No Lives Left

  Oh man, the PlayStation 5 (PS5) is out now! Hooray! The new age of gaming has arrived and I couldn't be more happier to give impressions... if only I could find one.  I've been interested in the PS5 since I saw the Demon's Souls Remake  trailer so many moons ago. It was a huge surprise and I would love to relive the magic that started my FromSoftware fandom from 10 years ago. The game looks downright beautiful and with the slate of games coming down the pipeline (*cough* looking at you Final Fantasy 16) , I thought it would be great to get one at launch. But boy, was I an idiot to think this was going to be anything less of a nightmare. I don't recall if I ever posted my experience in getting a Nintendo Wii way back in 2006. While it was a long day, it was a very seamless experience especially since pre-orders weren't done for the system at the time. I had to wait 18 hours in line but, with my friends, it was more of an extended hang out than anything else. So I...

  The Paper Mario series is a video game series near and dear to my heart. Tracing all the way back  to Super Mario RPG Legends of The Seven Stars ( SMRPGLotTS) , I've played pretty much every entry in the series except for Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Paper Mario: Color Splash (so, so disappointed on how that game was received). Somehow combining my love for turn-based battles with my nostalgia for our beloved red-hatted and plump plumber got me into a relationship so deep that it has lasted over 20-odd years. Also, think of the premise...like why would paper cut outs and Mario make any sense? It could just be like an antithesis to the way the industry was going completely 3D at the time. But still, such an interesting concept.  Yet, over those 20 years, the Paper Mario  series has diverged from its role playing (RPG) roots and started to turn into more of an adventure game. Less about stats and more about jumping. I remember when I first p...

Note: This post will spoil The Place Beyond The Pines and The Last Of Us Part II (and technically Part 1 as well). You’ve been warned!! In 2013 (or maybe later), I watched a movie called The Place Beyond The Pines, a three act movie that is about two families that are intertwined in story of family and tragedy. The first part follows a motorcycle stunt man, Luke, who puts his wandering life aside to try to get close with his estranged son and ex-girlfriend. In order to provide, he finds that he must resort to robbing banks with his employer. They would rob banks and ride out to a hideout in the forest (a place beyond the pines) to lose the cops. Things escalate as Luke tries to get closer to his family and ends up robbing a bank alone which turns to tragedy. He gets cornered by a rookie cop in a room. The rookie cop, Avery, shoots Luke in the chest which pushes him to his death. Luke does get Avery in the leg as he falls out. The second part of the movie is Avery ascending ...

I just finished the first two seasons of Ramy and I have...thoughts. Forewarning, a lot of this is going to be venting and/or rambling, but writing this all out will help me gather my thoughts. So bare with me. Before We Begin:  Just a little bit of background, if you have read from my previous posts about Ramadan, I'm a practicing Muslim and have been born into an Indian (people call it South Asian now) family. I strive to adhere to my religion and I'm definitely proud of it. I struggle to strike a balance of what it means to be a "good" Muslim with trying to navigate the western culture. My parents were immigrants and sacrificed so much so that their kids could go to good schools and get good educations. Something I will never truly be able to pay back. Ever. I know what it is like being a Muslim in America. Even though I was born here, there are times where I don't feel like I am really from here. I know my religion makes me the other. However,...