Intro –

Playing video games has always been something I’ve loved to do since I was a child, and being the imaginative soul that I am, I make it a point to “draw outside the lines,” as it were. When I first played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I used to follow my own path instead of the one the game gave me because I couldn’t be bothered to follow it.

I didn’t want to feel like I was surrendering my will to my own game. This is why I spent a good amount of time not following the game’s intended route.

But that’s the thing: I already know the game since this is a replay of sorts, and I do feel like that has changed the way I look at its natural progression. Even then, there are still ways I can do what I want without taking it to the point of risking certain death, like going anywhere near Central Hyrule before I’m ready.

Following objectives and creating my own have one thing in common: my choice. See, I can follow a set path, but it can also get to a point where something in the game may have to wait until later, even if it can technically be done now. I can deliberately undertake a Shrine Quest, for example, but the time it requires may mean I have to save it for later.

Personally, I do believe that taking a different route can make the game more challenging, but as I’ve learned the hard way, it can also make things overwhelmingly difficult, causing you to either risk certain death or save that route for later.

I’m before you today to share my experience with breaking the routes games give you and what you can take from it.

Knowledge Is The Power –

On my original playthrough, I was jumping all over the map, and doing things that way gave me the confidence to keep doing so. I didn’t go straight to certain Shrines or even places I was supposed to go because I wanted to do it my way. I did, but the price I paid was that it seemed to take me longer to beat the game.

On this replay, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to prioritize completing Shrines in a certain order to keep with each region’s progression, and that also means making sure my plan to get the Master Sword before tackling the Divine Beasts remains absolute. In regard to drawing outside the lines, I am and I am not. Make of that what you will.

My plan is simple: get the Master Sword, and once I do, don’t let the Trial of the Sword wait. If I can get the sword to full power right out of the starting gate, I can go through the rest of the game better prepared for the stronger enemies waiting for me.

Why am I doing this? Because even though I’m following the game’s progression of sorts, I’m still doing it my way. Call it give and take.

I’ve always been the type that if I can find a better way of doing something, I will. That’s why I’m sticking to my plan of Shrine hopping before I tackle the Divine Beasts.

You get the objective to go after the Divine Beasts fairly early in the game, at a point when I don’t feel properly prepared for everything that awaits me there. Master Sword in hand, I will be.

Restrictions Within Reason –

I attempted Central Hyrule as a means of progression and unlocking the region’s Tower, but I had to leave it alone because I was no match for the Guardians patrolling it. However, the silver lining was that it gave me a sense of what is and isn’t worth pursuing at that moment. For example, I was doing The Crowned Beast Shrine Quest, and the biggest pain in my ass was getting a buck. I eventually did it, but the experience also reinforced my “leave it alone for now” rule. In so doing, I avoided unnecessary frustration.

Following a region-by-region path is easier and better because, as I’m doing now, I’m unlocking things as I go along, including the Shrines in each area, however many there are. The bigger thing about it is that I’m finding new ways to conquer different obstacles in those regions, and that also means establishing different routes to get around tougher threats, like the Lynel waiting just outside the East Lanayru Promenade Gate.

The Lynel outside the gate hunts anything within its range, so whether I’m meant to go through that asshole to get where I’m going or not, the path provides. Simply put, I climbed the mountain to my right and worked my way around the dumb son of a bitch. Being grounded creatures, Lynels have no sense of atmosphere, making getting around them easier when the terrain allows it.

For me, my own self-imposed limitations keep me on the straight and narrow in the sense that I’m not wandering around trying to find Shrines and wasting time in regions I have no business being in yet.

And I think that’s why I love my replay right now. I’m not following a line of sorts, but at the same time, I am. I’m tackling the regions from easiest to hardest, eventually leading me toward the areas where I know I’ll be ready to conquer whatever comes next.

Breaking the Route vs. Breaking the Game –

To me, overpowering Link at my current point isn’t necessary because my goal is to build him up gradually. Sure, I can go after the EX Treasures right now and get that powerful armor, but the reason I’m not is because that would cause me to deviate from my path just to get something I might not wear on principle.

Besides, like I always say, I like to fight with my food. Speaking of current routes, it’s also for this reason that I decided not to reap the bigger rewards that await inside the Shrines of Jitan Sa’mi and Chaas Qeta.

It’s not that I couldn’t outsmart or outdo what awaits in both places because I’ve done it before. But this time, I want my replay to end differently because it was played differently. This also goes for my upgrades.

My Climbing Boots, Heart Containers, and Stamina Vessels keep progression meaningful because they make some of the game’s unforgiving aspects more forgiving. Simply put, when I’m climbing mountains to reach the Shrines waiting on them, I can burn through less stamina and keep my footing.

I’ve gotten to a point where I don’t see a reason to have it all at that moment. Video games are all about creating an experience, and you’re not doing that if you’re constantly trying to obtain certain things you’re not meant to have yet. I’ve always been the type of gamer who wants to see what I can accomplish without that something.

This is why I’m going to attempt the Master Sword Trials after I get said Sword because it’ll be my wit, cunning, and strategic gaming genius against a shitload of enemies, three trials, and limited life. True mastery isn’t getting something early; it’s seeing what you can do before you reach that something.

Conclusion –

To wrap up, changing the route on a playthrough, especially if it’s a replay, isn’t a bad idea as long as you stay within the limits of what is and isn’t reasonable based on where you are and where you’re not supposed to be yet.

This is a lesson I learned the hard way and, going forward, something I will keep in mind. This is also the reason why I chose the path I did in going after the Divine Beasts only after completing the Master Sword Trials. I want to be ready for everything.

From my natural experience on my replay thus far, I feel like this game is unpredictable, but not so much in the sense that I don’t know what’s next. I do. It’s more along the lines of the game presenting new ways to challenge how I move forward. Following my own route in regard to progression has given me a new perspective on how to attain mastery.

So I leave you with this: break the route only if it benefits you. Don’t do what I did on my first playthrough of Breath of the Wild, where I made my own path but also made things so much harder on myself.

Point of Order: Know when and when not to break away.

Intro –

Have you ever played a game once, put it down, and almost vowed never to pick it up again—until one day, you decide that you do? Well, that’s what happened to me. I started my replay of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and even though I haven’t played the game in five years, there are some things I remember and some things I don’t.

For example, I still remember how to swing a sword and hold up my shield for defense. To some extent, I also remember how to dodge.

However, once I started getting back into the game, a wealth of things started coming back to me, but more on that later. One thing I specifically remember having trouble with was the Flurry Rush. I was an ace of spades at pulling it off in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, but BOTW is another story.

I still feel there are things I don’t fully remember how to do like I did 60 months ago, but I also feel that the longer I keep playing, the more likely it is that everything will eventually come back to me.

Today, I come before you to share my experience of what it’s like coming back to BOTW after five years away. I’ll be honest: part of me feels like the controls—and the game in general—should’ve come back naturally.

If you’re ready, let’s go.

Rememberance From 5 –

As I was playing and getting back into the game again, I felt like I had to relearn what it meant to interact with each Shrine puzzle and use basic movement in order to get through. For example, using the paraglider inside the Shee Vaneer and Shee Venath Shrines.

And despite remembering how to get rid of certain enemies, I had to try to remember which bombs are good for which situations. But that’s the beauty of playing the game again because I felt like it was all coming back to me. Another example is using the Remote Bomb on Blue Bokoblins. They’re tougher to kill, so dealing with them requires a little ingenuity.

Things as simple as trying to hold food in my hands so I could cook it—that was where the “fun” was. I kept dropping the food, and I really wasn’t trying to. It got to a point where I had to literally stop, think for a second, then go back to holding the food again, this time training myself not to drop it anywhere that wasn’t a cooking pot.

The bigger thing about remembering how to play is that pushing a button by mistake can reveal something as simple as how to throw a weapon or tell you when one is on the verge of breaking.

I do feel like remembering certain pieces of BOTW helps without taking away from the actual adventure. It was in the Ta’loh Naeg Shrine that I was shown how to actively dodge, as well as how to activate the Flurry Rush, which will be useful as I continue through the game. Overall, I’m feeling good about the replay so far, even if I feel like I’m having to remember critical pieces of information all over again.

Hyrule Still Surprised Me After the Absence –

After not picking up the game for five years, exploration felt a little overwhelming. I was still able to recognize certain areas, but there were times when I thought certain Shrines were in places they weren’t, like Kaya Wan Shrine in the Lanayru Wetlands and Rota Ooh Shrine on the southern border of Central Hyrule.

There were also Shrines I felt like I could get to but decided against because I had to remember that just because I know where a Shrine is doesn’t necessarily mean I’m ready to make the journey there yet.

