People have always told me that I have expensive tastes, the truth is, I’d rather pay more for something that I know is better quality and will last me for a long time than to keep dishing out money for cheap, throwaway things. Which is why when I was in the market for some earbuds to use for my laptop whilst I’m at school, I was pretty lax on how much I was spending so long as what I was getting was going to last, and whilst the headphone market seems completely saturated with overpriced IEM’s and headphones that’ll break within a few months of ownership, when it came to my needs the choice was fairly obvious. With a helping of both brand familiarity and loyalty, I settled on a pair of Razer Hammerhead V2’s. The choice was easy for me, not just because I own and use quite a few Razer Products myself, but because I had also owned a pair of the original Hammerhead’s a few years ago. So, how does the second generation Hammerheads compare to the old ones? The biggest difference between these new Hammerheads versus the old ones is build material, the old ones were almost entirely aluminum, from the earpieces, to 3.5mm connector, it was almost all aluminum with the only plastic piece being the in-line controls, with the new generation, only the earpieces themselves are aluminum, with Razer opting instead for a high quality plastic for the rest of the build. Whilst I can criticize Razer for switching to plastic instead of sticking with metal, the change is understandable, as the old, all metal Hammerheads were quite heavy, and caused quite a bit of pressure on the ears. The earplug arrangement is back with the standard: small, medium, large earplugs as is standard (Although some companies like Monster have more recently chosen for five sizes of earplugs, which I personally enjoy more), but also returning as standard is Razer’s “Dual-flange” earplugs that are essentially two half-height, medium sized earplugs merged into one, Razer claims that these provide better noise isolation when using them, and to be honest, they work pretty well. A gripe I’ve always had with the dual-flange design is that while they work fairly well, Razer only makes them in a medium size, meaning that people like myself who use larger tips cannot enjoy the better sound-isolation of the dual-flange tips. I’d like for Razer to include the dual-flange tips in all three sizes as for people of all ear sizes to enjoy them. The cable has also been changed form a standard round cable, to a flat, tangle-proof cable that lives up to its name quite well. It’s easy to manage, and whilst it does tend to get snagged a bit more on clothing and other objects, its unwillingness to tangle, even after being shoved in a pocket or other small space makes it a lovely IEM for everyday use. Finally, and most importantly is the Hammerhead’s sound quality; the previous generation Hammerhead’s where known to be bass heavy monsters that compromised on mids and highs in order to provide a more “Gamer-y” sound meant to amplify gunshots, explosions, and other gaming related sounds, and that same sound spread is back for the second generation. Now, I mainly use the Hammerhead’s for music and media consumption, and whilst my taste in music lends itself towards the Hammerhead’s bass heaviness, with artists like Noisia, Former, Mefjus and other Drum & Bass artists having their drops sound more impactful and energetic with the added bass, for other types of media such as YouTube videos and anime, you can definitely notice the lack of mids and highs as some dialogue sounds either mildly tinny or somewhat muffled, whilst it’s subtle it is noticeable and if you’re a fan of flatter response curves you’ll probably want to stay clear and look for something else. As for gaming performance, Razer is right when saying that this is definitely where the Hammerheads belong, after playing a few rounds of PUBG as well as trying them out in Planetside 2, the Hammerheads perform almost as well as some normal gaming headsets around this price range. Footsteps are easily distinguishable and position, crucial for games like CS:GO and PUBG. Gunshots and explosions sound clear and poppy, but have their levels kept in check as to not deafen you when you fire, and as for voice chat, the inline microphone is “not bad” at best, but you’re better off using an external mic for anything other than some VOIP chatting or phone calls. In conclusion, the new Hammerhead’s are a good iteration on the old design, whilst I would still enjoy an all metal construction as well as a slightly flatter response curve, I can understand Razer’s choices with the Hammerhead’s. They certainly not for everyone, but those wanting studio grade quality and a completely flat response curve are likely to look elsewhere, and spend a lot more for their needs. For me, the Hammerheads are an excellent pair of IEMs and if you want something you can use for gaming without having to lug around large headphones, the Hammerheads just might be for you.
