Mothergamer Plays Detroit: Become Human

I had gotten Detroit: Become Human for free, but never got around to playing it until recently. I had played Beyond Two Souls so had an idea of what to expect with the gameplay. The introduction to the story was interesting because it shows several different android characters that are part of the story, the first being Connor who is a police investigator android, working with a human detective, Hank Anderson who hates androids. They work together to try and figure out why there is an outbreak of deviants, androids who are breaking their programming. Detroit is a slow burn because it is about the story as it switches between the android characters of Connor, Markus, and Kara.

Kara looks out the window. 

There are different scenarios for each character and you have a short time to make a decision for each path of said characters, some of them life or death decisions. It also decides what kind of person each individual will be, based on their choices. The overall idea is the same for each, exploring what it means for these androids to be human and there are several different paths they can take to figure that out. 

Markus is introduced.

The thing is for me personally, I really liked the story path for Markus to a degree. It seems to never bring up Markus's blackness as he leads the revolution demanding equality for androids. Maybe they thought it didn't matter, but it does considering the years of systematic oppression and racism black people have faced, important issues that are shown in Markus's story. It feels ignorant and does a disservice to black culture and history. While I am aware that Detroit: Become Human is a couple of years old, in the wake of Black Lives Matter and the constant issues that black people and people of color face every day, the flaws in this story chapter stand out. There was a moment in the game early in his story that I liked where there was a discussion about art with the man he is a caretaker for and Markus gets to create some beautiful art himself based on the choices picked in his path. It was a simple, beautiful moment exploring what it is to be human and figuring out ones individuality. 

Markus discusses art. 

I admit Kara's story frustrated me a great deal because she is the only female character and the way they just seem to gloss over the fact that she and the child she cares for are victims of domestic abuse is quite troubling to me. In some regards Kara's story path feels rather short and it's disappointing because I liked Kara and her love for the little girl Alice as she did everything in her power to protect her. I felt like the story for Kara should have been stronger, but I did like her and I appreciated what the story was trying to do. Throughout all of these paths, Connor is the one constant because he's working with Anderson to solve this case and there are some areas where he goes that are very pretty and detailed like the garden where he reports his progress to his boss. 

Connor in the garden. 

I love Clancy Brown and I thought he did a good job in the role of Anderson. The interaction between Anderson and Connor as they work together offer some thought provoking conversations about decisions Connor has made and what makes a person human. There is also a great scene where Anderson finally reveals why he hates androids and if certain choices are made Connor and Anderson can eventually become friends. There are a variety of paths you can take based on the decisions you make in the game, but you only have a split second to decide. This is where quick time events come in and frankly I do not like quick time events because sometimes I would mess up and pick the wrong thing and then have to reload my last save and start over. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind quick time events in moderation, but there are so many quick time events in Become Human that it could get a little frustrating. 

Connor and Anderson working together. 

I feel that Connor's story works on many levels because the feelings of being other are handled in a thoughtful and subtle way and Connor's story felt the strongest because of how minimal his interaction with the other androids is. I just wish Markus and Kara had gotten that same thoughtfulness. This does not mean I did not like the game, because I did enjoy the overall story and I appreciated what they tried to do. I also found it interesting that you can replay through each chapter and make different choices which affect the ending for each character. Detroit: Become Human is a solid game, with some great voice acting and good characters. However, I do feel that the discussions about race and bigotry should have been handled better in a way. I am glad I played the game for myself to see what it was all about. 

Markus in the final chapter.

*Detroit: Become Human is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4, PC

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Mothergamer Plays Trials Of Mana

I had played the original Trials Of Mana long ago and I was looking forward to playing the remake. The first thing I noticed when I started the game is how crisp and pretty everything is. The music for the game is great as well and you can switch between the modern soundtrack or the original game soundtrack. When you start the game you have six main characters to choose from. You can choose a main character and then two companion characters. Each one has their own fighting style so it's a good idea to pick a balanced team based on what you want for your fighting style. There are many different combinations of teams to choose from and depending on who you choose for your team you will get different origin stories, villains, and relationships between the characters. This gives you a lot of great replay for the game so you can see all the different paths. I personally went with Hawkeye as my main character, then picked Riesz and Kevin as my companions to round out my party.

Hawkeye was my main character. 

Once I had my party chosen, I was ready to start the adventure. Hawkeye is on his own at first so you can see his origin story and get an introduction to the villain of the story. He meets the other two companions later and when this happens, they share their origin stories. You get to play as the companions, but you don't really get to keep the items that you find during those chapters. It's essentially just for the purpose of getting to know your companions.

Riesz shares her story. 

Combat in Trials Of Mana is a lot of fun. Instead of the top down of the original, the remake has everything fully 3D and you can see enemies on the map so that you can attack them and enter battle. You have light and heavy attacks which you can chain together leading you to build up enough attack points for special ability area attacks. There are magic spells too of course for healing and attacks as well as items that can be used for healing, upping your defense, or increasing your attacks. Battles are fun and level grinding doesn't feel like a chore at all. Boss battles are epic and make you plan out your strategy and tactics. Another nice thing during battles is that you can switch freely between the characters in your party so you can unleash their special abilities or heal everyone in a pinch. My only real complaint was with the camera. The camera doesn't follow you and you have to spin it around so you can see and sometimes this gives you some really weird angles. That is one thing I wish I didn't have to worry about while I'm in the middle of a hectic fight with a boss. Saving your game is pretty easy with angel statues in various areas of the map and the game has an autosave feature too. 

