Mento's Month: July '26
by mento
Along with the humidity of a rainforest, July also included plenty of treats by way of a new anime season, more Indies, and the return of a (somewhat) beloved feature. I also conceived of an excuse to play an Ys game this month so... not a wash by any stretch.
Game of the Month: Stellar Blade (Shift Up, 2024)
Though I began Stellar Blade in June it took the first half of July to finally hit credits on what proved to be a compelling spin on the Souls formula, not so much taking big structural shifts by way of something like Nioh or The Surge but rather a more balletic approach to combat that gives the game a character-action style pace without necessarily bogging the game down in what often makes that genre a frustration to deal with (e.g. constantly getting graded on your efforts; why are you trying to make a game feel like school?). It also helps that the world of Stellar Blade frequently switches between the more linear level design you'd see in a Souls game where any alternative paths are shortcuts back to the last campsite (or other bonfire equivalent) or simply offer dead-ends with loot, lore collectibles, a side-quest objective, or an elite enemy encounter to deal with, and then the more open areas where your targets are spread around and there's more side-questing to be done and non-goal-specific exploration to be had, which would be closer to how Elden Ring comports itself. Plenty of the critical focus was dedicated to the way you can dress up the protagonist Eve (there's certainly costumes that are, uh, economical with the fabric) but I think that fan-service pandering buried a very well thought-out "best of all worlds" type of approach to this genre and potentially did it a disservice in the process.
One reason I liked The Surge was in the ways it mapped a modern (or futuristic) equipment system to that Souls model. Guns don't hit too hard compared to melee but they have their uses, like dudes who decide to stand in fire where I can't reach 'em.
Stellar Blade is very confident with its worldbuilding, to an extent I rarely see in games of this stripe, and there's an evident amount of effort and resources put into its many set-pieces and level design, from dusty wastelands to once-sparkling space resorts, and the flashy action provides just as much of a spectacle as walking around these lavish locales and taking in the aesthetics. Like Lies of P, it's almost reductive to think of this game as a copycat when an incredible amount of thought and production value has gone into its construction, even if its core mechanics do ring as familiar more often than not. The combat especially has this incredible flow to it where you have what feels like half a dozen different ways to intercept an enemy's attack and turn their offense around on them through blocks, dodges, parries, and preemptive counters that get unlocked incrementally through upgrades as you progress. There's special gauges and consumable offense items out the wazoo, perfect for setting traps or saving up your strongest abilities for those bosses that put up a real fight. Yet it's in the running around and looking for hidden caches and performing surprise ambushes on patrolling enemies where the game feels as equally in its element as it does with the more showboaty QTE sequences where Eve is flipping through the air to finish off boss monsters, and diversions like passing through dilapidated laboratories full of Resident Evil-style mutated beasties with only your gun for company (the sword is on the cloud and your wifi gets cut off, I think is the idea) only benefits the game further in finding different methods to maintain your interest across its 40-plus hour count.
Honestly, I hadn't yet played enough PS5 games to really feel the difference between it and PS4. Stellar Blade definitely got me there.
One knock I have against Stellar Blade is one also shared by Elden Ring (so, esteemed company) which is an out-of-left-field difficulty hike for the final gauntlet of bosses. Both those games have an open structure where side-quests and other optional pursuits can temporarily upset the current story boss difficulty curve, giving you more resources and power than the developers could reasonably expect you to have at that stage of the game—or, more specifically, the bosses are balanced to accommodate both the completionist types and the speedrun types (the marathoners and the sprinters as it were) as best they can—so you'll find there's a very gentle slope for most of the game's bigger encounters if you're running around doing every supplementary task in-between. Once you hit that endgame stretch, though, the developers simply assume (since everything is now available) that you've done everything and maxed out the character development and calibrates the remaining bosses appropriately: this means that the difficulty curve suddenly spikes, depriving you of an intermediate challenge between the cakewalk bosses you've fought so far and the advanced bosses left to conquer. This makes the last leg feel like an absolute meat-grinder, one where you have to very quickly learn all the trickier abilities and item usage that you could afford to ignore prior to this as the fundamentals were usually enough to get you through. It's a peril faced by a lot of Soulsian games that operate outside the comparatively strict linearity of Demon's/Dark/Bloodborne and Stellar Blade was sadly also unable to account for it; hardly condemnable though, given FromSoft themselves couldn't get past it either (and why Elden Ring is somewhere in the middle of my personal "Soulsborne" ranking).
