Concrete Genie, A Whimsical Art Adventure

 I was interested in Concrete Genie because of seeing some of the art style. I got ready to check it out and was ready for a new adventure. Concrete Genie can be played in VR or without VR. I played the game without VR. Setting up the game options and seeing a lot of accessibility options made me happy. I was able to set the painting controls the way I wanted, adjusted the volume to a setting that worked for me, and was able to set the difficulty to the casual setting for me. Then, I was ready to dive into the game. Concrete Genie takes place in the fictional port town of Denska, once a thriving town that is now practically abandoned after an oil spill. The main character, a young teenage boy named Ash spends his time creating art in his sketchbook and finds himself targeted often by a group of kids who are his bullies, Zack, Beatrice, Froggie, Chuck, and Janie. The opening of the game shows the bullies taking Ash's sketchbook and ripping it, scattering the pages all over town. Then they shove Ash onto a cable car that takes him to an abandoned lighthouse on Denska island.

Ash starts his adventure.

Ash explores the island and sees one of his pages go into the lighthouse. He chases after it and when he catches the page, the creature he had drawn on the page and named Luna comes to life and gives Ash a magic paintbrush which brings to life anything he paints. This is a good introduction into how the painting controls work and they're pretty forgiving so you're not too frustrated with painting the pictures. This also introduces the Genies which are friendly magical creatures based on Ash's chalk drawings that he made as a small child. Luna shows Ash that there is a darkness covering Denska and asks for his help to remove the darkness by using the magic paintbrush.

Ash and Luna have a chat. 

The creative gameplay and artwork is where Concrete Genie truly shines. The first area shows that Ash can paint on walls, doors, and up high on rooftops. As he finds more pages, it unlocks a lot of different designs in his sketchbook. Choosing from the designs is simple and among the starting art, there's quite a variety to choose from. I was delighted to paint a starry sky and seeing the stars move and twinkle, paint butterflies and watch them flutter across, or paint a strand of colorful lights and see them sparkle and move. 

Painting a pretty picture with a variety of designs.

The genies are also there to help Ash on his journey. For example, each genie has a different element that can assist Ash with certain puzzles. A red genie has fire, a yellow genie has electricity, and a green genie has wind. Depending on what is needed, Ash can call a genie over and they can use their elemental abilities to help him whether it's burning a tarp so he can climb up on a crate or powering up an electrical box to start a generator. Sometimes the genies will ask for Ash to draw a specific thing and when he does they become very happy filling up a meter on the paintbrush icon called super paint. Super paint can be used to paint over the darkness in various areas in Denska and allows Ash to paint even more beautiful landscapes. 

Ash paints a pretty landscape for the fire genie.

One of the challenges is Ash avoiding his bullies. If he runs into them, he has to run away from them and climb up on things. The bullies are bad at climbing so Ash can go all the way to the rooftops if he needs to. He can also duck around corners and call out to them and when they come towards him, he can circle around behind them and avoid them that way. The bullies will sometimes ruin Ash's paintings, but when the coast is clear Ash can fix the paintings. The story is not overly complicated and as it progresses, Ash gets a glimpse into the background of each bully. The game does a good job of showing simply yet clearly why each kid is so angry or hurting that they lash out and take it out on Ash. It sends a clear message about the fact that it isn't about Ash and is more about the pain and anger they have inside due to circumstances beyond their control and you see Ash feeling sorry for them and understanding that it was never about him. 

Flowers and stars for an electric genie.

As the story continues, you get to see how Ash changes and grows as a person, as well as the kids who bully him and receive a wonderful message about how hope and friends are found in surprising ways. There is not a lot of challenging combat in the game which I'm fine with because it's about the story, art, and charming vibe of the game. The game is not very long. It's 6 chapters and takes about five or six hours to complete. However, it's beautiful. The story is clearly told in a way that people young and old can understand, while adding vibrant, whimsical art that brings a lot of joy. There's a photo mode so you can take screenshots of your creations and there is a free paint mode so you can go in any area in the game and paint to your heart's content. I loved running around in free paint mode, painting whatever I wanted. Concrete Genie is a lovely gem because of the visual style, story, and charming gameplay. It set a lovely tone about seeing the beauty around us, the importance of holding onto hope, and the power of friendship. It is absolutely worth your time and I am happy that I got to play it. Thanks for reading. See you at the next adventure! 

