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So I just read this book on history of games called "Blood, Sweat and Pixels" and was fascinated by the chapter on The Witcher 3 and mostly how the team put in so much thought and care in every single side quest. And seems that there are a lot of moral decision to be made on each adventure. So I finally decided to give it a try. Got any advice for me?

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I want to play an easy shooter where you feel like you're in a flow state aiming at targets, the only time I've ever felt like that was in the PS2 Medal of Honour, kneecap, helmet shot, head shot or up till MW4 original.

I've tried the latest CoD and the cinematics and cutscenes are just overblown.

Borderlands would be a kind of turn off your brain type but they haven't made a new game in awhile.

Helldiver had great shooting but the grind, limited levels and multiplayer means I wasn't too invested in it after a hard days work

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I got back to the Grindstone today with Alan Wake and started Episode 5. The screenshot is of the Diner.

I wanted to get an achievement where you complete the entire segment without dying, but I was cursed to fail by walking backwards and somehow through an invisible wall and dying (not before getting Alan stuck on some scaffolding though and trying to break him free).

I have too say this episode is my third favorite (First being Episode 4 with the Lodge and Farm and then Episode 1 just for being an Amazing introduction), the whole fight through the town and then the ending is amazing. Tomorrow I’m going to take it easy so I probably won’t be playing Alan Wake, but after that I will go back to part 2 of Episode 5, and then get to work on Episode 6 and the DLC levels.

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The real Halloween scare this year.

Chud site source: https://x.com/LittleBigPlanet/status/1843652568389480651

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After years of rumours, it's finally happening.

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Kids can be mean, huh? But adults can be just as awful sometimes. Here's the conversation at the first house you go trick-or-treating at:

I decided to change things up a bit for my Halloween screenshot postings. I've been posting too much horror and gore lately; it's time for some childish Halloween fun! And what better way than a video game that's all about trick-or-treating?

Costume Quest is about two new kids on the block - twin siblings - who are going out trick-or-treating for the first time in their new neighborhood.

At the beginning, you get to choose which of the two siblings to play as: the boy Reynold or the girl Wren. Of course, with my affinity for playing strong feminine characters, I went with Wren.

Your first trick-or-treat door went poorly, as seen above. Afraid to be seen with your embarrassment of a sibling, you let your twin go alone to the next door, where they encounter a monster hunting for candy! And it just so happens, your sibling is wearing a candy corn costume!

Your sibling is abducted and thrown over a gate into an ominous land and you find yourself forced to collect Halloween candy in order to open the gates and pursue your sibling.

Along the way, you find an ally in another new kid who's being bullied. With your combined costumes, you collect candy and fight more monsters you encounter in houses. You can exchange costumes for various abilities, and you can find resources in the neighborhood that let you build new and unique costumes, for more unique abilities that will help you on your quest.

The fights against monsters transform into giant kaiju-like battles, where your costumes provide you with special attacks. The fights are turn-based with quick time events to successfully land a blow.

This was a fun game about trying to rescue your sibling so they don't ruin Halloween for you. This game is a Halloween tradition for me; I always like to re-play this game every October. I personally enjoy it because it feels nostalgic to me. It takes me back to my childhood days of trick-or-treating in suburban neighborhoods. I lived out in the forested countryside, so I had to be driven into town by my parents to go trick-or-treating.

I always looked way older than I actually was, so the last 3 years I went out, people always asked if I was too old to be trick-or-treating. Halloween was my favorite holiday, so it was sad that I had to give up trick-or-treating a little early, just because I looked much older. We need to normalize trick-or-treating for adults!

Ahem.

There is also a sequel to this game called Costume Quest 2, where trick-or-treating is outlawed in the near future by dentists. You and your sibling go on time-traveling adventures to stop this horrible dark future from happening.

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Today’s Game is Old School RuneScape. I felt like shit after pulling an All Nighter last night for an Assignment so I didn’t want to start Nightmare mode of Episode 5 of Alan Wake. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Challenge. But I wasn’t in the mood for it today. On top of that my Usual Friends I play multiplayer were gone, so I decided to dick around in OSR by myself.

I don’t play very often (as you can see by my amateur armor and equipment) but I like the vibe of the game, and the Soundtrack is one of my favorites. I love how it sounds, specifically Newbie Melody, Yesteryear, and Sea Shanty 2. And the graphics have a charm to them I love with their rudimentary polygons.

I took the screenshot in a little village market I spawned in, before teleporting back to the usual spawn, and did a quest where I had to help this chef guy gather some things. Then I ran around the castle stealing boots. I then took a walk over to a big city and fought some bandits. Overall I think I got my relaxed day.

