Animal Mounts Are Way Better Than Airships, Send Tweet
Greetings, Disciples of the Blood God!
Well, we sure are living in some times. I hope you're doing well. Remember: it's totally OK to take from the internet, from social media, from the rest of it. Your mental health might even depend on it. I find great comfort in slipping back into RPGs. What else is new, right?
So, here's something I've been thinking about lately (when I'm not thinking "Oh God, why?"): Mounts. Mounts are one of my favourite RPG things, especially in MMORPGs. I've been collecting mounts in Final Fantasy 14, which isn't easy going. In a way, the collecting is moot: I always go back to riding my Dalmud Red chocobo that's pimped out with Setzer's outfit from Final Fantasy 6. Why wouldn't I show that proud beast off at every given moment?
That said, Chocobos are typically my middle-of-the-road mount. I like them well enough, but I'm always on the lookout for something more interesting. Forget flying boats, though: I want beasts. I want dragons. One of my all-time faves is Flammie, the white dragon from Secret of Mana. Squaresoft did an excellent job animating his undulating body, and it was a shock to see the world sprawled out in front of me in glorious Mode 7.
Ramia/Lamia, the phoenix from Dragon Quest 3, also gets a shout-out. When I hopped on Lamia's back, that was the first time I got to experience flying in an RPG. The NES didn't offer any fancy scrolling tricks like the SNES, but simply being able to glide over mountains and plains without being interrupted by random encounters was an awakening for me.
Finally, let's give it up for horses. Good ol' horses. I'll never forget the sheer sense of freedom I felt when I rescued Epona from Lon Lon Ranch in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and had her jump over the wall and onto the plains. That bond between Link and his horse gradually gave us more complicated bonds, like all the horse collecting and grooming in Red Dead Redemption 2. Oh Kain Highwind, my lovely black Arabian horse. You'll live forever in my heart.
I suppose it's obvious by now, but I'm all about the animal mounts. I could care less about airships and other mechanitions. Not even the Blackjack stirs my interest very much. Let me jump on the back of a dragon and freeze to death in the thin atmosphere. That is the way of the warrior.
What kind of RPG mount do you like? Are you more about airships and machinery (ehhh) or animals and dragons (yeah!)?
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and Happy Adventuring,
Nadia
This Week on Axe of the Blood God
Kat, Nadia, and USG Senior Editor Caty McCarthy render their final verdict on Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, where they talk about the new content, the biggest changes, and whether the fan-favorite RPG holds up. Plus: Track of the Week, a potential World Ends With You sequel, Kat's favorite podcasts, and more! [Listen here]
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