Dear reader, I can’t believe it’s May already! Last weekend we finally got some much needed rain here in the Netherlands, after weeks of drought. Some idiots managed to start a forest fire nearby, which set ablaze over 300 hectares of forest. I can only hope those responsible will be held accountable. But let’s not get carried away by idiots for now. There’s plenty to get mad at nowadays when you check the news and that is something I try to avoid, especially during the weekend.

Was it all just a Fantasy?

Last week I finished Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on Switch 2 and it was an absolutely phenomenal game. Probably the best looking game on the system thus far and it was in my “JRPG” (Japanese Role Playing Game) slot for a little over 40 hours. Not too shabby! Overall I feel that the way the story is retold is good. It is divided into clear chapters and it certainly is more lengthy than the original game took place in Midgar, the city where the epic adventure all starts.

The only drawback of the game for me was the battle system. Most of the time it felt like there was little tactics involved and I just had to spam specials as soon as the battle system bars filled up. Boss fights felt cheap, because they would use abilities you could barely dodge and basically it came down to whittling down their health really slowly and hoping you could pressure and then break them. But ultimately, it just didn’t feel very satisfying. Perhaps I just got the whole system wrong, and should have read a bit more on party optimization, but I cheesed most of the fights and was glad when the final battle was finally over, after facing what felt like the real final boss three times in a row.

I know this may make it sound like I didn’t enjoy myself too much with the game, but that’s far from true. I still rate it highly at 9/10, but that’s mostly because of the total package the game offers. The game looks stunning and there’s a lot to explore and do in Midgar. I am eager to continue the journey later this year! Final Fantasy VII was my first game in the series, so it retains a special place in my heart. It made me think about how Humanity treats our world and how everything is interconnected. The Mako energy being somewhat similar to the Force in Star Wars, perhaps, or just the living force of the planet overall. It made a profound impact. And they say videogames don’t have worthwhile stories, eh? I beg to differ.

Remembering those who fought for our Freedom

Today is our national day of remembrance in the Netherlands. We remember all those who were involved in World War II, what they did for our country and what their lives were like. I think it’s important that we keep these traditions alive. Even if it’s so far away for all of us. I mean, my grandparents and some other really old people were alive when WWII happened and I heard many of their stories during their lifetimes. It makes you wish you never have to witness anything like it. Yet, we see genocide happen around us now. We see wars being started at a whim of one person. And thus, it makes it all the more important to respect and honour those who have gone before us. Genocide, and war, they only ever seems to serve a few, but never the regular people of any country involved. My fondest wish is that we will live in a time where we see old, power hungry men fail and disappear from the world stage. It’s high time we fight for a brighter future. One where Humanity is united in their endeavours to grow. One where we all prosper, if only we change our limited views of what the world truly is. We are all one. Connected with this planet and all its life. We are nature, we are the Earth.

It’s a bit odd that on this day, it is also Star Wars day. One of my most beloved fandoms. So, to finish on a high note:

May the Force be with you, always.

Jeffrey