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Aragami 2 GamePlay And Reviews

Interpreting stealth as a power fantasy, Aragami 2 deploys the shadows as a literal weapon, not merely as somewhere to hide. One ability discharges tendrils of black mist from your fingertips to grab a nearby enemy and fling them headfirst into your fist, knocking them unconscious. Such powerful abilities emphasize a proactive approach to stealth that's less about waiting for a window of opportunity to open and more about knocking a hole in the wall. With a lean, stylish aesthetic complementing minimalist mission design, Aragami 2 succeeds in making you feel like a daring and deadly shadow warrior, even if it eventually falls victim to repetition and a lack of variety. Afflicted by a mysterious force that corrodes the body and devours the mind (most people would call this "getting old"), the aragami are gifted with shadow essence which grants them supernatural abilities. They call it a curse, but to be honest it's hard to see the downside. The most basic of these abilities lets them briefly assume a shadow form and dash unseen across open ground, grapple up onto the roof of a building, or down to the cliff ledge below.

Combined with a double-jump, the ability enables you to fling yourself around a level with abandon, traveling swiftly to bypass enemies, move in for the kill, or make a speedy getaway. Movement in this mode is limited by a stamina meter, but it's a generous one, allowing you to string together several jumps and dashes before requiring a moment's pause to regenerate. Traversal through an area tends to be a matter of grappling to high ground, quickly surveying the surroundings, then executing clean and decisive strikes, whether you're nimbly darting through gaps in enemy patrol routes or eliminating them one by one. There's nothing stopping you from spending half an hour hanging off the roof of a pagoda or squatting in some waist-high reeds before making your move, if that's what you want to do. It's more that the tools at your disposal, and the ease and speed with which you can utilize them, better encourage the fast, fluid approach. A highlight for me was a level where I decided, for narrative reasons I won't spoil, that every single person in this village had to die, and that I wanted every single person to know that I was hunting them down so I made a mess.