When I was trying to find the Dueling Peaks Shrines, I felt like it was great rediscovering how to get to them again. There was a great sense of accomplishment in having to climb a mountain—or the side of one—that was the size of Godzilla’s thigh. I remember looking through my Sheikah Slate scope, finding Shrines near me, and realizing that some were going to require me to reach a little farther than others.

In my opinion, I did forget a lot of the routes and secret paths leading to certain places, but that overwhelming sense of discovery made me feel like if I can rediscover certain Shrines—or even figure out how to reach certain ones without risking certain death—I can rediscover the others. I felt a flame inside me reignite into a blaze of motivation.

Different Approach to Gameplay After 5 Years –

I do feel, in some way, shape, or form, that my gameplay habits, as well as my overall experience, have changed how I approach Shrines and upgrades. For example, a lot of the DLC armor in the game I put off-limits until I felt like their “help” was earned or until I wanted to feel them out before giving them a chance.

When it comes to combat, I’m erring on the side of caution. I’m either going in with my shield up or executing a Flurry Rush to avoid getting killed by a small Guardian. Everything has felt a lot more reactive since I got back into the game.

As far as making different decisions compared to my first playthrough? Absolutely. Revisiting my earlier point about the Shrines, I’m putting some of them off until much later in the game. It’s not because I can’t get to them now with my renewed knowledge, but because I feel like I bum-rushed, for lack of a better word, through certain places that I probably shouldn’t have during my first run.

Somehow, I made it work, but I’m not trying to do the same things I did back then. I’m even going after the Shrines in the specific areas I’m currently venturing through instead of drawing outside the lines, as it were.

I’ve definitely reached the point where I love being able to travel back long distances using the Shrines. Simply put, it beats walking all the way back in a particular direction.

But I also feel like that’s a double-edged sword because when I do choose to walk back, I’m able to recognize familiar pieces of land. Sometimes that even triggers my Shrine Sensor in areas I’ve already traveled through, which has made backtracking fun.

Conclusion –

To wrap up, rediscovering a lot of what I forgot over the last five years has been a great discovery on its own because I feel like I can now go through the rest of the game knowing exactly what feels familiar and when to go off my instincts instead of just running blindly. There’s still some unpredictability in terms of what awaits me as I make my way forward, but I do feel like I’m doing things differently this time instead of trying to cram everything into one simple run.

To me, this isn’t about repetition so much as it is a reawakening of knowledge that, after five years, can come rushing back to me in many ways. I’ve learned that no matter how long you’re away from a game, that knowledge can be restored as long as you’re willing to put in the time—especially if the game is a treasured favorite like this one is to me.

Intro –

Edgar and Sabin are two characters in Final Fantasy VI who have very different fighting styles that, by all accounts, make them awesome in their own way. Sabin is a martial artist, and Edgar is a machinist who, might I add, has some of the coolest Tools ever invented in any Final Fantasy game.

Personally, I use them together most of the time because the game sometimes creates situations where both brothers are needed, and their fighting styles complement each other.

One of the things I noticed is that Tools and Blitz aren’t abilities meant to be used only occasionally. Like always, the game will provide situations where they’re useful, and for me, there wasn’t a shortage of those situations from the moment I started playing until I finished my replay.

And let’s face it: no one does the Phantom Rush better than Sabin. To put a fine point on it, when I need a technique that requires something only one of the brothers can do, that’s when I call them in. Even during ordinary battles, if I needed someone to confuse enemies—and quite a few of them can be confused—Edgar was on the job.

Sure, it was easy to push the Attack button every turn, but here’s the thing: when shit hit the fan—and it did—it wasn’t always just, “Hey, a few hits from Sabin and this guy’s roadkill.”

Nah. In Final Fantasy VI, you never got off that easy. There was always going to be that one enemy who, for all intents and purposes, was going to take more than simple attacks to kill.

Enter Sabin’s Blitz or Edgar’s Tools.

I come before you today to make the argument that the Figaro Bros aren’t just ordinary men of war. They’re some of the most fun you’ll have in Final Fantasy VI. But be warned: they play differently, yet you’ll almost always find a reason to have them in the same party.

I did.

Edgar’s Tools Almost Feel Unfair –

To the untrained eye, Edgar’s Tools might look like regular attacks with machines when they’re far more dangerous than that. For one, Chainsaw, Edgar’s most devastating and damaging Tool in his arsenal, goes to work on bosses and really deals the kind of damage needed to knock them down a peg.

But that’s not to say his signature Auto Crossbow is a slouch in that regard. It’s not. That Tool has been the unsung hero of many a battle.

I remember one particular battle where I was up against several enemies—big enemies. So I pulled out Chainsaw, which is a huge damage dealer, and the enemy was there until they weren’t. 😂 The main Tool I reached for was Chainsaw because when I needed something to hit for big damage, that’s what I used. I hardly used Noiseblaster or Bioblaster.

Both had their uses, but Auto Crossbow and Chainsaw were my go-tos. Drill was a close third. Though I hardly used it, it definitely came in handy when I was cutting down those goons at Kefka’s Tower.

The Tools came through in a pinch whenever Edgar’s weapon damage didn’t deal the kind of damage I needed. But I will also say that I almost always kept Chainsaw for tough enemies and bosses. I mean, the kind of damage Chainsaw did usually made boss fights last about as long as drinking a soda in one go.

Edgar is an excellent damage machine with the right weapon, but with his Tools, his attacks went from ordinary to extraordinary.

More often than not, I felt like his Tools were his basic attack because I defaulted to them over his regular Attack command.

Sabin Gets You Into The Game –

What I love about Sabin’s Blitz attacks is that they’re not just attacks executed with simple button presses. They’re a sequence of directions and buttons you have to input to execute his special attacks.

Take Aura Cannon, a Blitz of pure Holy energy. While it’s easy to execute, it’s not without its difficulty when inputting the commands under extreme duress. And if I’m being honest, the experience of inputting the Blitz commands really gets you involved, with high-level damage being the reward.

It’s like Blitz is saying, “You want to use or activate me? You’ve got to do the finger work.” Personally, after what I experienced during the replay, it’s definitely worth it. All of Sabin’s Blitz moves are good for something and have a little something for everyone.

Phantom Rush easily became one of my favorites because of its raw damage. Aura Cannon is another favorite because I’ve always loved the idea of turning energy into raw power and then firing it as an energy beam. Beautiful.

Meteor Strike was another one. I didn’t use it as much, but when I had a single boss or difficult enemy I was trying to get rid of, Meteor Strike was definitely one of my go-tos. Razor Gale was another option when I needed pure Wind power to destroy an enemy or exploit a weakness to Wind. It definitely came through in a pinch. I felt like the ability was somewhat lacking in the damage department, but it was still a good Blitz to use to break down enemy numbers, which made it useful.

From personal experience, Sabin didn’t become one of my favorites only because of his Blitzes. He was also very dependable in battle, and yeah, he was satisfying to use as a character. His Blitzes definitely came across as more situational than automatic, which meant choosing the right one mattered. Soul Spiral was one Blitz I didn’t use because of its sacrificial nature.

Special Abilities vs. Regular Attacks –

With the Figaro Brothers’ special abilities, there were times in the game when I didn’t bother with regular attacks because I needed raw damage power right out of the gate. Whether that came from Sabin’s Blitz or Edgar’s Tools, both were needed to minimize, for lack of a better word, the enemy threat—of which there were many.

To put a finer point on this, the gentlemen’s special abilities became regular attacks once I got to the World of Ruin. Yeah, there were times when I used regular attacks, but those times weren’t many. When you get to the World of Ruin, there are already tough enemies sitting there waiting for you.

You either attack them or they kill you. I always stayed on top of my gear in terms of having that next strong weapon and whatnot, but there wasn’t any point in the game where holding back power was a lifesaver.

I think what really made these abilities different from those of other characters is that these commands weren’t magical or transformative in nature. They were commands capable of altering a battle situation.

For example, Edgar’s Noiseblaster confuses foes. That’s handy when you’re just trying to create an opening so Terra or Celes can use their magic to finish off an enemy. Flash is another one. Flash can inflict Darkness on enemies, which is definitely useful against foes that rely mostly on physical attacks to get the job done.

Final Fantasy VI itself gained legendary status by giving players more than just an Attack command or situational special abilities. It gives the player an engine with which to drive the game to the end their way. You’re not just getting Edgar’s Chainsaw to use against tough enemies, but against bosses that need to be destroyed through raw power.

It’s also about choice. You can definitely pick and choose when—and when not—to use the power at your disposal.

Conclusion –

To wrap up, Sabin and Edgar are great characters in the way they complement each other beyond simply being brothers. Sabin is the muscle, Edgar is the brains, and that’s what gives birth to their fighting styles. They’re not necessarily opposite sides of the same coin, although sometimes it can feel like they are. Instead, they come together as one on the battlefield.

