A return to school.

This time as Alchemists!

I've never played an Atelier game despite them being a top JRPG franchise. So it makes sense to start at a game, unlike the rest of the franchise! I had no predispositions, so I can't go into a preamble, so let's see what the game is about.

You play as Vayne Aurelius, an amnesiac teenager found in the forest alongside his talking cat. He was discovered by a teacher at the Al-Revis Academy, a high school teaching kids the ways of alchemy. The teacher, Zeppel, knew Vayne's father, Theofratus. Vayne and his cat/mana, Sulphur, attend the three years of school. While there, they make friends that change his life, form rivalries with students and mysterious teachers, and discover hidden truths about everyone involved. It leaves me asking questions, but that's for later.

The gameplay is a combination of Persona, Final Fantasy X, and Dragon Quest IX. Although, Mana Khemia came out before DQIX, so maybe Vagrant Story or Star Ocean 3 are better comparisons. It's akin to Persona in that you attend class, but that's only as a framing device. The classes are a background for you to explore the academy grounds, finding crafting materials as you do, and setting up the story. You also spend a lot of time with a handful of classmates, dealing with their fun and engaging personalities. It's my favorite part of the game.

It's like FFX since the combat is turned based, but you can switch in backup characters (for the most part) when you need to. Unlike FFX, each time you swap characters, they can perform a bonus action. These grow as you engage in the other FFX similarity, the Grow Book. Levels don't exist in Mana Khemia, and all stats are linked to items you have crafted, similar to the sphere grid. Every time you make a new item, more stats, abilities, or passives become available to buy with AP, the de jure EXP. You make these items by finding new recipes or figuring out how to change an already known one. It can be a lot of fun, but crafting can get painfully tedious towards the end of the game.

The music is a bit hit-and-miss. The most common theme is a fitting and very peppy orchestral school band, which I hated. I heard it too often and found it annoying from the first time it passed my ears. Fortunately, "dungeons" each have their unique theme, many of which are great, and battles have plenty to offer throughout the journey. Even every character has a cool tune!

Graphics work for the PSP version I played. It reminded me of Disgaea, so add that to the list of comparisons. There is plenty to see between the assortment of enemies, dungeon designs, and spell animations.

Overall, it's a pretty standard game that has plenty of fun moments. But I do have critiques, largely with the story. Most of the plot is backloaded for the final two chapters. So it takes 5/6th to get started. The character driven narrative can carry you to it, but I'd also like something more to sink my teeth into. And when it does pop, it leaves me asking too many questions. Who really is Vayne? And who really is Sulphur? I won't go into too much detail, but that real cat can turn into a sword! And because it takes so long to get into, I felt the game lingers too long, especially with the crafting tedium, and I don't want to replay it.


Plot: Disappointing. The characters are fun, and the villains are few but detailed. But the slow plot and unanswered questions really killed it. 4/10

Gameplay: Perfect. If you combined all those games above, this is what I'd expect to see. And Gust went all out for it. 10/10

Sound: Nitpicking? I hated the main theme, but there were plenty of other songs to distract me. Go have a listen to the dungeon tracks! 8/10

Art: Another Drop. I got too angry at how many times a pillar was in the foreground, obscuring the sight. There were also a few too many pallet swaps, and it's a standard PS2 sprite game. 5/10

Charm: Fitting. While the NPCs can expand on the detailed enough world, the length and plodding story make it something I doubt I'll replay. Also, many reviewers talk about their disdain for the load times, but I didn't have an issue with them. But I can also fast forward...

And now the negatives. Alchemy can get tedious if you're not into the gameplay loop. And it turns out that you can only get one character's "arcana" level to max. I found that really disappointing. It makes sense for the ending, but it really killed my mood. -7

Mana Khemia: Student Alliance gets a middling 25/50. I was really enjoying my fifty hours, but I kinda hit a wall towards the end. I used a few cheats to keep me in, but I didn't expect a fifty percent score. There are just a few too many errors at the end.