Free paint mode is great! See you at the next adventure!

*Concrete Genie is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4 

*Join our community on Twitch as we play games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

*For the entire month of June which is Pride month we are raising money for Trans Lifeline. If you would like to donate you can do so here: https://donate.tiltify.com/@mothergamer/trans-lifeline/

Mothergamer Finally Plays Animal Crossing New Horizons!

 Many know that I love Animal Crossing. I have been loving Animal Crossing since the original Gamecube version. In fact, I still have my Gamecube and copy of Animal Crossing and I still play it. I was ecstatic about Animal Crossing New Horizons when I first saw the reveal for it and that was the game that made me want to buy a Nintento Switch. Then, the pandemic happened and the hope for getting a Switch faded because frankly there were tons of scalpers that took advantage of the situation and there was no way I was paying outrageous amounts for a Switch. I lived vicariously through my friends who were streaming it and enjoyed seeing all the wonderful ways they designed their islands and watching all the fun events they could participate in. 

Fast forward a year later and thanks to the generosity of everyone in our community, I was able to buy a Switch and Animal Crossing New Horizons. The big thing was working with Tom Nook to choose my island. This was a little overwhelming because I had to really think about the shape and layout of the island, how much room I would have, and thinking about where the rivers and cliffs were. Special shoutout to my friends Jason and Ryan of Betweentwogays for helping me figure all of that out and making it a lot easier. Once I had that set up, I had to choose where I wanted to put my tent and find locations for my two starter villagers, Buck and Sylvia. Then it was time to name my island. Considering what our community is all about, it was quite easy to pick out the name and I think it suits my island perfectly. 

Welcome to Kindness!

I was ready to dive into island life and do everything on my island. As with previous Animal Crossing games, New Horizons is in real time so it's a slower pace kind of game. It gives you the freedom to pick and choose what you want to do, but also encourages stopping to savor the moments. You can time travel if you want, but be warned if you time travel too far it can mess with certain things like turnip prices. I do time travel, but only adjust the time to morning such as when it's 10PM at night, I switch it to 10AM because due to my busy schedule and my streaming schedule I miss things, so this is how I adjust it. I'm playing on my own mostly, so I don't think this affects things too much. I started getting familiar with my island. I learned how to craft tools, learned about how the Nook Miles system works, and I got started on making friends with the current villagers. 

Buck gives me exercise advice.

The big thing of course, is building your house. Tom Nook as usual builds your house and then you have to pay back the loan. His sons Timmy and Tommy are in on the action as you can sell things to them for bells which is the currency used in Animal Crossing. Seriously, Timmy and Tommy will buy anything. You can pick fruit off the trees, gather seashells on the beach, go fishing, and pull up weeds and sell it to them for a nice lump sum of bells. I was able to pay off the first version of my house from doing all this at the handy Nook Miles machine. The Nook Miles machine is also where I can get rewarded with miles for how many days I've logged in and I can buy specialty items, like the Princess Peach dress. It's an interesting variation from the usual Animal Crossing games. 

It's a lovely day!

Running all over the island gathering materials for crafting and for making improvements such as adding a new museum or upgrading the resident services building were not a chore for me because I was having fun and doing a variety of things. The museum is one of my favorite things in Animal Crossing. I love Blathers the owl the museum curator and his desire to share his knowledge and passion for learning with everyone. Digging up fossils, catching fish, catching bugs, and getting art pieces to donate to the museum is a hoot because it means getting to listen to Blathers chat excitedly about it even the bugs which scare him. 