I’m hoping to get back to Alan Wake tomorrow, but the day after I think I’ll probably take it easy again because I’m going to a concert that’s running late.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/20627621

Some of the in-game text strongly suggests this is not a simple oil industry tycoon game focused on Iran.

Fair framing, but rather political for a tycoon game:

This definitely has some propaganda elements to it:

This looks to have been published by UIG Entertainment GmbH, a (defunct?) German publisher that seems to be focused on shovelware type games. However, Mobygames does not have an entry for "Oil Tycoon Simulator" under UIG or any other studio/publisher.

The content creator does go into his attempt to find the source of this game at the end of the video.

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I've long wanted to encapsulate these thoughts on contemporary safe spots. Sadly, this issue is terribly unimportant, and who the hell plays EVE in 2024, am I right? But the fire burns inside me nonetheless. And now it burns inside you as well. Bobspeed, Capsuleer.

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I've been playing a bunch of Rusted Moss lately. It's a Twin Stick Shooter Metroidvania, which is appreciably different from the Hack and Slash type I normally play. Getting used to mouse-and-keyboarding a platform heavy game took a bit. And boy are there platforms.

While elements of Metroidvanias are there, this game leans way further into the platforming. I would say it's closer to Celeste than Hollow Knight. Imagine Celeste, but instead of a magic dash and climbing gear Madeline had a gun and a chatty grappling hook.

Anyways, I've been enjoying the heck outta this game and wanted to share. While you're here I will accept any and all Metroidvania recommendations. Except for Cookie Cutter probably.

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I am in awe of how many games get launched on steam everyday... Anyway here is my contribution: Revert. Launching soon on steam, demo available now. A buddy and I have worked on it for several years in our spare time and I'm thrilled to finally have it in a launch ready state.

The game focuses on saving the state of the objects in the world, moving around and reverting to previous states to solve puzzles. You unlock new powers as you play. Windows and Linux builds, runs well on steamdeck.

I hope someone finds and enjoys it! hit me back if you would like a streamer key.

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I love how even the author has no idea what they're talking about because it's just a soup of buzzwords.

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White Day is a South Korean horror game about surviving in a haunted high school at night. It's a very dark game (literally), so I apologize in advance for the dim screenshots.

For my American audience, "White Day" is originally a Japanese holiday that has spread across many East Asian countries. It mirrors Valentine's Day. Unlike in America, where Valentine's Day is just about confessing love and sharing romantic experiences and gifts, in some Asian cultures, the Asian Valentine's Day is a day for women to confess their love with homemade chocolates (or store-bought if you prefer, but homemade are more special and meaningful).

Then a whole month later, on March 14th, the guys celebrate White Day, where they will reciprocate with their own homemade (or store-bought) chocolates if their feelings are mutual. Imagine confessing your love and having to wait a whole month to find out if the guy actually likes you back!

I lived in Japan for 3 years and South Korea for 2 years, so I got plenty of experience with this holiday. It's kind of a big deal, in both countries.

White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a game based on the premise of a guy confessing his love for a girl in his school. She lost her diary on the school grounds and he decided to return it, along with a box of chocolates. He does this by sneaking into the school late at night to put it in her locker.

But there's an excessively violent janitor who patrols the school halls, so you have to avoid being caught. You literally watch him take a baseball bat to a kid until he's unconscious, then drag the kid's body to his office! Dang, South Korea!

My screenshot above is your first encounter with the janitor; you outrun him and hide in a classroom until he passes. Throughout the game, you hear his keys jingle in the hallway and that's your cue to run and hide. Here's me taking refuge in the girls' bathroom while he's on patrol:

This is more than just a "hide-and-seek from an angry janitor" game, though. As you roam the school and explore classrooms, you can find ghost stories about the school, and I haven't gotten that far in the game yet, but I believe you actually run into some of the ghosts while roaming the school grounds. Here's a bloody textbook I found in the corner of a room, with two bloody hand prints on the wall nearby it:

This is a puzzle game, where you collect clues and solve puzzles to eventually reach your goal of returning the diary and leaving your chocolate gift. You only know the girls' name and what homeroom she's in, but the classroom is locked, so you need to find your way around the school and gain access to other rooms and resources until you can eventually gain access to the girl's locker.

You also run into some other students sneaking around the school and help each other achieve your goals.

One of the girls is sweet and kind and saves you from the janitor:

While the other is only interested in how you can help her gain access to a classroom. She's a bit more of a tease.

There are also some strange images hanging between classrooms on the wall that are wildly different from one another, both in art style and theme. I feel like they're going to be important for a puzzle later on.