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With the current pace of anime it’s sometimes good to take a step back from all the action and watch something a little slower, a little more relaxing. Whilst the winter season left us with excellent shows like Yuru Camp , recently I found myself looking towards my plan-to-watch list in order to find something easy to watch amongst the action of shows like Darling in the FranXX and the suspense and thrill of Uma Musume , once such show that caught my eye was Konohana Kitan. I’m not quite sure how the show ended up in my plan-to-watch list, but from its MAL entry it seemed like an interesting show, to say the least. It’s a show about fox-girls who work as attendants for an inn called “Konohanatei” that serves supernatural beings. I expected it to be nothing more than a simple slice-of-life show perhaps with some hints of romance sprinkled in for added Whilst Konohana Kitan on the surface might seem like a simple slice-of-life show that’s nothing more than “Cute girls doing cute things” the real treat lies in the plot and just how special some of the stories are. The plot mainly revolves around Yuzu, a small, blonde fox-girl who’s moved from the countryside in order to work at Konohanatei, an inn for gods and other supernatural creatures of ancient Japanese mythology, a running theme throughout the show. Yuzu herself is hyperactive and clumsy, but soon finds herself fitting in after the first few episodes, it’s here where the show really begins to stretch its legs and deliver some of the best stories I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. Most of the stories revolve around Japanese deities and the stories behind them; from women that weave cloth from strings pulled from the rain, to ancient goddesses of water directly responsible for the birth of Japan, to spiritual beings swiftly rushing from shrine to shrine granting the New Year’s wishes of those worthy, each new character introduced is not only memorable, but also carries their own intricate backstory extending far beyond the reach of the anime. Then there’s the tales in the episodes themselves, each story, as is the norm with most light-hearted shows, has a clear direction and moral. From self-worth, to understanding, to the value of family, each episode weaves an excellent and creative narrative that captivates those watching. One of the standout episodes of the series in my opinion is episode 8 or “The Transient Guest”. Without revealing too much, the episode manages to weave together the storylines of 3 seemingly distinct characters into a single tale of self-worth, family, and life that nearly brought me to tears at the end of it all. We get to see and experience the troubles of 3 individuals: a girl who tells lies just to get attention, a small boy having to come to terms with his adoption, and an older man who thinks that he’s lived a good enough life to accept death. All three of these seemingly separate and distinct characters all pass through Konohanatei, and, with the help of Yuzu and the others, overcome their challenges and don’t just have their lives woven together, but changed for the better. Konohana Kitan transcends boundaries of a traditional slice-of-life show and instead presents us with a show that is charming in its art style, excellent in its storytelling, and memorable in its genre. Konohana Kitan is a show that caught me off guard, it’s a show that lured me in with its charming characters and light-heated setting and blew me away with its captivating and memorable stories, it’s a testament to the fact that you don’t need to have raging action and explosive characters to tell a good story, that not every anime has to be Attack on Titan or Gurren Lagann in order to tell an expansive story. Konohana Kitan is certainly a show that you should definitely watch and with the manga still ongoing, there’s a chance we might even get to see the tales of Yuzu and Konohanatei once again.
