Morning, Sweetheart.
Yesterday I saw Catching Fire, the second film in the Hunger Games series! I enjoyed it a great deal. It's not a short film, but it never felt padded.
It's odd; in the Hunger Games books I 'ship Katniss with nobody, but in the films I 'ship her with everyone. Peeta, Gale, Johanna, Cinna: bring it all on.
BUT ESPECIALLY HAYMITCH.
I cannot tell you how much I needed Haymitch and Katniss to make out in that film. What a horrible, perfect pairing. I love it.
(I had a revelation, a little while ago, that I find it hard to resist pairing cynics up with the idealists who make them a little less cynical. I might have to expand that to include pairing cynics up with the cynics who make them a little less cynical, because I don't think there's any universe in which Katniss Everdeen can be called an idealist.)
My replay of Final Fantasy VII continues! I think I'm nearing the end of Disc 2; my plot-related thoughts are behind the cut to avoid spoiling anyone.
I finally understand most of the plot of Final Fantasy VII! (I think. Still mildly confused by the part where we persistently foil all of Shinra's attempts to save the world with the Huge Materia.) And it may in fact be one of my favourite storylines in the series. It's essentially the story of a guy who really, really wanted to be cool. I find it rather charming.
When you revisit Cloud's memories of Nibelheim in the Lifestream, Cloud - who's been curled up in a corner, not speaking - walks straight over to his memory of himself and attempts to line himself up with it. I think that's possibly my favourite moment in the game so far. It really shows Cloud's need for something to anchor himself, some sort of concrete sense of identity.
Slightly heartbroken that I don't seem to be able to tell Zack's parents what happened to him. Those poor people.
In addition to appreciating the plot at last, I'm having a lot more fun with the Materia system this time around. Cover and Counter Attack on back-row Yuffie is my favourite combination so far. I also enjoy the fact that sometimes my attacks will turn the enemy into a frog.
Once again, though, just when it seems that Final Fantasy VII and I are going to be friends, it comes up with a moment of absolutely ridiculous hope-you're-psychic game design. In this case, the offender is the search for the Key of the Ancients. All you're told is that this key is somewhere 'even sunlight can't reach'.
So it's in Midgar, right? It's obviously in Midgar. The plate prevents the people of the slums from seeing the sky; Barret was talking about this all the way back at the beginning of the game. Now, as our quest begins to draw to a conclusion, it's time to remember how it all started.
Nope! The Key of the Ancients is actually in a narrow, difficult-to-locate tunnel at the bottom of the ocean.
Sigh.
Despite my complaints, I've actually been enjoying this replay a lot. I'm glad I gave this game another chance! I think I've been unfair to Final Fantasy VII; it's not the perfect game some people make it out to be, but it definitely has many good points.
It's odd; in the Hunger Games books I 'ship Katniss with nobody, but in the films I 'ship her with everyone. Peeta, Gale, Johanna, Cinna: bring it all on.
BUT ESPECIALLY HAYMITCH.
I cannot tell you how much I needed Haymitch and Katniss to make out in that film. What a horrible, perfect pairing. I love it.
(I had a revelation, a little while ago, that I find it hard to resist pairing cynics up with the idealists who make them a little less cynical. I might have to expand that to include pairing cynics up with the cynics who make them a little less cynical, because I don't think there's any universe in which Katniss Everdeen can be called an idealist.)
My replay of Final Fantasy VII continues! I think I'm nearing the end of Disc 2; my plot-related thoughts are behind the cut to avoid spoiling anyone.
I finally understand most of the plot of Final Fantasy VII! (I think. Still mildly confused by the part where we persistently foil all of Shinra's attempts to save the world with the Huge Materia.) And it may in fact be one of my favourite storylines in the series. It's essentially the story of a guy who really, really wanted to be cool. I find it rather charming.
When you revisit Cloud's memories of Nibelheim in the Lifestream, Cloud - who's been curled up in a corner, not speaking - walks straight over to his memory of himself and attempts to line himself up with it. I think that's possibly my favourite moment in the game so far. It really shows Cloud's need for something to anchor himself, some sort of concrete sense of identity.
Slightly heartbroken that I don't seem to be able to tell Zack's parents what happened to him. Those poor people.
In addition to appreciating the plot at last, I'm having a lot more fun with the Materia system this time around. Cover and Counter Attack on back-row Yuffie is my favourite combination so far. I also enjoy the fact that sometimes my attacks will turn the enemy into a frog.
Once again, though, just when it seems that Final Fantasy VII and I are going to be friends, it comes up with a moment of absolutely ridiculous hope-you're-psychic game design. In this case, the offender is the search for the Key of the Ancients. All you're told is that this key is somewhere 'even sunlight can't reach'.
So it's in Midgar, right? It's obviously in Midgar. The plate prevents the people of the slums from seeing the sky; Barret was talking about this all the way back at the beginning of the game. Now, as our quest begins to draw to a conclusion, it's time to remember how it all started.
Nope! The Key of the Ancients is actually in a narrow, difficult-to-locate tunnel at the bottom of the ocean.
Sigh.
Despite my complaints, I've actually been enjoying this replay a lot. I'm glad I gave this game another chance! I think I've been unfair to Final Fantasy VII; it's not the perfect game some people make it out to be, but it definitely has many good points.