feat: game reviews

12 files changed, 550 insertions, 621 deletions

diff --git a/config/_default/menus.en.toml b/config/_default/menus.en.toml
index 0257812..fd9b5df 100644
--- a/config/_default/menus.en.toml
+++ b/config/_default/menus.en.toml
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@
   weight = 10000
   pageRef = "/reviews/books/"
 
+[[sections-reviews]]
+  name = "Games"
+  weight = 10050
+  pageRef = "/reviews/games/"
 
 
 
diff --git a/content-org/brain-rot.org b/content-org/brain-rot.org
index c1b3066..4402ceb 100644
--- a/content-org/brain-rot.org
+++ b/content-org/brain-rot.org
@@ -634,65 +634,6 @@ Oshii certainly did!
 :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: modern-games/persona
 :END:
 
-*** DONE Persona 5: Strikers (2020)
-CLOSED: [2024-03-08 Fri 21:24]
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: persona-5-strikers
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of SciFi classic 
-:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-c
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-modern-games"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/2024/persona-5-strikers/ /brain-rot/persona/persona-5-strikers/)
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 2
-:END:
-
-/Persona 5/ took me close to a year... I think.
-It was a gigantic game with unbelievable amount of dialogue.
-It was also game I deeply enjoyed, despite not particularly liking anything about.
-The story was ok, the gameplay was ok, the RPG element was ok, the dating was ok.
-But, somehow, authors managed to join that into one freaking nice experience.
-
-/Persona 5: Strikers/ is none of those things.
-It's a linear button masher with characters I like.
-But it has /none/ of the good elements of /P5/.
-
-First, it's not an jRPG anymore.
-When fight starts, you are presented with dozens of enemies you need to fight in real time.
-Half of the time, I had no idea what was going on.
-Fights, for me, are terrible.
-Enemies were everywhere, and I had no /chance/ to control the battlefield.
-Lots of annoyances and finger pain, but no enjoyment.
-Just running into random spots, bashing melee attacks and checking for weakness from time to time.
-I play on easy and was tired of that very quickly, I can't imagine having any actual problems with this system you have no enjoyment with.
-
-#+attr_shortcode: "p5s-1.jpg" "https://nintendoeverything.com/persona-5-scramble-the-phantom-strikers-boxart-details-screenshots/"
-#+begin_img-c
-Guess the only way here is to shut my brain down, as it's useless in all this chaos.
-#+end_img-c
-The real-world activities are almost none-existent.
-I loved how the Phantom Thieves bonded and became friends.
-None of this here.
-You've got some dialogue, but no payoff.
-There is some stat related to bonding, but we all know each other.
-In P5 the single best part was learning about each other and seeing how their lives improve.
-None of that is here.
-
-Dating?
-None.
-And my chosen love interest from /P5/ doesn't even show up!
-
-Extracurricular activities are limited to finding stuff on maps.
-
-Getting to know Tokyo?
-Nope. Every few hours we move to a new city.
-
-Story? Well, I gave up before it started.
-After 10 hours, midway through the third jail I gave up.
-I had to guard Futaba /again/ and after a moment became so frustrated and bored, that I stopped playing.
-
-I give 2/5 for those 10 hours.
-Maybe it gets better later on, but I don't care enough.
-I dropped the game and will never return.
-
 
 
 
@@ -1726,6 +1667,7 @@ I encourage everyone to at least /try/ to experience it.
 
 
 
+
 ** European SciFi
 :PROPERTIES:
 :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: european-scifi
@@ -2222,459 +2164,6 @@ You wage wars, murder, cheat, lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our
 :END:
 