Another thing I really love is the character customization. The fact that I can change my character's entire look is very cool. I can use Nook Miles and buy some new hairstyles and hair colors. Tired of that hair style and color? I can change it as long as I have a mirror. It was fun trying out new colors and styles. I just wish there were longer hair options, but I understand it's hard to code hair. My hair is actually pretty long, past my waist so I found something that was as close to that as I could. Purple is my favorite color, so of course I went with purple hair. 

New look is a go! 

One thing that I am not really enjoying is the durability of the tools. Tools like my shovel can break and then I have to gather the materials to craft another one. It's not a big deal, but it can be a little frustrating when I'm trying to landscape and plan out areas of my island to suddenly have the tool break in my hands. For me, it takes time away from the things I want to do and instead of doing that I'm having to craft more tools. As I said, it does not detract from the game for me, just that I wish tools didn't break at all. 

The thing that brought me the most joy was being able to visit my friends on their islands. It was amazing to see how different each island was and the variety of themes that everyone came up with. Special thanks to the following friends and fellow streamers for inviting me to their islands: Altogirl, TheFinnishCeasar, Lisathewhitewolf, RedLotusPrince, Lemmiecat, and QueenTubaMom. 

There were islands that were all about Pride, a fantastic homage to The Worst Witch books, fantastic museum tours, and moments of just vibing watching the ocean. Everyone was very kind, welcoming, and made my first dive into Animal Crossing with friends a fantastic experience. 

Dinosaurs, sharks, butterfly garden, and the ocean oh my!

Animal Crossing is definitely much more with friends. Being able to open our islands and visit each other is a wonderful time. The best time I had was just getting to explore everyone's islands and seeing all the incredible ways they made their island unique. What shined through was the love and support from everyone and a shared love of the game. I was nervous at first, but because of how kind people in our community were, I found myself smiling and delighted at the incredible creativity of everybody. 

Pride celebration courtesy of Altogirl. So much fun!

I never found myself bored in the game at all. I can play it in short bursts or for a few hours depending on my mood. I can putter around on my own or visit friends. Whatever I decide to do in the game, it's always a lovely time. The fact that there's no pressure and I can go at my own pace is great and allows me to not worry about how much I have to do. I can pick and choose a few things at a time or just chill out for a bit. 

Grand visits with Lemmiecat, Queentubamom, and FinnishCeasar.

I live with depression and anxiety and sometimes it feels like I have lived with it forever. There are days where things overwhelm me or I feel a lot of pressure to do enough, be enough, and it gets exhausting. Animal Crossing has been a happy place that gives me a pleasant escape from all that. It gives me a few minutes of peace and helps distract my brain a bit. On the really bad grey days, I'm absolutely grateful for Animal Crossing being that place full of sunshine and flowers for me. Whether I'm tending a garden, celebrating a new shop opening, or taking the time to sit on the beach watching a meteor shower, there is always something wonderful to do that allows me to appreciate those moments of joy. 

Life on Kindness is pretty good. 

Animal Crossing may not be everyone's cup of tea and that's okay. For me, it's great and I have been playing it fairly often enjoying all the things it has to offer. It's a happy place for me and I am grateful for how welcoming and sweet people in the Animal Crossing community have been offering helpful tips when I ask and gifting crafting materials when I run low. It has been so inclusive for many people in our community, and seeing that representation is amazing. Animal Crossing New Horizons is a terrific game and I'm over the moon that I finally got to play it for myself. I can't wait to keep playing more! Thank you to everyone who invited me to their islands, welcomed me to the community, and showed that even though we are far apart, we can come together and celebrate a love of gaming. Thank you for reading. See you at the next adventure!

Thank you! See you at the next adventure!

*Animal Crossing New Horizons is available on the following platforms: Nintendo Switch

Join us as we enjoy gaming and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

June is Pride month and this is an important time for those of us who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. For the entire month of Pride the Mothergamer community is raising money for Trans Lifeline. If you would like to donate you can do so here: https://donate.tiltify.com/@mothergamer/trans-lifeline/ Thank you for your donations and support. 

Why No Post For May?