I would grapple onto a roof then leap off and plant my katana in an enemy to cushion my fall, leaving their bloodied corpse for all to see while I darted down an alley and sliced open a second enemy, before grappling onto a roof to break line-of-sight with a pursuer. I'd quickly circle around behind him then leap down and slaughter him there in the middle of the street. It was chaos, with alerted enemies frantically trying to pinpoint my location amidst all the bodies and blood, but thanks to the range of movement options that let me recover from being spotted, it was controlled chaos. This is stealth where you always feel like the hunter rather than the hunted. The aragami are not only endowed with a range of supernatural abilities, they also receive a second chance at life. Die, and they are immediately resurrected, with their health fully replenished and all experience intact. This sets you back to the start of a level, but all your progress remains--even alerted enemies will still be trying to track you down. There's no third chance, though; die a second time and the mission is failed and you'll have to repeat the whole thing over, collectibles and all. There's no mid-mission save either, so the standard crutch of stealth gaming--quick-saving after every encounter and reloading if it all hits the fan--is taken away. That these restrictions don't chafe is testament to how powerful Aragami 2 makes you feel, in the tools it equips you with to not only deal with any situation but escape from any crisis. Being low on health during your second life and knowing that one slip means a mission restart, nicely tightens the tension as you near the mission objective. It almost adds an element of dynamic difficulty in how it forces a single-minded focus on the task at hand and a gear-change from the more liberated, laissez-faire approach encouraged by the movement options. To be clear, it's never a particularly challenging game--you're too powerful for that--but I did die and restart a mission a few times, including one memorable occasion where I had to survive the last third of a level with a health bar so slim I couldn't even discern a hint of red. My heart was in my mouth over this final stretch, and it was incredibly satisfying to eventually make it by the skin of my teeth. It's impressive that the suite of stealth abilities allowed me to overcome such a setback--trust me, it wasn't because I'm any kind of gaming savant. Yet the fact I was able to do it, and that this was the one and only time it really challenged me to perform such a feat, clarified to me that Aragami 2 plays it too safe. For one, there are too few enemy types, and the handful that are present for the most part don't require you to alter your tactics in any meaningful way to deal with them. There are varying types of regular soldiers, some of whom are tougher than others, but all behave in the same way. The exceptions are the soldiers with conical hats who don't patrol and can't be lured away from their posts by any of your bag of tricks, and the monks who lob fireballs in your general direction if you open up that bag of tricks, but both of these can be knocked out or killed as easily as any other. They also don't really combine in interesting ways that might necessitate a different plan of action. Occasionally a few enemies will overlap with their patrol routes, thus forcing you to consider them as part of a group and be strategic about the order in which you handle them. Too often, however, they operate in isolation and you can take them out or ghost past them one at a time. Later levels introduce a couple of enemies that seem to offer more. The most successful of these is one with a psychic link to several nearby enemies; he'll know if you kill any enemy he's linked with and send reinforcements to investigate. The idea is that you now have to target a specific enemy first, one that's by design located in the middle of a bunch of other nearby enemies. That's a cool idea. But it's undermined by how the reinforcements aren't terribly diligent in searching for you, the fact you can simply knock out the linked enemies and the psychic won't notice, and that the psychic only appears in a bare handful of levels right at the end of the game. Another missed opportunity is a "Predator" enemy who perches on ledges and sports a hard-to-see shadow camouflage. They're tricky to discern because of their appearance, and don't add much to the experience as a whole since they're only encountered in a mere two levels. And in any case, they're no trickier to deal with than any regular enemy. The other major way Aragami 2 plays it safe is in a mission structure that has you revisiting the same locations numerous times. Each area hosts multiple missions over the course of the game, serving up new objectives and enemy placements in the same environment. Sometimes you'll enter from a different point, and sometimes certain sections will be closed off and other sections now open, meaning you're never re-running the exact same level on a new mission. But it does mean fewer surprises than if you were exploring new terrain on every outing. Predictability is a two-edged sword. Over the course of multiple missions in the same place, you learn the best routes and the little shortcuts and gradually familiarize yourself with a sense of place. But at the same time, a certain weariness creeps in until eventually there's an over-familiarity. Looks like this mission is taking back to the old mines yet again. Sigh. The new mission objectives freshen things up a little this time you're killing three targets, next time you're destroying seven weapons caches, for example but you're still looking in the same places. Over the course of multiple missions in the same place, you learn the best routes and the little shortcuts and gradually familiarize yourself with a sense of place. But at the same time, a certain weariness creeps in until eventually there's an over-familiarity It doesn't help that each mission is also designed to be replayed, with slightly remixed enemies to allow you to grind and track down all the hidden collectibles. I made the mistake of replaying all the early missions as I went, thinking I'd need the extra XP and gold, but I later realized it was unnecessary. The main missions supply more than enough XP to purchase the new abilities and upgrades you want, and gold is abundant even if you do end up buying all the cosmetic items. Maybe it sounds great that there are slightly remixed missions to keep coming back to, but I found them to be a pretty pointless detour that bogged down my progress and accelerated the staleness of a repeated area. Threading the missions together is a light narrative that offers just enough detail to propel events forward, but is never the focus. In between missions, you'll return to your home village to speak to the few significant characters who keep the plot ticking over. Such exchanges are brief and do little to emotionally invest you in the world. It'd be nice to have a compelling reason to take on a mission, but the stealth-action is impressive enough to stand on its own. Aragami 2 is a bold and aggressive take on the stealth genre, when it finds the confidence to step out of the shadows. Occasionally, however, it's a little too timid and reverts to playing it safe, cowering in the corner rather than seizing the initiative.

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Genshin Impact is Being Review Bombed

Genshin Impact is being review bombed following growing frustrations from the community over the game's treatment. It's been a rough few months for the gacha game, with increasing criticisms coming from fans regarding updates and events. The release of 5-star character Yoimiya was poorly received, with complaints of broken abilities and a feeling that minimal thought had been put into her overall gameplay design. Similar problems then arose with the game's next 5-star character, Baal.

 

An anniversary livestream in August didn't make things much better. Apart from the English stream being over an hour late, the revealed rewards for its anniversary event were slammed for being pretty stingy. Gacha game fans will know anniversaries are often pretty sweet deals developers tend to throw a ton of rewards at you, usually premium currency that could take a good month or two to grind out for. Players aren't pleased with the rewards being dished out though and, coupled with miHoYo's ongoing silence surrounding the recent problems, it's caused tensions to swell. Things seem to have finally come to a head, with angry fans taking to the game's mobile store pages in droves to leave 1-star reviews. It's not done much to the game's rating on the Apple Store, which is currently sat at a 4.5. For the Google Play Store though, it's seen the rating dip just below three stars. According to GamesRadar, it was even worse just a few hours ago, but things seem to have evened out somewhat.

That might be due to the fact that, according to one reddit post, the 1-star reviews are being reported to Google as bot reviews and removed. Google does have a policy that doesn't allow "spam or fake reviews," which explicitly prohibits manipulating app ratings. While it's not exactly the same as Steam's review bomb detection, something similar is likely happening to stop the rating from dipping too low. It hasn't stopped the anger though, with players also taking to Genshin's two official Discord servers, spamming its channels with a character emote that's become synonymous with community disappointment. Both servers currently sit on a pretty lengthy half-hour slow mode, up from the initially reported ten minutes. There's been no response from miHoYo yet. With how long the silence has already been, it's uncertain whether we'll be seeing an acknowledgement from the developer anytime soon. It's a shame because Genshin is a surprisingly fantastic experience, but poor practices will undoubtedly continue to drive players away.