 ** Modern Games
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: modern-games/
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name
-:END:
-
-*** DONE Modern Games (from 2007)
-CLOSED: [2024-04-14 Sun 18:10]
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot"
-:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My reviews of modern games
-:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r menu menu-info
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" :parent "cgames" :weight 300
-:END:
-
-#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-modern-games"
-#+begin_menu
-Witcher
-#+end_menu
-
-
-
-** Golden Age Games
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: golden-age-games/
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :primary_menu "brain-rot-gg-games"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-gg-games"
-:END:
-
-
-*** DONE Golden Age Games
-CLOSED: [2024-07-21 Sun 22:15]
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTERH: :primary_menu "brain-rot"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" :parent "cgames" :weight 200
-:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My reviews of games form the Golden Age
-:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r menu menu-info
-:END:
-
-#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-gg-games"
-#+begin_menu
-Witcher
-#+end_menu
-
-*** DONE Grim Fandango (1998, 2020)
-CLOSED: [2024-07-21 Sun 22:03]
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: grim-fandango
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the prequel
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/grim-fandango.jpg
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 5
-:END:
-
-Content warning: I am extremely biased.
-Expect orgasmic sentences.
-
-There was no game company like LucasArts in their prime.
-Between shovelling Star Wars games, they were the kings of adventure gamers.
-They hired the best people, and they made the best games out there.
-And /Grim Fandango/ is the finest example.
-It is also my favourite game of all time.
-
-Manny Calavera is a salesman in a dead-end job.
-He has no chance for promotion, unless he scores big.
-And the odds are stacked up against him, as his boss despises him.
-All good clients go to Domino!
-Manny decides to play it all out and /steal/ a great client from Domino.
-The trick here is that Manny is a travel agent at the Department of Death, selling travel accommodation to recently deceased souls.
-
-#+attr_shortcode: 5 "grim-fandango.jpg" 
-#+begin_rating
-Cover
-#+end_rating
-The list of negatives is very short: two puzzles (cat races and bone grinder) are very challenging to deduct, but they match the setting.
-A lot of adventure games fall into puzzles where the only way to solve them is by sheer luck, but it's not the case.
-It will take some time to piece things together, but after that, it all makes sense.
-
-I first played /Grim/ in 1999.
-The demo of the game, covering the first chapter, was added to a cover disc.
-I played it on a loop, and up to this day I can recite all the puzzles and their solutions in order which they need to be solved.
-
-/Grim Fandango/ is a 2,5D game, so the backgrounds are pre-rendered, but all characters are real-time 3D.
-And how glorious each of those dimensions is!
-The art style of the characters is inspired by Mexican day of the Dead puppets, called Calaveras (like the main character!).
-Since the hardware of the day was not ready for spheres, so the models are simplified.
-The backgrounds, on the other hand, are full of details.
-But above all, it is extremely atmospheric.
-Land of the Dead takes a lot from Noir cinematography, but makes all the scenes uniquely /Fandango/.
-
-And the music!
-The Mexican-jazz blend is fused with my soul.
-Often I simply listen to it, even close to 30 years after release.
-It hasn't aged a day, and it complements perfectly what we see.
-
-#+attr_shortcode: :file grim-fandango-1.png
-#+attr_shortcode: :alt A skeleton looking down from a balcony at racing stadium
-#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
-#+begin_image
-Cat Racing becomes a problem
-#+end_image
-The voice acting is /perfect/.
-Everyone did an astonishing job - be it Tony Plana as Manny ("Glottis, are you loco?"), Alan Blumenfeld as the demon driver ("Well, actually, it's mostly stock, with a few mods here and there...") to each passing characters in the smallest roles, like Milton James as a coroner ("We may have years, we may have hours, but sooner or later, we push up flowers").
-Having a great script surely didn't make the job any more difficult, but they seem so real!
-
-It all comes the high point of the game, the second chapter.
-Here we spend some time in a port city, and oh what a city it is.
-Up to this day, I have not visited a virtual place I'd love to visit more than Rubacava.
-All the backgrounds, all the characters, all the puzzles.
-They blend perfectly in a Casablanca-esque story, like no other.
-Luckily, this is the longest chapter.
-
-After we leave the city, it never reaches the same level - but no other game did.
-Saying that "sorry, your other 3 chapters are not as good as the greatest part of a game I've ever witnesses" is something all other games can only dream off.
-They are still great, full of great locations and characters - just not /as/ great.
-
-And let's not forget the humour.
-It's a LucasArts game, after all!
-The game is hilarious, but in a way not many games tread.
-It treats the characters and the setting seriously!
-/Monkey Island/ is comical, but it never treats itself with any respect.
-/Grim/ is different, as it's full of love towards the inhabitants of Land of the Dead.
-
-#+attr_shortcode: :file grim-fandango-2.png
-#+attr_shortcode: :alt A morgue with deceased covered in flowers
-#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
-#+begin_image
-How to kill a dead person?
-Cover with flowers!
-#+end_image
-I have yet to encounter any game that has /this/ exact combination of atmosphere, lovable and respected characters, and this much humour.
-/Syberia 1/ is close - we visit desolated places inhabited by colourful characters, but it's treated with respect.
-You learn about then, like them, and want to help them.
-But it's not quite there.
-
-What Tim Shafer achieved with /Grim Fandango/ is nothing short of a miracle.
-It is a perfect game - at least in my book.
-So, of course, it flopped.
-It was too ambitious to fit a sensible budget, and it was released when adventure games fell out of fashion.
-Sort of like /Chinatown/ perfected Noir when Noir was a thing of the past.
-
-But, after the success of /Monkey Island/ remakes, /Grim Fandango/ got a chance to shine again in 2020.
-A remastered version with better shading and 3D models (but the same backgrounds) was released on every platform.
-It *is* a better version, so if it's still supported on your platform (screw you Apple), you can simply buy it and enjoy.
-And even though I prefer the original tank controls, this version can be even played with a point&click interface.
-
-Ending this review, where I simply say that /Grim Fandango/ is the greatest game I've ever played, I need to say that it's a game that does not need a sequel.
-Mind you, I'd buy anything that would allow me to spend even a minute longer with the characters, the story is finished.
-We get a /perfect/ ending when I always shed a tear.
-Adding anything to it, would only lessen it.
-Just like we don't need a /Casablanca 2/, we don't need a /Grim Fandango 2/.
-You don't reach such heights multiple times - everything needs to align.
-We are lucky to even have such a marvel, as /Grim/.
-
-
-** Classic Games
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: classic-games/
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name
-:END:
-
-*** DONE Classic Games (up to 1995)
-CLOSED: [2024-04-14 Sun 18:10]
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My reviews of classic games
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" :parent "cgames" :weight 100
-:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: menu
-:END:
-
-#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-classic-games"
-#+begin_menu
-Witcher
-#+end_menu
-
-
-** Yakuza
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: modern-games/yakuza
-:END:
-
-*** DONE Yakuza 0 (2015)
-CLOSED: [2024-06-12 Wed 19:32]
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: yakuza-0
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the prequel
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :primary_menu "brain-rot-modern-games"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-modern-games"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75
-:END:
-
-I have terrible reflexes, and therefore I am very disappointed with modern gaming's obsession with action-oriented games.
-/Yakuza 0/ is a beat-em-up, so I should hate it.
-I partially do.
-
-As for the gameplay, I am not sold due to aforementioned problem.
-In /Yakuza 0/ you walk around the town and fight bad guys.
-We've got 3-D combat, combos, and quick time events.
-Most of the time, this was all I've got.
-A grueling mess of the type of gameplay I suck at horribly.
-Luckily, this is a very easy game, so on normal difficulty I had very little problems with just mushing around and winning.
-
-Then there's also a lot of additional content in the form of mini-games dressed as side quests.
-You can buy properties, watch porn movies, manage a bordello, help make a movie, play classic Sega games, became a pro at some strange form of RC car racing.
-But I don't care.
-My biggest issue with Japanese games is the sheer amount of random stuff you can do, but has no real impact on the game world.
-/Yakuza 0/ has a deep system for playing Shogi, as well as Dance Dance Revolution.
-I may be too old for this, or I have not enough time (nor mental capacity), but I never get any enjoyment from such activities.
-Make it integral to the main gameplay loop or don't bother.
-I will not learn complex mechanics for a /mini-game/.
-I barely have time to remember your combos!
-
-#+attr_shortcode: :file yakuza-0-2.jpg
-#+attr_shortcode: :alt Topless asian scraming in a dramatic pose
-#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.rpgfan.com/game/yakuza-0/
-#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
-#+begin_image
-Yakuza 0 can be over the top
-#+end_image
-
-#+attr_shortcode: :file yakuza-0-1.jpg
-#+attr_shortcode: :alt Asian man holdig a remote control car
-#+attr_shortcode: :source https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic
-#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
-#+begin_image
-It is also silly
-#+end_image
-
-As a gamey-game, /Yakuza 0/ is definitely not my type.
-It may be yours - and if you like /modern/ games, then it most likely is.
-
-But there is also the story and characters.
-Those are the real meat of the game for me, and they made it an /amazing/ experience.
-
-/Yakuza 0/ is a prequel of an already established series of games.
-We control two characters - Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Mojima.
-Kazuma wants to be a yakuza, but is presumed to be a killer of /civilian/, and as a result needs to leave the mafia.
-His mission is to find who framed him.
-Goro was a Yakuza, but due to mistakes of his past, he becomes a slave to a yakuza boss and needs to do his bidding.
-At the same time a gigantic plot to take over an empty plot of land in the middle of the city is established.
-Somewhere around middle point of the game, when all pieces started to fall on their places, I begun to be annoyed when they stopped the story for, well, game.
