Fearless with A Controller

So how did I come up with the name for this blog? My gaming quote and bio is "Fearless with a Controller," a quote I have been using since first booting up my PS4. It was based on my love for gaming; it's my passion, and when I'm not working, it's my favorite hobby. When I step into that gaming room, I become a fighter, a warrior, and a savior. Someone who lives the lives of others to do the impossible. Yes, it's a fantasy world, but it's my world, and I love every minute of it. So my controller was my chance to be fearless. 

Username & Bios (About Me)

On the original console, it was simply a user name, as there were no achievements. It wasn't till 2006, when Sony introduced the PSN Network, that we started creating online IDs (2008 for me). No one really thought about IDs or gamer tags; it was just picking something to go online. I don't even remember the option to showcase 'About Me" at that time. 

We had multiple consoles in our house, so each console had a separate username. Then I had three usernames, but it wasn't until we went online that I realized picking one would be better. You couldn't change online IDs, so you were actually stuck with what you were using at that time. The first time I remember being asked to create an ID was in 2008, when I first put in Dead Space. It asked me to put in an online ID. Then,  in 2011, I switched to my other account, now known as "Valkiaria," and went online with it as I hated the other username. The last account I went online with was in 2015 with the username "Witcherlin," which was used mainly to replay games and collect trophies. This username has since been changed but is rarely used. 

How can see your PSN account creation date?

Well, the rumor is that Sony will send you an email on your anniversary, but this is only your username creation date, not the date you joined Sony. Honestly, I think buying a PS1 justifies your years with Sony if you continue to play on the PlayStation. The easiest way to check your account creation date is to look at your trophies. Although this will only go back to 2008, anything before that may be difficult, especially if you have changed your username several times. Another option would be to turn on your PS2/PS3, which should show you your original user names.

Trophies PS3/PS4

It wasn't till the PS3 era came out that we started to get achievements, although at that time I did not think about it. Trophies were first introduced in 2007/8, but not all games supported them. That's why using your trophy list as a placement for joining Sony is restricted to that date. My first achievement at that time was, in fact, Dead Space, but the first game on PlayStation to have trophies was Super Stardust HD, and the first game to have a Platinum Trophy was Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. 

Trials of Trophy Hunting

My first attempt at platinum was actually on the PS3 on Valkiaria in 2014, but due to a glitch with the feathers, it prevented me from gaining that achievement, hence the reason I went for it again on the PS4 and have since platted it on 2 of my accounts. If I love a game, I will replay it to obtain that shiny platinum on my other accounts and the only reason I stick with them. 

The first platinum I earned was Beyond Two Souls in 2016 on "Minipoppy" and Assassins Creed II was my second Platinum, but this time on a different account of which I think was known as "Whitcherlin" at the time. This is the problem with having three accounts, and all because the ability to change usernames was not available at that time. Now I usually just play on Valkiaria 99% of the time, but this is basically how I started my journey of becoming one of those annoying trophy hunters.

Triple Platinum's - Seriously?

I was asked the other day if there will ever be a triple plat trophy where triple AAA games can give that option. Obviously, the game would need to be completed three times at 100% from scratch, with no carrying over of any trophies. Somehow, however, I really don't see if that would even be possible, as  what actually defines a triple AAA game. Slapping a $70 price tag on a game should not justify that kind of achievement. The only way around that idea would be that the game would only be a console exclusive made by PlayStation Studios, and even then, there would need to be some minimum difficulty level attached along with other requirements. The Last of Us 2's (my least favorite game) trophy list is basically collectibles and, in no way, would deserve a triple plat. Yes, there are other exclusives like Ghost of Tsushima and God of War. I can see that as a possibility, but honestly, I really don't see this Idea taking any kind of traction.

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Bloodborne Rumors and Dramatics

Bloodborne is Sony's IP and probably the most requested re-master for the new Gen console and PC port. We have gone through multiple rumors from leakers about PC ports and movies that show the level of madness out there and the people who thrive on posting rumors instead of facts. In the end, people will complain if they do and become toxic if they don't.

Bloodborne is one of my favorite games and was recommended to me by a friend on PlayStation. He was right; it was brilliant, and I personally waited too long to play it. I understand why Souls players want to play it, but expecting Sony to jump hoops for anything other than PlayStation is actually mind-blowing to me. They were always reserved in sharing their titles and what they were working on; everything was always done in the background until they were 100% sure the title would be released. Look at "God of War' total surprise and most welcome announcement that had players even to this date reveling in the moment when it was revealed. 