No amount of sexy costumes endeared Eve to me more than her visible excitement when adding another (real life) canned drink to her collection.
But, you know, an absurdly challenging boss or two towards the denouement of an action RPG like this ain't exactly unheard of and with enough gumption and practice it can be overcome, eventually. It does behoove the player to get very good at parrying though, given how hard these final bosses hit when you mess that timing up, somewhat mirroring the later Clair Obscur (despite the different genres) in condensing the game's "challenge" to simply a stringent, reflexes-based affair rather than anything involving clever preparation or good judgment or a bespoke fighting style that you've developed with the tools presented to you. A bit of a bummer but nothing that retroactively sours the whole experience and the enjoyment you've had up to this point exploring the game's combat options and its geography alike. I'm not too sure about how this next game's going to go—if they're opting for such a young-looking protagonist they really can't get away with half the costumes in this game, and that entirely AI music video they just put out to promote it doesn't engender a whole lot of confidence—but if they can nail the combat just as adroitly a second time around and give me even more excellent level post-apoc level design to triapse through I might still find my way to it. I am a sucker for this very specific type of action RPG after all. (As to what my next one of these will be, well, I heard From put out something with big robots fairly recently?)
Other Gaming Tomfoolery
The main feature for this month has been the return of Game OVA, my regular summertime anime-infused stroll through some Japanese licensed games of yore, though considering the current character limit count for articles (and I'll be bumping into it again for this one too no doubt) I've retooled it slightly for 2026 and instead created the Game OVA Reversal spin-off: a series that focuses on anime made from games rather than the usual inverse.
Given I'm a creature of habit, my first two selections were Falcom's Ys and Konami's Ganbare Goemon, two properties I've been repping pretty hard over the last couple of years (and with Ys even further back). The Ys OVAs simply recap the events of the first two games, giving Adol a bit more characterization befitting of his canonical personality (one you rarely see in-game due to the whole mute cipher construct) and fleshing out the side-characters and lore surrounding the titular mysterious land of Ys. Goemon's two official OVAs are definitely oddities befitting the surreal humor of that series: the first is a paean to other Konami properties, dropping Goemon and Ebisumaru into the worlds of Gradius and Castlevania for some meta jokes, while the latter is a "very special episode" from the official TV series that takes a break towards the end to talk to its young audience about pollution and proper waste management.
What happens when I post a new blog.
The third episode of Game OVA Reversal covered the much more obscure Download and Download 2—a pair of PC Engine exclusive horizontal shoot 'em ups with a cyberpunk theme, which I wanted to look at after being inspired by the new Science Saru adaptation of Masamune Shirow's The Ghost in the Shell—and its surprisingly high quality OVA movie created by a few ringers of the anime world. That episode garnered less attention than the previous two but was, for me at least, the biggest and most pleasant surprise so far this Game OVA season. We'll have another three episodes of Game OVA Reversal across August (including a real unconventional choice that I'm a little worried about) before jumping back to the second half of that ongoing 64 in 64 season in September.
What happens when I post a new blog that accidentally surpasses the character limit.