-
-/Yakuza 0/ is a weird.
-The main story is serious, but rarely becomes dark.
-It's engaging, emotional, deep.
-All side activities are silly.
-Somehow it fits together nicely, but I don't know.
-I'd rather this was a movie or a limited series.
-
-#+attr_shortcode: 3.75 "yakuza-0.jpg" 
-#+begin_rating
-Cover
-#+end_rating
-Story-wise I have give my highest praises.
-The main plot is masterful, characters are amazing (voice acting is superb).
-Top bad I was thrown out of it in order to beat yet another group of thugs.
-I clocked at 34 hours completing a bit over 18% of the game, so I am not target audience.
-Still, the main plot pulled me back in.
-After I started completely ignoring all side-content, I begun to enjoy /Yakuza 0/ immensely.
-Yes, the final fight gave me thumb-blister[fn:qte], but after that we've got something like 26 ending scenes.
-Each more emotional than the other.
-
-I want to learn rest of the story of Goro and Kiryu, and therefore I'll continue playing other titles in the series.
-Too bad that there's a game attached.
-
-[fn:qte] And it still ended in a QTE.
-Shame.
-
-
-** Monkey Island
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: classic-games/monkey-island
-:END:
-
-*** DONE Secret of Monkey Island, The (1990)
-CLOSED: [2022-05-04 Fri 22:26]
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: secret-of-monkey-island
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Secret of Monkey Island is a classic point-and-click adventure game. This is my short review.
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/2022/secret_of_monkey_island /articles/secret-of-monkey-island)
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.75
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-classic-games"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/secret-of-monkey-island.jpg
-:END:
-
-In preparation for /Return to Monkey Island/[fn:rtmi], I have decided to replay the first three classic games[fn:2023].
-
-Frankly, I played only the third one as a child, soon after release. "The Secret of Monkey Island" came out right after Poland became an independent country again, and I was still in kindergarten.
-Three years later, I received my first computer - a (not so)powerful PC386.
-I was a kid back then, and I knew very little English.
-Certainly not enough to comprehend this game.
-My first play through was sometime around the year 2002. 
-
-#+attr_shortcode: :file somi-splash.png
-#+attr_shortcode: :alt And island in the dark. A big stylized text with the title of the game occupies most of the screen.
-#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
-#+begin_image
-Title screen
-#+end_image
-
-[fn:rtmi] [[https://returntomonkeyisland.com/]["Return to Monkey Island" official webpage]]
-[fn:2023] update from 2023: this is still in progress.
-**** Running the game
-
-Running this 30-year-old game is amazingly easy, thanks to SummVM[fn:scvm].
-Just download the emulator, find a copy of the game, and everything runs perfectly on any system.
-An updated version was released in 2009, but it was never released on Linux, and macOS/iOS versions are no longer working. 
-
-
-You can also play in the browser via Internet Archive[fn:ia].
-
-
-If you want the updated version, you can get it on GOG[fn:gog].
-
-[fn:scvm] [[https://www.scummvm.org/][ScummVM website]]
-[fn:ia] [[https://archive.org/details/mnkyega]["The Secret of Monkey Island" on the  Internet Archive]]
-[fn:gog] [[https://www.gog.com/game/the_secret_of_monkey_island_special_edition]["The Secret of Monkey Island" on GOG]]
-
-**** Playing the game
-
-/The Secret of Monkey Island/ is a pirate-themed adventure with lots of humor.
-The later games focused more on the funny aspect, but we have an interesting story here.
-Guybrush Threepwood lands on Mêlée Island, where he starts his quest to become a pirate.
-He will have to pass a test, find true love, and face a ghost pirate LeChuck.
-Some say that the idea for the game came from Disneyland's "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride.
-Some say the movie of the same name stole the idea from the game. The similarities are, for sure, not coincidental.
-And now, since LucasArts is part of Disney, it all made a giant circle.
-
-
-/The Secret of Monkey Island/ was one of the earliest examples of adventure gaming done right.
-You no longer need to guess and type which action the authors envisioned.
-Instead, the game can be completely operated using a Mouse, as simple verbs represent all actions.
-This interface has stood the test of time perfectly.
-I tried (and failed) playing the original Zork games despite the fantastic writing due to the text interpreter.
-Using the mouse is as simple as it gets. Pro hint: "." on the keyboard allows skipping dialogue lines in ScummVM.
-
-#+attr_shortcode: :file somi-lazypirates.gif
-#+attr_shortcode: :alt A group of pirates sitting on a barrel occupy left side of the screen. In center a short pirate stands. Bottom is occupied by UI with graphical buttons representing possible actions.
-#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
-#+begin_image
-Lazy pirates and the UI
-#+end_image
-
-The graphics aged, but it did it like a fine wine.
-The game was a marvel when it came out.
-LucasArts hired actual graphic artists to do computer games.
-This was still the wild west, and no one knew how to do it.
-Nowadays, a game can take up gigabytes, and no one bats an eye.
-LucasArts sold "Monkey Island" on floppies, and every bite counted.
-Everything we see or hear was a sacrifice of something else.
-Luckily, Ron Gilbert - the author and primary programmer on the team - was a legend.
-He created the Scumm engine, which allowed non-technical folks to create games (by writing scripts, not code), but he also managed to find a way to enable the designers to use dithering.
-You can listen more on YouTube
-
-- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikaqus5_QIg][A five-hour chat with Ron Gilbert, the creator]]
-- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri4_3P2Oh14][A two-hour interview with Mark Ferrari, designer]]
-- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GABrEdG8Ez4][A short one-hour-long interview with Dave Grossman, designer]]
-- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzorEPK6khk][Another interview with Ron Gilbert, this time only 45 minutes long]]
-
-The graphical design is not only a technical marvel but a testament to design done right.
-The islands look great, and I really wanted to explore them. 
-
-But the most significant thing is the idea that the game should not punish players for experimentation.
-Lucasarts biggest competitor back in those days, Sierra, always found creative and annoying ways to kill the player character.
-Did you go a pixel too far? You fell from a cliff.
-Have you met a monster you still lack the means of defeating? Time to die. Sometimes they even completely blocked their progress.
-For example, in the first "Space Quest," you are expected to find a pixel-wide item on the very first screen.
-If you skip it, the game won't tell you, and you can proceed.
-Then, a few hours later, you need to use that item however you can no longer access that location.
-And you are lucky if you even know about it. There was no internet back then to check the walkthrough!
-
-LucasArts also was guilty of this.
-For example, in the "Maniac Mansion," you could put a hamster into a microwave.
-Cooking a hamster seemed funny, but it also blocked the player from finishing the game.
-Ron Gilbert wrote a short manifesto where he stated that a game should not punish the player but rather encourage him to play.
-And so, "The Secret of Monkey Island" has no pitfalls.
-You are never in a position where your prior action blocks you from finishing the game.
-This has not aged a single day.
-And, since "The Secret..." is still one of the funniest games ever made, allowing the player to see the funny parts is what makes so many people play it after all those years.
-
-There are still some puzzles that are far from perfect.
-I solved Chicken with a Trolley puzzle solely because I remembered it after all those years - it's this bad.
-Moreover, I had to resort to a walkthrough because the solution was based on wordplay, which was far from natural for someone whose English is a second language.
-After I learned the solution, it made perfect sense.
-I have to give it to the authors.
-Everything in the game makes sense in the context of the game.
-But there were times I could not make head or tails, and I had to resort to the old "let's use everything on everything" strategy - and it's simply not fun to do so.
-
-On the other hand, "The Secret of Monkey Island" is also the home of one of the most fantastic puzzles I've ever witnessed - insult swordplay.
-You need to defeat pirates in a sword fight, but the fight is an insult-response loop instead of an action sequence.
-First, the pirate insults you, and you need to learn the proper response and use it, then you insult the pirate, and so on.
-After a few rounds, you either win and advance to another pirate or lose, but you learn some new insults and need to look for a pirate who will know how to reply.
-Ingenious! A cherry on top - this part was written by Orson Scott, the author of "Ender's game".
-
-#+attr_shortcode: :file somi-swordfight.jpg
-#+attr_shortcode: :alt Two pirates with swords aimed at each other. Bottom of the screen contains funny insults.
-#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
-#+begin_image
-Insult swordfighting
-#+end_image
-
-The game consists of four parts.
-Out of them, the first one is easily the most polished and exciting.
-Luckily, it also took roughly half the total playtime of my play through.
-The rest is still good (and the worst, I'd say, "Flight of the Amazon Queen" good), but the first few hours shine the most, and I am sure this is what most players remember.
-
-Overall, the game was great and (despite some shortcomings) is still extremely fun to play.
-I sure hope that "Return to Monkey Island" will keep the adventure/comedy ratio from this installment.
-
-And if you get stuck, remember that the "Universal Hint System"[fn:uhs] is the best way to get unstuck without getting a ready answer.
-
-[fn:uhs] [[https://www.uhs-hints.com/uhsweb/monkey.php]["The Secret of Monkey Island" on UHS]]
-
-
-**** Memories Emporium
-
-What I'll remember from the game?
-
-Mostly, the amazing world. Mêlée Island looks great and is full of rememberable characters - like the Voodoo Lady or lazy pirates training their pet rat for a circus.
-LucasArts has the gift of creating exceptional places.
-Their later game, "Grim Fandango," shows Rubacava.
-This is the one gaming place I simply return to from time to time, just to hang out there - but that's a story for a different time.
-They create a believable world inhabited but not completely sane people.
-Love it! I'll have to return here with my son when he is a bit older.
-
-The insult sword fighting.
-I guess I already remembered it as I say, "Well, you fight like a cow" from time to time.
-
-Guybrush.
-Since this is primarily an adventure story, he is fleshed out for an early 90s game.
-I really like the guy.
-He is quirky but also driven and a bit insane.
-Like every good heron should be.
-And he can hold his breath underwater for solid 10 minutes!
-
-Not bad for a 6 hour game.
-
-
-
-
-** Chronicles of Amber
-:PROPERTIES:
-:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/
-:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-fantasy-amber"
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :primary_menu "brain-rot-fantasy-amber"
-:END:
-
-
-
 
