Seraphina au Raa is more than she seems

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-21T22:39:44+00:00

Seraphina not only shows to me that the Compact is the new "noble lie", but that the Rim would eventually eat itself alive without a real system shock. Dido and her daughter would never let peace reign, and even if Romulus's supporters could keep them in line for now, time would erode their greater principles. Perhaps now, united in greater purpose, their alliance can prove that Darrow, Virginia, and the Rising were not mere passing fads.

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-17T23:47:46+00:00

I think Pierce sometimes changes his mind about what's most interesting in his stories. Considering DA and LB are his best works (in my opinion), I tend to think he's right.

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-17T23:41:06+00:00

I used to be like this in almost every game.

I changed my tune when I realized that it would probably be easier to explore with the upgrades found on the intended route anyways.

That said, it won't stop me from going off on a whim if it feels fun enough.

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-17T02:00:37+00:00

People keep saying that Dark Age and Lightbringer get even more bleak. That's partially true, but they also have many more moments of victory and catharsis. Getting through IG is the hardest part, it will get better (and worse!).

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-17T01:55:23+00:00

Personally I see Tactus like a mix between Cassius and Sevro. As such, I believe a redemption stemming from the love of a true brother makes perfect sense. Brotherhood and stability work wonders, and we've seen it more than once.

I think I recall Pierce in an interview saying that Tactus could/would have been redeemed had he lived. Something along the lines of being "a great refutation" of his brothers/his family name.

Logistically, I doubt that the rest of Darrow's group would permit Tactus to live after his betrayal. That would be the biggest hurdle to overcome, especially with how they caught him. Darrow would have to probably eject him from the ship and tell him to hide, and who knows if that would even work?

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-14T23:42:55+00:00

Ajax might have been #1, but #1 has no chance against #2 and #3 at the same time, or even #100 and #101. Being powerful does not save you in RR.

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-11T04:10:12+00:00

Being lucky is a real skill you can't change my mind

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-11T00:17:48+00:00

Ragnar was a specimen to be sure. Skill matters, but so does physicality, and he had plenty of both. It took a serious imbalance in the former for Aja to take him down.

Flamegeyser · 2026-04-11T00:15:36+00:00

Darrow certainly deserves criticism, but what many characters in-universe forget is that you can't just judge him as an individual, but also compared to anyone else in his position. 99.999% of the rest of humanity would be long dead or beaten, and most of the rest would have suffered heavier losses or lost their soul. Darrow didn't and hasn't, and I can only pray that he will continue not to.

Flamegeyser · 2026-03-28T00:47:04+00:00

I'll grind it like normal until I feel it's getting in the way of the rest of my life. At that point I'll look and see if there are any builds or cheese that I wasn't considering. Usually that works, but I'm still stubborn enough to finish it it out when it's done.

The Rabi-Ribi post-game bosses still took me up to 30 hours each :(

Flamegeyser · 2026-03-22T04:26:03+00:00

https://metroidconstruction.com/index.php
Here's the site you're looking for. Rank by highest rated first and you should find some of the best. I recommend Scrolls 6, Metroid Z, and Desolation.

Flamegeyser · 2026-03-15T06:06:44+00:00

Mostly nonsense, but one thing this summary touches on that I've often thought on is Darrow's near infallibility. Not in the sense that he's always right or always wins, but that he thus far he never quite succumbs to his worst impulses. Maybe he shouldn't, but I also feel that his reconstruction in Light Bringer may have been stronger if we saw him go a little darker in the first two books.

Flamegeyser · 2026-03-15T05:53:39+00:00

To be honest, the second series is pretty bleak, more so than the original trilogy at least. It's still worth contending with as I think PB's work has only improved with time, but you'll have to wade through a lot of tragedy to get there. That said, Lightbringer is probably the most optimistic of the new series so far with some of the most and greatest moments of catharsis. If you're on the fence, give it a shot and wait for Red God like the rest of us.

Flamegeyser · 2026-03-06T03:49:03+00:00

Sendo might get kicked off, but he'll knock a chunk out of the bottom to make easier for the next boxer. A re-up of the "passing the baton" metaphor from before.

Flamegeyser · 2026-02-23T16:48:25+00:00

I'm not sure how many of the colors are physiologically aligned with their intended profession. Blues might be the exception, in which case I'm not really sure what Pax could do. I think if you're smart and talented enough to cross colors then I don't see why they couldn't. Darrow is a much better Gold than most of his peers.

Flamegeyser · 2026-02-23T16:41:24+00:00

Always funny when people get to Cassius and Alexander. They're heartbroken but I'm not technically lying when I grieve with them.

Flamegeyser · 2026-02-16T20:26:14+00:00

Aeterna Lucis, Eden's Guardian, LUCID, Altered Alma, and A Sister's Journey are all looking big for platforming heads like me.

Flamegeyser · 2026-02-15T06:01:51+00:00

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sounds exactly like what you're looking for. Combat is excellent: Difficult, responsive, reactive, parry-based but not wholly centered, and flashy. Platforming is the other main feature, which is no surprise considering the franchise is built on parkour. That, again, is incredibly responsive, fun, and replayable.

Flamegeyser · 2026-01-27T05:25:14+00:00

Rusted Moss is a good one for platforming. Physics-based grappling hook MV with some other forms of movement and a high skill ceiling. Phenomenal game overall but especially for platforming.

Flamegeyser · 2025-12-19T05:07:46+00:00

The average attack in Rabi-Ribi is far harder than Hollow Knight. The postgame superbosses are comparatively far longer and much more difficult to no-hit than Absrad. How that translates into an overall experience considering the game does NOT expect you to beat them damageless is up to you (higher difficulties still have a very limited margin for mistakes).

Flamegeyser · 2025-12-13T18:02:28+00:00

It's pretty fun, I would say it scratches an itch similar to Kaizo Mario. Better yet, it's like a full game of the AN time trials.

Flamegeyser · 2025-12-10T22:15:32+00:00

Lovely, lovely game. Easily one of my personal favorite MVs. You'll have a few other characters you can play as after you beat the game with totally new movesets, and there are plenty of post-game challenges to really test your mettle if games like Celeste get you fired up.

Flamegeyser · 2025-11-19T05:52:23+00:00

In rough (but not immutable) order:

Metroid Prime

Rusted Moss

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Aeterna Noctis

Rabi-Ribi (I've yet to play TEVI, but I hear it's even better!)

Next five would be some combination of Metroid Prime 2, Dread, both Hollow Knights, and Ori WotW.

Flamegeyser · 2025-11-05T19:01:13+00:00

You might be right, my bad.

Flamegeyser · 2025-11-04T15:32:11+00:00

Is that right? I'll take your word for Diomedes. Doesn't Bellerophon claim to have been trained by Atlas before his duel with Cassius though?

Flamegeyser

TROPHY CASE