Saving the game at a statue. 

The maps in Trials Of Mana are fairly linear and there's really not too much exploration in the towns. It's pretty much the main story quest and not a lot of side quests which isn't too big a deal because the game itself is charming and I found myself invested in the main story. It's simple and feels like a fairy tale, but sometimes simple is what works and with Trials Of Mana it works quite well. At level 18 you can change your job class and then you can change it again at level 38. You have the option between a light and dark class. Depending on what you want for your character and party you can decide which one you want. Each class has its own unique skills and abilities and when you decide their armor changes as you upgrade. 

Choose between light or dark class. 

There is one fun little mini game throughout the game involving a creature called Li'l Cactus who is a little cactus with a flower on its head. The challenge is to find it in various areas on the map and every time you find it you receive a stamp proving that you found it. After a certain number of stamps you receive a reward such as extra items or discounts at the shops in town. I became obsessed with finding Li'l Cactus on every map because often it was in the last place you would think to look. It's weird, but I always felt excited every time I found this cute cactus and was having fun searching everywhere. 

Oh look! I found Li'l Cactus!

There's no fast travel in the game which can make traveling back and forth a bit tedious, but that changes once you get tools you can use for summoning various creatures to help you get around faster by sea or air. The story in Trials Of Mana is essentially the same as the original, just with updated gameplay and graphics. There is a new game plus which gives you all your abilities, points, and items. If you pick the same party that you started with you get some extra chapters with them and they're at their current levels, but if you pick an entirely new party all your items carry over. It adds to the replay factor and the game leaves it entirely up to you to decide. Trials Of Mana is a good game and it's fun to play because of it's JRPG charm and some smart choices on updating the game with a modern feel. It appeals to us older gamers who remember the first one and introduces the next generation of gamers to a new story that is interesting and a game that offers some solid gameplay. 

Flying around the world on a dragon. 

*Trials Of Mana is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC

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The Last Of Us Part II Good, But Not Great

I recently finished The Last Of Us Part II and there is a lot to unpack here. The review is going to have spoilers because of everything I want to go over. If you haven't finished the game, stop reading here because there will be story spoilers ahead.


The Last Of Us Part II has a scene that recaps the events of the first game, showing Joel talking to his brother Tommy about it and discussing his decision. It's a very serious moment between the two as Tommy realizes exactly what it is Joel has done, but there seems to be an understanding too. There is also a nice moment with Joel and Ellie as he gifts her a guitar. Joel plays a song for her and you get to do a small mini game playing the guitar.

Joel and Tommy talk. 

After that, there is a time jump and main story events of the game start five years after the first one. Joel and Ellie are living in Jackson, Wyoming and have built a life. There is some tension between Ellie and Joel and a couple of people bring that up. Ellie has become friends with two people Jesse and Dina. There is a funny moment between Ellie and Jesse when Ellie comments that Dina kissed her. Jesse messes with her a bit, but then lets her in on the joke stating that he and Dina haven't been together in a while. It becomes pretty clear that Ellie and Dina like each other and that's where the story starts with the two of them going on a patrol together. The town in Jackson seems to be thriving with more people, horses, and everyone does their part to contribute which includes doing the patrols to make sure they clear out infected. The environments in the game are beautiful and I found myself stopping just to take in the view. Ellie and Dina's back and forth is cute and I appreciated the fact that they get to have these small moments together showing the little nuances that they like each other.

Dina and Ellie on patrol. 

This is where things take a very dark turn that I was not okay with. We are introduced to Abby and get to play as her a bit as it shows that she and her friends are tracking someone in Jackson. She has a conversation with her friend Owen about how close they are to their goal with Owen arguing that there are a lot of people living there and it's a bad idea. Abby seems very aggressive and angry about it, going off on her own. She gets caught in a snowstorm and runs into Tommy and Joel. They help Abby escape a lot of infected. This is a point where I felt frustrated by the fact that Tommy and Joel gave their real names. However, I get it. Being around Ellie changed Joel and having a relatively peaceful life has made him a little kinder and less guarded. When they wind up at the lodge with Abby and her friends after all the excitement and Joel reveals his name, there is a definite shift in the mood. That is when it was revealed that Joel was their target all along as they knock Tommy out and shoot Joel in the leg.

Frankly, this is one of the most horrible scenes it was my displeasure to see. I understood why Joel had to die, but the way he died was horrifying. Abby is brutal in this, torturing Joel by beating him with a golf club. When Ellie arrives on the scene, Abby's friends hold her down so she can do nothing. Hearing Ellie screaming and begging for Abby to not do this is a gut wrenching thing. Honestly, I really hated Abby for this because the level of disrespect and anger was over the line. If she wanted to kill Joel fine, but torturing him for who knows how many hours and then killing him while his surrogate daughter begs for his life is utterly monstrous. I get it. In that moment Abby did not care that she traumatized someone, all she was focused on was her own rage and selfishness. It does not mean I have to like it and I didn't. It was unnecessarily dark and caused trauma to Ellie. While I understand that this moment is meant to be the catalyst that sends Ellie on her path of revenge, it did not have to be this violent. 