This game wouldn't be too bad if not for the scary music and sound effects. If it was just hiding from a janitor and solving puzzles, I would hardly consider it horror. But there's a storm raging outside, with rattling of doors and windows at inopportune times to give you a fright. Plus, creepy music will play randomly that makes you think something's sneaking up on you. There was one area where I heard voices whispering unintelligibly and they wouldn't stop until I left the area.

I played this at night with all the lights out and it definitely got my heart rate up! If I was this boy in real life, I would've just gone home and given the girls' diary to her directly during the day. As soon as I saw the janitor beat some kid unconscious with a bat, I would've noped right out of there. That's a situation for the police to deal with, not some young student.

There's a sequel to this game called White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies. It's a direct sequel, returning to the same high school. It looks like it might be an investigation story, trying to solve what really happened at the end of the first game. It looks interesting; once I finish this first game, I'll definitely jump into the sequel.

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As a long-time Stardew Valley fan, I never thought I'd find a game that could capture my heart quite the same way. Fields of Mistria has done just that. I'm honestly blown away by how good this game is

note: just a random fan, have nothing to do with this game at all. It kinda saddens me that it hasn't gotten as much attention though, there are so many mediocre games with soooo many reviews.. this game is legit insane. it's gorgeous!!

Edit: Concerned Ape must've seen my post, and now Stardew Valley has a midweek deal for -50% off LMFAO you cannot make this up

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Game Information

Game Title: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Platforms:

  • Xbox Series X/S (Oct 11, 2024)
  • PlayStation 5 (Oct 11, 2024)
  • PC (Oct 11, 2024)
  • PlayStation 4 (Oct 11, 2024)

Trailers:

Developer: ATLUS

Publisher: SEGA

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 91 average - 98% recommended - 42 reviews

Critic Reviews

But Why Tho? - Jesse Vitelli - 9.5 / 10

Metaphor: Refantazio is the culmination of everything that came before it. It’s a mixture of Atlus’ RPG track record crafted into something bold and new. It takes stock of the fictional stories Atlus has told in the past and how people have resonated with them for years.


CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 9 / 10

Metaphor: Refantazio is a masterfully crafted JRPG that combines political intrigue, rich storytelling, and strategic combat into a gripping and emotional experience. While the pacing can occasionally falter, and some areas may feel visually repetitive, the game’s strengths far outweigh its shortcomings.


Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 9.5 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the almost perfect evolution of the studio's earlier games. It takes everything familiar from the genre to an incredibly high level of quality, surprises with its story and direction and impresses throughout with its presentation and accompanying soundtrack. The loop of great battles and the motivating calendar system will eat up your free time in an instant.


Checkpoint Gaming - Charlie Kelly - 10 / 10

I've always wanted Atlus to tackle political fantasy as a genre and of course when they finally do it with Metaphor: ReFantazio it's one of the best RPGs in years. This is the result of 20 years of incredible game craft that has taken shape in the best and most refined version of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei formula that we've ever received. Probably the best we'll ever get. This is their magnum opus. With immensely satisfying and tactile turn-based combat, and a memorable cast of characters including the alluring and ever-intimidating villain Count Louis, you'll be taken by the world and story to explore within Euchronia. Much like the protagonist, you'll be compelled to save its people. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a crowning achievement under Atlus' long-running and award-winning belt. You should join them on the throne. The view is beautiful from up here.


ComingSoon.net - Tyler Treese - 9.5 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a stellar role-playing game and one of the best to be released this generation. Atlus’ latest foray into fantasy provides familiar trappings for Persona fans while changing the formula up enough for it to fully be its own thing.


Console Creatures - Matt Sowinski - 9 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a fantastic experience, built on the foundation set by Persona but becoming something all of its own. The story is great, the characters are interesting, and a brand-new combat system delivers one of the most exciting games this year.


Daily Mirror - Aaron Potter - 4 / 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio presents a few nips and tucks to a template true JRPG fans will recognize without ever losing the essence of what made its predecessors so enthralling in the first place. And true, while there are some areas where it would have been nice to see it stray further away from aspects that both Persona and Shin Megami Tensei popularised, it’s hard to complain when said titles are considered some of the best JRPGs ever made.


Dexerto - Anyka Pettigrew - 5 / 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the ultimate culmination of everything Atlus has learned from its best games and is a huge step forward for the future of its JRPGs.

The delightful combat, incredible cast of characters, and intricate fantasy setting all make for a brilliant experience that no Shin Megami Tensei or Persona fan should miss out on. It’s certainly a game-of-the-year-worthy title and a smash hit for Atlus to end the year with.


