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I definitely admit to letting frustration with the camera getting the better of me, because after x many games my patience was just reaching the limit lol that said, I'm definitely open to at least giving Bayle another shot next time around. Midir was one of my favorite DS3 bosses, so to have a boss that seemed like a step backwards rubbed me the wrong way.

I don't really disagree to be honest, I'm less harsh on season 1 partially due to nostalgia, but on a rewatch, you can see almost all the issues that would go on to affect the show. For example, the show had a really bad habit of ending each episode on a cliffhanger to get you to tune in next week, and the next episode would almost always resolve it in an anticlimactic way. Rinse and repeat, and that's just one example. I still enjoy season 1 for what it is, but yeah...it both holds up, and doesn't hold up well at all lol.

@@ViviVariety I think Heroes was probably the first show that taught me to see warning signs that a show is going to be bad LOL. Like no joke, this show was a lesson not to overlook clear examples of bad writing regardless how much you like a show. There's been a bunch of shows later on that I would drop after season 1 because 1) I can see bad writing in season 1 regardless how much fans choose to ignore it and 2) I'm also familiar with the writers previous works, and know that this is a ongoing trend that's going to snowball into more inept writing until it all just devolves into people hate watching the show. I remember giving these writers a 2nd chance, or more specifically a 4th chance since each season is a new chance, when Heroes Reborn came out because I was crossing my fingers the writers might've gotten better in how much time has passed since TV standards have gotten significantly higher. Nope. I immediately was reminded of all the problems in literally the first episode on why the writer for this show is so bad. Doesn't help that the standards for TV have shot up drastically, so a show with 2000s mediocre writer is going to look extremely bad by today's standards.

@@ViviVariety Also one of the many things that annoyed me about the show, and this is also prevalent in season 1, is that the writers literally couldn't even write a good action scene. Most of the action scenes were either extremely short and anticlimatic or worse, happens behind literal closed doors. Like never once in this whole series and that includes the spinoff can I think of one scene where a character was actually smart and used their powers in a clever but believable way to get out of a situation. Instead it was either character pulls a random deus ex machina power out of their butts to get out of a situation or enemies act like complete idiots. Like even in season 1, I still remember things like after they captured Sylar, they recaptured him OFFSCREEN then he escape by somehow coming back alive (which they never explained outside random deus ex machina power out of his butt). Or those scenes when SWAT and cops fighting method is to point their guns at characters while never firing a single bullet so characters can walk up to them and take them all down. Like such lazy writing.

As for the bosses, exploration and the Miquella/Radahn bossfight, I found the exploration in the DLC more fun than the basegame, with what felt like (To me) better space management, with how much stuff I found in this small map (especially Gravesite Plains), and it also looks like Fromsoft made some areas as reward of exploration (something like Ash Lake in DS1), with Cerulean Coast, Charo's Hidden Grave and Abyssal Woods as example For bosses, I enjoyed them more when I've learned their attacks, I despised like half of the bosses until I learned how to dodge their attacks, afterwards most of those bosses became fun, with Gaius, Bayle and Putrescent Knight as examples For the Miquella/Radahn boss fight, the only major issue I have with it is the double slash into cross slash move with how difficult it is to dodge compared to other attacks And for it just being a reused boss from the basegame, I'd disagree, because you confront Miquella, not Radahn. And for the ending cutscene not giving anything, I'd actually say that the Miquella/Radahn boss fight is the flashy cutscene at the end of the dlc

For Bayle I'll definitely try to fight him differently next time, I downed him in like four tries so I didn't feel the need to change strategies, but I'll give it another shot in the future. As for Radahn, I know essentially you're facing Miquella "possessing" Radahn, but to me that's more of a technicality, because even if you get down to the details, Consort Radahn technically feels very different compared to Starscourge. My issue is more with how the final boss wasn't something...different. I wasn't one of those people who expected Godwyn or a Miquella fight (that wouldn't make sense) or anything, but I've always liked how From DLC final bosses were different from what we saw in the base game. Manus, Gael, Friede, and the Orphan were original and had their own lore that felt very unique and refreshing, so to have the final boss for Elden Ring be basically Prime Radahn rubbed me the wrong way, especially since it's just Radahn with Miquella adding to the moveset. I chalk this up to past DLCs shaping my expectations though.

@@ViviVariety 1.14 just came out, miquella radahn bossfight nerf

Huh, perfect timing lol I see there's some visibility changes and they definitely changed the cross slash, so that's really good. I'm gonna check out the detailed changes later for sure, but wow, what awful timing on my part xD

It's worth it, just get glasses before reading and call them your Mystic Eye Killers. As for your social life on the other hand, well...

Honestly if you stop watching Heroes at the season 1 finale and ignore the teaser at the end, it holds up extremely well as a limited series kind of show.

Yeah I think if there's one thing I'd rephrase, it's that Elden Ring is just too big a game to be balanced well between all the stuff we get. We get a lot of tools, but it's just way too much to balance the game around, and it's more like ER adds new stuff rather than refine something like system mechanics, like say, Sekiro as you mentioned. Like I've said before, I'd much rather prefer things like quality over quantity as opposed to a really big sandbox approach that ER seems to employ.