Mana Khemia isn't like the other Atelier games, so I might circle back eventually. For now, though, Crowns of Power is about to patch (hopefully), so I'll figure out what I'm doing later.

Sebastian Bach - Child Within The Man

I don't like Skidrow. So why did I bother to listen to their former lead singer's new album in an already cluttered week? I dunno! 

Child Within The Man kicks off with "Everybody Bleeds." A news story about Hurricane Irene destroying Bach's New Jersey home welcomes us. He's turned that tragedy into a hard rocking song about how we're all getting screwed over by "they." Bach seems like a cool dude on Twitter, so I don't think he's spitting stupid conspiracy theories. The guitars here are amazing and really drive home that this song is a banger! And Bach's voice has such a huge range!

"Freedom" gives off dad rock vibes. Based on the video, it probably is. "Kicking ass" in the name of freedom. It's a fine song. Great riff, though. 

"(Hold On) To The Dream" starts off as a power ballad before turning into a Rob Zombie song, musically, at least. The lyrics are about fighting for something you believe in, and the last verse alludes to someone (specific or vague) tearing us apart. 

"What Have I Got To Lose" is more dad rock, but I'm not picking up on any greater meaning in the lyrics. For Arena Rock, though, the song is surprisingly complex. The entire backing ensemble isn't afraid to let Bach rip off a few lines without them. It's not groundbreaking, but it's fun, which is just as important. 

"Hard Darkness" is the best grunge track in years. Add that to Bach's dirty screams, and we've got another great four minutes here. No clue what the lyrics are about...

"Future of Youth" is about believing in yourself and not giving in to hate, no matter how strongly it tries to lure you in. 

"Vendetta" is about a broken friendship. Bach tries to remember the good times in the past, but there's only so much nostalgia can do. 

I expected to hate "F.U." as being the bad type of dad rock. But it's another take on "Everybody Bleeds" and how we need to save the planet. The "F" stands for fake, by the way. 

I don't know what to make of "Crucify Me." The entire track is staccato in every way. It's not a bad song, by any means, but I'm just confused. The arpeggios (?) at the end of each line on the chorus are captivating, though. 

"About to Break" is about a woman, but I can't ascertain the relationship. It's the slowest song on the album, and the drums are the driving force here. 

"To Live Again" is the final song and is definitely an 80's power ballad. It's about how it's okay to walk away, especially if you're young. Don't saddle yourself with nonsense in your way. Failures happen to everyone, and it's okay to be confused. It's about learning. 

---

Skill) Internet sleuthing gives me three or four potential guitarists, and I really need to know who did it. They were absolutely amazing, and they instantly became my new favorite guitarist. But being introduced to Sebastian Bach is such an enlightening event. 2/2

Variation) There are a couple of different subgenres here, and the internals of each song mix it up, too. 2/2

Bangers) One, obvious, but I'd keep an eye out... 1/2

Replayability) What have I been missing from the man named Bas?! 2/2

Extra) Eleven songs clock in at under fifty minutes of exciting, full on rock and roll from a long time veteran. 2/2

I kept a lot of these writings short because I'd just be repeating myself, gushing over how phenomenal Bach's voice is. Skid Row's well known songs really kept him down. I don't know who the guitarist is, but my neck hurts, and it's all his fault. Love it! I also didn't want to get super in depth about a few of the lyrics. They make me think they're political, but I'm afraid I'd be projecting my ideal onto something I just learned I love. A quick internet search informs me a certain red hat monger isn't well liked by the artist, so I could be in the clear. But, ya know... Regardless, Child Within The Man is a 9/10, but I expect it'll get a full recommendation come December. I'm so glad my musical taste has changed!