Edgar’s Tools made him feel like a true machinist in the way they responded to him and through the damage that followed. Sabin, meanwhile, was trained in the way of Blitz, and only he can pull those techniques off.

Out of the gate, if someone were to ask me what I thought about the brothers and what makes them unique, I’d respond, “Their battle titles.” What playing these two taught me is that it’s one thing to input a command to get a special attack off, but it’s another to have commands that can make a battle work to your advantage—whether that’s confusing an enemy or using an enemy’s recovery period to recover yourself.

Sabin and Edgar were so fun to use because I got to utilize their unique abilities to make battles untraditionally fun, whether that meant using Aura Cannon on some Roaders or using Chainsaw on a Warring Triad statue. I had both brothers, and I capitalized on what each one brought to the fight.

One always picked up where the other left off, and that’s the biggest thing about using the two men together.

Intro –

The spell list in Final Fantasy VI is vast, and Terra—not to mention Celes—is at the center of those powers, with each one learning her own separate cavalcade of spells. However, after analyzing Terra and Celes’s natural spell lists, I found that many of their spells are level-spaced, for lack of a better term; some aren’t learned until much later levels.

For example, Terra naturally learns Ultima at Level 99, while Celes doesn’t naturally learn Meteor until Level 98. Those are levels where a serious grind could be expected—and not from me, it isn’t. 😂

I was looking at their spell lists a few days ago while playing the game, and it dawned on me that the natural progression of their magic is kind of blah. Yeah, Terra can naturally learn Firaga at Level 43 and Celes can learn Blizzaga at Level 42, but by the time they reach those levels, there’s a good chance I’ll already have opportunities to teach them powerful magic through the Esper system. So, in a way, their natural magic progression becomes a double-edged sword.

That’s one of the reasons the Esper system is so useful: it can shortcut the wait for certain spells. Want Terra to learn Fira earlier? Ifrit can answer the call. Want Celes to learn Blizzara without waiting for her natural progression?

Shiva is more than eager to help. The enemies aren’t going to wait around for Terra and Celes to reach the level required to naturally learn the spell I want, so why should I?

Since I started this replay, I’ve had one goal: make this replay my own. Part of that means teaching Terra and Celes certain powers outside of their natural progression instead of allowing their level-up spell lists to dictate when I’m allowed to use them.

Today, I’m going to explain why I’ve been using Espers to fill the gaps in Terra and Celes’s natural magic progression—and the benefits I’ve been reaping from doing it.

Natural Isn’t Natural, Ironically –

There are spells Terra and Celes can learn that would definitely be useful additions to their arsenals. Thunder magic, for one. I mean, there are so many mechanical enemies throughout the game that having access to Thunder spells could benefit both of them. Poison is another example. I’ve found both an enemy and a boss that were vulnerable to Poison, which really surprised me. Terra eventually learns Graviga naturally, but I’m also interested in experimenting with teaching her Gravity earlier to see how useful it can be before then.

But make no mistake: I don’t plan on using Espers to fill every gap in the girls’ spell lists.

When it comes to Firaga and Blizzaga, I was thinking about letting Terra and Celes learn their respective spells naturally. But since I’m teaching them Thunder magic, I might take the Valigarmanda route and teach them the -aga spells that way. I’m still debating it.

The point is, I’m through waiting until the girls learn certain magic when the game says they can. If an Esper can teach them something sooner and I decide that spell is useful to my strategy, they’re going to learn it sooner. The biggest thing about making this replay my own is drawing my own line instead of letting the game draw it for me.

For me, getting certain spells earlier can change the entire dynamic of what Terra and Celes contribute to battle. There are enemies where elemental weaknesses give me an opening, while powerful non-elemental spells like Flare, Meteor, and Ultima give me another way of dealing damage without having to worry about elemental resistance. Why should I wait until some predetermined level if the Esper system gives me another legitimate path?

The difference between rushing character development and using Espers to fill a weakness lies in where I draw the line. For example, teaching Terra and Celes their -aga spells through Valigarmanda would allow them to cross over into each other’s primary elemental territory: Celes would learn Firaga, while Terra would learn Blizzaga.

In a big way, it’s not as bad as it sounds. On paper, it could potentially dampen their individuality, but I don’t believe it has to. Terra will still have her unique abilities and natural spell progression, just as Celes will still have hers. Teaching Terra one Ice spell because it comes with an Esper I’m deliberately using doesn’t suddenly mean I need to turn around and teach her every Ice spell in the game.

Filling Gaps, Don’t Teach Everything –

Natural progression says that Terra and Celes learn their spells as they climb the level ladder. However, because of the Esper system, Terra and Celes have access to an enormous range of magic—but that doesn’t mean I’m going to teach them everything.

Sure, I can let the girls naturally learn their respective spells, but if an Esper can get me somewhere quicker while giving me a few additional perks along the way, why not ride the wave? The game gives me the option. Even if their natural spell progression suggests waiting, I’m here to play the game, not play ball—and Rodney Lee McGill Jr. doesn’t play ball!

Besides, I do things my way. When it comes to deciding which late-game spells to teach my girls, I don’t look at the Esper system as some cheap shortcut. I base those decisions on opportunity, usefulness, and strategy. By the time I get the opportunity to teach Terra Ultima—which is a big deal for me in this game—the rest of the bosses can stop looking for me and start taking out life insurance policies.

Don’t wait for opportunity to knock. Go kick its door in. I do.

However, I draw the line at unnecessarily teaching the girls each other’s “identity” spells. For example, I’m not going to teach Terra Protect simply because Celes naturally learns it, nor am I going to teach Celes Graviga just because Terra eventually learns it. A spell or two here and there can give the girls some additional versatility, but going so far as to deliberately teach both of them everything the other naturally learns starts bleeding their magical identities together. Eventually, the biggest thing separating them would be their appearance and unique abilities.

That’s why if I see a spell that I know Celes is eventually going to learn and I don’t need it immediately, I don’t necessarily have to use an Esper to fill that gap. I can wait. The same goes for Terra. Just because I’ve decided that I don’t have to follow natural progression doesn’t mean natural progression suddenly has no value.

Terra is already my heavier offensive magic user, and overloading her spell list with everything Celes can do would start diminishing the reason I keep Celes around in the first place. This brings me back to Terra’s Esper form, Trance. It can dramatically amplify Terra’s magical offense, so imagine giving her something like Meteor—a powerful spell she doesn’t naturally learn—and then taking advantage of it while she’s transformed.

Think about that for a moment.

My Shape, My Choice –

The Esper system really did this game wonders—favors, even—because it revolutionized how you can shape the characters you want to use. For example, you don’t necessarily have to wait on Terra and Celes to learn everything naturally. The Espers make it possible to teach them an enormous variety of magic, so you can incorporate the Espers into your strategy and make their power your own by teaching certain spells or simply fast-tracking something you want sooner.

Personally, I didn’t think much about teaching the girls Thunder magic at first, but the more mechanical enemies and other Thunder-vulnerable enemies I encountered, the more useful it started looking. If I’m repeatedly encountering something that’s allergic to Thunder, why wouldn’t I want Terra and Celes capable of exploiting that weakness?

Then there’s Valigarmanda, which teaches the three -aga spells: Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga. Learning these would definitely give the girls another edge, and the more I think about it, the less bothered I am by Celes learning Firaga or Terra learning Blizzaga.

Celes learning Firaga doesn’t suddenly take Fire away from Terra’s identity. Terra still wears that crown as far as I’m concerned. Likewise, Terra learning Blizzaga doesn’t suddenly make her my Ice specialist.

That’s Celes’s territory in the way I’ve chosen to build and view these characters. Crossing that boundary for strategic purposes doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve erased it.

Furthermore, this experiment taught me a valuable lesson about open-mindedness in the name of gaming strategy: closed minds get shut out. I learned that the hard way because I’ve encountered plenty of enemies that were vulnerable to something I could’ve taught the girls sooner. Holding myself to an arbitrary restriction would’ve meant ignoring an advantage the game was openly giving me.

That’s why filling the gaps—and accepting the additional perks that sometimes come with doing it—should be viewed as an advantage rather than some gross miscalculation. Experimenting with the Esper system isn’t destroying my strategy. It’s helping me refine it.

Conclusion –

To wrap up, Terra and Celes are natural magic users who can learn plenty of powerful spells on their own. However, I value the spells they learn naturally because those spell lists help separate them. Terra isn’t going to naturally learn Meteor—that’s Celes’s collar—and Celes isn’t going to naturally learn Ultima—that’s all Terra.