I agree with your comment wholesale, my only issue with the duo boss design philosophy is that with solo bosses, spirit summons already do break their AI enough for it to be considered as a completely different (and in most cases, easier) experience to fighting them 1v1. When the design has already compromised on solo bosses, why they decided to "course correct" and heavily incentivize summoning in gank bosses is something I just don't understand. It just results in a mediocre experience when summoning, and a frustrating cesspool of attack spam with zero harmony when not summoning. I much prefer Lies of P's way to handle summonable spectres, where every boss has a curated spectre that is toggleable right outside the boss arena compared to the "gotta catch em all" pokemon collectathon in elden ring. And so the boss can be somewhat well balanced towards accounting for both the player and the dev-designed spectre both attacking at the same time. It's still easier with the summon of course, but it's not mimic tear levels of broken.

That's a really good point about Lies of P I never thought of actually. I never used the spectre in my own playthroughs, but I did look it up later and thought it was cool how 1. The spectre had a set weapon and 2. The wishstones let you tailor the spectre to the fight and your playstyle. To me, that seems to be a more elegant way of balancing a co-op element without destroying the games balance, and I'm curious what other people think about it. I think the only complaint I ever saw about the spectre was how you can't use it on the final boss, but still, I think that's a really neat idea overall.

I mean I actually don't disagree with anything you said at all! You're right in that I definitely was too nice. I usually try to be more reasonable with most critiques unless I REALLY hate something (like Radahn), so that always comes through in a lot of my content. But yeah, like I said, I feel like I'm in the same boat, albeit less heated. I'd have loved more changes all around, and the one thing I really did like that I didn't mention, the Sekiro tear, was like a band-aid fix to mechanics in the base game...and it's STILL just a worse version of a mechanic in a game I have way more fun in. I also wasn't too big on many of the dungeons besides like, the very first two, but I also didn't hate them, so they got chucked into the "I fell meh about this" pile like a lot of stuff...which is indicative of the problems in general, because the last thing you should be feeling about a DLC you paid for is "it's alright I guess". I think for me, as much as I was hoping for more drastic changes, I think in my heart of hearts I knew that wasn't what we were gonna get, so I prepared for that. I also found myself just getting super burned out playing the DLC. I actually had a plan to do a run of Elden Ring where I killed Mohg early and did DLC stuff before finishing the base game, and I did record some footage that made it's way into the video...but when I thought about recording more or even just finishing it in my off time, I just lost all semblance of motivation whatsoever.

@@ViviVariety I understand as a content creator trying to have a more reasoned take on things. Thanks for the reply.. I appreciate your response!

I've actually tried to find an official source on if bosses were designed with summons and ashes in mind, but I couldn't find much besides people mentioning it as you did. Because I couldn't find an official source, I didn't mention it either here or in the original video...but it definitely feels like bosses were balanced on other factors to do things like hold agro or something. And sure, if most bosses are balanced around summons and spirit ashes, fair enough; those tools are in the game, and it's a decision we make to basically handicap ourselves if we play solo. That's on us. But whether or not using the ashes/summons feels fun and engaging is another conversation, and that's where I feel like From drops the ball IF bosses were genuinely designed around ashes and summons, and to me, I'd prefer stronger solo tools or mechanics over slapping summons as a band-aid fix to the issue. I understand where a lot of people are coming from, but I personally would've preferred to actually mention the subject had I found like an article from a From interview or something that talked about how they balanced ER. I didn't, but maybe that's on me for not doing my due dilligence. But long story short, I share the same hunch as you in how bosses were designed around ashes and summons, and if so, I really don't look forward to future Souls games.

@@ViviVariety I couldn’t find anything official either so it’s not just you. I don’t think they ever made an official statement about that. As I mentioned in the other comment tho, FSW did agree that “we may have went too far” and I firmly believe they wouldn’t say that, nor would they be in a position to say that, if spirit summons weren’t in the game. I think their logic is, “we may have went too far, but you guys have spirit summons ! Use them!!” And no. No FSW. We don’t want to fuking use your shitty spirit summons. It skips the fight and trivializes the entire experience. Like, FSW spends time money and resources on designing these bosses and they give you a tool that lets you completely disengage with it? Really? And it’s like you said, we need more solo play mechanics to combat or game play that lets us evolve with the bosses. Not bringing in a coop partner to split aggro.

I mean I don't disagree entirely, I think my opinion would only differ in that SOTE still feels like it walks the tight rope, barely. It's obviously beatable in it's current state without summons or co-op. I've done it, you've done it, and so have thousands of other players. It's a matter if it feels fun or fair, and that's where Elden Ring starts to drop the ball in my opinion. Just because we can beat it, it doesn't mean it's designed well. There's always room for polish and improvement.