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Speckled Trout in Capers and White Wine - Food Easy Recipe

Speckled trout baked in a white wine-capers sauce. This recipe will work with trout, grouper, or any solid white fish. So easy and delicious. Serve with corn, mixed vegetables, or glazed carrots and broccoli.

Ingredients: 

1 pound fresh speckled trout
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon capers
1 pinch paprika, or to taste
¼ cup white cooking wine
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley, or to taste




Procedure: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking dish with aluminum foil.

2. Place trout in the middle of the aluminum foil; top with butter, lemon pepper, capers, and paprika. Pour cooking wine over trout. Close foil around the trout.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 30 minutes. Garnish trout with parsley.
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Andie's Quick 'n Easy Sneaky Sloppy Joes - Food Easy Recipe

I cobbled this recipe together from a myriad of online recipes. I couldn't find a more veggie-friendly option, and had BBQ sauce in the fridge. This is a kiddo and grandkid-friendly recipe you can whip up for an in-a-pinch meal... or add it to your regular menu rotation and get those veggies in without a struggle!

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils
2 onions, diced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large green bell pepper, diced
¾ cup ketchup
¾ cup barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic




Procedure: 

1. Place lentils in a small pot and cover with 2 cups hot water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add ground beef and green bell pepper; cook and stir until browned, about 8 minutes.

3. Stir drained lentils, ketchup, barbeque sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic into the skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors combine and mixture thickens to desired consistency, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Ahn Hyo Seop Shares How Much Alcohol He Drinks Regularly - Trending News

Actor Ahn Hyo Seop recently guested on My Little Old Boy. On the show, he shared just how much he loves alcohol!

The actor claimed that he loves to conclude each day with a glass of alcohol. He usually drinks by himself at home, and can drink up to to or three bottles of soju!




"I end every day with alcohol. It feels like a present I am giving myself. On rest days, I drink around two to three bottles. When I don’t want to drink a lot, I drink about a bottle. I drink almost always by myself. For side dishes, I normally make simple things like fried eggs or steamed eggs." — Ahn Hyo Seop

His bold statement shocked many in the studio, for celebrities do not often share their alcohol habits on broadcast. Ahn Hyo Seop gained popularity through various K-Dramas including Abyss with Park Bo Young. He is currently starring in Hong Chun Gi with Kim Yoo Jung.
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BTS’s Vocal Coach Reveals Which Member’s Voice Has Improved The Most, And Here’s The Inspiring Reason Why - Trending News

When it comes to vocal lines in K-Pop, there is no denying that BTS has one of the stand out lineups. With members Jin, V, Jungkook, and Jimin classed as the official vocal line, there is no denying that all of the members have pure and unique voices that have captured the hearts and attention of fans worldwide.

BTS’s vocal Kim Seong Eun recently sat down with known YouTubers FO Squad Kpop and, as well as trying to teach them some proper singing techniques, spilled the beans about what it was like working with BTS from their debut.

During the video, after hearing how much she enjoyed working with BTS, they asked her who the easiest member to train was. Without even a second of hesitation, Kim Seong Eun explained that it was Jin!

Both hosts didn’t seem surprised by the answer, explaining how his veins seem to pop up when he is singing passionately. Recently, several vocal coaches, alongside fans, have been flocking to praise Jin for his undeniable talents. There is no denying that Jin’s vocals are so unique.




Yet, Kim Seong Eun also revealed the member who she thought had improved the most since they debuted. For her, despite his natural talent, she couldn’t stop praising V for how much he had improved over the years. In particular, she recalled the time the members were training for their track “Fake Love.”

"When I first heard the guide for ‘Fake Love,’ I was like, ‘OMG, the song is so good, but the notes are pretty high. Out of the blue, V texted me that he wanted to get extra vocal lessons." — Kim Seong Eun

Kim Seong Eun added how surprised she was because normally, they just met to have a catch-up or get some food. Yet, before the song came out, V was already asking for extra lessons.

"He really wanted to practice hitting these high notes, and then, after ‘Fake Love,’ that’s when the notes got higher and higher. That’s when I realized, ‘Wow, V practices really hard.’ That’s why his vocal skills always improve." — Kim Seong Eun

Over the years, it is clear to see that all of the members of BTS have improved tremendously with their vocals. In particular, V has always had a unique voice that fans have fallen in love with due to its tone, texture, and style when he sings.