WARNING: This Review does contain some graphic images, most of which involve gore and death. WARNING: This review contains major spoiler for the game! If you plan to play the game for yourself anytime soon, please do so before reading this review! If you or someone you know is going through depression or suicidal thoughts, please get in contact with your local suicide prevention hotline! Mental health is a serious issue and should be addressed as such! I’ve always said that video games are just as effective as literature for storytelling, that an amazing video game story should be just as enthralling as a good piece of literature, in fact, some of the most popular video game franchises derive their stories from literature. If a story is done right, it should leave the reader or player questioning some part of their reality, they should walk away from the story with a new outlook, a new perspective on life. One such game that I have had the pleasure of playing is the deceptively naïve Doki Doki Literature Club, a game that, whilst seemingly cute and ‘girly’ houses a story unlike anything I’ve experienced from nearly any video game. DDLC took me by surprise. From the moment I opened the game I expected nothing more than either a happy dating sim, or, if the steam tags where to be believed, a dating sim with maybe a yandere character or two thrown in just to make it “Scary”. Boy, was I wrong. From the bright and happy smile of Sayori, to the shy and lovely moments of Yuri I swiftly fell in love with game’s characters, even Natsuki, whom I didn’t like at first, eventually began to grow on me. The moments when you get to bring one of the two home was one of my favourites, I remember loading a save file in order to see both of the paths for Natsuki and Yuri (Although by that point Yuri was already my favourite). What I wasn’t aware of was the shock that the end of the first act would bring. When Sayori reveals that she has depression, I couldn’t help but feel selfish and inconsiderate, I wanted to go back and do everything I could to make her happy, and so, when her depression begins to worsen I couldn’t help but feel ] empathetic, and even accepted her confession. Then, I gently opened the door. Sayori’s death was a shock, so much so I originally thought I did something wrong during the early game. Maybe there was something I missed? Maybe I chose something wrong? Maybe if all my poems are directed towards her then she won’t hang herself. Sayori’s marks the start of Act 2, a place where things rapidly deteriorate, and you soon face the realization that this is no ordinary horror game. Before you’re even able to process the gravity Sayori’s death you are thrusted straight into act two. After witnessing a garbled mess that is the game trying to continuing without Sayori, the game makes it very clear from this point that things have gone horribly awry in many different ways. Files are written to the disk with cryptic messages and creepy poems. Backgrounds glitch out, character sprites deform at random, and glitched text with ominous black outlines replaces the normal text. The game has made it fully apparent that you are playing by its rules. There is no real choice from this point forward, you’re just along for the ride. Everything seems to be building towards a climax, then, the last school day before the festival happens, you reach the point where you are asked to take one of the girl’s home, then the game peaks. Just as you begin to finally made terms Sayori’s death, Yuri is taken from you too, except her death is perhaps more unsettling that Sayori’s, where her death was caused by her depression, Yuri’s death is caused by insanity, you watch on in horror as Yuri loses her mind, her final poem is nothing more than mindless scribbles, whilst the paper it’s written on is stained with blood on an unknown yellow liquid, you watch as she goes on about how much she is obsessed with you, about how much she wants you, and then, you are given a choice, do you accept her confession, or do you deny her? Well, just like with Sayori’s death, it doesn’t matter. Regardless of what choice you make, Yuri is unable to handle the emotions and kills herself on the spot. She pulls out a knife and buries it deep into both her stomach and heart. What makes this scene more unsettling than Sayori’s death is that you have a chance to reflect on the events that just occurred. Whilst Sayori’s death sequence was over quite quickly, after Yuri dies you are forced to spend the weekend with her, as a seemingly infinite string of glitched dialogue is displayed. You can skip this dialogue, but even when doing so, the game still takes about a minute to fast forward through it all, giving you plenty of time to stare at Yuri’s dead body as the blood slowly begins to dry and her body begins to decay, leaving you plenty of time to reflect on the events that have just taken place. Then just as the shock has begun to fade, you learn who’s really in control of all this, suddenly, Monika steps in, she “deletes” both Natsuki and Yuri from the game, and essentially “forces” the player into an empty classroom contained in an empty void. All she does is just sit at the singular desk, staring at you, occasionally talking to you about her fantasies and