Ellie and Tommy have a conversation about figuring out the identity of the people that attacked them due to the patches on their jackets. Known as the WLF (Washington Liberation Front) or Wolves meaning they came from Seattle. Tommy voices his frustration that they don't have the numbers to go after them without leaving Jackson vulnerable. Tommy takes matters into his own hands and goes alone. His wife Maria sends Ellie and Dina after Tommy asking them to bring him home. This is where we really dive into the game with Ellie and Dina working together to sneak past enemies and some scary fights with infected. There is definitely still that element of scary moments with the infected and figuring out different ways to kill them. Ellie and Dina do make a great team and you see how close they are and the love they have for each other. There is a beautiful scene in an abandoned music shop where Ellie finds a guitar and plays a song while Dina listens. It's a rare sweet reprieve from all the darkness in the game. 

Ellie and Dina enjoying music together. 

The controls in the game still feel a bit clunky, but they're not totally terrible. I was able to manage as Ellie, fighting everything and everyone. Crafting is still in the game, so I salvaged everything I could in order to craft healing items, upgrade weapons, and make bombs to take people and infected out. I was not thrilled with dogs being added to the game because I had a hard time killing dogs. I get that the story is telling us look the cycle of violence is bad, but hurting dogs in a game made me feel like a monster. I tried to avoid them as much as possible.

As the story progresses, Ellie is able to get her revenge on some of the people who helped kill Joel, but the one she wants the most is of course Abby. There are obvious trails leading to Tommy as he also got revenge on the people who hurt Joel. This leads to a pretty big reveal with Ellie showing Dina she's immune and then Dina revealing she's pregnant. It seemed like such a cliche trope and while I know Dina is bisexual it seemed like that plot point was there just because to add more drama to an already dramatic story. 

Of course Dina gets benched for a while as Ellie goes off on her own. This is where we get introduced to another faction, a religious cult known as Seraphites who are fighting the WLF for control of the city. So now there is another group of dangerous people Ellie has to avoid or fight. It felt like it was constantly fighting and barely any moments of peace. Honestly, it made me long for the first game because while the story was dark there were some wonderful moments of light and happiness like the first time Ellie ever saw giraffes. There's barely a few of those moments in part II and I truly started to get vengeance fatigue. 

Ellie does run into one of Abby's friends and tortures her to get information of Abby. I was not okay with this at all. Again, here was a scene that was unnecessary with the pain and trauma and I didn't get a say or a choice because it was Ellie's story. Nora realizes that Ellie is the girl who is immune and we get a flashback showing that Ellie discovered the truth and that Joel lied to her. It explained the tension between Ellie and Joel and it was heartbreaking to see. Many of us understood why Joel made that choice and I remember when I played the first game, putting myself in his position. I am a mother and I realized that I would have done the same thing Joel did. I would have done everything to protect my child. There are quite a few flashbacks with Ellie and Joel and they seem to time jump around. One of my favorites is Joel taking Ellie to an old museum that has dinosaurs and space exploration for her birthday. There is an incredible scene giving them a wonderful father daughter memory of them being together in a space capsule and Ellie listening to a tape with her eyes closed of ground control counting down before rocket lift off. It's heartwarming and perfect memory of Ellie and Joel being together and happy. 

Joel and Ellie celebrate. 

As the story progresses, it switches over to Abby and you have to play as Abby for about 10 hours of the game. I did not want to play as Abby. I could not see the point in playing as the person who brutalized Joel. I did my best to keep an open mind and see where the story took us. We get to see Abby's side of things and see flashbacks of her as a kid with her dad. It turns out that Abby's dad Jerry was the surgeon who was going to do the surgery on Ellie, but Joel killed him. This is what set Abby on the path of hunting down Joel to kill him. Here's the thing. In that flashback, there is a conversation between Marlene and Jerry and it proves that Jerry is a hypocrite. How you ask? When Marlene finds out that Ellie will have to die in order to create the vaccine, she is not okay with it. She asks him to find another way. Jerry claims there is no other way. Marlene then firmly asks him what would he do if it was Abby? Would he sacrifice his child? Jerry never answers the question. Instead he justifies what they are doing claiming it's a chance to save everyone. That alone, is all the answer right there. It means that NO, Jerry would not have sacrificed his own child and yet he expected Joel to sacrifice Ellie thus making him a giant hypocrite. Abby foolishly tells him she would want him to do the surgery if it was her, but she was a child at the time and did not really understand the big picture.

Playing as Abby is interesting. I didn't like Abby, but I didn't hate her either. I understand what the writers were trying to do, showing Abby's side of things and that she's not just some faceless monster. The issue I had with Abby is she's kind of a jerk. She's very in your face about everything and wants to do things her way and screw everyone else. This becomes pretty clear in many of her conversations with Owen. Yes, Owen and Abby were a couple in the past, but no longer. They stayed friends and Owen moved on with a lady named Mel who is pregnant. Owen is a jerk too honestly. It's clear that Abby still has feelings for Owen so she should very much stay away from him, but she doesn't. Abby is friendly with Mel, but it's obvious Mel is not comfortable around her and Mel even admits to Abby she wishes she hadn't been part of what happened to Joel. Finding out that Mel is a doctor somehow makes that worse. Mel who is a healer, took part in doing something monstrous to another human being and now she has regrets. Overall, it seems like a lot of the WLF are not nice people, but in an end of the world situation not many people are. Owen and Abby having sex while Mel is elsewhere and pregnant with Owen's kid shows just how much both of these characters are selfish jerks. Mel is not stupid and she figures that out quickly and calls Abby out on it. Abby refusing to be Owen's mistress is one of the few good things she does. 

