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Author: Cristi Shady

New Chapters

Published on February 6, 2024

The last week has been interesting, to say the least.

Ever since forever, I was interested in gaming-I still remember owning a chinese console as a kid, “street fighter”. Just another version of the endless chinese clones of Nintendo Famicom.

Over the years, my passion evolved. With spending hours at the internet coffee’s, endlessly playing the same levels of the same few games, from owning my own PC and moving towards consoles, I was always interested in the phenomenon.

Among my favourite brands around gaming, two names were always on the list: the Rocksteady Studio and the Xbox console. They both managed to disappoint me within the last week.

For starters, Rocksteady entered the game studios Hall of Fame by creating Batman Arkham Asylum, a superhero games which changed forever not only the superhero games, but also many other action games. Even now, 15 years after it was launched, I can see new games borrowing elements from it and for it’s following games. 3 other entries were introduced in the Batman ArkhamVerse, City, Origins and Knight, which are still regarded as the best superhero game series of all times and one of the best game series in history. The series served as a good fanservice for the Batman: the animatied series fans, with Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy returning to voice Joker and Batman for 3 of the 4 games (Arkham Origins featured different voice actors for batman and joker, the game being developed by another studio but in Arkham’s spirit)

The fans expected for this universe to end with Arkham Knight, who’s ending was a decent tribute to the series run and offered Batman a solid send off.

This all changed when their next game was announced to take part in the same universe, Suicide Squad: kill the justice league, who was also set to feature the last Kevin Conroy’s performance of Batman (unfortunately, he passed away in 2022).

To sum it in a short sentence, the game which launched last week trashed this legacy and it disappointed a lot of fans. I was planning to buy the game just for the story, but now I won’t…I can’t. Arkham’s Batman deserved better than what he got there, and even if I can overlook other things that I genuinely dislike about this game, I can’t forgive this aspect. Basically, most ArkhamVerse lovers boycotted the game as well. Farewell, Rocksteady-thank you for all the good memories.

Now, Xbox-my favourite console. I like the UI, the integration within Microsoft’s ecosystem, like OneDrive and PC, and I proudly owned several Xbox consoles during the last few years.

Now Xbox wants to bring their exclusives to PlayStation, in typical Microsoft move to destroy what they had helped build. Not going to go into details on why I think this would be the end of the xbox console, but I am a bit sad about all this.

I don’t want to give it too much thought either way, these corporats have their own agenda and talking about owning, I don’t own Microsoft stock (although I probably should) so it is what it is, such is life.

Time for a new chapter. Since everything around me changes, for the better or worst, I might as well aspire to focus on the better.

 

Come break the silence-2

Published on January 18, 2024

I’m thinking-and no, it doesn’t pay well, to quote Arthur Morgan-maybe I should start writing again. I never envisioned myself as a talented writer but writing about things that might’ve or might’ve not happened to me and put it in a fictional way. This might help me recconect with my inner self and achieve/maintain my peace.

Also, it can be something constructive on the long run.

Guess this is might help to keep me moving. But still, I wish I can break this silence. Tear it apart and move past that.

Come break the silence

Published on January 2, 2024

It’s that time of the year again. Ever since 2020, I always seem to start the new year grinding my way up in Red Dead Online. Never thought that I’ll do it again but one of my gaming friends asked me if I wanna do it on PlayStation and so I did. Man I love that game, no matter how many hours I’ve already spent on it or how many memories (good and/or bad) it holds.

Sometimes I wonder when would distracting myself would end. Because I have other things to grind for at this time but somehow I end up in this circle. Anyway, I wish for my inner self to break this silence and unleash what I need to kickstart my new projects.

For now, I am just idling in red dead while I’m not taking the punishing of Sekiro, another useless stuff I am allocating my energy to rather than doing something else.

Speaking of which, Sekiro reminds me how much I like japanese themed games. Sure, it’s way more difficult to survive Sekiro when compared to Tokyo: Ghostwire or Ghost of Tsushima, but the setting, thematics and landscapes are on point. Oh yeah, and parry-parry-parry-deflecting, hitting, being one shoted, than trying again.

Guess this is what keeps me moving.But still, I wish I can break this silence. Tear it apart and move past that.

 

 

Everything and nothing

Published on December 12, 2023

When I repurchased the domain name, I was planning to stop writing things in my head and put them here instead. Over a month went by and I had written everything in my head, I put nothing down here.

Maybe my head just moved on past writing important stuff on the interned. These days, I merely use it to communicate with the few friends I’ve got and the only writing I’m doing is when  entering the endless debates about nothing, from which I exit after a few minutes.

Truth to be told, I am not interested in those subjects much-it just gaves me an easy way to blow off some steam.

it does not matter really what I think about what and I am aware of that, and I start to think that most people who comment and enter arguments are aware of this as well-they just use internet as an escape. Or maybe I am wrong, it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day.

Speaking of what matter, real life called so the blow writing most stop for now. See you between approximately and never to write again about everything and nothing.

 

7 years

Published on November 3, 2023

7 Years

Romanian football sticker waiting for me at the Luton airport, cheered me up for a bit.

I remember like it was today. While I was placing everything I’ve had in a Decathlon bought suitcase and a CapyTempo backpack which a friend gave me a few years back, my dog was curious about what I was doing, and so were my cats. Little would they know that in a few hours, I will physically be as far away from them as I will be from ever seeing most of them again.

I did one last night of PC activities-some browsing, minimal gaming, went to make some last pics of my pets and mum, then I slept for around 2 hours before one of my friends came to drop me at the airport.

It was my first time there, I remember going through the customs fairly straightforwardly, then waiting at departures.

As I was boarding the plane, I remember how my mother merely encouraged me before I entered my friend’s car and told me that It was about time I try something different, which was the first (and only) time she actually approved this.

I wished I could’ve listened to Eminem’s song Lose yourself but my phone’s audio jack was messed up, I could only find the courage within my mind and carry on this path.

 

Remember being on British soil for the first time, panicking around the bus stops, walking towards my temporary accommodation using Here and Google Maps. I remember going into town at 5PM just to find everything shut and wondering where everyone was (where I came from, 6-7 PM is the time when everyone is out lol).

But most importantly, I remember not having any idea whatsoever about what I’m going to do and still moving forward with ticking all of my objectives-finding a rent accommodation, get the right to work in the UK, opening a bank account, familiarizing myself with the new surroundings, meeting new acquaintances-all done by an introvert who hates talking to people in general, let alone to new people, in new environments.

I do not know how I managed to go through with all this, but this experience proved to me that focus and dedication can prevail when fear and doubts can’t break your spirit.

While over 2191 days have passed since I came into the post-brexit vote United Kingdom, I don’t remember many of these days as I did remember that one. I might’ve not seen it at the time, but this all process proved to me that many things are only difficult in my head and most things get easier once I’ve started.

Unfortunately, I need to put a stop for now-life’s calling. A hot piece of lasagne and a slice of mango cake, to celebrate this milestone. Chapeau.