The Espers may have a hand in filling the gaps, but there are still lines I make sure they—or rather, I—don’t cross. If I’m being honest, the natural spell lists for both women shouldn’t dictate when I learn something, especially if it’s something I believe I need right now.

I’ve encountered enemies throughout this replay with weaknesses I could exploit simply by having the right spell available. Having that power on hand can speak volumes, and it’s something FFVI’s open-minded approach to character development allows me to do.

So my advice to you gamers out there is this: make the game yours. Play by your own rules. If you want to use an Esper to teach your girls certain spells earlier, do it; the game gives you that option. And to put a finer point on this, you may end up learning additional spells along the way that you might or might not use, but at least they’ll be there if you eventually decide to.

Embrace it. Let it take you.

For me, I choose when I want to teach my girls certain powers, but I’m not above letting them learn certain spells naturally either. That’s the balance I’ve found during this replay. Sometimes I wait. Sometimes I don’t. What matters is that I’m the one making that decision.

But make no mistake: by the time I reach the World of Ruin, the “venom” of believing I have to obey natural spell progression has worn off. All bets are off. At that point, if teaching the girls additional spells works in my favor without crossing the lines I’ve established for their identities, I’m going to do it.

So remember: play the game your way. Draw your line. Don’t cross it. And above all, shape the game the way you want—not the way you think the game expects you to.

Continue the Adventure

Making an RPG your own isn’t just about following the path the game puts in front of you. It’s about experimenting, finding the strategies that work for you, and enjoying the journey along the way.

I’ve put together a collection of gaming essentials on Benable that can help make those long RPG adventures more comfortable and enjoyable. Check out my recommendations and find something that fits your own gaming setup.

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Intro –

You know, I’m a person who believes that if someone is good at something, then that person should be held responsible for whatever that is. For example, when I first started using the Esper system, I didn’t think much about teaching my people healing magic because Terra and Celes had the market cornered, so to speak; they were my dedicated healers.

But after a while, I began to notice how not everyone in my group could recover from attacks, lethal or otherwise. I learned the hard way that leaning on Terra and Celes for healing meant that would become their role in practically every battle. They deserve to have a life on the battlefield that doesn’t revolve around healing everyone else.

That’s why I decided to teach my chosen two, Sabin and Edgar, Cure, Cura, and Curaga. Mainly, they already have their own powers and abilities; they don’t need to cop off the Espers for a bunch of extra offensive powers.

To me, that would start destroying their identities and make them less of who they’re supposed to be throughout the game versus what I’m creating them to be simply because the Esper system allows it. That wouldn’t really be doing them—or me—any favors.

That’s why I love the approach I took. I can teach certain party members healing magic without jeopardizing what I want from them. I’m kicking down the door to make the argument that teaching healing magic to your chosen people doesn’t have to come at the cost of your gameplay or their identities. It’s a worthwhile endeavor, and I encourage it because I do it myself.

That said, let’s get started.

One Person Is Responsible For Everyone –

See, for me, the logic in teaching certain party members healing magic is that if Terra or Celes is being targeted by an attack or handling their own business offensively, the chosen people on the battlefield with them need to be able to handle their own healing. Not only that, they need to be able to Raise anyone who’s been K.O.’d as well.

This isn’t just about healing magic. Raise comes in handy when somebody goes down. Everyone needs to learn it—or at least everyone I’ve chosen to take with me.

Sabin and Edgar are the two who benefit the most from healing magic like Cure, Cura, and eventually Curaga because they don’t naturally have dependable self-healing options that fit what I need. But everybody in my chosen party can benefit from learning Raise.

I mean, think about this. Humbaba is being a nuisance and Terra is handling her business, but Sabin gets K.O.’d while Edgar is trying to get a healing spell off to recover from Humbaba’s magical onslaught.

Cyan can use Raise to get Sabin back up, and Edgar can heal him. Really, it’s a no-brainer because Terra and Celes are going to back each other up—that’s how I always plan it. But Cyan, Edgar, and Sabin also need to be capable of handling their own healing and revival when the time comes, and it will.

The biggest benefit to the Figaro brothers having healing magic is that Edgar doesn’t have to worry about Sabin being low on health just because Sabin’s Chakra ability only works on everyone else and not himself—which, again, I think is pretty stupid. 😂 Giving Sabin his own healing magic closes that gap without taking Blitz away from what makes him Sabin.

Call it a contingency plan, but it’s easier to give your people the tools to stay alive than to expect one person—or a couple of people—to do all the heavy lifting in that regard. Besides, by the time you get Terra back in the World of Ruin and start putting the gang back together, you’re going to want Terra’s Esper form available when the situation calls for overwhelming offense. For plenty of enemies, that power can become a death sentence; against tougher opponents, it can become one of my strongest weapons.

That power shouldn’t have to take a back seat because Terra is constantly responsible for keeping everybody alive. Making sure my people have the tools to survive without depending entirely on her is the real reward—and, to me, the real strategy.

Healing Magic Doesn’t Change Who Your Party Members Are –

In my professional opinion, teaching Sabin and Edgar healing magic doesn’t make them another Terra or Celes because the girls are natural magic users; the guys are not. Besides, I don’t want to turn Sabin and Edgar into experienced Magi because that’s not the role I’ve chosen for them.

They already have their own strengths, and I’d rather build around those than use the Esper system to turn everybody into the same type of fighter.

When you think about personal abilities like Tools, Trance, Blitz, and Bushido, those are abilities that belong to their respective characters. Teaching healing magic to those party members doesn’t detract from that. Terra is still able to Trance and, in doing so, dramatically increase her offensive power. Sabin can’t do that. Edgar’s Tools can’t do that either. That’s Terra’s power and Terra’s alone.

I think of it like this: I’m all for teaching a few of my characters support magic to use in battle, but what I will not do is teach them everything simply to complement their movesets.

For example, I’m not going to teach Sabin Firaga just because he has his fire-based Rising Phoenix Blitz, nor am I going to teach Celes Ultima simply because Meteor doesn’t hit as hard. At that point, I’d be using the Esper system to compensate for every perceived weakness instead of accepting and working with the characters I’ve chosen.

Incidentally, healing is the exception because it’s something I know every character can benefit from. Elemental and offensive magic, on the other hand, I prefer to leave to the characters I’ve chosen to specialize in magic and who can make the fullest use of those spells. Healing keeps my characters alive. Offensive magic starts changing how I’ve chosen to define them.

That’s where I draw the line.

You’ve Got the Freedom, Why Not?

I feel like the Esper system fixes the weaknesses of party members while still allowing them to be who they are. Sabin can still kick ass using his martial arts, and Cyan can learn Raise so it’s always on hand to revive anyone who falls. I mean, face it, Cyan is still going to be a Samurai—but now he’s a Samurai who can revive his fallen comrades. Raise doesn’t change who he is.

Teaching healing magic to the non-magical people in your party—whoever you choose—is both strategically sound and a blessing in disguise. I get it: you can go through the game as your characters are and choose not to take full advantage of the Esper system. I get that because I used to think like that too.

But what changed for me was the versatility factor. If another person can be on standby to heal or revive someone when needed, that’s worth having. At the end of the day, even if you choose not to teach any of your extra people healing magic, it’ll come down to what your definition of personal freedom is within the confines of the game.

For me, if I’m facing off against the Warring Triad, I want to make sure that if Terra gets K.O.’d, Celes can use Raise to bring her back while someone else can use Curaga to restore her health. Nobody has to abandon their primary role just because something went wrong.

Making sure all of my chosen party members have access to the recovery magic they need is paramount because it frees up my talented magic users so they can do their thing.

On this replay, that’s exactly what I wanted my goal to be: teach healing magic to those who need it, and they’ll be able to take care of themselves and those around them when the situation demands it.

Simply put, the game introduces you to two talented magic users who can use elemental and healing magic, but that’s not where the line has to be drawn. The biggest aspect of this replay is making it my own instead of allowing the game to determine where I believe those boundaries should be.

Conclusion –

To wrap up, healing magic isn’t just confined to Terra and Celes; Sabin and Edgar can benefit from it as well. However, Raise is a spell that everyone in my chosen party can benefit from because there’s always the possibility that someone is going to get K.O.’d and need reviving.

Don’t get it twisted: teaching healing magic to someone like Cyan doesn’t change his function as a Samurai, nor does it change Sabin from a martial arts hero into a full-blown healer. Everyone still remains who they are and retains their identity.

The difference is that they’re learning healing and support magic as a means of survival, not as a way to become stand-ins for Terra and Celes. This replay is all about making the game—and the characters—my own without crossing the line and warping who they really are.

Terra and Celes are great magic users, and their powers only grow stronger throughout the game, but they’re not responsible for healing and reviving everyone.