Abby plays a lot differently than Ellie. Abby's build is that of a crossfit athlete so she can very much brute force her way through a lot of fights. I felt that we are forced to play as her a little too long, but it gave me a good idea of who she is. She cares about her friends sure, but she can be kind of a jerk, and very laser focused on her own goals and nothing else. In some regards, I can see how she and Ellie are two sides of the same coin as they both have experienced loss and went down the dark path of revenge. 

As Abby's story progresses, she meets Yara and Lev who are Seraphites trying to run away from them. Circumstances cause Abby to help them and they began traveling together. I really liked Yara and Lev. Getting to know them and understanding who they were revealed a lot. It soon comes up that Lev is a trans boy. 

We need to talk about Lev. This is where I got uncomfortable. I am not trans. I am a bisexual woman, but what was done to Lev as a character and his story is completely irresponsible. Firstly, I love the representation of having a trans character in the game and that he is played by Ian Alexander who is trans. However, the pain and trauma that is exacted on Lev is such a triggering thing for trans people who have experienced things such as deadnaming. There was never ever a reason to deadname Lev and there was no reason to have Lev be a constant target for abuse and violence. All of us in the LGBTQIA community are more than our trauma and the writing of Lev is incredibly troubling. Finding out that Neil Druckman and Halley Gross are two straight writers who wrote this part of the story with no input from any trans writers, creators, or anyone from our community is not only upsetting, it's disappointing. These are our stories and we don't even get a seat at the table. Instead, it seemed like they put Lev in just to have him be the focus of violence simply because he's trans and that is not okay. Trans people are more than this and it's not only demeaning, it's insulting. There are better ways to write this in fiction and the writers absolutely missed the mark with Lev. 

Abby and Lev take a moment to talk. 

I will give the writers credit for the fact that Abby is accepting of Lev and doesn't push when Lev says he doesn't want to talk about it. Yara and Abby have a conversation talking about Lev and Yara admitting that she made mistakes when Lev told her about how he felt about his identity is a powerful moment because Yara has done everything she can to atone and protect Lev. There is a love and respect between Yara and her brother as they look out for each other. They become friends with Abby and it's a natural thing that happens which is why it's so heartbreaking when Yara sacrifices herself to save them. Abby does her best to protect Lev and look after him and it's interesting to see that she takes on the role that Joel had for Ellie with Lev.

Naturally the confrontation between Ellie and Abby happens with Abby killing Jesse and shooting Tommy. I hated fighting Ellie as Abby, but I get why that fight needed to happen. It's terrible, bloody, and messy showing how determined both women are to win. Abby gets the upper hand and is ready to kill Dina as Ellie reveals she's pregnant. It is Lev who talks Abby from killing Dina, gently telling her, "You're better than this." Abby listens telling Ellie she never wants to see her face again. 

Months later Ellie and Dina seem to have settled into a nice life with Dina's son JJ. It's a good life, living on a farm house where they have sheep and a garden growing food. I feel that this is the life Joel would have wanted for Ellie. That is why he saved her after all, so she could live and find happiness. I wish the game had ended here because while it may seem cliche, it's a good ending. It shows Ellie and Dina happy with baby JJ, living together happily. 

Ellie sings a song to JJ. 

Alas, that was not to be as Tommy showed  up with a lead on Abby. I found myself irritated by this scene because why couldn't Tommy just let it go? I understand that he was frustrated with the way things played out, but to come to Ellie and Dina's house to disrupt their idyllic life is more than a little selfish. Ellie has been suffering post traumatic stress disorder which I get, but the fact that she lets Tommy get in her head about things and decides to go after Abby is ridiculous. I feel that it's lazy writing in a way because there was no need to go after Abby at all. They had already done enough to each other, so I wish they would have let Ellie move forward. Instead she has a falling out with Dina who begs her not to go and tells her that she can't go through this pain again. Ellie leaves anyway and it made me incredibly sad because she was willing to throw away her happiness for a chance to avenge Joel. I feel that if Joel had been there, he would have told her to live her life and to let it go.

We get to catch up with Abby and Lev who are following a lead about the possibility of the Fireflies rebuilding. That is not what they find however as a gang of mercenaries known as the Rattlers capture them. There is another time jump and Ellie runs into the Rattlers and is able to fight them and take them out. It did feel vindicating releasing the people they had captured so they could get some payback on the gang. Ellie does find Abby and Lev who are tied up on pillars. Abby is clearly not the same person she was. Her hair is cut short and she's obviously been tortured for weeks. Lev does not look much better as Abby carries him to some boats on the beach where they can escape. This is where in my opinion it got stupid. Ellie has a flash of memory of Joel dying and suddenly decides she has to fight Abby again. Abby refuses and you can tell in her manner and voice that she is done, yet Ellie forces the issue by threatening Lev. It's so bizarre of Ellie to force a fight with someone that no longer has the will to fight. 

Ellie and Abby fight one more time. 