"Nver forget that iris stevenson was the first one to believe in taehyung as a singer. Back then he was only growing in pratically all their songs, and iris was the first one to notice the true potential of his voice.

It's souful, people feel something when you sing”#V @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/bBO6kI0ZDr" — 𝔐 (@justbecause08) March 25, 2018

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Jun Ji Hyun Is The Highest Paid Celebrity In South Korea - Trending News

It was recently revealed that Jun Ji Hyun is the highest paid celebrity in South Korea. Although it comes as no surprise, given her lengthy resume, you might be shocked to find out just how much she earns.

On September 3, 2021, celebrity news show, Entertainment Live, reported that she’s currently the top place for most expensive star. It was famously known that she received a hundred million KRW per episode for My Love From The Star. That’s almost 1 million USD per episode!




According to Entertainment Live, her star value has rose so much since then, that she charges anywhere north from 17 hundred million KRW for an appearance now ($14.6 million USD), although it is unspecified if it refers to the entire drama or just an episode.

That’s a lot of money, but we’re sure she’s worth every penny!
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“LOUD” Eliminates A Fan Favorite, Viewers Are Devastated - Trending News

PNATION has selected the 7 members to debut in their first boy group but fans of the survival show LOUD are crushed to see one member not make it to the end.

Daniel Jikal became a fast fan favorite with his impressive rap skills and charming personality.

Being from Los Angeles, California only helped Daniel build up an international fanbase with his ability to smoothly mix English and Korean.

During the final episode, Daniel ended up getting 29,506 votes but was eliminated by PSY after the agency’s evaluation.

Daniel remained graceful in the face of his loss, making a very eloquent speech in English with a bit of Korean.

"They told me to speak in Korean but I’m just gonna speak English. PNATION Staff, PSY Producer-nim, really kamsahamida [Thank you]! Like, I learned so much and everyone in PNATION helped so much and I’m so thankful for that." -Daniel Jikal




He continued to express his hopes to continue on with music in the future.

"And to be honest, like in this journey through LOUD it was just amazing but honestly, like, this idol position, I just don’t feel like it was for me but it was so fun. And everyone here, up here, is such an amazing artist and I’m so thankful to be working with them. But yeah, I’m gonna continue working on my craft, working on my music, working on my videos and just keep achieving my dreams." -Daniel Jikal

He then delivered an adorable shout out to his Mom & Dad before giving one last thanks.

"But, yeah, thank you so much. And one more thing, Eomma [Mom], Appa [Dad], I know you’re watching me, I’m in Korea! Kamsahamnida [Thank you]!" -Daniel Jikal

Fans on Twitter were devastated to watch Daniel get eliminated, so much so that the name “Daniel” was trending for a large part of the day.

They were crushed to see that his kind heart and fun personality wouldn’t be a part of PNATION’s first boy group.

Even through their sadness, fans encouraged each other to continue to support Daniel in his future endeavors.

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FNC Entertainment Denies AOA Hyejeong’s Dating Rumors - Trending News

AOA‘s Hyejeong was recently caught in a dating rumor after she uploaded a series of selfies with a mystery man. Netizens had questioned her relationship with the man given that they looked pretty close in the photos. She soon deleted them, causing many to wonder if the had mistakenly uploaded the photos.




On August 3, 2021, her agency FNC Entertainment released a statement claiming that “after checking, the man in question was her close friend that had been studying acting with Hyejeong since high school“. The man was also an actor-in-training and Hyejeong had uploaded the photos as they were close, but deleted them quickly at the unexpected response from fans.

With that, they firmly denied any rumors that the two were dating.

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TVXQ’s Yunho Issues Official Apology For His Controversy - Trending News

TVXQ‘s Yunho had previously been swept up in a scandal when it was reported that he had violated social-distancing measures by gathering in an escort bar with his friends.

Following his court verdict as not guilty, SM Entertainment has already issued an official statement regarding the matter. Yunho soon released a personal apology as well.

"Hello. This is Jung Yunho. Firstly, I sincerely apologize once more for having disappointed everyone due to the past issue. As someone that was loved by many, I apologize once more for not having followed the social distancing measures by staying out past 10pm with my friends in February, and I am very apologetic for having concerned many by not having realized about the location due to my carelessness.




At that point of time, I received a request from my friend to listen to his worries, and I went out after only hearing that it was a place where we could quietly converse. I went there without any special caution and I have since been spending time embarrassed about myself and am reflecting even now.

Hence forth, I will reflect on myself more so as to not allow such a matter to happen again. Once more, I apologize for having concerned many with my carelessness." — Yunho

Ever since the initial reveal, he has denied his active participation in the escort bar and claimed that he only visited the location upon invitation from his friend to come and talk and had no idea about the location’s true nature.