That’s not fair to them. Ironically, constantly forcing them into that responsibility can keep me from utilizing their full potential because I’m spending their turns cleaning up everybody else’s problems instead of taking advantage of everything they’re capable of doing.

Remember this: whether you’re playing for the first time in eons or replaying, teaching everyone—or rather, your chosen party members—healing magic can be one of the best strategic moves you make. And let me be clear about this: this is all about making the game your own, not playing it according to what you think the game expects from you.

You bought it. It didn’t buy you.

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Intro –

Final Fantasy VI is one of the most memorable RPGs in gaming existence, and for obvious reasons. I’m conducting my second playthrough—my replay—and there’s so much to love about the game. Some gamers have called it legendary, and the proof is in the pudding. To me, legendary means the type of game that gives you free rein to do with your party members what you wish—but more on that later.

The memories I have of playing FFVI are a bit scant, but I wanted to replay the game to see how much of that retained knowledge would get me through the game, or at least as much of it as possible. For example, I remembered that the Ultima Weapon isn’t all that impressive when you first get it, but later on, it can become a weapon of terrible reckoning.

I also learned during this replay that Terra and Celes don’t naturally have access to Thunder spells, meaning those spells have to come from Espers, such as Ramuh. To put a fine point on this, spell learning through Espers can coincide with natural spell leveling—but only if it’s something you actually want to teach your magi.

Basically, when I decided to take on this FFVI replay, I came back wanting a similar experience while drawing my own conclusions about what is and isn’t allowed versus what should and shouldn’t be.

For example, just because I can teach my people all sorts of spells doesn’t mean I necessarily should when they have special abilities and identities of their own. I wanted to stick to my guns as far as using my own playstyle choices to ensure that my characters are where I want them to be, both level- and skill-wise.

Personally, a game as legendary as FFVI doesn’t need to justify its reputation the moment you pick it up. The rationale is that you enter from the perspective of already knowing what the game is and why it’s as good as it is. But a replay gives you the opportunity to experience those reasons for yourself all over again.

I come before you today to tell you why Final Fantasy VI, after all this time, still earns its legendary reputation.

The Characters Are the Adventure –

Final Fantasy VI has a large ensemble of characters, and the best part about that aspect is that you can pick and choose who you want to use throughout the game—as well as who you want to bench. For me, I don’t use Strago, Gogo, Gau, Mog, Relm, or even Setzer because I’m just not interested in using them.

I know what they’re capable of, but the game gives me the option to decide who I want in my party instead of constantly forcing me to use characters I don’t care about.

I felt a little pity for the characters I didn’t use, so I thought I would use the replay to get reacquainted with them. But as I went through the game up to my current point, I was reminded why I chose to use only certain characters in the first place. For example, Terra and Celes are my go-tos. Edgar has his Tools, which make him versatile when dealing with different enemies.

Then there’s Sabin and his martial arts abilities, along with Cyan and his Samurai abilities. These are my main crew because the power they bring to the table makes them worth using overall.

Plus, the gameplay aspect of using them is just awesome. When you need to keep Cyan healthy, for example, you’ve got his Dragon ability to drain HP and MP from an enemy—helpful in its own right.

Regarding their personal identities, Terra is half-human and half-Esper, and her Trance ability can significantly increase the damage she deals. Celes is my magic absorber; I use her Runic ability to intercept dangerous magic attacks from enemies.

Sure, Strago is the Blue Mage of the group, but personally, he doesn’t interest me any more than Gau does. I get it: they can acquire personal skills and abilities through enemies, but that’s exactly the part that doesn’t appeal to me.

You have to go out and acquire those abilities, and I don’t find enough of them useful to make me want to build my playstyle around either character. That’s why I stick to my legendary five.

The game gives you the time and space to learn each character and put them in situations where you can capitalize on their strengths. To me, that gives FFVI even more appeal and helps back up its legendary status—something I feel the earlier Final Fantasy games handled poorly by comparison.

Instead of constantly being forced to use certain characters in certain situations, FFVI eventually gives me room to choose my preferred party, which is exactly what I always do.

Strategy Without Unnecessary Complication –

Abilities like Edgar’s Tools and Sabin’s Blitzes, as well as the Esper system, give you a wide array of choices when it comes to how you want your characters to approach challenges throughout the game. For example, I could teach Sabin elemental magic, but then, to me, he’d start becoming another Terra or Celes instead of remaining Sabin.

I like to keep my characters pure—i.e., centered around their own abilities—but I make an exception when it comes to healing magic. Sabin’s Chakra Blitz heals his comrades but not Sabin himself. Edgar has no natural healing ability, so I teach him healing magic as well. I choose to keep things simple; there’s no need to draw outside the lines if I don’t have to.

To me, Terra and Celes already come equipped with healing magic while most of my other characters don’t. I didn’t want Terra and Celes to be the only ones responsible for healing everybody, especially when so many battles require their attention elsewhere. That’s when I decided to start teaching characters like Edgar and Sabin healing magic through Espers.

I might’ve taught Cyan healing magic too, but that was before I remembered that he eventually learns Dragon, which allows him to drain HP and MP from his chosen enemy and restore his own. That’s exactly the kind of ability that lets me preserve what makes Cyan Cyan instead of automatically giving him the same magic as everybody else.

Final Fantasy VI’s straightforward battle system is a shining example of why I believe games don’t need to bury strategy underneath unnecessary complexity. Compared with the earlier Final Fantasy games I’ve played, FFVI gives me plenty of strategic freedom while still keeping the fundamentals simple—and, to me, simple is just plain better.

The Replay Has to Prove The Reputation –

The Espers and their magical help are one thing I’ve approached differently because now I’m at a point where I want to teach Terra and Celes Thunder magic. Before, I didn’t think it was necessary—forbidden, even—but now I’m at a point where I want to teach them those spells because there are still plenty of enemies that are allergic to Thunder.

Experimenting has done wonders for my playthrough because I don’t feel as bound to the game or its rules as I felt I was during my first playthrough. Take Gau, for example. This time around, I benched him and Strago because they’re just too much work for what I want out of my party. I wanted to give everyone a fair chance during this replay, but when characters like them suck, they suck; that’s it. No helping them!

After not playing this game for years, the reason it can still hold my attention is because so many aspects of it are still appealing to me. Terra’s Esper form is OP and has basically become my “in case of emergency” power. Then there’s Celes and her unique abilities, along with those of my other three chosen characters—Edgar, Sabin, and Cyan. Each one of these five makes the game more enjoyable because of what they individually bring to my party. Even Sabin’s Blitzes are far easier for me to pull off now than they were back in the day.

FFVI’s legendary status still holds up because everything that made the game great to me in the first place is still here, but the replay has given me new ways to interact with it. I’m experimenting more, making different decisions, and allowing myself to decide what does and doesn’t belong in my version of the adventure. No matter how many years pass before I come back to FFVI again, I believe it’ll retain that legendary status because the things I love about it haven’t disappeared.

Conclusion –

To wrap up, Final Fantasy VI is and has always been one of the best Final Fantasy games in the series. Mainly, you have the option of playing the game how you want. You’re not bound to specific characters, and you can customize the ones you choose however you like. However, the reason the game is still legendary is because you’re at the center of the choices you make and, to put a fine point on it, the strategies you come up with are your own.

Personally, one of the main reasons I wanted to replay the game was to experiment with different things using different characters. I still have those I choose not to use, but I also have characters I’ve chosen as my go-tos. That’s part of what makes the experience mine. The game gives me the tools and possibilities, but ultimately, I’m the one deciding what to do with them.

That said, the characters are noteworthy because you’re always going to feel like you’re in control. Whether you’re using Celes to absorb magic with Runic or using Sabin’s Aura Cannon to hit an enemy with holy damage, this legendary game has something for everyone—whether you’re playing it for the first time or replaying it for the millionth.

Continue the Adventure –

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Intro –

My name is Rodney McGill Jr., Expert Gamer extraordinaire. I’ve been gaming for 36 years, and over that time, I’ve played and beaten my fair share of games—numbering in the 1,000s. Hardly an exaggeration.

Anyway, over the years that I’ve been gaming, there have been times when being an experienced gamer has forced me to examine things I ordinarily wouldn’t give a second thought. See, to me, gaming is everything, and no matter what, I always squeeze in and make time for my games.

However, being an experienced gamer, while it comes with its perks, also comes with its downsides. One of the things I have to do is make decisions—tough decisions.

I’m talking about “I don’t want to go to bed tonight if that game isn’t on my dashboard” type of decisions. Sometimes, those decisions involve what to buy, what not to buy, what has earned its place, and what ultimately has not. I mean, yeah, it can be said that making smart decisions about games is easy. I’m going to tell you right now: it is not!

There were times in the past, and even recently, when I had to put a couple of games on hold because even though I wanted them, being smarter about my money mattered more.

