#challenge mode

Sifu was my favorite game of 2022. Hell, Sifu might wind up being my favorite game of 2023, 2024, and whatever other years come after that. I'm on record on this blog as having called the original game "Perfect", because frankly, it is, and I'm not about to go changing my thought process on the game's level of quality now. Especially not when a free content drop of the caliber of the "Arenas" update hits.

Arenas is Sifu condensed down to it's core elements. There's no story, levels are either stripped down to barest of basics, or simply one room fighting spaces. Additionally, every Arena has some kind of modifier on it. Whether that be tipping the scales in your favor with a supersized health bar, or tilting it toward your opponent by removing your basic block, leaving you reliant on only perfectly timed parries. Each new Arena has something new to confront you with, but the clear advantage is what they all share: Sifu's combat system.

All of these myriad of arena challenges are incredible ways to show off the combat systems in Sifu that, frankly, were already shown off incredibly well in the base games levels. Here, rather than needing to go through an elaborate level filled with more elaborate pre-designed encounters, the encounters are fast and furious. Some of the Arenas resemble more traditional levels, with semi-lengthy areas to explore and fight your way through, but the best of them, in my eyes, are the condensed fighting arenas.

It's this condensation of play area that allows Sifu's best qualities to shine through. Without having to worry about where to navigate, or where a hidden weapon may be stored, Sifu is free to explore it's core combat in a mydaid of interesting ways. What happens if enemies can't be defeated via takedowns? Suddenly high damage maneuvers that were rarely worth the risk become the norm. In a reverse, what about enemies who will only die via takedowns? Now health means nothing and you need to maximize posture breaking, something that can be a nightmare to maintain for later game enemies, but never stops being a thrill. All these modifiers and changes stretch and enhance Sifu's already brilliant core combat in new and interesting ways every time. There's tons of new ways to engage Sifu in Arenas, making this one of the most significant content updates I personally have ever seen, and it's free!

Just finished @thehighfiveproject​‘s challenge mode treasure hunt!

Old fic: Unasked by astolat. This one arguably could be filed under classic, too. I have always loved the ending of the fic. It’s so deeply satisfying.

New fic: the moon will sing a song for me by @ghostinthelibrarywrites​. I’ve enjoyed so many of this author’s fics and failed to comment on most of them. Thank goodness for this challenge. This is a fun modern AU where magics and witchers still exist, and it’s chock full of some of my fave tropes: mutual pining and animal transformation! Well werewolf but you get the idea.

Fandom classic: With a Conquering Air by inexplicifics. The warlord AU fic that launched a thousand other AUs and tributes including a podfic that I often listen to while power cleaning. If you like found family vibes, Jaskier finding his place, and Geralt being a reluctant and solid leader all while they fall in love, well you’re in the right place.

Underrated fave: Three Steps Past Triton by brutti_ma_buoni. This one definitely deserves more kudos/comments than it has. A J2 space AU that has a really compelling relationship between Jared and Jensen, deals with big emotional scenes with out tipping into melodrama, and has great world building.

Free square: The World Where Yesternight You Died by tabaqui. I’ve got space AUs on the mind for reasons not to be discussed at this juncture. Clocking in at over 124k words over four years. this J2 AU science fiction piece has absolutely incredible world building that has left a mark in my memory years after reading the story.

<1,000 hits or <100 kudos: The In-Between Job by Canon_Is_Relative. I stumbled into a theme with this bingo card, so when I saw a Leverage space AU I had to. Cute little slice of life Firefly fusion with lots of fun nods to canon.

<1,000 words: memphis by @zmediaoutlet​. Set in the night before the showdown in Swan Song, this fic is a painful and poignant look at a quiet moment framed by that horrible feeling of knowing terrible things are coming but you have to keep going anyway.

New (to you) author: The Arbiters by LemmingDancer. Oh look, another space AU with fabulous world building, this time featuring Geraskier. One of my favorite things about a good AU is experiencing how the author weaves canon into their world-building. This is such a cool concept and well-executed.

Beat it eventually without a guide (most guides don't work for me because the often assume specific 6* that I don't have leveled, such as Silverash or NTR) but it took me at least 10 tries to get the timing at the end down right, and a good amount of swearing.

Many thanks to whoever I burrowed the Specter from. Couldn't have done it without her. I simply don't have a Operator that independent myself yet, though she's in the priority line for raising.