Beyond all that, I've not been up to much. I polished off Proverbs, the massive-scale Minesweeper-by-way-of-Picross puzzle game where you very gradually recreate an enormous piece of Renaissance era art, and I'll be sure to keep an eye out for the developer's other games in the same format (the X-Files aping one is what I have my eye on, for sure). Since that was my default podcast game, I've moved onto another: Voxelgram 2, the sequel to a Picross 3D style game that I very much enjoyed last year. I had intended to make it a future IGotW entry so maybe I'll pull a twofer sometime in October since I'm pretty sure I've fallen behind schedule with the site transition delaying everything. Either way, it's quite a bit tougher than the first due to introducing a slightly unintuitive two-color feature but otherwise just as riveting as its predecessor (and, at least in my view, considerably better than the Picross 3D games it was influenced by due to being far more chill with user errors).
Back on my picto-logical bullshit once again.
The "Indie Game of the Week" of the Month: Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom (Panik Arcade, 2024)
The rare review quintet this month, and another five games to throw into some dusty corner of my Steam library never to be played again. (I'm just kidding; at least one of these was actually an EGS game.) We had a few games this time that were absolutely my bag, even with a conspicuous absence of my beloved exploractioners, and I'm going to give the appropriately-golden-hued crown to Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom (#476): a vehicle-based 3D platformer that hid an intelligently devised and well-concealed set of mechanics behind a facade of silly mayhem. I loved the way it slowly unraveled itself as you kept playing, dropping innocuous little "did you know?"s at certain junctures that completely changed the way you approached the game, or at least how you approached a few of its trickier platforming challenges for some bonus headwear (roofwear?) or a golden rabbit of dubious value.
Possibly the only "summer"y game I've played so far this summer.
Runners-up, in order of preference, include Skald: Against the Black Priory (#474): a throwback top-down tactical CRPG in the Gold Box mold (albeit with a very loose interpretation of the D&D rule set) that combines vaguely medieval fantasy with Lovecraftian horror in a story that is absolutely as bleak as that sounds. Even so, the difficulty is very reasonable with plenty of room for user house rules if you, say, didn't want to deal with encumbrance or hunger (though neither were much of an issue, truth be told).
Next we have the wistful, stop-motion-esque traditional adventure game Harold Halibut (#477) about a custodian dogsbody on a spaceship—that has since turned into an underwater habitat on an alien planet—who daydreams of finding a purpose in life beyond wiping down graffiti and fixing these darn filters every day. Slow-burn story about regret and discontentment under the sea, making the best of an unenviable situation surrounded by people who don't really get you, but with some positivity towards the way neighbors and colleagues strive to find common ground with one another for better coexistence. Thoughtful and eccentric, but that lethargic pace might be a killer for some.
This is more the summer scenario I like to envision: being alone, in my room, deep underwater where the sun doesn't reach.
About level with that is our next game, Cavern of Dreams (#478), a throwback N64-inspired platformer that I'm squeezing in here between two seasons of actual N64 platformers because I have the brain problems. Cavern of Dreams is visually appealing with a set of moves doled out in increments based on your collectible count, and while you never truly need any of these upgrades for the current level (they are required to reach the next though, functioning the same way as Stars in SM64 or Jiggies in Banjo) they do make certain challenges that much easier. They tend to be things like glides, bigger hops, or a charge move. You can also build momentum by rolling that I'm sure have some fascinating speedrun applications but in a casual run were often a bit awkward to work with given how quickly you build up velocity (especially on slopes). A decent array of platforming challenges and puzzles, the latter of which are typically overlooked by most 3D platformer throwbacks and thus deprives them of an extra layer of compelling gameplay. It's rough in spots and obtuse in others (feels like it takes after Banjo-Tooie a little too much) but I can appreciate idiosyncrasies in a busy market.
Last, we have Harmony's Odyssey (#475), a puzzle game I quite enjoyed until it ratcheted up the difficulty towards the end (an odd choice for a very casual-coded game) but I did appreciate playing something akin to Tiny Lands again. Most of Harmony's Odyssey's puzzles involved moving squares around on a grid to complete a picture, but the fact that picture was 3D and had its pieces connect together in ways that were only possible with an extra dimension did set it apart from all those slidy-block types before it. A cute game that was hard to dislike even when it got a little too demanding towards its denouement.
