Kengo: Master of Bushido

Released in 2000 and 2001, the game is playable in PlayStation 2. It has three modes, the single player mode, tournament mode and VS mode. Characters are unlocked in the tournament mode when you play the single player mode.

The player gets to pick one of the three characters (Taketsune Nakayama, Shozaemon Hyuga and Yasutomu Yoshimura). Each character has his own story and purpose of pursuing the way of the warrior. Their stories however have little effect on the game itself. At the start of the single player mode, each have individual stats showing their strengths and areas to improve. After choosing a character, the first goal is to pick a dojo and train until he is able to complete all the tests. The set of tests include basics like attack, defence, stances and ki. These tests are in the form of matches wherein the player gets opportunities to use all those mentioned. When the player is able to complete all the tests, he can now move on to challenge other dojos. 

In between matches, he has to do the self-training exercises as well. There are six training exercises that include striking posts, bamboo grove, waterfall, zen meditation, illusion and helmet splitting. Meanwhile there are eight dojos to choose from. Each dojo specializes in certain techniques. The dojos are Hirata, Moriya, Kasukabe, Ooishi, Tanbara, Udagawa, Tsubaki, and Kadokura. Beating the dojos will give the character a new sword. Each sword has a secret technique.

The player increases his stats including fame by defeating the opponents. Losing also gives some points. Every win or loss increases the character's stats. The player can also gain new moves and additional points every time he is successful in the matches.

Every time a dojo is defeated, the character acquires new attacks. These attacks can be combined to form a new combo. Four combos make up a form. Combining and making the most out of the new combos will be the key in the next matches. The more opponents you defeat, the more possibility to get new attacks. The player will meet opponents with different skills and therefore the same tactics do not always necessarily work on others. To prepare for this, you have to constantly experiment with different forms.

When your character is able to defeat all the dojos, the imperial match is next. The conditions are basically the same with the dojo matches. What happens when you succeed in your first set of imperial matches? There's more but that is for you to find out.

There are some secret special bonuses that can be triggered when your character has high skills and fame. Some cutscenes are also triggered by certain opponents.

Shozaemon Hyuga, one of the three characters to choose from at the start of the game. I picked him in my first playthrough.

This is the dojo I picked for my character.

The striking posts training. The difficulty increases after a successful attempt.

Probably the trickiest training, illusion.

A dojo match. The characters use wooden swords.

The cutscene at the start of the imperial match.

In imperial matches, the characters use swords.

The animation is not so bad in my opinion. There is some attention to detail that I was able to appreciate. An example is the split bamboo (bamboo grove training) which shows the joints in the stems after you split it. The ambiance of the game is something you would also easily recognize for its sound effects and voice acting. There are very few opportunities to witness a conversation however and only the opponents have a chance to speak.

Tedious though the dojo training and matches may be, the rewards are satisfying. The game is not easy at all. Sometimes defeating the same opponent in another match is tricky. You could almost say that you're facing intelligent opponents who can anticipate your next move. The NPCs with unique names in particular are skilled and unpredictable. It's a prerogative to look at all the possible combos before starting the matches. In most of these matches, the player has to defeat five or more opponents to complete a dojo challenge or match. When you're defeated within one of those five or more, you'd have to start again. Because it is important to train in between matches, the game is understandably time consuming. Training in necessary to have more room for points but it is repetitive. This might be the only setback in the game, apart from the difficulty of timing the attacks and parries. You might think attacking is easy just because you're using one button, but I guarantee that it's not.

Training and fighting are fun however once you know how things work. One thing I can also guarantee is that you cannot fall asleep playing the game. You can't relax when you're in a match. It requires time, attention and patience. It can be frustrating at times when you're stuck or you can't decide which combo will work, but that's the beauty of this game. The challenge makes it much more interesting and fun.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Hesiod's Theogony, translated by Norman O. Brown

This short book provides an introduction and English translation of one of Hesiod's work. The first part is an excellent outline of the history, background, and contents of Theogony. I recommend reading the part first because it is an important guide of the themes, inconsistencies and the studies done by scholars over the years of the work.