@@ViviVariety Radahn is just too much. And I just solo beat Bayle but it took me 3 buffs and ancient lightning storm to get me there…. But yea there’s just no way I’m beating him with a normal weapon … Bayle and Radahn have to much chaos, I cannot keep up. There’s too much visual stimulation on top of the memorization required. It’s too much IMO Miyazaki or was it FSW twitter , actually tweeted they may have went too far. I think they know , and their reasoning is “well they have spirit summons and really powerful weapons, they’ll manage”. And the problem is, not everyone wants to use spirit summons because using them literally skips the boss encounters. I don’t get FSW anymore

For a while I thought the Radahn thing was just me, but a lot of my friends mentioned the same thing as well in addition to stuff I also thought were spotty, like the cross slash. But what I will say what helped me dislike the fight less was the Sekiro tear. As soon as I started using it, I went "wow, this can be kind of fun!", especially when mixed with parries. It didn't fix all the visibility problems obviously, but I found myself actually having fun with the fight at times. I think right now Nioh is my "preferred" way of adding mechanics since it features like, two kinds of rolls, blocks, unique parries, and special blocks designed to counter/dodge different attacks, but I guess we'll see in future From games. The way you describe Monster Hunter mechanics sounds cool too, and I'm all for new innovation in these kinds of games. You definitely heard right on the As Redemption As Judgement :) however, I'm not sure how to tackle Tsukihime yet. I finished the Remake last week and I loved it, I'm even more excited for Red Garden than I originally was before. I think I see a potential video like the Fate one that covers the OG and Remake, but the fact that we're only halfway done with the Remake makes me apprehensive until Red Garden is at least officially on the way. I'll think about it, but trust me, I really want to talk about Tsukihime eventually! Especially since Mahoyo is getting some time in the spotlight soon, so it feels unfair to leave Type-Moon's namesake out.

All the music should be in a pinned comment, but I think it's Caren's Theme from Fate/Hollow Ataraxia!

@@ViviVariety yup! That's it. Couldn't find it in the description sorry. Amazing video, suscribed 🤘🏼

I think if I were to go back and rephrase things, I’d say something like “3H is a good JRPG, but not a great Fire Emblem game”. I’ve seen people from both sides who play 3H and get into the rest of the series, and others who play it and decide that FE isn’t for them because 3H is so different. The fact that it’s such an anomaly kind of makes it weird as a recommendation, because I agree that it’s a good starting point, hence why I recommend it in the initial overview. But it IS also very different for better and for worse. It’s like that weird experimental dish at a restaurant that’s good, but not the norm. As for Byleth, the reason for focusing on him was because I had to choose where to address the FE self insert problem somewhere. Yes, Corrin is pretty bad, and so is Kris from FE12, but those are more well known issues; everyone agrees they’re the worst part of the games they’re in. In fact, there’s more of an argument that FE12 and 3H have the same issue with how they handle the MC in that both 3H and FE12 are good stories marred by a player self insert. Truth be told, self inserts is a topic I really would’ve liked to explore more in detail, but I might just do that in a future video. And I admit I do have some bias, because I actually quite like Byeth on paper, and of the player self inserts, they’re more redeemable compared to Kris and Corrin. The characters who are stoic/”empty” but have hidden depth are some of my favorite character archetypes. However, there are MANY ways to write that kind of character better, with everything from Mahoyo, Kara no Kyoukai, Nier Automata, and even Lies of P, which has a character that doesn’t speak until the very end. For me, Byleth doesn’t feel nearly as well-written, and I fail to see how the story isn’t improved by making them just a bit more pronounced as a character. Even something as simple as more voice acting could’ve sold a lot of the key moments, or an actor who was directed to start off stiff and gradually become emotional as the story goes on. I’m going off on too big of a tangent lol but basically I like Byleth a lot as a concept, but I wish the execution was better. I think it’d have done a lot to fix most of 3H’s hiccups, in my opinion

@ViviVariety True, those are some fair points you have made. I think if you are someone who really enjoys some traditional or modern jrpgs but has never played fire emblem, 3H is a really good way to bridge the gap between them, leading people to try out the more classic games, but I suppose it would depend on what type of person individually you are reccomending the series too. Byleth is definitely not the best example of that character archetype for sure. Your suggestion of some more development of byleth across the game would've been good. Especially since 3H does such a good job of that with other characters like Dimitri in an obvious way or Claude in a more subtle way. **SPOILERS FOR THREE HOUSES** I will say though, because byleth being so stoic in the beginning of the game, the death of Jeralt meant alot more to me than some other family deaths across the series as its the first time byleth sheds a tear, which honestly is more impactful than an already very vocal character having an over the top reaction. I do wish there were more moments like this for byleth as the game progressed, though. Also, I have a side note again, but one of the last few games I haven't played is thracia 776, and after this video, I'm definitely keen to give it a go.

Oh yeah I agree 1000%, Jeralt's death to me is where Byleth peaks as a character. The stoic emotionless person finally expressing emotion is such a defining character moment, and I really wish we'd have gotten more stuff like that later, even in more subdued ways. For example, how cool would it have been to have Byleth give more reactions to say, meeting the characters post time skip, or during their big character moments? I'd have loved to see something like that in 3H for sure. As for Thracia, I hope you have fun! I'm obviously extremely biased, and it's definitely not for everyone, but I hope it's to your liking. I definitely didn't expect to like it at all given the reputation, but one playthrough later I look at Leif and say "I would die for this man" lmao

I'd rather the game wasn't artificially longer by doing it like Yoko Taro.