Digital Spy - Jess Lee - 3.5 / 5

Metaphor borrows defining features of Persona yet executes these ideas in a less meaningful way, and in taking much from the beloved series, it takes a long time for Atlus' latest to carve out its own identity.


Digital Trends - George Yang - 4 / 5

In many ways, Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like the next mainline entry in the Persona series in all but name. In others, it carves out an identity all its own. The strategic turn-based combat system is just as satisfying as ever, while Archetypes and globe-trotting put a new perspective on an otherwise familiar experience. I could see the plot twists coming a mile away, but the endearing cast of characters made the journey worthwhile. It’s not perfect, but Atlus has earned my vote of confidence. Consider me a follower.


GamePro - Jonas Herrmann - German - 89 / 100

An excellent role-playing game with fantastic stories and a large scope, but which technically has room for improvement.


Gamer Guides - Ben Chard - 97 / 100

At the end of its massive runtime, Metaphor: ReFantazio never suffers from pacing issues and tells a captivating story that stirs your imagination. With fantastic additions to the familiar Press Turn battle system and one of my favorite casts in a long time, this is one fantasy you won’t want to miss.


Gamers Heroes - Blaine Smith - 85 / 100

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a deep, stylish, and rewarding adventure, but it’s not for the faint of heart.


GamingTrend - Jack Zustiak - 100 / 100

Overall, Metaphor plays like a dream from start to finish. There's less downtime than Persona and fewer frustrating moments than Shin Megami Tensei, with the whole game feeling like a high-stakes road trip with your best friends. The road to the throne is a tough one, but it's one well worth walking.


God is a Geek - Lyle Pendle - 9.5 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is another landmark game from the Persona team, with top tier combat and a gripping story that I couldn't stop playing.


IGN - Michael Higham - 9 / 10

Refining the Atlus RPG formula of weaving tough turn-based combat into compelling social sim mechanics, Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn’t just send a powerful message across its political drama, it becomes a beautiful expression of the real impact storytelling can have on all of us.


IGN Italy - Alessandra Borgonovo - Italian - 8.5 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a narrative-engaged RPG with a familiar and well-structured DNA. A few flaws here and there don't undermine its solid foundations.


IGN Spain - Esteban Canle - Spanish - 9 / 10

Metaphor ReFantazio iterates on series like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei but strives to create something unique and can find its direction in gameplay and narrative. It's a refreshing experience for those familiar with Atlus' RPGs while also creating something accessible enough for those approaching them for the first time.


PC Gamer - Lewis Parker - 95 / 100

A beautiful, 100-hour-long journey from beginning to end, Metaphor: ReFantazio takes the best elements of Persona 5 and somehow improves on them.


Press Start - Harry Kalogirou - 9 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is another banger RPG from ATLUS. It doesn't reinvent the wheel that Shin Megami Tensei and Persona have established as the studios bread and butter, but it iterates on them in unique ways with an undeniably fresh setting. It's hard not to applaud ATLUS for embracing something so tonally different from what they're known for nowadays.


Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 9 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the most memorable RPGs we've played in years. In pursuing a new property, complete with a fantasy setting, Atlus has allowed its creativity to blossom, resulting in a brilliantly rich experience - both in terms of narrative and audiovisual design. While Metaphor takes obvious gameplay and structural cues from the developer's previous projects, it combines and refines those elements to make an epic, kingdom-hopping adventure that feels unique and deeply fulfilling.


Quest Daily - Shaun Fullard - 10 / 10

I’m not going to beat around the bush, Metaphor: ReFantazio is my game of the year. Atlus and Studio Zero have taken the best bits of the Persona series and somehow made them work within a medieval fantasy setting. But it’s no mere Persona 'holiday special'. The new IP enhances and evolves the formula, becoming a shining example of how to do JRPGs right. When it comes to my games, I value story and character above all else, and Metaphor delivers that in spades.


Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Ed Thorn - Unscored

A wonderful RPG that builds on many of Persona's foundations, with a strong sense of exploration and a lovely suite of pals. But its heavy combat focus may mean it remains in the memory less than its high school predecessors.


Siliconera - Stephanie Liu - 8 / 10

A fantastical adventure full of themes that can apply to the real world. While its takes are hit or miss, the smooth battle system and charming characters more than make up for the story issues in this epic tale.


Spaziogames - Italian - 8.8 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a bold new IP from Studio Zero and Atlus, and one of the best at that. Familiar yet innovative, mature but not without moments of levity, with a slew of very functional new systems, this is one of the best JRPGS of the last years and surely GOTY material for this one.