 My mental health has not been doing great this month. I live with depression and anxiety and sometimes it's a lot. This month it has been a lot. I have games lined up that I want to write about, but they're going to have to wait until June. I apologize for the lack of Mothergamer blogs this month and I hope you understand. Thank you for reading and happy gaming! ~Mothergamer 

Mothergamer Plays Fort Meow

 While Fort Meow seems like a simple game, it's a lot of fun. The story is easy to follow, but it's interesting. You get to play as a little girl named Nia who goes to visit her grandparents, but finds them missing and a house overrun with cats. Nia explores the house and finds her grandfather's journal. As Nia starts reading to find out what happened, a bunch of cats start attacking keeping her from reading. This is where Fort Meow begins. 

Nia is surprised by a group of cats.

Fort Meow is essentially a tower defense game, but the simple charm of it is Nia building a fort out of pillows, furniture, and various household items to defend against the army of cats attacking so she can read the journal and solve the mystery of her grandparents being gone and why there are so many cats. Different cats have different abilities which means certain types of furniture have a defense against each type of cat. If a cat lands in Nia's lap, it's game over. 

Nia starts her fort defense from the cats. 

The game makes you think about strategy in the build of your fort because you don't have a limitless supply of building materials. For each level you have a set amount of points and each item you place costs points. The game is pretty forgiving with each level if you fail. You can clear everything out and rebuild, trying different items and figuring out new strategies for building your fort. Certain objects do better against each type of cat. For example, bean bag chairs work great in defending against fat cats. With each successful victory, Nia gets to read more of her grandfather's journal and see more of the story about him being an inventor and reveals in the story about the cats.

Reading the journal to solve the mystery.

As the story continues, Nia is able to explore other rooms of the house to find useful objects she can use to build her fort. There are small puzzles in the rooms that unlock things like batteries to power some of the gadgets she finds to help her out. As you progress, you are able to unlock more of the rooms which gives you access to more items for your fort. Sometimes the fort building could be challenging when I failed a level, but I found myself enjoying trying again because of the relaxing whimsical atmosphere and the charming art style of the game. The music in the game adds to the overall feel of the game as well. 

Exploring the house for fort building items.

Fort Meow is not a long game, easily finished in three hours. However, don't let the short gameplay fool you. What it lacks in length it makes up for in a good story, fun gameplay, and lots of different ways to try fort building. It shines in its simplicity because it's something you can play in short bursts or one long sitting and have a great time doing it. 

Having a great time in Fort Meow.

*Fort Meow is available to play on Steam and iphone/ipad

*Join our community on Twitch as we enjoy games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Persona 5 Strikers: More Fun With The Phantom Thieves

 I had been counting down to Persona 5 Strikers as soon as I heard about it. I love the Persona series and really enjoyed Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. Strikers is an entirely different style of combat from its predecessors and it is a sequel to Persona 5. Described as an action game akin to Dynasty Warriors, many of us thought that is what it would be. It turns out Strikers is so much more than that with the combat style. So let's dive in! 

We're ready to start this adventure!

Strikers is set six months after the events of Persona 5 with Joker returning to Tokyo to spend Summer vacation with his fellow Phantom Thieves on a camping trip. It was so nice to see familiar faces like Sojiro who I would refer to often as Coffeee Dad as well as Makoto's sister, Sae. Joker and friends use an app called EMMA (think Alexa) to figure out what supplies they need for their trip. The casual outfits for the Phantom Thieves are quite stylish that fit each character's personal tastes and fit the Summer vacation vibe. 

The gang is back together again!

When Joker, Morgana, and Ryuji go to Shibuya to buy what they need on their list, they run into a rising star idol, Alice who gives them a card and tells them to put the keyword Wonderland into the EMMA app for a special event. When the keyword is entered, they end up in an alternate version of Tokyo and find out it's called a jail and they encounter Alice's shadow who is a ruler in the jail known as a monarch. Shadow Alice drops them to a dumpster below where they meet a sentient A.I. named Sophia who helps them fight the shadows and escape. This is where the story and action of Strikers really begins. 

Joker meets Sophia. 