I didn't feel good about this fight either. It's awful and I found myself furious with Ellie for pushing this. Again, it's a nasty dragged out fight with Ellie losing two fingers and it seems that Ellie has the upper hand and is ready to kill Abby. Ellie relents, having a moment of clarity letting Abby and Lev go ending the cycle of violence and revenge. Ellie returns to the farmhouse finding that Dina stayed true to her word and she and JJ are gone. All that's left are Ellie's things in the empty house. 

Ellie alone. 

This is where we get one last memory of Ellie and Joel where they finally have a conversation about Joel lying to Ellie about what happened with the Fireflies. It's a good conversation as Joel explains that he would do it all over again and Ellie telling him that she doesn't know how to forgive him, but she'd like to try. It's the final piece in the story showing what it was that Ellie truly lost when Abby killed him. Ellie and Joel were slowly getting back to good again and that chance was taken from her. Ellie is alone in the house and tries to play the song on the guitar. She leaves it in the house and walks off into the distance. It's an unsatisfying ending. I understand the intent the writers had showing the cycle of violence and the impact it has on everyone. However, after a while it becomes a bit heavy handed and makes it feel like the writers think people are completely stupid.

While the gameplay is fairly the same as the first game, I couldn't help making comparisons to the first game. The Last Of Us Part II is good, but it's not great. There's just so much darkness in it with rare moments of joy whereas the first game had a lot of small but happy moments in the dark story. It makes me wonder how much of Bruce Straley's writing was the biggest influence on the first game because the writing for the sequel is not as strong. I am glad I played the sequel so I could see for myself what was in it, but I think once was enough.

*The Last Of Us Part II is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation4

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

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Mothergamer Plays Greedfall

I put off getting Greedfall because I was unsure about the game, but later a friend who had played the game suggested I give it a chance because they felt it was definitely in my wheelhouse of games I enjoy. I picked up a copy of Greedfall and started my journey. Right away I noticed the art style in the starting screen and liked it a lot. Setting up the game is fairly straightforward with being able to set up the difficulty settings for the game ranging from easy to hard. I tend to prefer easy on games so I can enjoy the story and exploring the in game world.

The premise of Greedfall is it is set in the 18th century and it is a fantasy RPG. You play as De Sardet a noble of the Merchant Congregation. You can play as a male or female De Sardet. The character creation for Greedfall is diverse with a wide range of faces and hair styles. I was delighted to see I could play as an Asian character, but I was disappointed at the lack of long hair options for my female De Sardet. There were also a lot of choices for bald which made me think of Dragon Age and the many bald styles it had in character creation. I did find a hairstyle I liked and tinkered with the rest of the character creation settings picking eye color and De Sardet's voice.

Customizing my character. 

Once the character is created, you get an introduction to De Sardet. The setting for the world of Greedfall is the 18th century and the Merchant's Congregation wants De Sardet to go to the newly colonized island of Teer Fradee to act as their legate in the hopes that they can find a cure for a plague known as the malichor which is affecting many on the continent including De Sardet's mother. After De Sardet says goodbye to their mother, they get to start their journey. 

There are side quests to do in the city before you leave. This gives a good introductory tutorial into how the combat system works as well as the inventory user menu. It's pretty easy to navigate and the flow of battle is smooth and fun. There is also a good user map showing you where undiscovered locations are as well as main quest and side quest markers. 

The map is easy to use. 

As you do the side quests in the city, it introduces you to the other factions who have a stake in the colonization of Teer Fradee. There are quests you can do for these factions in the city and depending on the choices you make with these quests you get approval or disapproval with them. This is where De Sardet's powers as a legate come into play as they negotiate deals with others and do these favors for the factions. With my De Sardet I tended towards doing what I felt was right and kind rather than what the factions expected me to do. With some I got approval and some were not happy with my decisions. The game allows you that freedom to choose how you want your De Sardet to be and who you want them to be. Once the initial quests were done, we were ready to set sail for Teer Fradee. 

De Sardet sets sail. 

Arriving at the island of Teer Fradee is impressive. De Sardet's cousin Constantin arrives with her as the new governor of the island. The relationship between De Sardet and Constantin is interesting because it seems that Constantin doesn't really have anyone in his corner except for his cousin. It's understandable why he acts as though he has something to prove and only seems to trust De Sardet. Constantin's first order as governor is sending De Sardet out to meet with the island natives and establish diplomatic relations with them as well as the two alliances from the continent, The Bridge Alliance and Theleme. There are other factions as well which are the mercenary sailors the Nauts, the Coinguard and the natives known as the Yecht Fradi. 

Exploring the island is incredible because there are so many great views of the landscape as well as fascinating new creatures. This also shows the job classes that De Sardet can use of which there are three. You can choose Technical which is a rogue class, Warrior, and Magic. I personally like rogue classes so I went with Technical. The nice thing about the job classes is while you have a main class, you can unlock skills in the other job classes as you level up. There are certain skills you will need such as science, charisma, and intuition which help with various quests. 

There are five companions that join you on your adventure as well. Four are romance options for De Sardet. You have two hetero romances with two companions and the other two you can play as a male or female De Sardet and romance the other two companions. My personal favorite was the Naut captain, Vasco. You can have conversations with your companions and do personal quests for them in order to gain their approval and help throughout your journey. As you explore the island, you unlock camp areas which are where you can organize your party, talk to your companions, craft items, and save your game. 