However, I warn readers who are not into mythology. The introduction is lengthy and the tone is academic. Anyone without even the slightest background of Classical Mythology will be buried in all the information. For those who have read some of the Greek myths, Theogony is much easier to read because you'll know what to look for.

I've read Theogony a while back and I find this book helpful because of the introduction. Some of the passages make more sense now.

Rating: 10 out of 10

The Cold Commands by Richard Morgan

As presaged in the latter part of the first book of the series The Steel Remains, Ringil Eskiath is estranged again from his family; this time officially by his father. Some time after his encounter with Seethlaw and the other dwenda, Gil found a new mission and has vowed to disrupt the slave trade which he has discovered previously. Meanwhile, a messenger warns Archeth Indamaninarmal of a coming disaster, a disaster which might have something to do, or not, with Egar Dragonbane's discovery in the Afa'marag temple.

In this second installment of A Land Fit for Heroes series, more information is revealed to the reader about some of the Dark Court and its possible involvement in the unfolding of the events. There is also more mention of the Grey Places. Magic and history are interwoven beautifully and the pace is consistent with the first book. The characters, narration, and action scenes are familiar to the reader and so it is easy to pick up where you've left.

There was enough history and the tension was already set in the first book, all that was needed was to turn it up a notch, provide a few hints about what's going on and why but still leave enough room for speculation for the next book. Whether the book accomplished that or not depends on the reader's preference.

The best words to describe the series so far are neat and fascinating. Neat because it does not have a convoluted plot (not that that is bad of course) and I don't see a lot of inconsistency; and fascinating because of its magic and combat, not to mention the characters. If you liked the first book, I think The Cold Commands is not going to disappoint. 

Rating: 9 out of 10

The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan

Ringil Eskiath is a bored hero of Gallows Gap. Although full of regrets of the past and is shunned by his family because of his sexual preferences, no one really notices it beneath his cocky and arrogant attitude. 

One day he was surprised to see his mother asking him for help to look for a female cousin sold into slavery. Gil agrees reluctantly. Taking with him his Kiriath sword Ravensfriend, he visits old friends and meets new enemies. What he was about to unravel however involved more at stake than just the cousin he was supposed to rescue.

Egar the Dragonbane is the clanmaster of the Skaranak, but his family and his people are dissatisfied with his ways. Ways and thinking which have been changed during his time at the wars. Meanwhile, Archeth Indamaninarmal is tied to the Yhelteth emperor. Being the only half-Kiriath half-human left, she feels out place. Both Egar and Archeth are old friends of Gil. A gathering of dangerous forces and a prophecy brings the three together ten years after the war against the Scaled Folk.

Although Gil's mission seems to be easy at first, his inquiries prove that there is more that's happening behind the scenes. And what seems to be three separate stories come together halfway through the first book of the series A Land Fit for Heroes. 

The technology and magic used in the book are not uncommon, but the concepts are easier to grasp. The author does not play too much with words to explain what he wants to say. His facility with the language is impressive and more evident in the action scenes. He's straightforward and unpretentious in his choice of words. His style is consistent with the lead character Gil. Honest, sometimes too blunt for his own good, but fulfills what is expected of him and still has some surprises left for the reader to make him an exciting character.

I have to warn the reader of Gil's and Archeth's sexual preferences (and yes, there are some bed scenes). If you're not open-minded about two characters who do not follow the usual bad-ass, straight male character and sexy, strong female character, then the book is not for you. I think however that it's one of the strong points of the book. Gil's and Archeth's sexual orientation do not diminish the quality of the book at all.

The only issue I have is that the point-of-view jumps from one character to another sometimes within a scene. But that small detail aside, the book has interesting fight scenes and magic. Plus, it's not as complicated as some other series with several story-lines to follow.

Rating: 9 out of 10