Strikers isn't turn based and is more of an action based hack and slash that is incredibly fun. You can't just mash buttons however. Planning out strategies and switching out party members to target the weaknesses of enemies is how to get through battles smoothly. The way Joker gets his personas is different too, picking up masks in the various jails. The Velvet Room is in Strikers as well and it is here that Joker can fuse personas to make more powerful personas. There are eight jails in the game and each one has its own theme and each monarch feels a bit familiar as it references some of the issues and shadows they faced in Persona 5. The nice thing about the jails is that unlike Mementos, you can leave and not be tired. You can leave and replenish your health and magic and go back in as many times as you like. It makes level grinding a lot easier and with the great design of the combat system, it doesn't feel like a chore. 

Battling shadows in a jail. 

Another thing that is different is the bond skills. As the Phantom Thieves have their adventure, they get a certain number of points that can be used in the bond skills menu to enhance the skills and stats of everyone ranging from things to SP boosts and increasing luck. You get up to 30 bond points and you earn them from fighting shadows in jails, completing requests, or finishing important moments in the story. 

Everyone benefits from the bond skills. 

The road trip with the Phantom Thieves is amazing because it feels like a Persona game, but it also feels like its own thing with a stripped down calendar that is an entire Summer vacation rather than days spread out over a year. It's fantastic getting to see various locations in Japan because it really feels like a fun road trip with friends. Each place you visit is beautiful with its own unique style and has its own Phantom Thieves hangout event. I had a great time doing things like enjoying a beach day or watching the fireworks. It reminded me why I loved all of these characters and getting to share another adventure with them was wonderful. 

Having a fun vacation together. 

Doing the main story is not the only thing you can do in Strikers. You can also do requests which reward you with a variety of items and unlock access to more weapons and armor from the shop. With some of the requests you get asked to fuse a certain type of persona with certain abilities. The reward for these vary ranging from increasing your bond skills to unlocking skill cards. It is worth your time to do these because they help with level grinding and if you want to unlock new game plus it's vital that you do all the requests including the ones that pop up after you finish the main story. 

Do the requests for good rewards. 

My favorite thing to do that is another great addition to the story is cooking. You can buy ingredients and learn recipes from the locations you visit and cook for the Phantom Thieves. Cooking is a lot of fun and each meal does different things like replenishing SP and increasing agility. It's another great thing added to the game, cooking for your friends and having moments of enjoying meals together. 

Yes, you can cook in the game. 

I loved all of Strikers. It nailed the combat system perfectly while telling a great story. It felt like a nice addition to the Persona 5 universe and the Persona series. The story itself is interesting and if you played Persona 5 and Royal you will recognize the references that are mentioned. The voice actors returned for this game and did an amazing job bringing the characters to life making it feel like visiting with old friends. There are definitely some familiar themes with each monarch and jail, but in Strikers it works because of the way the story is written creating its own unique style while keeping the spirit of the Phantom Thieves throughout the entire game. Sophia became a favorite character for me because of her exploration of what it means to be human and having some thoughtful conversations with Joker about all of it. I loved the back and forth between the two as Joker helps Sophia to understand what friendship, kindness, and being true to yourself can do for the individual and others in life. When it comes down to it, Sophia is the heart of Strikers and that's what makes the story itself so special. That camaraderie shines in every aspect of the game making Strikers an incredible adventure and the best road trip ever.

Best road trip ever!

*Persona 5 Strikers is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows

*Join our community on Twitch as we enjoy games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Mothergamer Plays Doraemon Story Of Seasons

 I like Doraemon and I love the Story Of Seasons games because I love the Harvest Moon games especially Harvest Moon Back To Nature. Doraemon Story Of Seasons mixes Doraemon and Story Of Seasons together in a charming game for everyone. The game starts out with Nobita having a nice dream about relaxing in a pretty wooded area with his pal Doraemon. Right away I noticed the beautiful watercolor artwork of the game and was enchanted by it. 

Nobita and Doraemon relax. 