Gathering everyone together at camp. 

Fights in Greedfall are fun. Whether it's fighting human enemies or the creatures of the island, dodging, rolling, and using all the weapons and magic in your arsenal make for some great swashbuckling battles. Level grinding in the game doesn't feel like a chore because the pacing of the battles is just right and adding to the sense of adventure. Taking down a giant creature definitely brought the thrill of the fight and added to the story as I learned more about them and got to know the island natives. 

Giant creature defeated! 

You can customize your armor and weapons too. I was fascinated by the fact that you could buy armor from the native merchants and there were all kind of masks to choose from. I went with a giant bird skull mask to start and later switched to a very cool owl mask. Interacting with the natives was interesting and I found I liked the natives over the colonists. Greedfall is very much about colonialism in the fantasy setting. There were some conversations that bothered me because I didn't understand why my De Sardet couldn't stop things from happening like stopping a religious zealot from killing a native for not converting to their religion. It was frustrating and made De Sardet's mission of diplomacy feel hollow. Of course this was what the world was like in the 18th century. It was a messed up world where the colonists had no respect for each other or for the native people. I sided with the natives every time because I genuinely liked them and I knew that what had been done to them was wrong. Teer Fradee was their home and here came an entire continent of colonials that thought they were entitled to it. I made a lot of factions from the continent angry, but I did not care. My De Sardet was not there to do what the snooty nobles wanted. She was there to be a legate and diplomat, but she was also not going to let the island natives be bullied. 

Wearing an awesome bird skull mask. 

The thing is, I loved Greedfall. I liked the main story and I liked the fact that the side quests went with the main story and affected it. It wasn't just random fetch quests. Each side quest served a purpose to the main story quest and added to the relationships between the companions and the various factions. Greedfall gave me a mix of Dragon Age and Fable vibes which I was all in for. I loved learning about the people of Teer Fradee and I enjoyed exploring the island. I had some issues with the protection of the status quo in the game. I rebelled wherever I could to help the natives and make sure they got a say in what happened to their home and that they got to keep their home. I know, I know. This was the 18th century and it was an ugly place often, but that didn't mean I was going to make the same poor choices that everyone else was. The ending to Greedfall is interesting with a good ending and a bad ending choice. Depending on which one you pick, there is a narration that sums up what happens to De Sardet and their companions. I was a little disappointed that once the game is over there's really nothing after the ending and it's just over because it feels a bit empty somehow. In spite of those two issues, I loved Greedfall. It brought a unique story and world to life as well as interesting characters. It definitely brought the thrill of adventure and lived up to my love of fantasy RPGs. 

Enjoying a Teer Fradee sunrise.

*Greedfall is available to play on the following platforms: PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One

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

Mother Gamer Plays The Tomb Raider Reboot Trilogy

I knew of the Tomb Raider games, but I never really played them. After playing Uncharted many people suggested the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy to me saying that I would like it a lot. I picked up the trilogy and started my adventure as Lara Croft. First up of course was the first game in the trilogy. Since this was a reboot, it was a way to start fresh. With the first game it was clear that Lara is young and this is her first expedition to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai. Right from the beginning the first game is action packed with a crazy storm and the ship sinking, stranding Lara and her friends on the island of Yamatai.

Lara get her bearings on the island.

Exploring the island was exciting and a bit scary with some jump scare moments. I did like the fact that I could adjust the difficulty settings in the game and turn on tutorials so I could figure out the combat system. I did like taking moments to stop and explore the island and appreciated a lot of the view. There's definitely a lot of climbing and jumping while using Lara's various tools to get around the island. 

Lara climbs up. 

It was fun using the tools and zip lining everywhere. The battles are fun, but sometimes a little frustrating with the sheer amount of quick time events. I would die in the game and have to try again and sometimes the quick time events were not always accurate. It didn't deter from the enjoyment of the game for me because I really liked the story and reveals in the game. In order to save the game and craft items, you can rest at a campfire. This is also where you can upgrade your skills and weapons as you level up. 

Craft and upgrade skills here.

I had a great time with the first game and learning about the island of Yamatai. There were definitely tense moments that scared the heck out of me which added to the game. Sometimes the controls could be a little clunky, but I had fun. Next was Rise Of The Tomb Raider which opens in Syria with Lara trying to come to terms with what she saw in the first game. It was interesting to see Lara trying to wrap her mind around seeing something she could not explain from the first game. Her adventure in Rise then leads her to Siberia in search of the prophet of Constantinople. There were lots of beautiful scenic vistas in Rise Of The Tomb Raider and I stopped often to check them out. 

Taking in a beautiful view. 

I felt the map in the second game is a little better because everything is laid out clearly with side quests, optional tombs, and the main story quest. I also loved the fact that you could place custom markers on the map because me being the derp that I am, I need to be able to see clearly where I need to go. 

Finding my way around the map. 

I loved that you could change Lara's outfits and each outfit had a beneficial use for her with things such as better agility, more health, or bigger inventory space. The campfires seem to be the staple for all the games so they were in the second game as well. Using salvage found in different areas helps Lara to craft arrows, upgrade her tools, and even create makeshift grenades. 

Changing up Lara's outfit.