 
 
diff --git a/content-org/reviews.org b/content-org/reviews.org
index d65e12a..5b76e8e 100644
--- a/content-org/reviews.org
+++ b/content-org/reviews.org
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: reviews
 :EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index
 :EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Reviews2
-:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '(Books)
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '(Books Games)
 :END:
 
 ** Reviews
@@ -806,3 +806,438 @@ There was to be an American TV series based on /Roadside/.
 All that we got was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dts0rjp5V8][trailer]] which clearly shows, that it is impossible to make an Americanized version.
 In it, a shot of people saluting the stalker is shown, which is a complete antithesis of what the Stugatsky brothers are telling us.
 
+
+* Games  [0/0]                                                   :@reviews:
+:PROPERTIES:
+:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: reviews/games
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '(Games)
+:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: image
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image_dir "reviews/screenshots" :image_max_width 765
+:End:
+
+** Games reviews
+:PROPERTIES:
+:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Reviews of games
+:END:
+
+*** Games reviews
+
+I am not a "gamer" but I used to play games and I still do, from to time.
+I get a lot less enjoyment recently, but still
+
+
+** DONE Secret of Monkey Island, The (1990)
+CLOSED: [2022-05-04 Fri 22:26]
+:PROPERTIES:
+:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: secret-of-monkey-island
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Secret of Monkey Island is a classic point-and-click adventure game. This is my short review.
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/2022/secret_of_monkey_island /articles/secret-of-monkey-island brain-rot/classic-games/monkey-island/secret-of-monkey-island/)
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.75
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/secret-of-monkey-island.jpg
+:END:
+
+
+
+In preparation for /Return to Monkey Island/[fn:rtmi], I have decided to replay the first three classic games[fn:2023].
+
+Frankly, I played only the third one as a child, soon after release. "The Secret of Monkey Island" came out right after Poland became an independent country again, and I was still in kindergarten.
+Three years later, I received my first computer - a (not so)powerful PC386.
+I was a kid back then, and I knew very little English.
+Certainly not enough to comprehend this game.
+My first play through was sometime around the year 2002. 
+
+
+[fn:rtmi] [[https://returntomonkeyisland.com/]["Return to Monkey Island" official webpage]]
+[fn:2023] update from 2023: this is still in progress.
+**** Running the game
+
+Running this 30-year-old game is amazingly easy, thanks to SummVM[fn:scvm].
+Just download the emulator, find a copy of the game, and everything runs perfectly on any system.
+An updated version was released in 2009, but it was never released on Linux, and macOS/iOS versions are no longer working. 
+
+
+You can also play in the browser via Internet Archive[fn:ia].
+
+
+If you want the updated version, you can get it on GOG[fn:gog].
+
+[fn:scvm] [[https://www.scummvm.org/][ScummVM website]]
+[fn:ia] [[https://archive.org/details/mnkyega]["The Secret of Monkey Island" on the  Internet Archive]]
+[fn:gog] [[https://www.gog.com/game/the_secret_of_monkey_island_special_edition]["The Secret of Monkey Island" on GOG]]
+
+**** Playing the game
+
+/The Secret of Monkey Island/ is a pirate-themed adventure with lots of humor.
+The later games focused more on the funny aspect, but we have an interesting story here.
+Guybrush Threepwood lands on Mêlée Island, where he starts his quest to become a pirate.
+He will have to pass a test, find true love, and face a ghost pirate LeChuck.
+Some say that the idea for the game came from Disneyland's "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride.
+Some say the movie of the same name stole the idea from the game. The similarities are, for sure, not coincidental.
+And now, since LucasArts is part of Disney, it all made a giant circle.
+
+#+attr_shortcode: :file somi-splash.png
+#+attr_shortcode: :alt And island in the dark. A big stylized text with the title of the game occupies most of the screen.
+#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
+#+begin_image
+Title screen
+#+end_image
+
+/The Secret of Monkey Island/ was one of the earliest examples of adventure gaming done right.
+You no longer need to guess and type which action the authors envisioned.
+Instead, the game can be completely operated using a Mouse, as simple verbs represent all actions.
+This interface has stood the test of time perfectly.
+I tried (and failed) playing the original Zork games despite the fantastic writing due to the text interpreter.
+Using the mouse is as simple as it gets. Pro hint: "." on the keyboard allows skipping dialogue lines in ScummVM.
+
+#+attr_shortcode: :file somi-lazypirates.gif
+#+attr_shortcode: :alt A group of pirates sitting on a barrel occupy left side of the screen. In center a short pirate stands. Bottom is occupied by UI with graphical buttons representing possible actions.
+#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
+#+begin_image
+Lazy pirates and the UI
+#+end_image
+
+The graphics aged, but it did it like a fine wine.
+The game was a marvel when it came out.
+LucasArts hired actual graphic artists to do computer games.
+This was still the wild west, and no one knew how to do it.
+Nowadays, a game can take up gigabytes, and no one bats an eye.
+LucasArts sold "Monkey Island" on floppies, and every bite counted.
+Everything we see or hear was a sacrifice of something else.
+Luckily, Ron Gilbert - the author and primary programmer on the team - was a legend.
+He created the Scumm engine, which allowed non-technical folks to create games (by writing scripts, not code), but he also managed to find a way to enable the designers to use dithering.
+You can listen more on YouTube
+
+- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikaqus5_QIg][A five-hour chat with Ron Gilbert, the creator]]
+- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri4_3P2Oh14][A two-hour interview with Mark Ferrari, designer]]
+- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GABrEdG8Ez4][A short one-hour-long interview with Dave Grossman, designer]]
+- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzorEPK6khk][Another interview with Ron Gilbert, this time only 45 minutes long]]
+
+The graphical design is not only a technical marvel but a testament to design done right.
+The islands look great, and I really wanted to explore them. 
+
+But the most significant thing is the idea that the game should not punish players for experimentation.
+Lucasarts biggest competitor back in those days, Sierra, always found creative and annoying ways to kill the player character.
+Did you go a pixel too far? You fell from a cliff.
+Have you met a monster you still lack the means of defeating? Time to die. Sometimes they even completely blocked their progress.
+For example, in the first "Space Quest," you are expected to find a pixel-wide item on the very first screen.
+If you skip it, the game won't tell you, and you can proceed.
+Then, a few hours later, you need to use that item however you can no longer access that location.
+And you are lucky if you even know about it. There was no internet back then to check the walkthrough!
+
+LucasArts also was guilty of this.
+For example, in the "Maniac Mansion," you could put a hamster into a microwave.
+Cooking a hamster seemed funny, but it also blocked the player from finishing the game.
+Ron Gilbert wrote a short manifesto where he stated that a game should not punish the player but rather encourage him to play.
+And so, "The Secret of Monkey Island" has no pitfalls.
+You are never in a position where your prior action blocks you from finishing the game.
+This has not aged a single day.
+And, since "The Secret..." is still one of the funniest games ever made, allowing the player to see the funny parts is what makes so many people play it after all those years.
+
+There are still some puzzles that are far from perfect.
+I solved Chicken with a Trolley puzzle solely because I remembered it after all those years - it's this bad.
+Moreover, I had to resort to a walkthrough because the solution was based on wordplay, which was far from natural for someone whose English is a second language.
+After I learned the solution, it made perfect sense.
+I have to give it to the authors.
+Everything in the game makes sense in the context of the game.
+But there were times I could not make head or tails, and I had to resort to the old "let's use everything on everything" strategy - and it's simply not fun to do so.
+
+On the other hand, "The Secret of Monkey Island" is also the home of one of the most fantastic puzzles I've ever witnessed - insult swordplay.
+You need to defeat pirates in a sword fight, but the fight is an insult-response loop instead of an action sequence.
+First, the pirate insults you, and you need to learn the proper response and use it, then you insult the pirate, and so on.