The Weeb Weeview
My anime musings always seem to grow more verbose with each new month—more the fault of how spoiled anime fans of been of late than my own lack of impulse control—so this time I'll just do a quick rundown of everything that's caught my eye so far this season. There's plenty of really high-quality anime airing this summer not in this list that, well, I might be too boorish to really appreciate so I'd recommend this YouTube breakdown of the dozen-or-so actual best and brightest from this season for those looking for an actual expert's opinion.
(Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You) Always thrilled to see a Homestar Runner reference in the wild.
As for this chump right here, this is what I've been watching and what each show is about in 100 words or fewer:
Daemons of the Shadow Realm: Twins born with special powers threaten to upset the balance of Japan's underground daemon (spirit) wielding community. Half of it wants to kill them and the other half wants to control them. The excitement has started to build in this second half but there's still a feeling that the show wants to get all its dominoes in place before knocking them over: we have new antagonists and more deceptions to uncover first. Great look and style, especially when it comes to the titular daemons, can't wait to see where it goes next.
From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman (S2): Middle-aged sword trainer ("Old" like the dude's mid-40s at most) is oblivious to his own strength, not quite putting it together that there's a reason all his former protégés have titles like "the strongest adventurer" and "the royal knight commander", and the second season's been exploring the source of his confidence issues while splitting its focus on his young ward Mewi. Watching this show alongside reading the manga adaptation is baffling at times, because the latter is such a departure from the novels that the anime is following closely. Manga's way better but the show still has its moments.
The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects: Dude is a war hero commoner that gets shafted by having his granted land be some empty grassy plain in the middle of nowhere. His fame, charm, and genial nature eventually starts seeing this field populate. Always have a soft spot for these good-natured "let's build a town" fantasy shows, bonus points for keeping isekai out of it, and while this one's been on the slow side you can't help but root for the burly but kind hero. Central romance (with a demihuman teenager) is a bit ick though, even if she's the only one pushing for marriage right now.
The Ghost in the Shell: Classic cyberpunk/transhumanist manga gets a fresh adaptation, skewing closer to the lighter source material in its comedic "just another day on the job" tone and its exploration of near-future cybernetics and technology. Has more of a vignette approach, shifting from one brief tale to the next as it develops an overarching narrative surrounding a "Puppet Master" elite hacker in the background. Animation's spectacular and has that Science Saru fluidity and I'm loving the Major's characterization as a bisexual, short-tempered, tech-whiz Bugs Bunny. Better than the mopey version we got elsewhere.
Hell Mode (S2): Isekai about a power-gamer who inadvertently opts for a "hell difficulty" setting for his next life, promising a high level ceiling but a huge amount of effort required to get there. Second season has him and his newly assembled adventuring party grind up for a compulsory stint of military service against the demon king's armies, so the stakes have gotten much higher. Feels like we've moved from his gaming the system as a broken summoner class to more of a standard adventuring party show; it's fine so far but it's losing me a little.
I Became a Legend After My 10 Year-Long Last Stand: Dude stays behind in a dimensional rift to buy time for his friends to escape a demonic horde, kicks all their asses anyway and emerges no worse for wear a decade later having de-aged due to magic reasons. OP gallivanting ensues. The show's postponement doesn't seem to have had much of an effect, since it's still pretty basic. The idea that there's an even worse force behind the demon king that prompted the premise, involving elder gods and shit, is just about enough of a carrot on a stick but the invincible hero construct works better in pure comedies.
A Livid Lady’s Guide to Getting Even: Disrespected noble "villainess" character gets her royal engagement annuled despite being the only capable person in the kingdom, and escapes imprisonment to exert her disgruntled vengeance from afar. Always like to toss a revenge show onto the schedule. This one's a bit more cynical with its hardliner protagonist but she's also a joy to watch as she plots to destroy her previous kingdom with long-con schemes rather than overpowering might. A show I'm only going to know if I truly like it or not once the plan comes together towards the end.