From there, the story shows Nobita and Doraemon finding a strange seed and they decide to plant it. The tree grows quickly as if by magic and opens a portal that transports them to another world in a little village called Shizen Town. Doraemon discovers that his gadgets are missing and these are needed to help Nobita and his friends return. They decide to stay in Shizen Town until they find all the gadgets so they can go home. This is where the true gameplay of Doraemon Story Of Seasons begins.

Nobita and friends in another world. 

Nobita and his friends meet the villagers of Shizen Town who offer to help them as long as they help to develop the town. The mayor of the town insists the kids all have to work and respect their elders. Each one of Nobita's friends finds a job in town and Nobita of course gets to work on a farm. The gameplay is simple because the majority of it revolves around Nobita taking care of the farm like it's his own and growing crops to sell. He can also take care of animals on the farm such as chickens, cows, and sheep. 

Nobita on the farm. 

Farming isn't the only thing Nobita can do. He can make friends with the villagers by giving gifts that they like and as his friendship improves with each person, they give him gifts as well as helping him out with certain tasks. One thing that unlocks early is fishing because one of the villagers gives Nobita a fishing rod. Nobita can go fishing in rivers, lakes, and two beach locations. There is a variety of fish to catch and you can catch them at varying times of the day and evening. Fishing is not terribly challenging and is a lot of fun and a good way for Nobita to make a little extra money in the game. 

Nobita gets a fishing rod.

As Nobita runs around in the woods and all over town, he can also catch insects to sell and to give as gifts to certain characters. You can also check the collection in the user interface to see what types you have caught  and there are a few quests that the villagers offer to Nobita where he has to catch a specific type of insect. Fishing and bug catching are two of the activities that don't use any energy so I could run around until the wee hours of the morning rounding up all the things. 

Bug catching is a fun time. 

One of the things that is necessary, but takes energy is mining. In order to build, upgrade, and improve buildings and things on the farm Nobita needs several materials ranging from different types of wood to ore. This also applies to improving his farming equipment for more efficient farming. To keep Nobita's energy up, he needs to bring food or energy potions from the clinic so he can keep going. Sometimes, it can feel a bit frustrating with just how much energy it takes to do things because a minute in the game is one real world second so it kept feeling like I would run out of time and energy before I could do everything I wanted to do during one Story Of Seasons day. I was still enjoying myself because of the lovely artwork and genuinely liking all of the characters. 

Nobita in the mines. 

There are festivals throughout Doraemon Story Of Seasons which are a nice break from all the farming and foraging. Each festival celebrates the season like a Spring harvest contest, a Summer split the watermelon contest, an Autumn sheep contest, or one of my favorites, a Winter treasure hunt with your dog. This also gives Nobita an opportunity to get to know the villagers, give them gifts, and have fun. 

Nobita celebrates a Spring festival with everyone. 

That's not to say that Doraemon Story Of Seasons doesn't have a few issues. Some of the things that are required to be built take a very long time to grind for because of how much material is needed and some of the pricing for it is incredibly expensive. Nobita runs out of energy very quickly which can be managed with food, energy potions, or taking a nap for a couple hours. However, in the first year of the game it can feel quite frustrating trying to do things and being hamstrung by the energy drain each thing requires. There's a reason I did a lot of fishing and bug catching. Those are the only two things that did not take any energy at all and helped earn money while waiting for crops to grow. The other thing was the animals. I loved having cute animals on my farm, but the mechanic of having Nobita push them in and out of their buildings so they could get fresh air was tedious. They also never moved from the spot and just stood there which was a little weird. That changes when you get the bell which is great, but you get it so late in the game that it hardly makes a difference. There's a reason I only had a couple of animals in the game. I had things to do and I didn't want to be tied down to having to push animals in and out of the barn. Having to constantly check the map to see where villagers were in town was helpful, but not always because by the time I got there they had moved to another area and then I would have to check the map again to locate them. One of Doraemon's gadgets helps with that, but again you get it so late in the game it feels like it doesn't matter.