I’m here today to argue that even though you don’t want to make those hard gaming decisions, sometimes you have to. I mean, the hardest gaming decision isn’t always what game to buy; sometimes, it’s deciding what you’re willing to put aside for later—and that isn’t easy by any means. I had to do that myself, so I get it.

That said, let’s go!

Wanting a Game Doesn’t Mean I Need to Buy It –

I tried the demos for both The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales and Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and I was going to make a play for both when payday came. But when payday did come, I couldn’t make the move.

They just sat there on my wishlist. Something inside me said, “Leave them there. Trust me, you’ll get your chance. Don’t rush.” So I decided to go ahead and follow my instinct. To be honest, it hurt making that decision because I wanted those games so much. But just because the games were there for preorder didn’t mean I had to buy them—so I didn’t.

Besides, I have a rule: if it’s over $40, don’t buy it; wait for a sale. If it’s under $40, buy it—especially if it’s closer to $30–$35. I made this rule to draw a line between what I want and when I should buy it. The rule wouldn’t mean anything if I kept making exceptions.

If a game is $59.99 and I really want it, making an exception one time makes it even easier to justify doing it again when I want another game. That’s why I have my rule. Incidentally, the demo can be the difference between deciding that a game is worth playing and deciding that it’s worth its asking price.

Let’s face it: we’re all going to come across that one game that defies pretty much all logical reasoning when it comes to waiting for a sale. But the demo can be the light in the darkness, giving you a sneak peek at the game and allowing you to decide whether it’s worth the price or whether it stays on the wishlist.

Take it from me, leaving something on your wishlist does two things. One, it proves that the control has always been with you, not the excitement surrounding the game. And two, you get to save money instead of regretting the purchase or coming up even shorter later. Trust me, I’ve been in both boats, and the concept of sinking like a stone financially isn’t a concept.

Leaving That ‘Thing’ Alone, Not Easy –

This same discipline can easily be applied when it comes to games that encourage grinding, replaying, or even chasing upgrades. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is leave it alone. Yeah, having that shiny weapon is a big deal, but ask yourself, “A big deal according to who?” Who cares that you got it?

Why should it matter if you don’t get it? Who suffers more if you grind those three extra levels just to be able to crawl away from that battle? When you stop and think about all of that, you’re at the center, and no one else really cares. The decision not to do any of those things lies with you.

An example of this is when I started playing Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster, which I’m working on right now. My whole thing is making sure that everyone has healing powers. Now, I’d go so far as to say that I take it further by allowing my key magic users, Terra and Celes, to learn certain spells via Espers.

The thing about this is that making sure everyone has healing abilities is a tradition when I play FFVI because Terra and Celes cannot—nor should they—be the only ones healing. In so doing, everybody can watch their own back, and my magic users can focus on destroying those enemies. However, the line I never cross is trying to make Terra and Celes learn every single magic spell from every Esper.

I want them to be their own person, but I also don’t want them learning each other’s lead spells. For example, I don’t want Celes learning fire magic when she’s strictly ice. Walking away, stopping the grind, and choosing not to do any of that extraneous stuff—that decision is all you. And trust me when I say there are a lot of Espers in FFVI. Yeah, I can fast-track Terra and Celes to their powers, but I choose not to. Mainly, that’s doing too much, and having all of that power doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do anything meaningful with it.

The real experience lies in accepting that you can do everything without trying to do it all.

When I beat my FFVI replay, I can be satisfied because I got my party to where I wanted them to be, not where I was advised they should be.

Discipline Protects the Games I’m Already Playing –

At the end of the discipline is its own reward. For example, going back to those demos I tried. Sure I could’ve bought both games but I didn’t because I wasn’t through with FF6. Plus, I don’t play games half-ass, never have, never will. This is where my self-discipline comes in, I know its there and I can access it anytime I want but I don’t because I like the idea of earning my way, paying my way and not running to the front of the line because I have the permission to do so. It all comes back to making those hard decisions. Yeah, 007 First Light gets DLC that dropped, but playing it means eliminating any chance you had of enjoying it because you decided to skip the line i.e. the game you’re working on. Point of Order: Haste makes Waste.

Take it from me, I’m working on FF6 Pixel Remaster and enjoying the replay as I will my Breath of the Wild replay. Why? Simply, I believe in taking my time going through those games because I made the decision of ensuring that those games get their turn. Yeah, the Playstation games have been calling out to me, but that doesn’t mean I should run for them. Ergo, I’m not. Besides, I’ve been in situations where I’ve chased that next big game. But, what I got from that was a premature, half-enjoyed experience and money loss. There were times when I wouldn’t even get halfway through the 2nd or 3rd level before my crisis of conscious kick in. It goes without saying that protecting your game time is just as important because whether you play or replay a game, one fact remains, you made that choice. Stick with it, that’s a decision too.

Conclusion –

To wrap up, being a gaming authority has afforded me certain perks, but it also has its dark sides—like knowing I can’t act on the urge to buy every game I want at the cost of my self-discipline.

That same discipline keeps me from running after every game that catches my attention instead of simply waiting for a sale. I have 36 years of gaming experience under my belt, but I’ve only been buying my own games for the last 28.

And make no mistake: a lot of times, the hardest decisions aren’t about what your party should look like by the endgame or situations where you don’t know what to do. Sometimes, you know exactly what you should do, and the hard part is having the self-discipline to actually do it—even when you don’t want to.

So take it from me: don’t buy a game simply because your instincts tell you how cool it’ll be to have it. Buy it because you’re being smart about your finances and because you’ve decided it’s a worthwhile investment.

Continue the Adventure

Making smarter gaming decisions doesn’t mean taking the fun out of gaming. Sometimes, it means getting more value out of what you already have while waiting for the right time to make your next move. If you’re looking for a few things that can help you enjoy your current gaming setup without constantly chasing another game, check out my recommendations below.

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There comes a time in every game when small mistakes don’t always blur the line between have and have-not. I’ve been gaming for a long time, and I can tell you from experience that there are dangers we gamers tend to ignore.

Rushing is one of those basic things we gamers should never do, and we know this. Finishing a game is just as important as getting to the endgame or the final level.

However, sometimes we gamers get so convinced that we can take the endgame because we’re so O.P. (overpowered) that speeding through to the end will have no consequences—or so we think.

There have even been times when I knew I was so close to the end that I didn’t want to focus so much on finishing the game at a set pace.

You can start thinking that because the end is right there, you can just run to the finish line and it won’t make a difference. This isn’t a habit I’ve developed, but I have gotten to points where reaching the end meant staying up all night to finish, even if that meant rushing through that final level.

Yeah, there’s excitement about starting that next game, and there’s excitement about reaching the end of the game you’re currently playing so you can finally move on. However, this can change how you would normally play because the enjoyment, seemingly, has run its course.

At that point, the game just needs to end, and many gamers can start thinking that way simply because they’re so close. Rushing can become dangerous when we start making mistakes we wouldn’t make in a thousand years or fail to master abilities that require us to take our time.

I come before you to warn you of the dangers of rushing the endgame and why you definitely shouldn’t do it. And I’ll tell you something: there’s far more benefit to not rushing than there ever will be to rushing.

Knowing the Boss Doesn’t Mean You’re Ready for the It –

Seeing as how it’s been more than a couple of years since I played the game, I got to a point where I was playing through Metroid Dread, and even though I had my notes, I reached Raven Beak and had a lot of trouble trying to take him down—i.e., I tried to rush the battle with him.

I was sloppy and made it easy for him to kill me continuously. I was trying to get to the end of the battle and rushing based on what I “thought” I remembered from eons ago. It did me no good, if I’m being honest, and I learned quickly that patience is definitely a virtue.

One thing about a boss is that if you’re in the battle long enough, you’ll start to see certain cues and timings to the attacks they use. For example, after Raven Beak does his aerial stomp slam, nine times out of ten, he’ll fire his Hyper Beam. So after you missile his opening, get away or find a way to not be near him when he fires his Hyper Beam because the damage dealt can be moderate, teetering on significant.

Once I stopped rushing and learned when to counter Raven Beak’s attacks, I felt a sense of oneness returning that wasn’t there when I thought I could rush through the battle. Knowing a boss’s attack pattern doesn’t automatically mean you’re ready to win the fight. Clearly, I was wrong to think otherwise.

If you really want to show the boss what’s up, don’t rush or try to rush through the battle because the consequences are far more reaching than one might think—like spending an hour or longer trying to kill a boss that should’ve been dead with ease. With Raven Beak, you can get him to Phase 2 easily. All you have to do is block, evade, and counter. That’s it.

Naturally, I complicated this.