I've always felt DS2 had the right idea of having meaningful changes in later NG cycles, so I'm surprised that From never went back to that. There's gotta be something in later cycles to give players more incentive to playing NG+ besides adding more health and damage. I also like Yoko Taro's work, but I do think his style might only mesh well with a Sekiro style game as opposed to Souls, and only if it were done very carefully. Maybe something like the B route in Nier Automata, but that opens up another can of worms, and I admit I'm kind of mixed on how the B route is handled (but I LOVE the C route!). On another note, I kind of liked how Lies of P did NG+. You get the standard damage and health buffs, but the player character gets new skills and an extended skill tree to use, not to mention more collectibles. It's not the biggest change ever, but it's a good change of pace compared to the Souls way of doing it.

First off, I admit to not being the best judge of this kind of topic, and it’s part of a much bigger talking point I feel is hard to dissect in a CZcams comment. But I mean I don’t disagree with a lot of what you’re saying, I definitely think Kingdom Hearts could have worked regardless of Sora’s gender, (also the fan fiction would go CRAZY…well crazier than usual) but NOT a customizable character, because the last thing we need is another player insert with no personality. I personally despise that because it almost always correlates with a nosedive in story quality, because the writer/writers have to write around the player “inserting their personality” as opposed to an existing character with a compelling personality or backstory. Plus it’s not like KH even has the best story ever, I can’t imagine how bad the story could get if Square tried to add two versions of Sora. But you also gotta keep in mind that KH is from a different time, and Japan isn’t really known for inclusivity. They’re getting better, but something like a Fem Sora just wasn’t in the cards 20 years ago…plus honestly, I highly doubt Tetsuya Nomura could write a female character well. He literally has only done it like twice ever in 20 years, (Aqua and MAYBE Xion…), for some reason he suffers from the Kishimoto problem of “aw gee I can’t write gurls” that he made up. Between having another generic shounen MC, or a potentially poorly written one like Kairi, I dunno which sounds worse to be honest. And realistically, it’s just really expensive to do multiple player characters. Think about how with Persona 3 Reload, the FemC from the older version had to be cut because it was super expensive to basically double the game in terms of writing and voice acting. Seriously, can you imagine trying to develop a Female Sora? KH already cost a truckload in terms of VA talent back in the day with people like Haley Joel Osment and Hayden Paniterre, adding another to the pile might be too much even for Square Enix, who are no strangers to flushing money down the toilet lol. That’s why I think most realistic/cost effective option for a lot of devs is to opt for the “silent customizable character” like From and Nioh do. Hell, even Nioh made the pivot from Nioh 1 and 2 to having a locked male player character, to a customizable one in Nioh 2. I know you mention Lies of P as being locked to a male MC, and I kind of agree with your frustration, because P’s gender doesn’t matter at all, but considering it was the dev’s first major release, they probably wanted to start small and evolve in the future. In addition, because the sequel to Lies of P seems to be Wizard of Oz focused, I can definitely see them switching things up. There’s an argument to be made that the devs tried to stick to the original Pinnochio story at first, so it doesn’t make as much sense to even have a customizable character in the first place. But with the sequel being based on Oz, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dorothy is the playable character this time. I know that was a little lengthy, and like I said, I do think there’s a larger discussion to be had about inclusivity in games, but I like to think that things are getting better. From is generally one of the better devs in female representation with characters like Maria, Friede, or Emma among others, but I still think we’re a long ways off from the kind of game you might be expecting. An RPG with loose lore and minimal story is easy to create inclusive playable characters for, but a story based game like KH that has something like multiple playable characters is just super expensive in this day and age when you account for writing, voice acting, and dev time, and its usually not a realistic scenario for most devs. I can understand the frustration at devs not supporting it to the extent you want, but it also helps to keep expectations reasonable, It’s a game of inches, not miles, and there has been steps forward even if it’s the massive step forward we both want. Personally I’d LOVE a Kingdom Hearts game with a female player character (give us a Kairi game, you cowards), but I also know there’s just a lot more going on that I’m not privy to, so I know I should hope for the best, but temper that expectation with a healthy dash of realism.

@@ViviVariety I hear you, I also know and understand how the games industry works, Been basically studying it through youtube xD (15 years) To touch upon a couple of things you mentioned tho. I wouldn't say customizability is the instant story killer you say it is, Shepard being the best example i can think of. Just make it so the customization isn't too extreme and make it clear that its not 'your character'. I will admit however that is does constrain story telling in some ways, But it doesn't mean there isnt room for good story. I respect Japan in alot of ways, Mainly their work culture/ laws that allows them to keep a long lasting and tight nit development team, Alowing for unmatched cohesion, Giving them a huge leg up over Western development... But yah They are largely very focused on mascots selling the brand. Gaming over there was at first entirely dominated by boys... their mascots can't evolve.. they would see making female versions as damaging the brand. Its an ugly truth, one that gate keeps me from another series ill never get to enjoy(Zelda) - - , despite linkle being all but official. The budget constraints you speak of are drop in the bucket compared to the millions spent on marketing. Ultimately they just don't want to pay and rely on people more then they have too, corporations are all about eliminating the deviance people create, especially when it comes to limiting the power of artists. I get apologizing for company's, I used to do that all the time, But just because you have the mind of a business savvy Ceo doesn't mean what they do is right. We need regulations. Company's will never not do what will generate the most profits, And because democracy as been become corrupted by that selfish greed.. it has allowed business to completely side step the consumer.