+After a few rounds, you either win and advance to another pirate or lose, but you learn some new insults and need to look for a pirate who will know how to reply.
+Ingenious! A cherry on top - this part was written by Orson Scott, the author of "Ender's game".
+
+#+attr_shortcode: :file somi-swordfight.jpg
+#+attr_shortcode: :alt Two pirates with swords aimed at each other. Bottom of the screen contains funny insults.
+#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
+#+begin_image
+Insult swordfighting
+#+end_image
+
+The game consists of four parts.
+Out of them, the first one is easily the most polished and exciting.
+Luckily, it also took roughly half the total playtime of my play through.
+The rest is still good (and the worst, I'd say, "Flight of the Amazon Queen" good), but the first few hours shine the most, and I am sure this is what most players remember.
+
+Overall, the game was great and (despite some shortcomings) is still extremely fun to play.
+I sure hope that "Return to Monkey Island" will keep the adventure/comedy ratio from this installment.
+
+And if you get stuck, remember that the "Universal Hint System"[fn:uhs] is the best way to get unstuck without getting a ready answer.
+
+[fn:uhs] [[https://www.uhs-hints.com/uhsweb/monkey.php]["The Secret of Monkey Island" on UHS]]
+
+
+**** Memories Emporium
+
+What I'll remember from the game?
+
+Mostly, the amazing world. Mêlée Island looks great and is full of rememberable characters - like the Voodoo Lady or lazy pirates training their pet rat for a circus.
+LucasArts has the gift of creating exceptional places.
+Their later game, "Grim Fandango," shows Rubacava.
+This is the one gaming place I simply return to from time to time, just to hang out there - but that's a story for a different time.
+They create a believable world inhabited but not completely sane people.
+Love it! I'll have to return here with my son when he is a bit older.
+
+The insult sword fighting.
+I guess I already remembered it as I say, "Well, you fight like a cow" from time to time.
+
+Guybrush.
+Since this is primarily an adventure story, he is fleshed out for an early 90s game.
+I really like the guy.
+He is quirky but also driven and a bit insane.
+Like every good heron should be.
+And he can hold his breath underwater for solid 10 minutes!
+
+Not bad for a 6 hour game.
+
+** DONE Yakuza 0 (2015)
+CLOSED: [2024-06-12 Wed 19:32]
+:PROPERTIES:
+:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: yakuza-0
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the prequel
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :primary_menu "brain-rot-modern-games"
+:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-modern-games"
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/yakuza-0.jpg
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(brain-rot/modern-games/yakuza/yakuza-0/)
+:END:
+
+I have terrible reflexes, and therefore I am very disappointed with modern gaming's obsession with action-oriented games.
+/Yakuza 0/ is a beat-em-up, so I should hate it.
+I partially do.
+
+As for the gameplay, I am not sold due to aforementioned problem.
+In /Yakuza 0/ you walk around the town and fight bad guys.
+We've got 3-D combat, combos, and quick time events.
+Most of the time, this was all I've got.
+A grueling mess of the type of gameplay I suck at horribly.
+Luckily, this is a very easy game, so on normal difficulty I had very little problems with just mushing around and winning.
+
+Then there's also a lot of additional content in the form of mini-games dressed as side quests.
+You can buy properties, watch porn movies, manage a bordello, help make a movie, play classic Sega games, became a pro at some strange form of RC car racing.
+But I don't care.
+My biggest issue with Japanese games is the sheer amount of random stuff you can do, but has no real impact on the game world.
+/Yakuza 0/ has a deep system for playing Shogi, as well as Dance Dance Revolution.
+I may be too old for this, or I have not enough time (nor mental capacity), but I never get any enjoyment from such activities.
+Make it integral to the main gameplay loop or don't bother.
+I will not learn complex mechanics for a /mini-game/.
+I barely have time to remember your combos!
+
+As a gamey-game, /Yakuza 0/ is definitely not my type.
+It may be yours - and if you like /modern/ games, then it most likely is.
+
+But there is also the story and characters.
+Those are the real meat of the game for me, and they made it an /amazing/ experience.
+
+/Yakuza 0/ is a prequel of an already established series of games.
+We control two characters - Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Mojima.
+Kazuma wants to be a yakuza, but is presumed to be a killer of /civilian/, and as a result needs to leave the mafia.
+His mission is to find who framed him.
+Goro was a Yakuza, but due to mistakes of his past, he becomes a slave to a yakuza boss and needs to do his bidding.
+At the same time a gigantic plot to take over an empty plot of land in the middle of the city is established.
+Somewhere around middle point of the game, when all pieces started to fall on their places, I begun to be annoyed when they stopped the story for, well, game.
+
+#+attr_shortcode: :file yakuza-0-2.jpg
+#+attr_shortcode: :alt Topless asian scraming in a dramatic pose
+#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.rpgfan.com/game/yakuza-0/
+#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
+#+begin_image
+Yakuza 0 can be over the top
+#+end_image
+
+#+attr_shortcode: :file yakuza-0-1.jpg
+#+attr_shortcode: :alt Asian man holdig a remote control car
+#+attr_shortcode: :source https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic
+#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
+#+begin_image
+It is also silly
+#+end_image
+/Yakuza 0/ is a weird.
+The main story is serious, but rarely becomes dark.
+It's engaging, emotional, deep.
+All side activities are silly.
+Somehow it fits together nicely, but I don't know.
+I'd rather this was a movie or a limited series.
+
+Story-wise I have give my highest praises.
+The main plot is masterful, characters are amazing (voice acting is superb).
+Top bad I was thrown out of it in order to beat yet another group of thugs.
+I clocked at 34 hours completing a bit over 18% of the game, so I am not target audience.
+Still, the main plot pulled me back in.
+After I started completely ignoring all side-content, I begun to enjoy /Yakuza 0/ immensely.
+Yes, the final fight gave me thumb-blister[fn:qte], but after that we've got something like 26 ending scenes.
+Each more emotional than the other.
+
+I want to learn rest of the story of Goro and Kiryu, and therefore I'll continue playing other titles in the series.
+Too bad that there's a game attached.
+
+[fn:qte] And it still ended in a QTE.
+Shame.
+
+
+** DONE Grim Fandango (1998, 2020)
+CLOSED: [2024-07-21 Sun 22:03]
+:PROPERTIES:
+:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: grim-fandango
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the prequel
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/grim-fandango.jpg
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 5
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(brain-rot/golden-age-games/grim-fandango/)
+:END:
+
+Content warning: I am extremely biased.
+Expect orgasmic sentences.
+
+There was no game company like LucasArts in their prime.
+Between shovelling Star Wars games, they were the kings of adventure gamers.
+They hired the best people, and they made the best games out there.
+And /Grim Fandango/ is the finest example.
+It is also my favourite game of all time.
+
+Manny Calavera is a salesman in a dead-end job.
+He has no chance for promotion, unless he scores big.
+And the odds are stacked up against him, as his boss despises him.
+All good clients go to Domino!
+Manny decides to play it all out and /steal/ a great client from Domino.
+The trick here is that Manny is a travel agent at the Department of Death, selling travel accommodation to recently deceased souls.
+
+The list of negatives is very short: two puzzles (cat races and bone grinder) are very challenging to deduct, but they match the setting.
+A lot of adventure games fall into puzzles where the only way to solve them is by sheer luck, but it's not the case.
+It will take some time to piece things together, but after that, it all makes sense.
+
+I first played /Grim/ in 1999.
+The demo of the game, covering the first chapter, was added to a cover disc.
+I played it on a loop, and up to this day I can recite all the puzzles and their solutions in order which they need to be solved.
+
+/Grim Fandango/ is a 2,5D game, so the backgrounds are pre-rendered, but all characters are real-time 3D.
+And how glorious each of those dimensions is!
+The art style of the characters is inspired by Mexican day of the Dead puppets, called Calaveras (like the main character!).
+Since the hardware of the day was not ready for spheres, so the models are simplified.
+The backgrounds, on the other hand, are full of details.
+But above all, it is extremely atmospheric.
+Land of the Dead takes a lot from Noir cinematography, but makes all the scenes uniquely /Fandango/.
+
+And the music!
+The Mexican-jazz blend is fused with my soul.