You Make More Mistakes Rushing –

Decision-making, along with logic, tends to go out the window once you start believing that the game should’ve been beaten on your timetable instead of taking the time to do it right. From experience, it’s one of those things I did when I fought Raven Beak. I figured that I had retained enough knowledge from my battle with him thousands of years ago—figuratively speaking—that I didn’t need to put in the extra time to relearn certain cues for attacks that were avoidable. This can easily blur the lines between patience and knowledge.

Sometimes—or rather, most times, depending on where you are in a game—it’s easy to recover from one failed attempt, but becoming more aggressive doesn’t exactly make subsequent attempts successful. Impatience sets in, and then you go from, “Why is this muther so hard?” to, “I’m just going to keep running into the wall until I finally break through and the boss finally gives up!”

More times than not, you break before the boss does because rushing makes recovery difficult.

An obsession with finishing the game and/or rushing the endgame can cause you to throw out everything you learned. You feel like you don’t need everything, especially when you think you can rush through and the boss will do nothing to surprise you. This gives you that false sense of security that rushing the battle to its conclusion won’t have a negative impact on you or the game in general.

I can also tell you from experience that overconfidence can and will blur the line between what you should and shouldn’t do during the battle. I remember when I was trying to get Raven Beak to the final part of the game where Samus gets the Hyper Beam. I thought I was home free.

Let’s just say I was not.

Endgame is Just That, Not A Chore List –

Simply put, seeing the finish line can often open the door to optional exploration, upgrades, and even preparation. But it is seeing that finish line that can also make everything potentially extra feel completely pointless. All of that exploration is something that should’ve been done on the way to the endgame, or at the very least along the path toward it.

The problem is that justifying a backtrack for one thing can easily turn into three things. That Power Bomb addition might be good, but getting that Missile Tank isn’t. It’ll give you two additional missiles, but in the grand scheme of things, you’re wasting time. When you’re preparing for the endgame, you’re revisiting certain areas to get things that are necessary so you can survive what’s ahead. Chasing 100% and grinding, on the other hand, can become strictly going back through levels to fill in parts of the map or gaining some levels just so you can feel ready—which you never truly are.

When you’re thinking about getting to that next game because you feel like you’ve had enough of the current one, it’s no longer simply a matter of rushing. It’s now become something so apparent that rushing to the end is the only thing you think about, and you’re prepared to do so at any cost.

And that is exactly why the game you’re playing still deserves your full attention, because that next game isn’t going anywhere.

Think about this: What if you get to that next game and do the same thing?

What then?

Where is the line drawn?

And if there is one, why aren’t you drawing it?

Conclusion –

To wrap up, I can definitely say that Raven Beak taught me what it means to exercise timed precision during battle instead of skipping my homework, because the consequences can be humbling. Sometimes, knowledge from experience can be enough to show you that no matter how many times you’ve beaten a boss, don’t rush! Familiarity plays its part, but distance from a game can turn that familiar ground into forbidden territory.

Keep in mind that slowing down will help you remember what to counter and when. In terms of Raven Beak, you can counter his attack combo by using the Screw Attack and Flash Shift to get away from him. Jump once, then Flash Shift; don’t jump twice. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have the battle licked, only to end up taking longer to kill a boss than you otherwise would’ve had you not rushed.

The main thing to remember is that beating a game is not a sprint.

Slow and steady wins every time.

Continue the Adventure –

Want to stay focused when a game starts testing your patience? Check out my Benable list for gaming essentials that can help you stay comfortable, organized, and prepared during difficult bosses, long gaming sessions, and those final stretches before the credits roll.

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Intro –

For many years, I spent a lot of time buying games before really knowing what I was getting into. A lot of the games I’ve played were simply because I heard the name and ultimately watched a few videos on them.

That’s how I made my snap decisions back in the day. The concept of doing anything differently didn’t even cross my mind. If I heard about a Mario game, I naturally assumed that I had the game licked and that it was automatically something I wanted.

However, with the price of games going up and spending money on them becoming more and more pressing, I decided to start taking a different route. So, about three and a half weeks ago, I started investing some time in demos for certain games.

Even though I wouldn’t have done this in a million years before, I decided to try it, if for nothing else than to humor the concept. To put a fine point on this, I’ve watched videos and trailers for games and automatically gotten to the point where I bought the game based on that alone, practically making it up as I went along.

But after using demos for games like Ys X: Nordics and The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, they’ve now become one of my research tools for new games I want. I come before you today to talk about the importance of using demos not as secondary afterthoughts, but as primary research tools for upcoming games. Because let’s face it: if you’re going to blow $70–$85 on a game, it’s worth it to do the research!

The Demo Allows You To Ask and Answer Your Own Questions –

Trying a demo gives you, as it did me, firsthand experience with the game. And let’s be real about this: watching video after video or trailer after trailer hardly does the fingerwork justice. You can’t learn the controls by watching a trailer.

That’s why a demo works. You can learn everything you can about the game without jumping the gun and buying something you might not like. More importantly, a demo allows you to ask those all-important questions yourself.

For me, if I’m testing a demo for a game, I’m testing the gameplay mechanics first. I have to be able to get a feel for the game’s flow, and I have to feel like I’m the one in control—not the other way around.

Take Ys X: Nordics. I tried the demo, and I didn’t think I’d like it because I’m a solo gamer. I don’t like co-op or even the idea of having someone constantly running behind me. But the game works in a way where I can pick and choose who I want to control while allowing the other character to do their own thing.

When I use Adol to carve up some enemies, Karja can handle herself and come back to my side in case I need the help. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because, keep in mind, I can move between Adol and Karja. I’m not stuck controlling one or the other throughout the adventure.

Trusting my own hands-on experience is a better way to grade a game than relying entirely on someone else’s opinion because people can dislike the same game for completely different reasons.

For example, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on PS3 received some ugly reviews, and the criticism didn’t end with its DLC either. I went ahead and bought the game because I’d done enough research to know what I wanted. Plus, getting to actually play the game made me fall in love with it. Games were never meant to be created to please everyone.

Demos Can Save Time and Money –

The demo is the deciding factor in whether a game is worth it or not. It’s not a matter of whether you’ll buy it because it looks good or because your favorite X-Man is on the cover. I’m looking at you, Wolverine! You can buy that game and it could end up sucking ass because you wasted money on something you should’ve tested first. That’s why game demos help A LOT.

You can save yourself a lot of money and time if that game doesn’t meet your standards. If I’m being honest, avoiding a bad purchase and avoiding wasted time are two sides of the same coin. Personally, if you’re on a budget and trying to cut some expenses, spending $70+ on a game that’s mediocre at best is not only crazy but financially self-destructive.

And because demos give me the choice of whether that game ever sees daylight beyond the demo, you’re getting your time’s worth either way. My thing now is that I won’t touch another game or buy it willy-nilly if there’s a demo available until I’ve tried it, played it, and made my decision.

No more sitting on my PS5 hoping that a game pans out because the main character is shooting fireballs and leaping from cottage rooftops in a single bound. Nah, I have to have my say with that demo before I sign off on the game.

Walking away isn’t exactly negative; it’s a bit of a double-edged sword. On one side, you try the demo, the game passes, and it earns its place among your gaming ranks.

On the other side, the game fails, and your time with it dies with that demo—along with whatever hope you might’ve had of buying the full game. Negative or positive, the X-factor, as it were, is you. You’re the one making that decision, and the demo is just the tool.

You’re the judge, jury, and executioner.

Why I Count on Demos –

Being an expert gamer and a financially conscious individual, I make it my business to get the demos for games I’m interested in so I can see what they’re really about. When I tried the demos for Ys IX, Ys X: Nordics, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword, they helped clear up questions I had about each game.

I was foggy on Ys IX and somewhat unsure about Ys X, but those questions were answered once I actually tried the demos. Ys X earned my interest while Ys IX ultimately didn’t. I wouldn’t have been able to make those clear-minded decisions otherwise. They could’ve both been great games, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re what I’m looking for.

How would I have known that if I hadn’t made it my business to try the demos? It helps. People can sample games differently, but ultimately, what matters is how the game feels when the controls and mechanics are finally in their hands.

I was worried about that when I played the demo for Onimusha: Way of the Sword. I thought it might feel too much like the first Onimusha game, but thanks to the demo, I not only liked what I played—it became an instant purchase for me. I have very high standards for my games, and if a game fails to meet those standards, I lose interest quickly.

Demos are essential in helping gamers make choices about the games they buy, and I use them for that very reason. I’ve made some foolhardy choices with games in the past. Never again, especially after experiencing times when I wasn’t doing so hot financially.

From that point forward, I swore two things. First, I’ll always run the demos for potential games I want to buy whenever they’re available. Grade hard and really make that game earn its place among my ranks.