Stevivor - Matt Gosper - 10 / 10

Metaphor ReFantazio sets out to blend the best of its predecessors’ gameplay with an all-new setting, and the result is far greater than the sum of its parts.


TechRaptor - Andrew Stretch - 9.5 / 10

Atlus has leveled up the Persona formula in every way. The world-spanning adventure of Metaphor: ReFantazio offers a diverse world to explore, deep and relatable stories to share with your party, an incredible combat system with unlimited possibilities of Archetype powers, and plenty of quality of life improvements to make sure you're spending more time playing the game and not wondering what to do next.


The Beta Network - Samuel Incze - 10 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a thrilling JRPG with a unique story and the typical engaging gameplay elements that Atlus is known for. The combat is challenging, featuring the press turn battle with a new risk-reward system adding depth to the classic turn-based formula. While the game shares some similarities with the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, such as social stats and character bonds, it carves its own path with a captivating narrative and stunning world. The excellent voice acting, music, and visuals further enhance the experience, making it a must-play for JRPG fans.


The Nerd Stash - Julio La Pine - 10 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a once-in-a-lifetime RPG. Despite how stacked the genre is, it goes out of its way to innovate it while keeping the familiar feel. Even if you've never played a game as lengthy as this one, you'll surely find yourself immersed in this intricate fantasy world.


The Outerhaven Productions - Jordan Andow - 4.5 / 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the best turn-based JRPGs I've played in quite some time. It’s a fantastic game, featuring breathtaking visuals and incredible sound—kudos to Atlus for that. However, I do wish the game had better pacing and a more seamless world structure.


TheGamer - Meg Pelliccio - 5 / 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a new peak for Atlus. It takes so much of what was great about Persona, refines it, and throws that powder into an exciting fantasy setting with incredible lore, well-developed characters, and a fresh new battle system.


TheSixthAxis - Nic Bunce - 9 / 10

Metaphor ReFantazio is sublime. Persona fans will have an absolute blast playing this, and hunting out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) nods to its franchise cousin. A couple of minor annoyances make it feel a little rough around the edges hold it back from an otherwise perfect score.


VGC - Jordan Middler - 5 / 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio could have so easily been Persona with the names filed off, but it's so, so much more than that. It matches fun, expansive combat with an excellent cast of characters that make the near 100-hour journey an unforgettable one.


Video Chums - Mary Billington - 9 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a more mature take on RPGs that delivers something quite different while maintaining enjoyable and somewhat familiar gameplay. Plus, mastering archetypes, exploring dungeons, and fighting for the crown is handled with perfect pacing.


Wccftech - Kai Tatsumoto - 9 / 10

No matter how much I engaged with the core fundamentals of Metaphor: ReFantazio, I couldn’t escape the feeling that this was largely Persona 6 by another name rather than some new IP that could stand on its own merits.


WellPlayed - Nathan Hennessy - 9 / 10

If you can only play one turn-based fantasy roleplaying game this year, let it be this one. Swords and sorcery Persona is a marvellously executed pitch.


XboxEra - Genghis Husameddin - 9.5 / 10

Metaphor’s world design is almost dreamlike, down to the very storybook of irony that Will carries around with him all the time. The cast bonds together incredibly well and I love how everyone has a part to play in this fantasy land of pixies, a race for the throne, dog and box-headed races, and the like. The artwork is gorgeous, the music is splendid. Mixed in is a simple yet fun combat system, complete with unique overworld encounters in the dungeons and out about in towns. I’ve no metaphors for this—Metaphor: ReFantazio is a fantastic RPG for all. ∎


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I finished up Nightmare Mode Episode 4 of Alan Wake Today. For the screenshot I picked the Old Gods of Asgards Rock concert (I was going to take a screenshot during the concert but couldn’t get a good one because the flares and a 800p resolution made it blurry). Without diving too much into story spoilers for those who haven’t played the game, this whole moment is one of the most memorable to me.

The excitement of fighting off taken during a rock concert is euphoric and exhilarating, and it gives me the same feeling as Left 4 Dead 2’s Dark Carnival Campaign with it’s rock concert. Then there’s the battle with the combine right after which is almost as fun as the concert.

Furthermore I almost got the “Child of the Elder God” achievement on Nightmare Mode, which requires you to “Have a rock'n'roll moment without dropping to a low health state”. But sadly Alan took a Flying hatchet to the face at the literal last second and dropped to low a health state, which was disappointing. I’ll probably go back on Normal mode and try again, because as fun as it would be to do it on Nightmare, I just want the achievement right now.

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