I loved the story in Rise because it showed us a new mystery as well as a new villain in a secret cabal organization known as Trinity. The story also showed more of Lara's back story and what happened to her father which gave great insights into why she was obsessed with finding out the truth about her father's research into various artifacts and legends. I also liked exploring the optional tombs. These offered puzzles to solve and the reward for figuring out the tombs was not only treasure, but revelations that tied into the main story. The art and music in the game was beautiful and I appreciated the thought and time that was taken to make them shine. I kept playing because I wanted to see where the story took me and it delivered greatly. 

Lara explores a tomb.

Finally, it was time to play Shadow Of The Tomb Raider. The story is set two months after the events of Rise Of The Tomb Raider and Lara and her friend Jonah are working together to stop the activities of Trinity. Honestly, right from the start I fell in love with Shadow Of The Tomb Raider. Lara walking around in Mexico during a Dia de los Muertos celebration, seeing the ofrendas, and all the thoughtful details that went into it warmed my heart. This is where the story really starts as Lara runs into some of the Trinity operatives, but also learns where to go next in her adventure. 

The beauty of Dia de Los Muertos. 

Getting to explore the Amazon in Shadow was incredible. There was so much to see and do and the element of danger was definitely heightened. I had a bracing, scary fight with a jaguar and had to use all the tools at my disposal. It was also a lot of me running away and yelling, "Oh no!" because let's face it jaguars are beautiful big cats and scary as heck predators.

As the story continued, I got to learn more about Trinity and the artifact Lara was looking for. I loved interacting with the indigenous people of Paititi. I loved it because it brought up important discussions about Lara and her reckless behavior. Jonah had these conversations with Lara before about the importance of looking at the big picture and understanding that sometimes it's better to take a step back. I loved seeing the people and how they lived. There are side quests you can do in the game that are part of the story and involve helping many of the villagers. I especially loved Unuratu because she was smart, brave, and cared deeply about her people and the world. I was fascinated by her and enjoyed getting to know her as the story progressed. 

Unuratu is amazing!

The skills and abilities have been overhauled and is more colorful as well as adding some new abilities. Campfires are still in the game and serve the same purpose they did in the previous two games. This is where you upgrade your weapons, unlock your new skills, and craft different types of arrows. I feel that there were more options with the weapons like the bow and arrows which I liked because I tended to use the bow and arrows often for sneaking around enemies. 

The skills menu has been updated and it's more colorful. 

You can also change Lara's outfits here and each outfit has tactical advantages. There are also outfits that celebrate the clothing the people of Paititi wear. I had a giggle over the fact that you can change the outfits on Lara to make her look like her old school original character design. Some parts of the story would have Lara automatically change into disguises which was a lot of fun. 

Changing outfits. 

I can say with all sincerity that Shadow Of The Tomb Raider is my favorite in the entire trilogy. The story is well told and talks some about colonialism. It really turns the mirror around on Lara and forces her to self reflect on her past actions. Jonah is a good foil to Lara because he's thoughtful and kind, but he is not afraid to challenge his friend and tell her that she's wrong, that there are dangerous consequences to her actions. These interactions that Lara has with others throughout the story are important and it's interesting to see this darker side of her as well as seeing her coming to terms with her actions and trying to make things right. You get to see Lara learn and grow throughout this whole experience. 

There are optional tombs with some pretty interesting puzzles. The puzzles are a little more complex, but I had a good time figuring them out. The platforming in the game is much better and I enjoyed the combat. One of my favorite parts of the game however, was getting to pat all the llamas in Paititi. I love it when a game lets me pat cute animals. 

I can pat the llamas! 

The ending for Shadow I felt wrapped things up nicely and showed how far Lara had come from the first story and how much she had matured and learned from her journeys. I am glad that I got a chance to play the reboot trilogy because all of them were fun for me. I liked Lara, her friends, and her adventures. It was exciting to explore these different locations and see where the story took me. I liked the extra quests and puzzle solving in tombs. Overall, the games were fantastic for me! 

*The Tomb Raider Trilogy is available to play on the following platforms: PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox one

*Come join the Mothergamer community on Twitch as we play games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Persona 5 Royal: A Royally Good Time

I am a big fan of the Persona series and have played them all and Persona 5 became a big favorite with me so of course I picked up Persona 5 Royal immediately. Is Persona 5 Royal the same game? Yes and no. The story is the same, but there are some extra things added with some new bells and whistles that frankly make the game even better. Let's dive in and go over those things. Some spoilers will be in here so if you haven't finished the game yet, do that first. If spoilers don't bother you read on.

One thing that is different is there is a brand new opening and theme song which looks incredible. It's vibrant, colorful, and fun. The story starts in the usual way with the Phantom Thieves pulling off a heist with one small difference. It introduces one of the two new confidant characters, Kasumi who is also a romance option for Joker. When you meet Kasumi she is in her metaverse costume showing her to be a Persona user, but you don't learn about that until later in the story. Kasumi is the Faith arcana confidant. You also meet another confidant, Maruki who is the Councilor confidant.

Kasumi is a new character in Royal. 

Having played through the original Persona 5 a few times, I was excited to see what was different in Royal. The introduction of Kasumi and Maruki happen very naturally and fit into the story quite well. I liked Kasumi and Maruki a lot. They were interesting characters and the introduction of them into the story happened organically and fit perfectly with Joker and his friends. The anime scenes for Royal are crisper with more color palettes. I noticed that right away with the initial first anime scene with Joker and Ryuji.

