First Listen: The Antlers - Burst Apart (2011)

It would be unavoidable to compare Burst Apart from Hospice, the latter being widely known as a great tearjerker. Since this was my first listen, I didn't have a background as to what the lyrics and themes were so I judged the album by its atmosphere. My opinion of this album will most likely change once I get to do a bit more research, since Hospice only managed to repeatedly make me cry after I learned its full story.

The musical presentation of Burst Apart came off as somewhat lighthearted and uplifting. It wasn't as haunting as Hospice, but it had the familiar feeling of melancholy tied to the songs. This song had me "bouncing to the beat" as compared to "swinging and swaying" that I usually do when listening to softer music.

Though it may lack certain elements from their most popular album, The Antlers made Burst Apart with a great atmosphere that clings to you and calls out to your curiosity.


Track Listing:

01) I Don't Want Love
02) French Exit
03) Parentheses
04) No Windows
05) Rolled Together
06) Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out
07) Tiptoe
08) Hounds
09) Corsicana
10) Putting The Dog To Sleep

Direction

Okay, so I managed to miraculously convince myself that I don't need another video game. Instead, I'm going to burn it off on weapons. I'm still trying ti decide whether to get a sledgehammer, axe, or butterfly knife.

LoZ: OoT - Water Temple

I just finished playing through Ocarina of Time's notoriously challenging dungeon, the Water Temple. From what I've heard from people in gaming communities, it's one of the most difficult stages in the puzzle platforming genre. Some people even consider it the hardest dungeon they've ever played.

I can somewhat relate to the general sentiments about this particular area in OoT. Most of this dungeon's puzzles use precision shooting + timed triggers, and aiming with a controller isn't really one of my greatest points. This was the only thing that really bothered me about the WT, being someone who is mostly unfamiliar with using a console controller. So far I had to begrudgingly deal with high stick sensitivity when using ranged weaponry. I barely managed to finish the shooting range challenge; It may take some time (maybe never) for me to complete the horseback archery challenge. You also had to shift between gear a lot in this dungeon. If you barely paused or opened the menu so far, you'd be seeing it more frequently.

Overall, I don't really think the dungeon is exceedingly difficult. I actually found it to be fun to play through. Maybe because I think the Iron Boots are cool, but also because the level design was something fresh for me. Back when I was still in grade school I mostly just watched my older brother play through LoZ: OoT, but I don't recall him getting stuck or ragequitting because of the Water Temple. The dungeon itself is very much playable, although saying it was way too easy would be a lie. Still, WT can't hold a candle to the mind-bendingly grating Meat Circus level in Psychonauts.

Frustration:  5.0/10

Puzzles:      8.5/10

Design:       8.0/10

Boss:          7.5/10

Overall:       8.0/10