Today we are seeing a new generation of gamers who want everything yesterday and spend most of their time on social media complaining day in and day out about what they want. Honestly, you guys need to chill out. If it happens, it happens, but stop whining and demanding. If you can spend thousands of dollars on a PC rig, then you can buy a PlayStation, and yes, it's worth it. I understand not everyone has money to buy a new console or switch from one to the other, and I'm sorry, but demanding Sony port their games because you want it shows your entitlement has reached a new level of Insanity.

Bloodborne was made from the ground up for the PlayStation, where there are many titles, and that's where it's better played. Why should Sony port to a PC because you want it? Why should Sony spend the money on a port because you want it? In the end, you will always have something to complain about, even if you get it. If you spend 90% of your time on social media complaining about Sony not giving you a port, then you are obviously not playing much. Its a commodity not life saving surgery.

I'm not saying or suggesting they won't, but until they do, play, and have fun with what you have. Elden Ring is a phenomenal game with a new DLC, and I absolutely recommend you try it. As for Bloodborne, no one knows what Sony is working on, and until they decide to go that route or reveal it if they have, take a chill pill, enjoy your time with your friends and family, and take a walk in the park with your dog. But stop being so dramatic about what you want from a company when you don't even own a PlayStation.

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Dark Pictures: Anthology - Devil In Me

Devil in Me is one of four games and the season finale in the Dark Pictures: Anthology series developed by Supermassive Games. The story is based on HH Homes Murder Castle. The story follows a group of documentary film makers who receive a mysterious call inviting them to a modern-day replica of HH Holmes’ ‘Murder Hotel’. But on arrival, the crew soon discovers they’re being watched and even manipulated, and suddenly there’s much more at stake than just their ratings!

  

The Devil in Me encourages the player to put their problem-solving skills to good use, as the game includes puzzles. You’ll need to find codes hidden or disguised in the world, untangle old fuse boxes, and find your way out of mazes, and failure might prove to be very costly. Like other games in the series, you control their fate, whether they live or die.

 

There are rewards, but what is more interesting about this one is the collection of videos about H.H. Homes that you will need to find throughout the game. If you find them all, you can view a small documentary about him, which can be found in the bonus features.

So who was H.H. Homes? Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, was an American swindler and confidence trickster who is widely considered the country’s first known serial killer. Mudgett moved to Chicago and took a job as a pharmacist under the name "Dr. HH. Homes." He built a house for himself, later known as "Murder Castle," which was equipped with trapdoors, secret passages, and soundproof rooms with doors that could be locked from the outside. Mudgett confessed to 27 murders, which he later increased to 130. Some researchers, however, have claimed the real number exceeds 200.

To gain the platinum will require more than one playthrough, and for some, it may actually require a walkthrough, but overall, it is not bad but not great either. The dialog can become tedious as there is no option to skip when replaying the game. Some trophies can be a little more tricky but still achievable, but I see it as more of a glitch problem than anything else. Like the task of collecting crime scene photos, there is no way of tracking how many you have or need, and most annoyingly, you spend too much time trying to find the right angle. Overall, it's a pretty decent list, but questionable on some things. 

Trophy List Rating 7 - Say what now?

 

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Final Fantasy XVI - Best Game of 2023

 

Final Fantasy XVI

Final Fantasy XVI is the best game for 2023, in my opinion, and no other game comes close. Yet, it was snubbed by the game awards, and "Game of the Year" went to "Baldur''s Gate 3". Now, admittedly, I did not play it and was never interested in playing it or being interested in any of these games. The same could be said for Final Fantasy 7, as I barely touched it, so what changed?

Square Enix actually turned the industry upside down with their demo, which brought in a number of new Final Fantasy players. When the demo was released on PS5, it blew every other game out of the park and streamed all over the world while gamers eagerly hit that pre-order button. It was new and refreshing—not a remake or a seconds. This game should have won every award across the board, including all the voice actors in this game who all brought these characters to life.