Joker and Ryuji in the first chapter. 

The metaverse palaces have been revamped. They are essentially the same, but with some cool new tweaks. One of those things are Will Seeds. There are three Will Seeds in each palace and they are hidden so you really have to look for them using Joker's third eye ability. Morgana will also give hints about the location of  a Will Seed telling Joker that he senses it nearby. Each seed is a different color of red, green, and blue. The doors to the room holding a seed are a distinct design. The third door is guarded by a mini boss that the Phantom Thieves have to fight. This boss is challenging, but can be taken down easily with technical and elemental attacks.

Phantom Thieves ready to take the third Will Seed. 

When you find all three seeds they fuse together forming a crystal skull. This introduces you to an addition to an upgrade to Mementos. When you go into Mementos you meet a young boy named Jose who is exploring Mementos also. This leads to a collection quest of sorts. Jose tells everyone he is studying humanity and exploring Mementos. You can now collect flowers in Mementos and star stamps. Jose will be on different floors in Mementos and you can trade him flowers for various items such as healing items. The number of star stamps you have allow you to change the cognition of Mementos. Talk to Jose to do this and you can have the shadows grant more experience points or find more items. With the crystal skulls, you can give them to Jose and he will craft them into an accessory that Joker and his party can equip. For example, there is an accessory that can nullify all physical attacks. It's worth your time finding those Will Seeds and finding the collectibles in Mementos.

Will Seeds fuse into crystal skulls. 

The boss battles in metaverse palaces have been upgraded too with some new additional mechanics making the boss fights a little more challenging, but still a lot of fun. There is also the introduction of disaster shadows. Disaster shadows look very pretty, but they can be quite deadly so you can focus on them first and when you defeat a disaster shadow they explode and can take out the other shadows next to them. If you're lucky, sometimes the disaster shadows drop extra money and rare items.

Disaster shadows are worth the reward. 

The portraits for the different characters during conversation scenes are redone. I noticed right away that Ryuji's portrait was different. I like the new portraits. They're sleeker and make the characters stand out more and add to the great art design Persona 5 has already. There is also another cool feature known as the Thieves Den. Here, you can go and decorate with collectibles from the Persona 5 universe. You can also play a card game with your fellow Phantom Thieves known as Tycoon which feels like a more complicated version of Hearts. This is a good way to earn tokens which you can use in the Thieves Den to buy collectibles to decorate with. There is also an art gallery and a wall where you can watch the movie scenes from the game. It's a really cool thing and I enjoyed gathering all the collectibles and playing cards with the Phantom Thieves.

New portrait for Ryuji.

It was great to see the extra scenes with the Phantom Thieves and with the new characters. Kasumi was very nice and I was curious about her. Getting to know her I found I liked her personality because she appeared to be confident, but there were moments where she was vulnerable. Her conversations with Joker are interesting and if you decide to romance Kasumi it is very sweet and endearing. When it comes to Maruki, there are some pretty complex conversations about relationships and struggle. Maruki is nice and it's intriguing to see how he treats all the kids like equals and doesn't talk down to them.

Maruki has a conversation with Joker. 

There are new things to do with your social links in Royal. You can go to the batting cages in Yongen Jaya and you can now go to Kichijoji where you can play billiards and darts with your friends. This is also where you can find Kasumi and Akechi to hang out with them and increase your confidant rank with them. Yes, you can now hang out with Akechi in a social setting not just as part of the story. I liked that Royal gives you this option and it is a welcome addition to the game because you get to really know Akechi and gain a little more insight into who he is and why he became the person that he is. There isn't just an ending to Royal, there is now a true ending and a third semester. There is an important detail that the game doesn't necessarily tell you in order to get these. It involves Kasumi, Maruki, and Akechi. In order to get the true ending you need to max out your social rank with all three before November 18th because that is when Maruki leaves as part of the story. Kasumi only goes to rank 5 at first so that is done easily. With Maruki, you want him to be at rank 9 and Akechi at rank 8 because both of them rank up to max level as part of the story. If you want the true ending and third semester unlocked, get that done. Hang out with them when they invite you and watch the story unfold.

Joker at the batting cages. 

The bells and whistles that come with Royal are worth it. You can upload your original Persona 5 data which gives you extra money and items. You can also get the DLC Legacy bundle for free in the Playstation Store. This gives you all the school uniforms from all the Persona games, maid outfits, butler outfits, Christmas outfits, as well as outfits from the game Catherine and Shin Megami Tensei IV. The Christmas outfits look different for each character unique to their own style. You also get a social rank with your fellow Phantom Thieves beyond max rank 10 which makes their Personal more powerful. The Velvet Room is different too with the introduction of fusion alarms. When a fusion alarm happens this gives you a great chance to fuse powerful personas in the various arcanas.

Yes, the story in Royal is essentially the same, but with all the extras that have been added it has made the game itself amazing. You can of course change the difficulty in the game tailored to your personal play style and when you finish the game, you can start new game plus which carries over all your social stats, money, items, and persona compendium. Persona 5 Royal is a royally good time and if you are a fan of the Persona series, it is absolutely worth picking up and playing. Now, I'm ready to start my new game plus adventure!

Enjoying some signature outfits.

*Persona 5 Royal is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4

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