That's another thing too. The amount of time it takes to get Doraemon's lost gadgets is a tad infuriating because it can make the game feel like it's dragging on a bit. I feel that in this regard Stardew Valley does a better job with your tool upgrades and the fact that the animals let themselves out. There's also a better balance with the stamina bar compared to Doraemon Story Of Seasons. In spite of all of that, I found myself appreciating the beautiful environments each season, being excited about finding new fish and bugs, having fun at the festivals, and learning about all the people that lived in Shizen Town. 

Nobita builds a snowman.

There are a lot of things to see and do in Doraemon Story Of Seasons and it is absolutely story heavy because of the crossover of the two. There is no romance in the story because Nobita is a child, but it does show lessons about love of family and friends that are sweet, thoughtful, and teaches some great lessons about cooperation and helping those in need to young people who may play the game. While it can feel uneven with the gameplay in places, Doraemon Story Of Seasons has a lot of charm and heart that do shine through with the characters and the story. The artwork does stand out and the music in the game is lovely. It's not perfect and it may not be a standout title among the other Story Of Seasons games, but it does offer a lot of good. 

Nobita enjoying the beautiful view. 

*Doraemon Story Of Seasons is available to play on the following platforms: Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, and Microsoft Windows

*Join our community on twitch as we enjoy games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

The Adventures Of Pirotess: Celebrating Valentione's Day and Little Ladies Day 2021

 It's that time of year in Eorzea where every city is decorated for the Valentione's Day event. This year is a little different because everything is set up for Valentione's Day and Little Ladies Day. The event started February 10 and is running until March 8. The decorations are split up too. The Valentione's decorations are out now until February 21 then they switch over to the Little Ladies Day decorations which will be out until the event ends. In order to participate in the festivities, you need to be at least level 15 and head over to Old Gridania. 

Pirotess arrives in Old Gridania to celebrate Valentione's Day.

The decorations for this year's Valentione's Day are pretty with bright colors and add to the whimsical fun. To start the first quest, you need to talk to the NPC Lisette Valentione to start the quest A Delivery Of Love. 

The event begins. 

This quest introduces us to the adorable Valentione Moogle guide, Kupka Kupp who travels with your adventurer during this event. Moogles are my favorite thing ever in the Final Fantasy series so I was delighted to see Kupka Kupp and his adorable heart shaped pom. 

The cute Kupka Kupp.

The quest is fairly straightforward, having you travel to Middle La Noscea to gather some flowers and give them to Kupka Kupp who is painting on a canvas while he waits. After that, you will need to travel to the East Shroud and go to the Sweetbloom Pier to gift these items to the NPC, Elyne to complete the quest. Elyne then gives you the next quest, Little Lady Adventurer.

The next quest in our adventure. 

This quest has you taking the airship from Gridania to the city of Ul'dah where you will need to speak to the Royal Seneschal NPC at the Ruby Road Exchange. You'll be charged with traveling to the children's ward in Ul'dah and then talk with the NPC Aldithya to continue the quest. Once that is done, you will need to head back to talk to the Royal Seneschal which will give you a conversation with the Songbirds. There's a lovely cutscene with a fun Songbirds concert. 

The Songbirds in concert. 

After that, you can travel back to Old Gridania and speak to Lisette Valentione to complete the quest and get your reward, the very cute Lovely Moogle Cap as well as the "Celebrating in Sync" achievement. 

The Lovely Moogle Cap is ours! 

There is one more item that you can pick up by buying it from the NPC House Valentione Maid and that is the stuffed Kupka Kupp plush furnishing. You can also buy the usual prismatic left and right hearts from the vendor. 

Items you can buy from the Valentione's Vendor. 

The seasonal events are always a good time and combining the two this year offered a lot of variety and fun with friends. It's a pleasant break from adventuring and gives you very cute Moogle themed items. It also gives everyone a fun thing to do while waiting for the next patch and upcoming content. Thanks for reading. See you at the next adventure!

See you at the next adventure, kupo! 

*Final Fantasy XIV is available to play on the following platforms: Microsoft Windows, OS X,  Playstation 4, and Playstation 5

*Join our community on twitch as we play a variety of games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer