with its usual over-the-top style. Last week's attack on Koro Sensei was a good example of how to add a sense of fun to an action scene, but the rest of this story arc hasn't kept up that blend of style and humor. When it comes right down to it, this action comedy needs either more action or more comedy.
Assassination Classroom is still more entertaining than the average action series, but it's starting to wander too far away from its strengths. The best hope for improvement may be the faceless mastermind behind the assassins, who could easily prove to be more interesting than his henchmen. Until class E makes it to the top floor of the hotel, however, we may be in for a long and uneventful ride.
Rating: B-
Assassination Classroom is currently streaming on Funimation.
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Bye-bye annoying app permissions!
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App permissions are being overhauled in M.
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For example, if you want to send a voice message through Whatsapp, you'll only have to agree to grant the app the permission once, and will never be asked to allow microphone usage in apps again. The above will apply to all other categories of permissions, which have been simplified to be more understandable than before — so things like 'Camera' and 'Location'.
One of the biggest improvements in Android M actually have to do with Google Now — the search giant's digital assistant. The service is arguably already best-in-class, but thankfully, Google isn't being complacent.
Dubbed as 'Now on tap', the service will now be able to understand your context much better than before, including the app you're using and the content that you're exposed to. This will allow Google's assistant to do some pretty smart stuff. For example, a message received in Viber that references a chore (pick up the dry cleaning!) and a suggestion to maybe go to a restaurant will mean a ton to Google Now — a tap of the Home button will summon the service, which will offer to set a reminder for your dry cleaning, and whip out reviews and suggest apps that will let you reserve a table at that one restaurant.
This kind of functionality isn't just limited to Viber, though. If you're listening to a track, and activate Google Now and ask questions about the artist behind it, the assistant will know who you're talking about automatically. Another example is Chrome — just highlight the name of that one movie star, long-press the Home button to summon Google Now, and watch as it serves you all kinds of information about him or her. Best of all? None of the apps in question will need to be updated for Google Now to do its thing.
If you're big on reading through Facebook, you will likely have noticed that the app no longer sends you off to do your thing with the help of a third-party browser, and any given article is instead served within Facebook. This very same type of functionality is coming to apps (Pinterest already confirmed), allowing third-party developers to bake in such functionality within their products. The heavy-lifting will be done with Chrome, though the interface will remain consistent with the app's design.
Since you may want to revoke a permission from an app at a later time, you'll be able to do so through a menu in the settings, which will let you to control whether all or select apps have access to a certain category of permissions.
Google Now is better than ever
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Google Now understands your context and offers help.
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Dubbed as 'Now on tap', the service will now be able to understand your context much better than before, including the app you're using and the content that you're exposed to. This will allow Google's assistant to do some pretty smart stuff. For example, a message received in Viber that references a chore (pick up the dry cleaning!) and a suggestion to maybe go to a restaurant will mean a ton to Google Now — a tap of the Home button will summon the service, which will offer to set a reminder for your dry cleaning, and whip out reviews and suggest apps that will let you reserve a table at that one restaurant.
This kind of functionality isn't just limited to Viber, though. If you're listening to a track, and activate Google Now and ask questions about the artist behind it, the assistant will know who you're talking about automatically. Another example is Chrome — just highlight the name of that one movie star, long-press the Home button to summon Google Now, and watch as it serves you all kinds of information about him or her. Best of all? None of the apps in question will need to be updated for Google Now to do its thing.
Android Pay and native fingerprint scanning support
Another major announcement has to do with a new service alike to Apple Pay. Called Android Pay, it's Google's reboot of Wallet, allowing for mobile payments within stores. As you can imagine, it'll use NFC to communicate with terminals.
ANDROID PAY IS GOOGLE'S ANSWER TO APPLE PAY AND SAMSUNG PAY.
On top of mobile payments, Android M is also introducing native support for fingerprint scanners, so manufacturers will no longer have to bake in support themselves — at least unless they want to. Coupled with Android Pay, it's obvious that Google is getting really serious about mobile payments.
Chrome everywhere
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Chrome browser used within Pinterest.
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Why you should care? Because this implementation will allow apps to pre-fetch content before you even open it, so load times will be lower than ever.
'Dozing' with Android M will increase power efficiency by a ton
Seeing how battery life continues to be an overarching issue with smartphones, it only makes sense that a major update such as Android M will focus on this aspect of the experience as well. With M, Google is introducing 'dozing', a special mode that will only activate when your device's various sensors determine that your device is not being used (say, it's just standing on your desk), and enter an even deeper state of sleep. Thankfully, dozing won't stop your alarms and priority notifications from reaching you.
The results? Google claims that an identical setup with Android M manages up to x2 the standby time of a device on Android Lollipop. If true, dozing truly is a big deal.
On a related note, Google has made its support for USB Type C charging ports public, meaning that we can expect more such devices to creep up on us rather soon. The end of failed attempts at connecting your device is in sight, people!
The small things
Not every Android M feature is as noteworthy as Android Pay or better power management, yet the smaller things do make life easy (or a living hell). Two such examples are sharing content on (stock) Android, and volume control.
Direct share
While sharing various types of content has been core to the Android experience, one could (successfully) argue that the implementation has been in need of a serious improvement for a while. Not only are we bombarded with tons of apps we can share content to, but many devices don't really learn from your usage habits.
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Volume controls by category in Android M.
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Seeing as Google is pitching Android M as all about the user experience, it makes sense that it worked on that. With Android M, your device will finally make sense of how and who you share with, allowing for ever smarter suggestions next time around. So if you constantly send over content to your girlfriend, your Android M-toting device will know that you're most likely to share with her again in the future. So she'll be your number one option.
This feature has been available in proprietary, Android-based UIs, but it's good to see Google is both paying attention and willing to implement smart ideas into Android.
Finally! Volume control by category
Another exceedingly smart feature available with select manufacturer UIs, and unavailable with Android Lollipop, is volume control by category. This means that if you wish to change the volume for notifications and alarms, but not music and your ringtone, you could only do so whilst in an app the controls this category of sound. So the media controller was only available when in a music app. With Android M, this will finally change, as the volume bar will now include the sliders for all groups.
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Since then, we’ve seen Apple move into other new areas that led them to become yet again the dominant force. Take the iPad as an example. Even now, with competition ranging the gamut, it’s still widely regarded as the premier tablet for its impeccable design and tablet-centric apps ecosystem. Conquering that market, Apple is eying its focus on yet another budding segment that demands meticulous overseeing in order to prove to consumers that there’s a viable place for its presence. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s none other than the smartwatch market.
Enter the Apple Watch, the company’s ambitious take on the modern smartwatch, which has yet to see a champion that rises above all others. Indeed, we can mention a few models from the Android Wear camp that have piqued our interest, but for the most part, there’s still not a single, dominant one that can transform the smartwatch’s reputation from a want, to a necessity. Can the Watch achieve that? Knowing Apple’s track record, we’re confident that it’s plausible, but at the end of the day, it’ll need to prove to all of us that it can.
Our package contains:
- Apple Watch
- Wall charger
- Black sports band
- Magnetic conductive charging disc
- User's guide
Design
A humble looking design that covers the gamut, it’s far more customizable than most smartwatches.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s first explain the various models that are available with the Apple Watch – Sport, Watch, and Edition, which are offered in either 38mm or 42mm casing options. In terms of pricing, the base 38mm Sport aluminum model starts at $349 (42mm is $399); the middle-ground stainless steel one goes for $549 for the 38mm case, and $599 for the 42mm one; and finally, there's the luxurious Edition version with 18-karat gold body that starts from $10,000 for the 38mm case and $12,000 for the 42mm case. For our review, we have the 38mm Sport model that comes with a standard black fluoroelastomer band.
While the Apple Watch isn't an 'instantly mind-blowing design' type of thing, it’s one of the more favorable looking smartwatches we’ve seen – boasting a concoction of simplicity, modernism, and premium into one. Constructed from what Apple refers to as 7000 Series Aluminum, with our unit sporting the Space Gray color (there’s also a Silver option) and a matching black fluoroelastomer band, it certainly has a pleasant uniform look, but of course, a higher contrast can be achieved by picking up any of the handful of colored bands that Apple sells.
Versus other smartwatch designs, this one is an undeniably favorable one with its sturdy feel, but at the same time, it’s not something we’d classify as class-leading. It could be attributed to its square shaped watch face style, which we don’t feel as stylish as some of the round faced designs we've seen.
Worn on our wrist, the 38mm Apple Watch Sport might look a little small for most men, but it’s something that many women feel to be better sized for them. Of course, the 42mm model is more proportionally correct for those with bigger wrists, but frankly speaking, it’s a nice looking watch either way. That’s partly due to how the edges of the Apple Watch are rounded, offering a uniform look – while the glossy front helps to contrast the aluminum casing. And then there’s the fluoroelastomer band, which is rubbery in texture and offers great fidelity with physical activities thanks to its water resistant properties. Adjusting the strap is a cinch too, as all that’s needed is to find the correct cutout.
While the Watch Sport model targets active individuals, the Watch and Edition models exude a higher degree of premium with the Watch’s stainless steel case – and the 18-karat rose or yellow gold casings with the Edition. Add in the various straps that Apple sells, like the link bracelet, modern buckle, Milanese loop, classic buckle, and much more, there’s significantly more personalization achieved by the Apple Watch than anything else around. Depending on which one you go with, obviously, the final price of the Apple Watch can jump significantly – so bear that one in mind.
Along the right side of the Apple Watch, there’s the so-called Digital Crown - that’s a modern twist on a classical feature. Much like what you find on a standard watch with a crown, it can be rotated and pressed – where the former function allows us to scroll through certain lists or zoom, while the latter is used to turn it on, move between the homescreen and apps tray, and act as the ‘back’ function. Honestly, it’s pretty smooth and responsive, and we’re really impressed by how precise it is with its movement.
Below the Digital crown is yet another button, one that’s flatter and oval in shape, which acts to turn on the display and cycle between the watch face homescreen and favorite contacts when it’s pressed – while long pressing gives us the option to lock the watch, power off, or place it in power reserve mode. Over on the left edge, the only two things there are the internal speaker and microphone. For Dick Tracy fans out there, they’ll be especially pleased to know that the Apple Watch can be used to make and receive phone calls – plus, there’s also Siri access as well.
On its underside, the circular sized mid-section juts out from the casing, which packs the Apple Watch’s new, custom heart rate sensor, to gently rest over our wrist. By just a cursory inspection, one might presume that this design choice might make for an awkward fit, but that’s hardly the case. Finally, another two buttons flank the heart rate sensor – their purpose is to release the strap from the case – it’s a simple and effortless procedure, which makes installing various straps a breeze.
Designated with an IPX7 certification, it means that the Apple Watch is water resistant – not waterproof. Essentially, it can withstand immersion in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes at the maximum. However, you should know that not all of the bands are resistant to water either, so you’ll need to be aware about that. Even though it’s safeguarded against sweaty workouts, washing our hands, and even being caught in the rain, it’s not meant to be used prolonged for activities like showering or swimming.
All told, while it’s not the most unique looking smartwatch on the market, Apple treads the course cautiously by designing a very practical looking watch – one that’s precisely crafted and embodies the qualities of Apple’s meticulous approach to design. It’s not cheap looking or feeling, thankfully, but it also doesn't tend to be exorbitantly eye-catchy either.
We had a tips article go live a few days ago, and there were some decent ones in there, but it was quite basic. One or two were outright wrong. Here are some tips for those wanting a little more.
Let’s make this an open thing, as well. The Witcher 3 is such a huge game, there must be something you’ve found that others haven’t, so pop those tidbits in the comments below and we’ll all learn from each other. I played a lot of Gwent, for example, but I didn’t collect many cards. Anyone know where to get some good ones, other than just beating everyone who plays?
I’d also love to hear how people have built their characters, and any interesting theorycrafting they’re putting to use in combat. I built down the Combat tree, which is very much a “what you see is what you get” tree, so I imagine those building magic and alchemy will have some interesting stories.
Don’t repair. Replace.
The game (and our previous tips article) advises you to keep your gear and weapons repaired at all times. Don’t do this. Repair costs are ludicrous, and you’ll be no worse off if you just pick up gear from enemies. Much later on, you’ll have upgraded your gear with gems as a part of your overall build, and this will make that gear worth keeping and repairing. But it’s only at around level 20 that those theorycrafting benefits start to outweigh the numerical upgrades that you’ll get from constantly replacing gear. There’s a reason for this, but it’s attached to a mild underlying system spoiler in the next paragraph, so don’t read the next paragraph if you don’t want to be disappointed by the loot system.
The Witcher 3’s enemies don’t scale with your level, but loot does. There’s a smidge of randomness with every piece of gear, but doing a quest that’s much higher than you, or killing an enemy that’s much higher, will not reward you with amazing gear. It’ll just be gear that’s around the same level as what you have. This makes many scenes in which Geralt is handed an amazing piece of gear, remarking on the quality of the steel, not very special. Its stats might even be less than the thing you just looted from a henchman, and though it feels wrong to send that family heirloom straight to the vendor, that’s where it belongs.
Two hits and get out
Honestly, if there are only a few humanoids, you can get away with mashing. Path of least resistance, etc. But when things get tougher, it helps to know that very few enemies will let you get away with more than two swipes. Rather than just laying into them, take your two, and either combo into an Axii or get out and do something else.
Later, you’ll see enemies that make you really work for one hit. Do it from behind, if possible, for more damage. The special heavy cleave attack is good for these situations, too.
Axii = iWin
All of the signs are useful. Blasting harpies telekinetically hits them for six, and Igni is perfect for other enemies. But Axii is what you’ll use to get those defensive buggers out of their shells. Whether it’s a soldier with a spear and shield, or a monster that decided to put spikes up as a guard, this is the hard counter. Use it as an multi-purpose stun that works on pretty much all but the toughest enemies.
Three points into mind control, STAT
Following on from the last point, three points into using Axii during dialogue will pay dividends very quickly. If you have the required level, it never fails, and these dialogue options are always better in terms of story and rewards.
Quick dodge against men, long dodge against beasts
Whether or not you’ve put points into i-frames on your roll, this is what the combat system seems to be designed for. There are exceptions, of course, and this is speaking very generally, so break this rule when appropriate. But the wide, long swipes and lunges of monsters can render your quickstep impotent, and often their forward acceleration will outdo your backstep. Whereas when fighting humanoids, a quickstep or parry can put you in a prime position to retaliate. When quickstepping vs monsters, just remember that anything that has large, overhead strikes (not too horizontal) is something that you can step under.
Invest in the earlier traits
Depending on how much side content you do, you might actually finish the game before you get to the bottom of the talent tree. If you’re doing all side missions and taking your time though, this probably won’t matter. I had an adrenaline build, which was meant to come to fruition at the end when adrenaline points are used as a percentage chance for each swing becoming a one-hit kill. I had barely started to see how that went before I finished the game. You can, of course, continue after you’re done and do all the post-halfway quests.
The Mid-Point
No spoilers, but there’s a point when The Witcher 3 will warn you that if you go further, the world will change and previous quests will not be accessible anymore. This is not the end of the game, but those quests WILL be failed if they aren’t completed, and that type of information does feed into the story of your overall world.
The locals know something
Not every clue will be in the bestiary. Sometimes, non-essential dialogue or clues spied with Witcher senses can help you formulate the “right” answer to combat. And when it comes to particular monsters, there often is a “right” answer.
Skellige Maps
I personally enjoyed riding and boating around Skellige. It was one of my favourite parts of the game. But if you aren’t particularly keen on it, you can buy maps from the merchants and quick travel. These are more handy than most maps, because boating around various isles can take a lot of time, and in some cases you might not be 100% sure where you need to go. A couple of points in the game have confusing quest markers, and main quests are blurred with secondary quests. But, Skellige is beautiful, so getting lost can be a treat.
Can you think of any more to help your fellow Kotakuers? Put them below!
After weeks of silence over rumours about Hideo Kojima’s employment and the deletion of P.T. from the Internet, Konami’s spoken up. But if you were hoping for answers, keep hoping.
It wasn’t the endless headlines about Hideo Kojima, Silent Hills, or P.T. that caused the company to stir. No, it was the perception Konami’s future would be exclusively mobile games.
This all stems an interview with Konami CEO Hideki Hayakawa, translated by a NeoGAF user, in which it sure seemed like the company was leaving traditional game development behind:
“Our main platform will be mobiles. Following the pay-as-you-play model of games like Power pro and Winning Eleven with additional content, our games must move from selling things like ‘items’ to selling things like ‘features.'”“Gaming has spread to a number of platforms, but at the end of the day, the platform that is always closest to us, is mobile. Mobile is where the future of gaming lies.”“We hope that our overseas games such as MGSV and Winning Eleven continue to do well, but we are always thinking about how to push our franchises onto mobile there too.”
In that context, it’s not a surprise Konami would begin moving away from producing expensive games likeMetal Gear and Silent Hill, even if it upset lots of people along the way. It’s business!
In a statement sent out to several other media outlets and passed to Kotaku, the publisher tried to walk back these comments — sort of. The statement doesn’t really address anything we want to know about the future of these two franchises, whether Konami is pushing Kojima out the door, and why P.T. was removed from PlayStation Network entirely. It’s all corporate puffery.
Let’s go through it, statement by statement.
There have been certain brief quotes reported by several media outlets taken from a Japanese web article about KONAMI that was issued recently. Some of these quotes have lacked the necessary context and caused unrest within our key stakeholders including our community, members of the press, our partners, and our fans. We are aware that the conjecture surrounding our recent changes has prompted a great deal of anxiety, for which we apologise. To further aid in your better understanding of KONAMI’s business strategies, we would like to share the English translation of the entire article.
Translation: we’re tired of the bad press.
KONAMI, as a company, underwent a major structural reorganization in March this year. The aim of this reform has been to guarantee that, in the quickly-changing digital entertainment industry where new game designs and platforms constantly alter the market environment, we can accurately observe new customer demands and market trends, and apply our long-established technology and knowhow quickly and effectively with a range of targeted responses.
Take a drink for every buzzword! Actually, don’t do that. It sounds dangerous.
Konami does seem to be shifting to becoming a mobile-first company that occasionally dips into big budget video games. This is happening all over in Japan, but Konami’s not publicly making the transition as smoothly as others. A lack of communication is a huge part of the ire from fans.
The reorganization process has entailed repositioning our production studios, shifting our game development to a more centralised production division system. “METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN” director Hideo Kojima and his team members are hard at work in the new production division system, bringing the game ever closer to completion. Regarding the release of “METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN,” we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from fans in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and elsewhere worldwide who are eagerly awaiting the game’s much anticipated September 1st launch. To this end, the development team is diligently working together to ensure those high expectations are answered in full.
This says absolutely nothing about the one question everyone wants to know: is Kojima fired? Konami can issue statements all day long, but nothing here gets at the heart of what’s rocked players for the past few weeks. These sentences are husks, purely meant to fill the blank void.
My guess: we won’t hear a peep until Kojima is giving interviews closer to the game’s release, and even then, it will be tepid statements focused on trying to make this The Best Game Ever.
We would also like to take this opportunity to state that the METAL GEAR and SILENT HILL series, both beloved by countless fans around the globe, are also extremely important to KONAMI. We have nurtured them with care over many years since their inception, and will continue to produce products for both franchises, but we are not currently at a stage where we can announce the path these future titles will take.
If the last couple of Silent Hill games is what Konami calls being “nurtured with care,” maybe we don’t want them to make anymore Silent Hill games. As for Metal Gear, while most have been rooting for Kojima to dream up new worlds for years now, the way Konami has handled The Phantom Pain‘s road to the finish line — you know, like scrubbing his name from the marketing — suggests there’s not really a plan for the future.
“Not currently at a stage where we can announce the path these future titles will take” also makes it sound like they’re starting from scratch. Chances are we won’t hear anything for years.
KONAMI will continue to embrace the challenge of creating entertainment content via different platforms; across not only mobile platforms, but for home consoles, arcade units, and cards, to meet the changing needs of the times.
This might be the most sensible thing Konami’s said, actually. They’re a company that needs to make money, and the risks associated with making increasingly expensive blockbusters is not a business everyone wants to be in. Konami is looking for more reliable sources of revenue, and if that’s the path forward, fine. The flames towards Konami has not come from a desire to see the company go broke makingMetal Gear, it’s pretending their fans don’t even exist.
Your support for our current endeavours, and your spurring us on to greater heights, are as always deeply appreciated.
“Please pre-order Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. It cost a lot of money.”
If there's one thing Food Wars consistently succeeds in, it is in making me hungry, and this week, while not quite as tense as previous episodes, is no exception. With i fratelli Aldini having completed their portion of the challenge (both for camp and between Takumi and Soma) last week, it is now Soma and Tadokoro's turn to wow both us and their instructor with a classic Japanese dish made only from local ingredients...and by local, I mean “on the hotel grounds.” Soma's already a beat behind in his selection of fish as the main course while Takumi chose duck, but naturally he doesn't let that stop him. The finished dish is mouthwatering (especially if you already like fried fish), but what makes this part of the episode even better is that it isn't just The Soma Show – Megumi also gets to show her talents. In this case that is harvesting wild vegetables and creating a sauce that will compliment the fish, as well as helping with the accompanying greens. It marks the first time we've really gotten to see how she's lasted at Totsuki before Soma came to save the day, and it presages a better view of her cooking in general as the camp storyline continues. Equally as important, if like me you've grown up sautĂ©eing fiddleheads, this episode may inspire you to try to prepare them a different way.
While I realize that the showdown between Takumi and Soma is generally less tense for those who are already manga readers, there's still a weakness to their unofficial battle that surfaces in this episoe. We don't see quite enough of Soma and Megumi cooking, for one, and neither of them are whipping out unusual techniques, like the Aldini brothers and their mezzaluna knife. The cleaning of the fish is very toned down compared to the preparation of the duck last week, and on the whole, it just feels like not quite enough attention has been paid to this half of the battle. That it also doesn't have a firm conclusion isn't quite as big an issue, since it sets the boys up for a prolonged rivalry, which will doubtless do both of them some good in terms of their craft, and which we know from the episode prologue is something Takumi desperately needs in order to truly advance as a chef. I could make the same complaint about a lack of tension for the cooking assignment of the second half, preparing a steak dinner for a bunch of burly athletes, but it is clear that the show is much more concerned with making the big guys (and Yuki's disappointment at having to cook her own meals) humorous rather than focusing on the cooking. It is, however, taken a little too quickly to feel like anything but a way to spend time before the encounter at the end of the episode, which is handled as if it were much more important than what came before it.
Once again, the foodgasms have been made more ridiculous than sexy, although there's a bit of that as well, and the most intense fanservice has been saved for the end of the episode. While I don't think it's necessarily odd that someone would make sounds when she's been knocked over, the vocalizations in question are a little too moan-y to be believable under the circumstances, particularly when the camera is lingering on thighs and breasts – it's actually a shock to see that the character turns out to be fully dressed when we finally get a full body view. While it isn't nearly as offensive as the early foodgasms (and in terms of anime fanservice, it's really pretty tame), it also feels shoehorned in. On the other hand, Soma singing the ending theme badly during the same scene is pretty funny, no matter that that joke has a beard down to its ankles at this point.
Basically this episode just doesn't know where to put its focus – cooking, fanservice, or gags. The result is that none of it is done as well as it could have been, and even though upon reflection it was a decent episode, it's also one that felt like it took a while to get through. Fortunately more exciting fare should be coming right up, so it may be best to just write this one off as a “getting there” episode and use it to whet our palates for what is to come.
Rating: B-