Mini-review: Unleash the Archers - Phantoma

I first heard Unleash the Archers a few years ago when the algorithm brought them to me. The idea seemed new and fun: a female fronted power metal band!? Rad! I wasn't impressed, though. I liked them in small doses, but all of their songs started with the singer making the same scream. It was annoying. Because of that, I didn't bother with them. But I guess they planted a seed in me because I bothered to give their new album a listen. This time, I was interested. Phantoma's early singles brought me in, but can it change my opinion? 

Most definitely! 

Songs on Phantoma are a lot more varied than their video library would have you believe. They don't all start with a scream! Some do, though....

The first thing I notice is how smooth Britney Slayes' voice is. Previous experiences with UtA had me thinking she was forcing her volume to fit in with typical power metal acts. Keep in mind that I haven't listened to them in a while. But here, she's her own woman. It's like a mighty river that cuts through the terrain, and you can see that it's been flowing for eons by how deep the valley it's made is. It may roar and eat anyone who swims in it, but there's no fear of floods, and we can enjoy its beauty. It's still got plenty of force, but there's a lot of class here. I can't get over how amazing she is. 

And another thing this album does is what the guitars sound like. Many bands in the genre tend to have their guitars sound like keyboards or electronic bloops. Phantoma mostly avoids this problem, which is ironic. A lot of solos randomly turn into EDM, but I found the music to be more inspired by 80's rock and mainstream metal. Even though it would have made sense to sound like MIDI beeps here. 

Phantoma is a concept album about an AI going rogue and wanting to be the real her. It's like a reverse Matrix. She finds a group with similar ideals but discovers they're a militant hive mind, which is the opposite of what she wants. She tries to warn the humans, but they've grown so used to their world destroying laziness. This ends up with her total disillusionment, becoming unsure of who she is, and becoming a god who's lost all she once was. I dig the story, and the lyrics are pure poetry with plenty of rhyme, mid rhyme, and story elements. 

Skill) Vocals, lyrics, music, story. Marvelous! 2/2

Variation) There's a lot going on within the songs, as it oft does here, but there's a good amount between the tracks. There's a sorta acoustic song and an '80s power ballad. Everything sounds like you'd expect a band like this to sound, but there's something about it... Maybe it's just enjoyment bias. 2/2

Bangers) It's hard to say since a lot of songs need the entire album to really work, but there are a few songs that might work. There are definitely parts that make me want to make this higher. 1/2

Replayability) I have a thing for great female singers. And this album was so rad that I'm gonna go back to their older stuff. Gotta see if I missed anything. 2/2

Extras) Ten songs at just under an hour to go along with the interesting story. 2/2

Phantoma by Unleash the Archers gets a 9/10. I won't argue if anyone thinks it's a perfect album. From a band I didn't like to one of the best albums of the year. It's amazing what the power of music can do.

Mini-review: Annette Olzon - Rapture

It's another entire album that could have been one song... But at least this one is fun!

Annette Olzon is best known for being Tarja Turunen's replacement in Nightwish. This was a very contentious decision, and a lot of fans hated her, never giving her a real shot. I actually liked her. I thought her two albums were better than Once, and Once is one of my favorite albums ever. But the fan backlash is reported (true or not) as the reason Annette's not in the band anymore. She released a solo album shortly after and joined up with The Dark Element. I haven't heard any of those four albums. The first single for Rapture appeared on my YouTube feed a few months ago, and it was really rad! The next couple were just as good, so I've been looking forward to this. I have mixed feelings...

It's an entire album about the end of the world according to the Christian bible. Every song is about god cleansing the world of all the evildoers, the wicked, coming together in the name of god, Christian persecution complexes, and Jesus. That's fine, but it gets really boring if you have issues with god because he does save you from suicide. But that's just me. That's literally all the lyrics in the album. 

The music is fun power metal that overshines the lyrical blandness of the album, so even I could enjoy the whole thing. There's not much more to say, so let's get to the numbers. 