Rich Girl Caretaker: Dude gets kidnapped the same day his scumbag gambler parents bail on him leaving him destitute. The girl he gets abducted with, though, is super rich and hires him to be her caretaker after appreciating his efforts to make her feel safe. Turns out she's only a perfect heiress princess type when outsiders are looking; otherwise she's a slovenly girlfailure who can't do shit for herself. Cute show but its brand of aspirational "nepo babies are our future" BS is hard to swallow after a while, especially as the rest of the cast of other millionaire children is fleshed out.
Skeleton Knight in Another World (S2): Dude gets isekai'd as his OP skeletal MMO character, decides to team up with a dark elf and a beastkin to dismantle the non-human slave trade while generally having a great time eating and fighting. Skeleton Knight is like a tonic to Overlord, where it's hard to dislike the main skelly since he's always on the side of justice (and puts on a silly deep voice to better occupy his heroic role). As before, there's more intrigue than you'd expect and it gets quite dark too. Probably why they felt the need to add a cute green spirit fox mascot.
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You: Middle-aged salaryman and store cashier strike up easygoing relationship based on nicotine addiction. I've been pretty happy with the adaptation so far, since it knows the characters well and the low-key energy they have bouncing off one another. It's not a show where a whole lot happens but it's in appreciating those quiet moments and the dialogue where it shines brightest, like the tip of a cigarette on a cold, dark evening. Not the biggest fan of tobacco but a teasingly affectionate goth girl lighting up does have its aesthetic appeal.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (S4): Dude gets isekai'd as a slime monster, becomes absurdly powerful through a series of coincidences, and decides he'll become the leader of a monster nation surrounded by powerful generals. Fourth season has been excellent so far, finding a good balance between warcraft and statecraft, and the OP/ED have been some of the best this anime season. There's the specter of something truly apocalyptic on the horizon and it feels like it's edging ever closer. I'm riveted, to put it mildly.
Tomb Raider King: The next big Korean manhwa adaptation is this one, where a shifty merc uses his knowledge of the future to rewrite his own fortunes as the globe is suddenly lousy with supernatural artifacts that upset the previous world order. Using his wits, adopted skills, and a slightly ominous deity sponsor, protag looks to rise to the top this time rather than become giant snake food. Very Solo Levelling coded (as are most of these action manhwa, admittedly) but with a more irreverent anti-hero lead. If you wanted more plotting than combat scenes from SL, this might work for you.
Trapped in a Dating Sim (S2): Guy gets isekai'd into a game he hates, decides to break its power structure for the hell of it. He maintains a special hatred for the game's romantic leads since they're all useless. Like the first season, I wish I was enjoying this more. Got a near-confirmation that the other reincarnator in the mix is the shitty sister responsible for protag's death but beyond that we've moved away from jokes to standard intrigue plots (though I always appreciate him hitting on the prince's mother, mostly to annoy the prince but also for his love of MILFs. Stay classy, man).
You and I Are Polar Opposites (S2): Two kids with conflicting personalities nonetheless fall for each other in a romcom that's the closest thing to animated Prozac. We got the first season of this earlier this year and the second's proving to be just as delightful. Along with the main pairing (gremlin and nerd) there's also the mix of Yamada (likeable extrovert) & Nishi (adorable introvert) as well as Taira (overthinking stress magnet) & Azuma (doormat ditz). It's the kind of show where if it drifts from one pairing to focus on another I'm always down, because all three are so entertaining.
Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games: Young woman goes to a fancy school to become a proper lady, dropping her love of fighting games since it doesn't match the image. This changes when the school madonna proves as big of a fighter dork as she is, and might be the first true competition she's faced in a while. Well, yeah, I'm going to watch the yuri Street Fighter show: I'm not super deep in the FGC but the show's breakdowns of various tech and terminology is conveyed well and the sexual tension between a Ryu main and a Cammy main is as potent as you'd expect.