You make a really good point with Mass Effect, I haven’t actually played the series, but I've definitely heard a lot of good things about how they handle player characters. I’m guilty of associating “player characters” with “self inserts” and how they often overlap, but not always. I chalk it up to me being into JRPGs where badly done silent protags and self inserts are like the norm. But you’re totally right, it’s absolutely possible to have a distinct customizable character with a set personality and backstory…it just isn’t the norm unfortunately. Likely due to laziness. And speaking of laziness, I’m inclined to believe you about gaming budgets and all. I know in the movie industry, I was shocked to find out how much marketing bloats a budget, and I imagine games are the same way. Not to mention how little VA’s get paid…so yeah, maybe it’s not as expensive as it is as I thought to hire VA’s for more work. But yeah, I actually feel like I understand where you’re coming from. Sometimes I feel both optimistic and pessimistic about the gaming industry, because there are some improvements…yet I feel like the steps aren’t as big as I hope, and the fact that we’re at the mercy of shareholders and CEOs makes it hard to believe that they’ll make the changes we like. You’re 100% right that at the end of the day, money talks, and there are many cases of companies opting to listen to money as opposed to literally anything else.

@@ViviVariety just to chime in on something semi-related to mass effect, Star Control 2, which had a lot of influence on the Mass Effect series, had a successful kickstarter - FREE STARS: Children of Infinity. I'm looking forward to it coming out. (starcontrol 3 didn't involve the original creators, unlike this one, that does).

Someday I'll get on a more consistent schedule * huffs copium*

It's a classic for a reason. I even got super tempted to start a new run after finishing the Elden Ring dlc

@@ViviVariety recommend it. lol. I just went back to bloodborne too. Ds1 and bloodborne are just timeless in my mind.

So the global release follows the "official" Realta Nua release, which in short, is the censored version that replaced the eroge with things like the mana dragon and whatnot. If you've read the original version, you won't find anything you haven't seen before unless you read like the old old version that doesn't even have stuff like Last Episode. However, I will say that I've generally seen more positive word of mouth on the official translation. It's a lot more readable compared to the ones you and I read back in the day. And in addition, I think as a fan of the series, it's worth getting just to support the official release. Every official Type-Moon visual novel is out in the west, so if there's enough overseas support, I imagine we might get something like Tsukihime: The Other Side of Red Garden much MUCH sooner than part 1. I also just bought it mostly for this reason, it's literally been sitting unplayed on my Switch lol. Also I personally like having FSN on Switch! I'm eventually gonna reread it for real later on in preparation for a follow up to this video, so I like having the option of reading it as I try to sleep or something.

@@ViviVariety ok then you convinced me to getting it and the Tsukihime series as well I saw as well. Yeah I do support Type Moon products they made. I just hope they make the anime version of the sequel of Fate Stay Night and also finish the Fate Illya movie because that last move is still on a cliffhanger. Again thank you for the help

That sounds rad as hell, now I know what I'm looking up later!

Well nowdays you can purchase the Remaster on Steam! And if you're interested in the Ultimate Edition, Google the Fate/Stay Night Ultimate Edition...it'll turn up... (Legally I can't say what site you can 'find" a download of the Ultimate edition, but it sounds like' Nyaaa", like a cat)

I think the monologue issue can also depend on how familiar with you are with the source material, and while UBW is the most common point of contention, it's honestly a huge problem in ALL Type-Moon adaptations, from Fate Zero to Kara no Kyoukai, hence why I kept the discussion not limited to UBW in the video. There's always something missing. I've definitely seen a handful of people say Shirou is okay in the UBW anime, but I wonder if that's because VN readers can spot the details, if that makes sense. For example, with KnK, all those moments where Shiki is staring off in the distance while Yuki Kaijura music is playing are moments where she's lost in thought about her trauma or feelings, and if you read the novel, you can understand that...but if you haven't, like 90% of the Western Type-Moon fanbase, it doesn't make much sense. And I think the mixed perception of Shirou when it comes to anime only viewers kind of shows that his portrayal isn't perfect. Shirou is almost universally beloved from most VN readers, so the fact that most anime only watchers are mixed says that something must have been lost in the transition. Sure, the core is there, but most TM novels thrive on the details, so the more you have, the better, if that makes sense. I should also mention that I HATED Shirou at first because my only exposure to him was the Deen anime, and while Ufo's UBW was better in his portrayal, he still didn't really click with me until I read the VN. Now I'm a Shirou simp xD but that's my experience with how Shirou was adapted, and everyone has a different perspective based on what they experienced first. As for the rest, I think I can answer most of it. I agree that the novel explanations can be...pretty trash actually, and there's a ton of stuff that makes sense, but isn't explained well. But I'll do my best to explain with what I remember. 1. So Herc's God Hand, his NP, only applies to his skin. Caliburn pierced the skin, so it was able to bypass the protection and kill him that way. Plus having Archer and Rin take out some of Herc's lives helped. In HF Shirou is able to accomplish something similar because Herc actually loses his skin, so Shirou can kill him with Nine Lives later. 2. I chalk this up to Kirei's overconfidence tbh. He's normally a cocky little fucker, but yeah, I think that's the most logical explanation. 3. When Saber makes a contract with Rin, Rin gets a new set of command seals. It happens whenever you make a contract; Caster got some as well when she stole Saber from Shirou. So by the end of UBW, she's got three fresh ones. 4. The answer here is probably because one was all that was necessary. From a meta/narrative stand point, the focus of UBW's climax should be Shirou and Gilgamesh, so having Saber take a more active/prominent role in the finale, even if it's just spamming beams, would take away from that. Something you gotta keep in mind with Nasu is he, like a lot of other writers, tends to operate on the "Rule of Cool", or alternativly, whatever fits the story he's trying to tell. The biggest example of this is Archer somehow still being alive at the end of UBW, which makes zero sense lol. I'm not gonna defend Nasu, but I also think it's easy to get lost in the weeds with a LOT of stories; very few stories are airtight, and when you scrutinize them too much, it sort of takes away from what the author is trying to illustrate with their story. So while there's always gonna be a narrative hiccup or three, I try to look at the story from the perspective of "what is the author trying to accomplish?" So in that case, to use the earlier example, having Archer remain alive at the end of UBW doesn't make much sense...but the purpose in the narrative, which in this case, is to close out Archer's role in the story and cement Rin's promise to Archer and, ergo, Shirou, to always stay by his side...is a good enough justification that makes it easy to overlook the decision to keep Archer around. It makes for a better story and a more fulfilling resolution, even if it comes at the cost of bending a few established rules. 9/10 times that usually explains a lot of how Nasu writes I notice, from everything to Tsukihime to Kara no Kyoukai. He'll bend whatever rules or logic if it means delivering a "better" story; whether or not it's actually better or worth the trouble completely depends on the reader. Anyways, that ended up being a bit long, but I hope that all made sense lol.

​@@ViviVarietyThanks for your reply. Well I dont really know about overall reception of anime Shirou. I agree, something s going to be lost in adaptation regardless, but its hard for me to accept that "majority's opinion" argument. Things like Shirou's struggle, his unbreakable will, the way he overcomes some hellish suffering with his mental force alone - there's no way its gonna be as impactful in anime as it is in VN. And yet, I dont think its hard to appreciate his complex personality as anime-only, and I ve met people who was able to do so. Scenes like Rin and Shirou's conversation after Illya's death are fantastic in the anime, but it seems they are overlooked by anime watchers or something. On the other hand, I ve met some VN readers who believe Shirou to be generic shounen protagonist, so... But I see your point. As a side note, I love info dump moments in FSN. Kirei's sermons about HGW or Rin's lectures are something I enjoy immensely. It is stuff with no reasonable explanation whatsoever that concerns me more. 3. If I remember correctly (and Im pretty sure I do), there is a line in the VN after first Rin's CS is used: "There is one Command Spell left". So there are two Cs's, not one and not three. 4. So there is no in-universe answer huh? OK, again, I see your point about "rule of cool". I agree with you about Archer's survival. Its easy for me to tolerate it because he doesnt affect the outcome of Shirou vs Gil fight in any significant way. Basically, at this point Archer is only needed for "Stay away" scene with Rin, and since this scene is a masterpiece and easily one of the best moments in FSN, Im willing to forgive Nasu here. And its critical for three main characters' relationships, so all the more so. Finally, two more questions, if I may. First, Fate Gilgamesh simply wants Saber, and doesnt seem to care what Kirei is gonna do with Grail all that much. But UBW Gilgamesh, on the opposite, is willing to use Grail himself and doesnt care about Saber. Why? It looks like connection between routes is not the most well thought out aspect of FSN anyway. Perhaps you could say its alternate realities and even starting conditions somewhat differ from route to route, but Im not sure. And second, why is Gil willing to use Ea against Shirou, but he s not trying to protect himself with his armor, shields or Chain of Heavens? Rule of cool again?

So where you're getting tripped up with Rin's seals is in the prologue, she uses one seal on Archer. She then uses another one later. But then she makes the contract with Saber, and gets 3 again. I THINK that's the case, but I'd have to double check. As for the reason Gil changed motivation from Fate to UBW, I believe technically the change is after the scene where Shinji meets Gil, and Gil then decides to take action and the whole "the worth of a human" spiel. But otherwise I agree, his motivation change isn't well explored by any means. As for Gilgamesh not using Ea, Enkidu, and the armor, it's because he's prideful. He even says as much before fighting Shirou where he says something like "you aren't worth the effort". Eventually he does double back and try to use Ea, which Shirou anticipates and cuts off the arm, and he eventually resorts to the chains as well, which ironically aren't that effective because they work better on divine targets like Herc than normal people like Shirou. The armor, I guess it's because Shirou basically gives him no time to breathe, but otherwise...yeah Gilgamesh is nerfed with pride basically every time he appears in anything lol. He's the King of Jobbers for a reason. Again, hope that makes sense! I still need to actually reread the VN (I let OBS run on the background to record footage lol) so my memory isn't perfect by any means.

That's crazy, how'd you like it? I know some schools teach Frankenstein fairly early, I think all I remember is Beowulf and Shakespeare lol.

@@ViviVariety at first I didint really understand it but after talking with my cousin who was a couple years older she explained the undertones to it and the main themes I understood the plot just not really the themes

That makes sense, a lot of stuff went over my head too, and I read the book at about twice the age you were when you first read it.

@@ViviVariety yeah the themes just went over my head till they were explained by my cousin but knowing it now really put it into perspective

Shit that would've been good lmao

Depends on what you like. Do you like gameplay? Play it. Like good stories?.....maybe look elsewhere lol

And an officially licensed one with an Illya route! Thank you Mushroom Man :D

This is the crux of why I think a lot of VN fans are so passionate about the novel. I was more aggressive about it in the video, but it's coming from a place of longing for something more from the Fate series. In my mind, it's basically: 1. FSN and HA 2..... Maybe Zero and Strange Fake? 3. Literally everything else. And there's a huge gap between 1 and 2. There's just something there about the writing quality, the character writing, and the way the stories unfold that really works, and it sticks with you long after you finish it. For me, the best example I could think of was that Zero and UBW, while still quite good, were like eating at a pretty good restaurant... And the VN was like going to like the five star equivalent of that same restaurant. It leaves you wanting more in a good way, and I think a lot of the best TM novels are like that. Hell, I just finished the Tsukihime Remake and now I'm in the damn Red Garden waiting room! Come on Nasu, hurry up lol. I know not all of the Fate franchise is of very high quality, and maybe asking them to match the VNs is a little too ambitious, but it's genuinely hard to enjoy some of the others sometimes because deep down you KNOW what the series is capable of. I think many Fate fans just want more from the franchise at times, and while it's fine to have some easy to consume stories and whatnot, more quality stories is never a bad idea either.

@@ViviVariety Dude EXACTLY. While going through Hollow Ataraxia last summer there were so many moments and lore convos (especially with Back to the Night playing, I loved that and Magic Hour which I appreciate you using in the vid :D ) that made me go "God I wish we get more/info of this stuff" and I would get a little saddened because we either ended up getting more or will get more, but it's in another series or FGO. It just about never lives up to or competes with the VNs. I can't help but feel like there is a pure sense of humanity to most if not all of the VN characters despite how supernatural they and their surroundings are. That is mostly what makes Nasu's works affect me so much and helps make Type Moon my favourite franchise alongside FromSoft's Soulsborne. Most if not all characters feel real and human to their core, no matter the supernatural and magical happenings going on in and around them. I legit find myself treating the characters like real people that I've talked to and lived with. Maybe this is normal and I've just not consumed good media before, but that was a first to me. I've never felt that way before. Even putting characters aside, there's such a strong sense of atmosphere, mystery, gentle darkness, and beauty in these stories, so many beautiful moments (it's hard to describe them but I think you get what I mean) and it feels like future installments never truly captured something that lived up to or competed with that. I would actually say the Zero and UBW anime still have my heart in some of these despite feeling really sour at Zero after the VN, but those were my entries to the series and nostalgia is one hell of a thing. As for FGO I loved Camelot, Babylonia, Solomon, Summer 3, and a few events. I read Camelot-Solomon early on in my Fate journey so I wonder if they'll hold up should I ever reread. Summer 3 seems like a silly thing to include but this damn event about writing manga for comic-con in Hawaii had characters and moments that genuinely touched me harder than most main chapters. I ended up finding out Nasu wrote this event and that explains a good bit. I'm with you that it's a little(?) wrong to ask other installments to match the VNs but I feel like the other bits of Fate that I've consumed are just *soulless* in comparison, for lack of a better word. And just like you said, we know and have seen just how much better it could be. Atm I'm holding out hope for Red Garden as well 🤝I think it was exactly a year ago when I finished Tsukihime RE! On the night of the 30th or 31st of August during the Super Blue Moon (kinda happy about that coincidence). I feel like I had more issues with Tsuki RE than FSN and I really didn't like Ciel's true ending, but it was still an awesome experience and I was genuinely happy with it after all the hype and excitement since its announcement <3 Mahoyo is absolutely up there and I think it's probably Type Moon's most well done work. I'm hoping Red Garden knocks it off the top for me.