+Often I simply listen to it, even close to 30 years after release.
+It hasn't aged a day, and it complements perfectly what we see.
+
+#+attr_shortcode: :file grim-fandango-1.png
+#+attr_shortcode: :alt A skeleton looking down from a balcony at racing stadium
+#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
+#+begin_image
+Cat Racing becomes a problem
+#+end_image
+The voice acting is /perfect/.
+Everyone did an astonishing job - be it Tony Plana as Manny ("Glottis, are you loco?"), Alan Blumenfeld as the demon driver ("Well, actually, it's mostly stock, with a few mods here and there...") to each passing characters in the smallest roles, like Milton James as a coroner ("We may have years, we may have hours, but sooner or later, we push up flowers").
+Having a great script surely didn't make the job any more difficult, but they seem so real!
+
+It all comes the high point of the game, the second chapter.
+Here we spend some time in a port city, and oh what a city it is.
+Up to this day, I have not visited a virtual place I'd love to visit more than Rubacava.
+All the backgrounds, all the characters, all the puzzles.
+They blend perfectly in a Casablanca-esque story, like no other.
+Luckily, this is the longest chapter.
+
+After we leave the city, it never reaches the same level - but no other game did.
+Saying that "sorry, your other 3 chapters are not as good as the greatest part of a game I've ever witnesses" is something all other games can only dream off.
+They are still great, full of great locations and characters - just not /as/ great.
+
+And let's not forget the humour.
+It's a LucasArts game, after all!
+The game is hilarious, but in a way not many games tread.
+It treats the characters and the setting seriously!
+/Monkey Island/ is comical, but it never treats itself with any respect.
+/Grim/ is different, as it's full of love towards the inhabitants of Land of the Dead.
+
+#+attr_shortcode: :file grim-fandango-2.png
+#+attr_shortcode: :alt A morgue with deceased covered in flowers
+#+attr_shortcode: :class centered
+#+begin_image
+How to kill a dead person?
+Cover with flowers!
+#+end_image
+I have yet to encounter any game that has /this/ exact combination of atmosphere, lovable and respected characters, and this much humour.
+/Syberia 1/ is close - we visit desolated places inhabited by colourful characters, but it's treated with respect.
+You learn about then, like them, and want to help them.
+But it's not quite there.
+
+What Tim Shafer achieved with /Grim Fandango/ is nothing short of a miracle.
+It is a perfect game - at least in my book.
+So, of course, it flopped.
+It was too ambitious to fit a sensible budget, and it was released when adventure games fell out of fashion.
+Sort of like /Chinatown/ perfected Noir when Noir was a thing of the past.
+
+But, after the success of /Monkey Island/ remakes, /Grim Fandango/ got a chance to shine again in 2020.
+A remastered version with better shading and 3D models (but the same backgrounds) was released on every platform.
+It *is* a better version, so if it's still supported on your platform (screw you Apple), you can simply buy it and enjoy.
+And even though I prefer the original tank controls, this version can be even played with a point&click interface.
+
+Ending this review, where I simply say that /Grim Fandango/ is the greatest game I've ever played, I need to say that it's a game that does not need a sequel.
+Mind you, I'd buy anything that would allow me to spend even a minute longer with the characters, the story is finished.
+We get a /perfect/ ending when I always shed a tear.
+Adding anything to it, would only lessen it.
+Just like we don't need a /Casablanca 2/, we don't need a /Grim Fandango 2/.
+You don't reach such heights multiple times - everything needs to align.
+We are lucky to even have such a marvel, as /Grim/.
+
+
+*** DONE Persona 5: Strikers (2020)
+CLOSED: [2024-03-08 Fri 21:24]
+:PROPERTIES:
+:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: persona-5-strikers
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of SciFi classic 
+:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-c
+:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-modern-games"
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/2024/persona-5-strikers/ /brain-rot/persona/persona-5-strikers/ brain-rot/modern-games/persona/persona-5-strikers/)
+:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 2
+:END:
+
+/Persona 5/ took me close to a year... I think.
+It was a gigantic game with unbelievable amount of dialogue.
+It was also game I deeply enjoyed, despite not particularly liking anything about.
+The story was ok, the gameplay was ok, the RPG element was ok, the dating was ok.
+But, somehow, authors managed to join that into one freaking nice experience.
+
+/Persona 5: Strikers/ is none of those things.
+It's a linear button masher with characters I like.
+But it has /none/ of the good elements of /P5/.
+
+First, it's not an jRPG anymore.
+When fight starts, you are presented with dozens of enemies you need to fight in real time.
+Half of the time, I had no idea what was going on.
+Fights, for me, are terrible.
+Enemies were everywhere, and I had no /chance/ to control the battlefield.
+Lots of annoyances and finger pain, but no enjoyment.
+Just running into random spots, bashing melee attacks and checking for weakness from time to time.
+I play on easy and was tired of that very quickly, I can't imagine having any actual problems with this system you have no enjoyment with.
+
+#+attr_shortcode: "p5s-1.jpg" "https://nintendoeverything.com/persona-5-scramble-the-phantom-strikers-boxart-details-screenshots/"
+#+begin_img-c
+Guess the only way here is to shut my brain down, as it's useless in all this chaos.
+#+end_img-c
+The real-world activities are almost none-existent.
+I loved how the Phantom Thieves bonded and became friends.
+None of this here.
+You've got some dialogue, but no payoff.
+There is some stat related to bonding, but we all know each other.
+In P5 the single best part was learning about each other and seeing how their lives improve.
+None of that is here.
+
+Dating?
+None.
+And my chosen love interest from /P5/ doesn't even show up!
+
+Extracurricular activities are limited to finding stuff on maps.
+
+Getting to know Tokyo?
+Nope. Every few hours we move to a new city.
+
+Story? Well, I gave up before it started.
+After 10 hours, midway through the third jail I gave up.
+I had to guard Futaba /again/ and after a moment became so frustrated and bored, that I stopped playing.
+
+I give 2/5 for those 10 hours.
+Maybe it gets better later on, but I don't care enough.
+I dropped the game and will never return.
diff --git a/content/brain-rot/classic-games/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/classic-games/_index.md
deleted file mode 100644
index c4f2d3b..0000000
--- a/content/brain-rot/classic-games/_index.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-+++
-title = "Classic Games (up to 1995)"
-author = ["Michał Sapka"]
-date = 2024-04-14T18:10:00+02:00
-categories = ["brainrot"]
-draft = false
-weight = 3001
-primary_menu = "brain-rot"
-menu_order = "name"
-abstract = "My reviews of classic games"
-[menu]
-  [menu.brain-rot]
-    identifier = "classic-games-up-to-1995"
-    parent = "cgames"
-    weight = 100
-+++
-
-{{< menu "brain-rot-classic-games" >}}
-Witcher
-{{< /menu >}}
diff --git a/content/brain-rot/golden-age-games/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/golden-age-games/_index.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 86252de..0000000
--- a/content/brain-rot/golden-age-games/_index.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-+++
-title = "Golden Age Games"
-author = ["Michał Sapka"]
-date = 2024-07-21T22:15:00+02:00
-categories = ["brainrot"]
-draft = false
-weight = 3001
-image_dir = "screenshots"
-image_max_width = 765
-menu_order = "name"
-primary_menu = "brain-rot-gg-games"
-abstract = "My reviews of games form the Golden Age"
-[menu]
-  [menu.brain-rot]
-    identifier = "golden-age-games"
-    parent = "cgames"
-    weight = 200
-+++
-
-{{< menu "brain-rot-gg-games" >}}
-Witcher
-{{< /menu >}}
diff --git a/content/brain-rot/modern-games/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/modern-games/_index.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 2f793a5..0000000
--- a/content/brain-rot/modern-games/_index.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-+++
-title = "Modern Games (from 2007)"
-author = ["Michał Sapka"]
-date = 2024-04-14T18:10:00+02:00
-categories = ["brainrot"]
-draft = false
-weight = 3001
-primary_menu = "brain-rot"
-abstract = "My reviews of modern games"
-[menu]
-  [menu.brain-rot]
-    identifier = "modern-games-from-2007"
-    parent = "cgames"
-    weight = 300
-+++
-
-{{< menu "brain-rot-modern-games" >}}
-Witcher
-{{< /menu >}}
diff --git a/content/reviews/_index.md b/content/reviews/_index.md
index 6a8c662..fef6331 100644
--- a/content/reviews/_index.md
+++ b/content/reviews/_index.md
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ categories = ["reviews"]
 draft = false
 weight = 1001
 abstract = "Reviews2"
-reviewSection = ["Books"]
+reviewSection = ["Books", "Games"]
+image_dir = "screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
 +++
 