Skill) Lyrics aside, Olzon is really amazing. Her voice still has the range and power I remember from Dark Passion Play, and her harmonies pierce everything. The guitars are everything I want, but I can take or leave the growls. They're infrequent, though. 1/2

Variation) There's a bit too much god and straightforward power metal, but each song has its rises and falls, along with the occasional piano. 1/2

Bangers) 0, at least for me. 

Replayability) While I doubt I'll be seeking out Rapture for a while, I hope auto play brings it back occasionally. I want to check out Strong and Shine. 1/2

Extras) Eleven songs over fifty two minutes is perfect. But I am the ant Christ, so I can't give it full points since it's a concept album. 1/2

In total, Rapture gets 4/10. But that's only because I believe we should keep god out of the devil's music. If I were still a good little Mormon boy, I'd probably give this album a perfect score. The first couple of tracks are hella rad, and I would like the concept more. If you remember Demon Hunter, you'll (ironically) adore Rapture. But even if you don't, there are worse ways to spend an hour.

Mini-review: Powerman 5000 - Abandon Ship

Powerman 5000 is one of the few bands to be a constant part of my fandom since elementary school. N*Sync couldn't survive the new millennium, Ludacris couldn't bypass the metal, I rarely listen to AC/DC anymore, and even SLAYER is a rare commodity. But Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 released in 2000, and Neversoft introduced me to Powerman 5000. Worlds Collide was a track that always pumped me up, and I bought Tonight the Stars Revolt. Record label issues made their next few albums a pain to find (before the internet), but I did buy Transform when I learned it existed. Their early demo record, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Vol. 1, was a week one get for me. Fun fact: it came out the same week Xenosaga Episode 2 did. I really liked both of those CDs. 

Unfortunately, I let heavy metal envelope me, and I fell off. I would return when I discovered Spotify and streaming, and I really enjoyed catching up on all the missed music. Critics didn't like them, but I got a kick out of them. I missed the sci-fi industrial metal from Tonight, but it's not like I'm against punk music. Although, I did consider (retroactively) the Noble Rot my worst album of 2020. Regardless, I still consider myself a fan of Spider 1. So when I saw a new album announcement from him, I set the appointment to write about Abandon Ship. It came out alongside three other albums I got excited about, so I can't write a full review, which might be for the best...

The first thing I notice from this album is how old school industrial it is. Combine that with some punk guitars and the lyrics about a pre apocalyptic world, and there's something here. And then you get to the nitty-gritty, and it falls apart. 

For starters, it's all really repetitive. Many of the choruses are just repeating one or two sentences. It limits what a song can grow into, and it makes the entire album feel like sludge. But it's not just the lyrics. The musical score doesn't alter too often, either. The first half of the album is a boring chug. "Invisible Man" is fun, but the next four sound too similar for me. And then "Bloodsuckers" shows up, and it's the perfect example of what I don't like. The chorus is two sentences, but all ten verses are the same three. 

"This Is a Life" is comparatively better, but only technically. "GTFO" is that but edgy. "Places For People That Scream" is almost a good song. If it were the slow song on the album, I might call it a banger. It could fit in on Anyone for Doomsday? Also, the last quarter is the same refrain ad naseum again. "The Last Chapter" is an interesting ending. It's still a slow song, but this isn't a death march. This is a horror show about how "a mess this world turned out to be." I can relate. It's a haunting acoustic song to end the album, which probably means something. 

The vibe of the album is life. Spider has a negative view of it, especially towards religion. That probably explains why so much of it is repetitive. That's fine, but it doesn't make for a good listen. He tries to add some first wave goth moods to a few songs, and there's a mix of new and old PM5K here, but, well...