Man I just realised just how much I typed out, sorry :p I kinda want to bring up the bit about Soulsborne and Type-Moon. A good part of what makes Soulsborne so special to me is just how unique the worlds, characters, and designs tend to be. They almost always (DS2 was my entry point and I fuckin love it, but I genuinely feel like they really messed up here and often feels generic) manage to not be generic or formulaic and have a sense of quiet and unspoken dignity to them. It feels... respectful. Instead of something being plain horrible or nasty, you kinda stop and think about just how sad the transformation of that place or creature is. It feels like there's STILL something meaningful regardless of how awful it is. I always drew unintentional parallels between that and Type-Moon's human-feeling characters. I wonder if that sense of dignity is part of Nasu's well-documented love for FromSoft games. As an added fun fact, Miyazaki actually had a special message for FSN's 15th anniversary. So there is a non-zero that Leda is a Saber reference.

I just finished the Remake and...I kinnnnd of want to agree, but I'll hold out on an opinion due to how Red Garden turns out because the Far Sides are easily my favorite parts of Tsukihime. So as far as my editing process, I basically made overlays in OBS and let the VN run on auto mode. It's not hard at all, it's just long because of how long Fate is. Like the way I'd do it is basically just let the VN roll in the background, while I do something else and periodically check for choices. For me it was easier to just record the full VN because I do plan to have a follow up to this video in the future, but if you for example have a more specific video in mind, you could just record the parts of the VN you need.

LOL your neighbor basically was doing an Iron Man run

Fair enough lol I probably could have specified to DS1 and DeS, which is where DS2 definitely feels slow and floaty to me.

@@ViviVariety oh wow didn't expect a response since it's a 2 year old video. I agree with pretty much anything else you said in the video btw so don't take this as a negative comment! I just think it's kinda funny and worth pointing out when people forget about armored core and king's field. though they are older and clunkier. I highly reccomend playing them if you haven't already!

No you're good mate, no offense taken! And I'm definitely planning on getting to the older FS games too! I always like seeing the origin of certain ideas and concepts, so I've been curious about checking out Kings Field and Shadow Tower for some time. Someday for sure!

Engage is weird to me because I kind of feel like I'd never want to recommend it for a myriad of reasons. Obviously if you loved 3H or something like FE4/PoR, Engage won't satisfy you, and as a newcomer, there's too much reliance on old games and it barely feels like Engage has much identity of its own. I guess like you said, it's worth checking out at as your first title if you honestly don't care for story at all? And if you're crazy enough to play it as your first title, it might get you interested in other games based on the retuning characters? That's my two cents at least, and I say that as someone who genuinely loved playing Engage and looks forward to playing it again...with my fingers mashing the "skip cutscenes" prompt at max speed lol.

Seems to be the case for many lol

Oh you just might get your wish sooner than you think ;)

I wouldn't mind covering the Disappearance of Yuki Nagato, but I'm not entirely sure what to say for exactly the same reason you like it. I watched the whole series and it seemed like a mostly inoffensive SoL show, which is good for fans of the genre and probably not great for fans of the original Haruhi. However, if I do cover Haruhi again in the future, I think I might cover the light novels. I read all of them in preparation for this video, and what stood out to me was how 1. The anime actually elevated most of the material and 2. The stuff that wasn't adapted was actually really cool. There's a few new characters that seem far more interesting than the core cast, and the plot lines are neat too. At the same time though, Haruhi is more or less on an indefinite hiatus. There was a 9 year gap between the last two novels, and I always feel weird talking about something without an ending in sight. Still, it's an idea for sure.

What's Little Busters about? I've heard about it here and there, but I don't know anything about it.

That's a super cool observation I never put together! It sort of makes HA the perfect rebuttal to Kirei's whole ordeal because it shows that it's possible to be "born" evil, but still have the capacity to grow and change. I wonder if it implies that maybe Kirei wasn't beyond redemption in some way? I guess by the time we meet him it's too late, but had he met someone like Shirou (or even Claudia) at an earlier point in his life, maybe he could've let a different life.

I love the angry mango

It's great for Sakura and arguably does her justice in many ways, but cutting out the Kirei and Illya stuff is too hard to look past in my opinion. Illya especially since she plays such a pivotal role in effectively being Shirou's one link to sanity and his only healthy relationship throughout the route. Also some things weren't really elaborated on and made things really confusing for anime only watchers. You get questions like "what happened to Shirou at the end?" like once a week on the subreddit because the actual Heaven's Feel ceremony isn't really explained, plus Shirou's memory loss is barely alluded to. Those are the two things off the top of my head. It's a bummer because HF is my favorite route, and I feel like the adaptation actually did a better job at nailing Shirou compared to UBW, but the cut content just sours my perception of it. Not TOO much, like I really loved the second film, but the last one kind of drops the ball in my opinion. First film is decent too. There's some minor stuff too, like I think it's pretty lame how Ufotable decided to go all in on Rider vs Saber over Shirou vs Kirei, but that's more of a personal gripe. I also would've liked Sparks Liner High, but let's be real, that was always just wishful thinking lol no shot we'd have actually gotten that. Overall HF isn't "bad', but I really think it should've been an anime. Maybe the material is too sensitive for TV, but there was too much to cram into three films.

I appreciate that considering there's a lot of Fate videos out there! And I'm in agreement, like I know Fate tends to be talked about when it comes to epic battles and whatnot, but if you go back to as early as Tsukihime, the core was always something more real. Fate was simply the next evolution.