 ## Reviews {#reviews}
diff --git a/content/reviews/games/_index.md b/content/reviews/games/_index.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..52d0b55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/reviews/games/_index.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
++++
+title = "Games reviews"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2001
+reviewSection = ["Games"]
+abstract = "Reviews of games"
++++
+
+## Games reviews {#games-reviews}
+
+I am not a "gamer" but I used to play games and I still do, from to time.
+I get a lot less enjoyment recently, but still
diff --git a/content/brain-rot/golden-age-games/grim-fandango.md b/content/reviews/games/grim-fandango.md
index 58bf364..65c7bc5 100644
--- a/content/brain-rot/golden-age-games/grim-fandango.md
+++ b/content/reviews/games/grim-fandango.md
@@ -2,20 +2,16 @@
 title = "Grim Fandango (1998, 2020)"
 author = ["Michał Sapka"]
 date = 2024-07-21T22:03:00+02:00
-categories = ["brainrot"]
+categories = ["reviews"]
 draft = false
-weight = 3002
-image_dir = "screenshots"
+weight = 2004
+reviewSection = ["Games"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
 image_max_width = 765
-menu_order = "name"
-primary_menu = "brain-rot-gg-games"
 abstract = "My review of the prequel"
-image = "covers/grim-fandango.jpg"
+image = "reviews/covers/grim-fandango.jpg"
 rating = 5
-[menu]
-  [menu.brain-rot-gg-games]
-    weight = 3002
-    identifier = "grim-fandango-1998-2020"
+aliases = ["brain-rot/golden-age-games/grim-fandango/"]
 +++
 