Final Fantasy XVI being snubbed so much by the game awards makes me feel irritated that games are being given accolades that are not worthy and put on pedestals that should be knocked over. The same thing happened with Horizon Zero Dawn and Ghost of Tsushima—new games being snubbed for seconds. I'm not saying remakes should not happen; hell, I loved the Dead Space remake and loved playing the game, but seriously, whatever the agenda with the game awards, it's getting old, as is everything they stand for, because this isn't about games anymore.

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Attack on Titan - Greatest Anime Ever Written

Attack on Titan is a masterpiece of writing, and it has achieved something no other anime has ever come close to. The story itself starts with three young Eldayen children who live in an open-air prison known as Paradise, which is surrounded by a massive wall, but their lives are terrorized by giants (Titans), who will taunt and kill them for no reason. All these people want is their freedom—the freedom to live their lives outside the walls of Paradise. So who are these Titans? Why are they there? What is their purpose? And where did it all begin?

Art by Waywayart

The debate alone on the First Titan (Founding Titan) and how it started was so simple yet complex that it started a world-wide debate on how, why, and where the strange organism came from that created the Titans, and this is only the back story to Attack On Titan. The story is very dark and really not meant for kids but in reality it fits in well with our own world today, so for context lets look at what Titans are and were they came from. 

So who was the first Titan?

2,000 years prior to Eren (Main character in the story). There was a war between tribes, and like all wars, it was the victims who suffered, as in ancient times most were taken as slaves. Ymir, a 10-year-old young girl, was one of many children taken after their village was destroyed. Fritz was the ruler of the Eldayens, who were only a small tribe at the time when he slaughtered them, then he made the children his slaves and had their tongues removed so they could not speak or scream.

One day she did the unthinkable and released some pigs from their pen in an effort to free them; however, when it was revealed that Ymir had done this, he ordered his men to hunt her down. Injured and alone, she took shelter under a large tree. Not realizing the soil was soft, she fell into a sinkhole filled with water. where a strange organism, a centipede-like creature, fused itself onto her spinal cord, turning her into a Titan (founding titan).

                                                                                      

Ymir was young and loyal to Fritz, so she returned with her newly found ability to serve him. For her loyalty, Frits took her as a wife, but only to produce children that he hoped would have this same Titan ability. He never really cared about Ymir; she was nothing more than a concubine to help his need for power and control. Then 13 years after she gained the ability, she died protecting Fritz after an assassination attempt on his life by Marleyan solders.

Fritz was so fearful of losing the Titan Power that he demanded their children eat Ymir's dead corpse to so enemies would never attack them but this was only about Fritz. He wanted them to reproduce and multiply and continue to eat the spines of their decedents13 years after they gained the ability, whether dead or not, he wanted to continue the blood line, and so it went on. Through Ymir's death, her decedents gained her power, which was split into nine titans, and her soul was trapped in purgatory. As the story progresses, it is clear that until all Titans become one vessel, only then can she be released from purgatory.

So who are the nine Titans?

The Nine titans were spawned by the direct descendants of Ymir and Fritz and were only held and used by the noble families of Eldia. They were known as the Founding Titan, Beast Titan, Attack Titan, Armored Titan, Colossal Titan, Female Titan, Cart Titan, Jaw Titan, and Warhammer Titan. 

The Nine Titans went on to destroy the ancient city of Marley to fulfill Fritz's dream of an Eldian Empire. For many years following their victory, they lived in relative peace. However, Eldia began to fall apart due to various nobles being in constant conflict as conspiracy and betrayal overshadowed the need for peace. Though the Founding Titans family tried to keep the peace between the other noble families, they started to turn on each other to control the other eight Titans, which eventually turned into the Great Titan War. 

So this brings us to today's events: the Titan War, which has been over for hundreds of years. The titans who roam the land wonder aimlessly, killing anything that moves with no motive or reasoning. So why are they there? What will happen to the people of Paradise? And how will it end? For the sake of spoilers, I will end it here for anyone who may come across this blog and who has not yet watched the show.

The story of Attack on Titans, written by Hajime Isayama, has sold over 140 million copies worldwide and has won many awards. The story has been told through the manga, which went on to become the greatest anime ever written. From the manga, anime, video games, and theme parks, people have loved and lived the life of Eldayen's and their journey through generations, seen through the characters we came to love and some hate. Their lives and stories can define and break you, and they teach us that our own world is the same in many ways. 

Posted by Valkiaria 

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