Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen [Now Playing]

I've been home doing nothing for the past few weeks, so out of an intense need to keep myself busy, I decided to look for an addictive RPG to play. My choices ranged from Skyrim to Dark Souls, but for whatever reason, I ended up buying Dragon's Dogma. I ignored the original release, so Dark Arisen (the expansion) ended up being my first taste of the game.

I've played through the game once already, and I've got to say, I really like this game. I'm close to platinuming it, and I wasn't even trying to. I was just having fun trying out different things and completing all of the quests. I think the main thing I love about this game is its replay value. You're able to replay the game via New Game Plus an infinite number of times, so you're able to enjoy the game exactly how you want to each time whilst retaining your level and all of your gear.

The boss battles are also amazing. I'd say they're the best in any game of this genre. Like many people have said, it's like a cross between Dark Souls and Shadow of the Colossus. The way you climb up on giant monsters while epic music is playing is just exhilarating, to say the least.

A lot of people disregard this game as being "not quite as good as Skyrim", but I'd rather avoid comparisons like that. Dragon's Dogma has its own list of merits and charms, and I'd recommend it to anyone with a love for fantasy rpg's (and a lot of time).

Suggestions for Gundam Top 5

I recently realized that my priority should be creating more Gundam Top 5 content, considering its the main source of traffic for my blog. But as I got around to starting a new one, I realized that I was fresh out of ideas. There are plenty of easy lists I can make, but I want something unique. Something that's not entirely objective.

So, if you don't mind me asking, I'd like some suggestions for a new Gundam Top 5 list. I'll seriously consider every suggestion (as long as they're good).

New TV Series: Gundam Build Fighters

You may have noticed all the reports in the last few days, hinting at a big new Gundam announcement. Well here's the news: a new TV series has been announced. It's called Gundam Build Fighters, and it seems to revolve around gunpla. For more information, go here.

Now, I'm going to be honest: I'm a little disappointed. I skipped AGE precisely because it seemed a bit too kid-friendly. While I do plan on giving it a chance in the future, I didn't expect the next full series to be more of the same. Gundam Build Fighters looks to be a Gundam toy commercial in its absolute purest form. That's as much as I'll say since I don't want to judge too quickly.

Anyway, Gundam Build Fighters seems to be working off of the concept introduced in Beginning G, though it's been noted that the two are unrelated in any other regard. The one thing I do appreciate is the reappearances of several classic designs. Look, the Wing and GX are back (albeit slightly modified)! Other classic mobile suits are going to be making appearances as well, so that should be interesting.

So, as the Gundam franchise continues to look after a young, new audience whilst selling massive amounts of merchandise, I'll be here waiting on the last episode of Unicorn~

Best Gundam Protagonist?

Just like I did with my Top 5 Gundam Series post, I want to poll people on what they think about the question of who the top Gundam protagonist is. I actually made a Top 5 Gundam Protagonists post in the past, but it was awful and I've since gotten rid of it. Considering how difficult and possibly meaningless this question is, I thought I'd just ask people instead of attempting to create a new list.

As usual, this question is almost impossible to answer objectively. People have their own opinions on what "best" means, and personal bias is going to play a big part in it. Still, there's got to be a general consensus for certain characters.

So, who is it? Amuro Ray? Garrod Ran (who actually seems to get a lot of love)? Kamille? Setsuna? Who is the best Gundam protagonist in the meta-series?

Songs of Final Fantasy: Top 10 Battle Themes

Here's a shocker: I'm a huge fan of Final Fantasy. I absolutely love the series, and I've been a fan since Clinton was in office. I've played every title in the series several times, and the one thing that always sticks with me is the music. The various themes in each game come to define that particular game. Most of it is owed to the mastery of musical genius Nobuo Uematsu, but other composers have produced some memorable themes as well.

In this top ten list, I'm going to be ranking the best battle themes in the Final Fantasy series. Battle themes are usually the most memorable and definitive songs in the games, along with the overworld themes. Therefore, I think it's only proper to do them some justice. I'll be including all of the main series titles and all related spin-offs. As usual, these are just my opinions so feel free to disagree and share your own thoughts in the comments. Now then...