Second, I’ll never again run solely off trailers and other people’s opinions. Both can influence how a game looks before I’ve ever touched it. Demos give me the power to make my own choice instead of running off someone else’s.

Conclusion –

Okay, to wrap up, demos have become great gaming research tools because they can help you decide whether to buy a game before you potentially waste money on something you might end up not liking.

Sure, trailers and videos can show you gameplay elements and get you hooked while you’re glued to your TV, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll like the game once you finally get your hands on it.

This is why demos exist: to help stop you from making a mistake that could cost you countless hours of time that could’ve been spent on a game actually worth it.

I’ll tell you something right now: investing time in demos is, in itself, a must-do step for me before signing off on a game whenever one is available. Something about that game is always going to surprise you. A demo will give you a lot, but it won’t give you everything.

As I was once told, a game must justify its cost to earn a place going forward. One of the best ways to determine that is by playing the demo yourself.

So my thing is this: get the demo and use it to research the game before you buy it. Don’t just watch someone else play. Don’t let a trailer make the decision for you. Put the game in your own hands and decide whether it deserves your time and money.

A great time-saver, this one.

Continue the Adventure –

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Intro –

In many games, lead characters have begun powerful and O.P., only to later end up completely powerless. I’ve come across this in so many games, including the one I’m replaying through right now—Metroid Dread.

I remember that in Super Metroid, gathering everything and beating the game, especially with the Hyper Beam, made me unstoppable, as it did a lot of gamers. However, along the way, we all know how so many years pass and lead characters like Samus eventually get their stuff taken away for some unknown reason. Have I always wondered why? Yes.

I’ve grown to understand why this is—or why it must happen. Developers do this as a means of sending a message: “Starting off with the powerful stuff? Yeah, right. Do the work.” The message is quite clear and very logical. If most characters got to start with all of their powers and abilities, the game wouldn’t be challenging. It would just be Super Mario Bros. from a futuristic perspective.

Incidentally, the benefit is tied to progression, and I think another aspect of this is that it’s not about earning the same things twice. It’s more about earning something new that’s different from what you had. New challenges demand new stuff.

Sequels where characters are able to use everything from the last game would create a headache for the gamer because, even though you have everything from the previous game, there’s no guarantee that everything you have will be able to put a dent in what’s in front of you.

I come to you today to argue why being stripped of your power and rebuilt anew is a necessary evil. It’s not always logical, but it is necessary.

Starting Over Leads To Progression –

This is one of those things where you don’t see the logic at first because it’s kept in the context of being ready for anything. Again, making it make sense—check. However, for a sequel, this is absolutely where starting over is love, so to speak. I say that because

I don’t want to be standing in front of an E.M.M.I. with a fully powered Wave Beam from Super Metroid, hoping it destroys the thing outright. And even if it does, the reward system wouldn’t really be the same because there would be dangerous overlap. Challenge factor—watered down as fuck! Not cool, man.

Take Mega Man 11. What if he went into Dual Override? Yeah, I know about that. Anyway, imagine Mega Man carrying his Gear System from Mega Man 11 alongside his new power-up—or his “dual” form—in the new game.

Sure, you’d get a superpowered robot, but it would come at the cost of the new strength potentially becoming completely meaningless. You’d create a paradox in which the old power makes the new seem more like decoration than something with an actual use in the field. Would I have liked for Samus to enter ZDR with her abilities from the last game? Sure.

But I also like to fight with my food as I’m eating it, so the way forward should feel like putting in the work is necessary—and satisfying.

Besides, every new game or sequel was created to make sure you get new stuff, and yeah, the anticipation has always been worth it. I remember when I started Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. A lot of the materia you can potentially find in the beginning of the game is gone at the start of Chapter 2 because it was never meant to be yours permanently.

Between Sephiroth—who I suspect was hoarding it—and what was never meant for you to keep, that loss leaves room for what you can find, what is possible, and above all, what is necessary.

The Reset, Absolutely Necessary –

Starting over can feel unfair, and it can come in the form of, “Okay, let’s see what I can do with what I have now,” only to realize you can’t do what you expected. Progression is the name of the game. You may have the Hyper Beam, but after you get off-world, the power dissipates or it’s no longer needed for the purpose in which you got it—especially if the new planet, area, or game forbids its use.

When you know what you can do with an endgame power-up of that caliber, you stop caring about how long it takes to do anything in the game. The Hyper Beam can turn a 10-minute boss fight into a three-second slap in the face. Where’s the Equivalent Exchange?

Personally, games are and aren’t obligated to explain what happens to your hero’s abilities, and I like it that way because I enjoy being able to form my own conclusions. Whether they’re right or wrong is irrelevant.

For me, it’s enough to know that somewhere nearby, there’s something with my name on it that’ll allow me to get through those underwater areas and keep out of the beeline of those stupid E.M.M.I.s. I’m really beginning to hate those things. Honestly, if I did know exactly what happened to everything, I might feel a little less inclined to care about why learning new stuff would be necessary.

Relearning the same abilities might seem like a noticeable flaw, but think about the necessity. I’m in Burenia on my second visit, and I’m back there with more power and on the hunt for the Gravity Suit.

Yeah, Samus has had a Gravity Suit before, but there’s no guarantee that the previous one would’ve served any other purpose than being a suit enhancement.

As I said, certain zones or obstacles can make it difficult for you to progress or outright forbid the use of that thing. Besides, there’s something satisfying about getting something new that replaces the old.

And yeah, any reset that allows you to start from scratch with a little advantage? Great. Contra: Operation Galuga is a prime example. You can use your pre-game perk points to put a weapon in your blaster before you start the game.

Good—but what happens if you lose that weapon within the first 10 seconds? I’ll tell you what happens: you start feeling cheated, like you wasted money on something that was never meant to be yours to wield from the beginning.

Again, progression. Working toward those “power tools” gives you perspective on what you have to do to keep them—or how to make them work for you.

Getting Stronger, The Right Way –

Sequels are different games from the ones that came before them, and developers have the right to approach each game differently. Take Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. At the beginning, Death takes Alucard’s equipment, and you have to rebuild from there. Along the way, you start finding new items and weapons while learning—or relearning—different abilities.

Despite SOTN being a direct sequel to Rondo of Blood, it still illustrates how one game can establish a powerful character and another can make you build that power differently. Rondo of Blood follows Richter Belmont, while SOTN shifts the focus to Alucard. Different hero, different abilities, different progression—but the previous game’s accomplishments still happened.

In terms of familiar abilities, Mega Man X2 comes to mind. X retains the Dash from the previous game, but having that Dash doesn’t mean you’ll get from the opening factory level to Sigma’s hideout instantly. That’s not how that works.

You have the Dash, sure, but it still limits what you can do and reach. Only by finding new upgrades can you expand what X is capable of doing, including gaining additional mobility from the Leg Parts.

Starting with a familiar ability doesn’t mean that ability is going to help you in every situation the way you think it should. Sequels building entirely around everything gamers already know from previous games could complicate their entry into the new one because no two games are exactly alike. Sigma’s fortress in Mega Man X isn’t the same experience as what you’re facing several games later.

The object isn’t whether you should keep every old power, but seeing what you can do without it. The Ratchet & Clank games are prime examples. You can have weapons maxed out and mow down everything in front of you, but then you can reach a point where firepower isn’t the solution.

Maybe you once had Clank’s help getting across gaps, and now Ratchet has to find another way forward without him. Yeah, Ratchet always has a way, but progression counts on him either doing it himself or finding another means, like he had to in A Crack in Time. Progression shouldn’t stop because old powers stop existing. New games and sequels can always invent new ways for progression to continue.

Conclusion –

To wrap up, losing your abilities in a game doesn’t mean that you’re powerless. You’re powerless for the moment, which will inevitably lead to new strength. That’s not necessarily bad; it just means that you have to expand your power set to get anything done. That’s the natural order of gaming.

New progression requires sacrifice—an offering, if you will, of the old strength. Because as I mentioned, just because you have a superpowered sword or a character at their peak doesn’t mean there won’t be obstacles that make that power meaningless. As far as handling characters and their abilities between games, there’s no right or wrong way. It’s Dealer’s Choice, if I’m being honest.

Besides, there’s no gaming law that prohibits developers from sending the lead character into the next game with powers from the previous one. For example, take Ninja Gaiden Sigma versus Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.

I don’t need every ability or Ninpo from the first game following me into the second because I want to see, as an experienced gamer, what I can do without everything I previously relied upon. There’s always going to be another power to collect or another tool to master that keeps progression from becoming stale and keeps the experience interesting. The developers make the rules, and the sequel dances to their tune.

In the name of progression, a price must always be paid!

Progression doesn’t stop when one adventure ends. Check out my Benable list for gaming gear and accessories that help me stay ready for whatever challenge comes next.

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