how much she loves you, she reveals that it was her that caused the death of both Sayori and Yuri, that she was jealous that she didn’t get a route of her own, that the game didn’t let you choose her as a girl to be loved, and that in her jealousy, she made Sayori more and more depressed, and Yuri more and more obsessive in an attempt for you to hate them and choose her, she seems completely un-remorseful of her actions and only seems to be focussed on you. You can choose to stay in the room with Monika for as long as you like, and there’s enough dialogue in the game that you’ll likely get several or more hours with Monika before you notice the dialogue looping on itself. It is here where you have a choice, stay with Monika, or dive into the game files and delete her character files, doing this will bring about the fourth and final act of the game. When Monika finds that her file has been deleted, she pleads to you out of betrayal and sadness, asking you why you deleted her, why you hate her, and why you would betray her after all she’s done to make sure that you were with her, however, out of this pity and sadness she soon begins to realize the gravity of what she’s done. She soon begins to see how selfish she really was and eventually sacrifices herself out of remorse in order to bring back the others. DDLC is a game that lures you in with its colour characters and upbeat tones, it’s a game that grabs your attention, and keeps it long enough for you to stay, only to have your illusion broken down in front of you. What makes this game so special is how unnerving it is, it isn’t overly scary, it isn’t some Amnesia, or Outlast-esque game that keeps you terrified throughout the duration of the game. DDLC’s horror comes from the basic human instinct to know that something is slightly off. You never see the issues at first, but as the game progresses its façade begins to crack. The problems begin to show through, and as you progress further you the game’s true nature is revealed. DDLC isn’t a game that will leave you haunted and scared for days to come, it’s a game that will leave you unsettled, frustrated with your choices, and upset at the powerlessness you had at the most crucial of moments. It hits you in a way you don’t expect, it takes the notion that you are always in control and shatters it before your very eyes, and all your left with is a feeling of helplessness. It does all of this whilst still maintaining a façade of cheeriness and happiness. I honestly have never played anything like this, it is a game that, at least in my personal opinion, will stay in the minds of gamers for some time, because it challenges the very notion of choice in video games, or, as a famous video game character once said “Instead of offering you the illusion of free choice, I will take the liberty of choosing for you.” DDLC is a masterpiece of a game, and one that I hope will be remembered for years to come.
I’ll admit, Pop Punk was a genre that I looked at and thought “Sounds good, not my style though”. I always saw pop punk as just another form of pop, much to my mistake. Neck Deep’s music just has so much energy to it that when I first heard one of their songs, I was immediately hooked. I remember singing along to almost every song on “Life’s Not Out to Get You” and further more to the two new singles “Happy Judgement Day” and “Where Do We Go When We Go” which previewed their new album “The Peace and the Panic”. Now that the album is out, and I’ve been rocking it for the past few weeks, and I want to share my thoughts on this new bit of punk from Neck Deep. The opening song “Motion Sickness” is a song that I didn’t pay too much attention to when I first heard it, but it slowly grew on me. From the opening guitar riffs to the energetic lyrics that blend the views of existentialism: “Sat on the kitchen floor, all alone, talking to a ghost about where we go, when we go” with a happier tone of living life: “Oh my friend, Just look how far come and, think twice before you go, and throw, it all, away”. The song is just full of energy and brings a massive smile to my face whenever listen to it. “Happy Judgement Day” is one of the more political songs on the album. It’s a song that discusses the current state of today’s world. It approaches the issues with a characterful sarcasm that suits the song really well, and the lyrics are witty and purposeful, such as my favourite line from the song: “Building walls, and dropping bombs, stop the world, I’m getting off!” The song is one you can admire for its heavy guitars and playful singing, but also for its lyrics and message. “The Grand Delusion” keeps up the energy from the previous track, but instead of being political, The Grand Delusion takes more of a classic punk sound. The song’s thrashing guitars and energetic singing from Ben make for a song that’s fun and memorable. I’m a bit torn up about “Parachute”. It skirts the line between punk and pop in a way that I’m not quite sure works entirely well. Mind you, the song is energetic and fun to listen to, but I can tell if the band wants it to be a pop, or a punk song. The lyrics are light and bouncy like a pop song, but the instruments are heavy and energetic like a punk song. If I had to pick a “low-point” on the album, it