 Content warning: I am extremely biased.
@@ -34,10 +30,6 @@ All good clients go to Domino!
 Manny decides to play it all out and _steal_ a great client from Domino.
 The trick here is that Manny is a travel agent at the Department of Death, selling travel accommodation to recently deceased souls.
 
-{{< rating 5 "grim-fandango.jpg" >}}
-Cover
-{{< /rating >}}
-
 The list of negatives is very short: two puzzles (cat races and bone grinder) are very challenging to deduct, but they match the setting.
 A lot of adventure games fall into puzzles where the only way to solve them is by sheer luck, but it's not the case.
 It will take some time to piece things together, but after that, it all makes sense.
@@ -113,3 +105,56 @@ Adding anything to it, would only lessen it.
 Just like we don't need a _Casablanca 2_, we don't need a _Grim Fandango 2_.
 You don't reach such heights multiple times - everything needs to align.
 We are lucky to even have such a marvel, as _Grim_.
+
+
+## <span class="org-todo done DONE">DONE</span> Persona 5: Strikers (2020) {#persona-5-strikers}
+
+_Persona 5_ took me close to a year... I think.
+It was a gigantic game with unbelievable amount of dialogue.
+It was also game I deeply enjoyed, despite not particularly liking anything about.
+The story was ok, the gameplay was ok, the RPG element was ok, the dating was ok.
+But, somehow, authors managed to join that into one freaking nice experience.
+
+_Persona 5: Strikers_ is none of those things.
+It's a linear button masher with characters I like.
+But it has _none_ of the good elements of _P5_.
+
+First, it's not an jRPG anymore.
+When fight starts, you are presented with dozens of enemies you need to fight in real time.
+Half of the time, I had no idea what was going on.
+Fights, for me, are terrible.
+Enemies were everywhere, and I had no _chance_ to control the battlefield.
+Lots of annoyances and finger pain, but no enjoyment.
+Just running into random spots, bashing melee attacks and checking for weakness from time to time.
+I play on easy and was tired of that very quickly, I can't imagine having any actual problems with this system you have no enjoyment with.
+
+<div class="img-c">
+
+Guess the only way here is to shut my brain down, as it's useless in all this chaos.
+
+</div>
+
+The real-world activities are almost none-existent.
+I loved how the Phantom Thieves bonded and became friends.
+None of this here.
+You've got some dialogue, but no payoff.
+There is some stat related to bonding, but we all know each other.
+In P5 the single best part was learning about each other and seeing how their lives improve.
+None of that is here.
+
+Dating?
+None.
+And my chosen love interest from _P5_ doesn't even show up!
+
+Extracurricular activities are limited to finding stuff on maps.
+
+Getting to know Tokyo?
+Nope. Every few hours we move to a new city.
+
+Story? Well, I gave up before it started.
+After 10 hours, midway through the third jail I gave up.
+I had to guard Futaba _again_ and after a moment became so frustrated and bored, that I stopped playing.
+
+I give 2/5 for those 10 hours.
+Maybe it gets better later on, but I don't care enough.
+I dropped the game and will never return.
diff --git a/content/brain-rot/modern-games/persona/persona-5-strikers.md b/content/reviews/games/persona-5-strikers.md
index 0c75e68..2d19f17 100644
--- a/content/brain-rot/modern-games/persona/persona-5-strikers.md
+++ b/content/reviews/games/persona-5-strikers.md
@@ -2,13 +2,18 @@
 title = "Persona 5: Strikers (2020)"
 author = ["Michał Sapka"]
 date = 2024-03-08T21:24:00+01:00
-categories = ["brainrot"]
+categories = ["reviews"]
 draft = false
 weight = 3001
-image_dir = "brain-rot/screenshots"
+reviewSection = ["Games"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
 image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My review of the prequel"
+image = "reviews/covers/grim-fandango.jpg"
+rating = 5
+aliases = ["brain-rot/golden-age-games/grim-fandango/"]
 abstract = "A short review of SciFi classic"
-aliases = ["/blog/2024/persona-5-strikers/", "/brain-rot/persona/persona-5-strikers/"]
+aliases = ["/blog/2024/persona-5-strikers/", "/brain-rot/persona/persona-5-strikers/", "brain-rot/modern-games/persona/persona-5-strikers/"]
 rating = 2
 [menu]
   [menu.brain-rot-modern-games]
diff --git a/content/brain-rot/classic-games/monkey-island/secret-of-monkey-island.md b/content/reviews/games/secret-of-monkey-island.md
index e07cb96..7a22096 100644
--- a/content/brain-rot/classic-games/monkey-island/secret-of-monkey-island.md
+++ b/content/reviews/games/secret-of-monkey-island.md
@@ -2,19 +2,16 @@
 title = "Secret of Monkey Island, The (1990)"
 author = ["Michał Sapka"]
 date = 2022-05-04T22:26:00+02:00
-categories = ["brainrot"]
+categories = ["reviews"]
 draft = false
-weight = 3001
-image_dir = "screenshots"
+weight = 2002
+reviewSection = ["Games"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
 image_max_width = 765
 abstract = "Secret of Monkey Island is a classic point-and-click adventure game. This is my short review."
-aliases = ["/2022/secret_of_monkey_island", "/articles/secret-of-monkey-island"]
+aliases = ["/2022/secret_of_monkey_island", "/articles/secret-of-monkey-island", "brain-rot/classic-games/monkey-island/secret-of-monkey-island/"]
 rating = 4.75
-image = "covers/secret-of-monkey-island.jpg"
-[menu]
-  [menu.brain-rot-classic-games]
-    weight = 3001
-    identifier = "secret-of-monkey-island-the-1990"
+image = "reviews/covers/secret-of-monkey-island.jpg"
 +++
 
 In preparation for _Return to Monkey Island_[^fn:1], I have decided to replay the first three classic games[^fn:2].
@@ -25,10 +22,6 @@ I was a kid back then, and I knew very little English.
 Certainly not enough to comprehend this game.
 My first play through was sometime around the year 2002.
 
-{{< image class="centered" alt="And island in the dark. A big stylized text with the title of the game occupies most of the screen." file="somi-splash.png" >}}
-Title screen
-{{< /image >}}
-
 
 ## Running the game {#running-the-game}
 
@@ -51,6 +44,10 @@ Some say that the idea for the game came from Disneyland's "Pirates of the Carib
 Some say the movie of the same name stole the idea from the game. The similarities are, for sure, not coincidental.
 And now, since LucasArts is part of Disney, it all made a giant circle.
 
+{{< image class="centered" alt="And island in the dark. A big stylized text with the title of the game occupies most of the screen." file="somi-splash.png" >}}
+Title screen
+{{< /image >}}
+
 _The Secret of Monkey Island_ was one of the earliest examples of adventure gaming done right.
 You no longer need to guess and type which action the authors envisioned.
 Instead, the game can be completely operated using a Mouse, as simple verbs represent all actions.
diff --git a/content/brain-rot/modern-games/yakuza/yakuza-0.md b/content/reviews/games/yakuza-0.md
index be8cec0..ed74e02 100644
--- a/content/brain-rot/modern-games/yakuza/yakuza-0.md
+++ b/content/reviews/games/yakuza-0.md
@@ -2,17 +2,20 @@
 title = "Yakuza 0 (2015)"
 author = ["Michał Sapka"]
 date = 2024-06-12T19:32:00+02:00
-categories = ["brainrot"]
+categories = ["reviews"]
 draft = false
-weight = 3001
-image_dir = "screenshots"
+weight = 2003
+reviewSection = ["Games"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
 image_max_width = 765
 abstract = "My review of the prequel"
 primary_menu = "brain-rot-modern-games"
 rating = 3.75
+image = "reviews/covers/yakuza-0.jpg"
+aliases = ["brain-rot/modern-games/yakuza/yakuza-0/"]
 [menu]
   [menu.brain-rot-modern-games]
-    weight = 3001
+    weight = 2003
     identifier = "yakuza-0-2015"
 +++
 
@@ -37,14 +40,6 @@ Make it integral to the main gameplay loop or don't bother.
 I will not learn complex mechanics for a _mini-game_.
 I barely have time to remember your combos!
 
-{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.rpgfan.com/game/yakuza-0/" alt="Topless asian scraming in a dramatic pose" file="yakuza-0-2.jpg" >}}
-Yakuza 0 can be over the top
-{{< /image >}}
-
-{{< image class="centered" source="https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic" alt="Asian man holdig a remote control car" file="yakuza-0-1.jpg" >}}
-It is also silly
-{{< /image >}}
-
 As a gamey-game, _Yakuza 0_ is definitely not my type.
 It may be yours - and if you like _modern_ games, then it most likely is.
 
@@ -59,6 +54,14 @@ Goro was a Yakuza, but due to mistakes of his past, he becomes a slave to a yaku
 At the same time a gigantic plot to take over an empty plot of land in the middle of the city is established.
 Somewhere around middle point of the game, when all pieces started to fall on their places, I begun to be annoyed when they stopped the story for, well, game.
 
+{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.rpgfan.com/game/yakuza-0/" alt="Topless asian scraming in a dramatic pose" file="yakuza-0-2.jpg" >}}
+Yakuza 0 can be over the top
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" source="https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic" alt="Asian man holdig a remote control car" file="yakuza-0-1.jpg" >}}
+It is also silly
+{{< /image >}}
+
 _Yakuza 0_ is a weird.
 The main story is serious, but rarely becomes dark.
 It's engaging, emotional, deep.
@@ -66,10 +69,6 @@ All side activities are silly.
 Somehow it fits together nicely, but I don't know.
 I'd rather this was a movie or a limited series.
 
-{{< rating 3.75 "yakuza-0.jpg" >}}
-Cover
-{{< /rating >}}
-
 Story-wise I have give my highest praises.
 The main plot is masterful, characters are amazing (voice acting is superb).
 Top bad I was thrown out of it in order to beat yet another group of thugs.