---

Skill) It's hard to say. There's nothing to point at as good nor bad. 1/2

Variation) No. 0/2

Bangers) 0/2

Replayability) I've been here twice now, and I've heard enough. 0/2

Extras) Ten tracks at just over half an hour is the shortest album I've heard in a while. I don't feel like this is a next step for the band, but I feel a kinship for stuff that reminds me life sucks. Let's abandon ship. 1/2

Abandon Ship is a low 2/10. A part of me hates typing that, but I'm too old for repetitive experiences. It's not that bad of an album, but when a third of it sucks, another third sounds the same, and a final third is kinda mid, then I guess that's what a two gets ya.

Return to Front Mission

And their hazardous guns! 

SNES music playlists are all over YouTube. I've listened to approximately all of them. But one DJ, in particular, really likes Front Mission: Gun Hazard. They had several songs from it's OST on the jukebox, and they sucked me in. I needed to know if the music held up with these songs! Since I thought Dragon Quest VII sucked, I decided to play a new game in its place. 

Gun Hazard is a Japanese only game released by my old friend, Squaresoft. It may have the Front Mission moniker on it, but it exists in a separate universe from all the others. It also plays substantially different, too. It's not a strategy RPG, but it's a side scrolling shooter. I want to call it a run-and-gun, but something about that seems wrong. It feels more Contra than Gradius, though. Either way, it's a lot of fun! The robots and multiple weapons are here, but that's about it. 

You take the role of Albert from Bergen, Norway. His homeland has been couped, but he's fighting to keep his country safe. He does this by escorting the current president to safety. This ends up going as you'd expect, which leads him to a global conspiracy, taking him all around the world. He meets interesting people to fight beside him, each with their own unique wanzer. A forgotten space elevator/solar farm is a central figure in all this. 

Albert can equip one of four primary weapons and (up to) six secondary armaments. All of those are wildly different and fun to explore and grow with. Each of his friends can join him for the missions, and they all fight slightly differently. One can orbital bomb, shield us from damage, and repair us, but most are just a secondary wanzer. If you know how, that backup can be a second player, so the game has co-op! 

Gameplay is traveling to a location and traveling from dot to dot, mostly killing enemy robots. Each of these sub stories are exciting, but the levels feel too similar. It's just going right and shooting stuff. 

And the arts hold up. Both musically and visually! The OST that sucked me in kept me in, and the visual backgrounds are phenomenal. And then there are SNES cutscenes that try to look like a PlayStation. They succeed. I can't believe this game came out in 1996! 

There were the basics, so let's get to the numbers! 

Story: almost there. Albert is a perfectly fine MC, but he's a bit plain. As is the final boss. But the story ticks so many boxes I dig, and it enhances the game. 8/10

Gameplay: all about fun. Shooting things gets repetitive, but I had so much fun this week. I went into overtime almost nightly! I really wish dungeons were more varied. There are a few late game, but it's too little too late by then. 8/10

Sound: the hook worked. For an action game, there's plenty of stuff here, especially if you're into bass based jazz. That's not shocking since Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda composed the OST. They were joined by future FFXIII composer Mashashi Hamauzu and journeyman Junya Nakano. 10/10

Art: gritty Sega. Those town backgrounds are absolutely beautiful. I want to stare at them all day. The ruined cityscapes, cathedrals, and landscapes could make a hedgehog jealous. I did get lost in the foreground a few too many times, though. 8/10

Charm: surprising. The world is interconnected, and there's a lot to explore and backtrack to if you know where to look. There's a secret companion and shop! The NPCs are fun, but the game drags slightly too long. But I had fun, and the last few missions are short, so it's fine. I don't think a replay will reward much, though. 8/10

The only terrible thing is that the final boss sucks. Gun Hazard's control scheme is kinda...iffy, and the climax really showcases that. I managed to overlook the targeting issues most of the game, but I couldn't here. -2

Total: 40/50

I don't know why Square's never localized Gun Hazard for the rest of the world. It's such a great experience with a riveting story. I suggest it to anyone who wants a different experience from anything else out there. The mix of run-and-gun and RPG mechanics was a riot. It's another I wish I would have live blogged, as the mission interface works well for a few hours a night.