would probably be this song, but that being said, Parachute is still a great song, and doesn’t really detract from the rest of the album in any way. My favourite song of this album has to be “In Bloom” it has this amazing beauty to the instruments that I’d never expect from a punk band. The opening of the song, with its soft guitar layered over the distorted vocal sample about the aftermath of a nuclear attack. If you listen closely, you can hear the sample go on about how the atomic bomb is “an awesome technological paradox”, these nuances combined with the meaning behind the lyrics, that of persevering through hard times, and leaving past events behind all for an outcome bigger than oneself, makes In Bloom one of the best songs I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. I even want group it in with songs like “In Between” by Linkin Park, “26” by Paramore, and “Outside In” by Circle of Dust; songs with a certain emotional power behind them, songs that have way more emotion behind the lyrics than would expect, songs that I hold in very high regard for this reason. “Don’t Wait” is by far the heaviest song on The Peace and the Panic, to the point where we even hear some metal-like screaming in the lyrics as well; it also happens to be quite a political song as well. The song is about the systematic corruption and deception perpetrated by the media and modern governments, and how the general populous is supposedly oblivious and ignorant to this corruption. It’s a song that urges the listeners to rise against these actions and to take matters in their own hands. “Critical Mistakes” is apologetically more pop than punk, and that’s ok. The song is light, bouncy, and fun. It’s a song that you just want to sing along to and just enjoy. To the acoustic guitars, the playful riffs, and catchy lyrics, it’s one of those songs that just make you feel good, and make you want to smile when you hear it. “Wish You Were Here” is the calmest song on this album, and provides a nice contrast to the upbeat that fill the album. It’s no December, but it’s a song that’s still filled with emotion. One thing that’s sets this song apart from some of the other “slow” songs by Neck Deep is that although the instrumentals are that of a softer, acoustic song, Ben’s singing sounds like he still has the rest of the band behind him, with raspier signing and strained verses. This makes song seem faster or more energetic than it is, and gives the song a tone that fits quite well with the rest of the songs on the album. “Heavy Lies” is upbeat, fun, yet at the same time heavy song, a real banger, and perhaps one of the catchiest songs on the album in terms of lyrics. The song is giddy, bouncy, yet it still retains Neck Deep’s heaviness and style. One thing I’ve noticed how much more enjoyable the songs on this album, unlike Life’s Not Out to Get You, which had heavier songs with more emotional lyrics to them, this album seems to be more focused around easier listening, the songs on this album sounds like more passion was put into the making of album, and the band had a lot of fun writing the songs, and it really shows in songs like these. “19 Seventy Sumthin’” Is less of a song and more of a story with some electric guitars behind it. It’s a lovely story of the creation of a family. How a boy and girl meet, fall in love, get married, raise a family, until the climax where the (grand)father ultimately (Spoiler Alert!) dies of a heart attack, and the children, in a display of family kinship and compassion, comfort the mother, ending on the lyric “’Cause that’s what family does.” This song hits you in a way you don’t expect. If you end up listening to the song, the end will emotionally hit you, you might even shed a tear or too because of it. It’s such a relatable song that almost anyone can and will make a connection with it, which makes the song that much more powerful and meaningful. The final track on The Peace and the Panic is “Where Do We Go When We Go” It’s a song that deals with the mystery of life after death, but at the same time wanting to live life to the fullest before death happens. I love the opening of the song, and how it’s a play on the popular “Rain, Rain, Go away” rhyme. The song isn’t as climactic as some other album closer’s, but neither was the closer for Life’s Not Out to Get You. Where Do We Go When We Go is still an excellent song, it’s exciting, fun, has excellent song-writing, and makes for a fitting end to the album. The Peace and the Panic is a more lighthearted album than Life’s Not Out to Get You, it’s an album filled with fun songs that you just can’t help but belt out and sing along to, even in its heaviest moments. It’s an album that’s meant to stand on its own, it’s to trying to be an album filled with passion and brimming with emotion, but it’s an album that’s meant to be exciting, rowdy, energetic, and fun, an album that, in my mind, captures the essence of Pop Punk and what make it great.
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About Me:Welcome to my blog! Here you'll find various articles about all sorts of topics. Politics, Music, Video Games, eSports, and many other topics I feel the need to write about. Archives
February 2018
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