Things I enjoyed in February 2026
Things I enjoyed in February, and we're already in April... I should really speed up a little! Or not, maybe taking my time and think about what those thing left me is not so bad. We'll see how this goes on, but in the meantime February stuff!
another moment to praise our (badly drawn) lord and saviour chaos
February was a bit of a rollercoaster for us Xenosaga fan. Soraya Saga, co-creator of the story, suddenly decided to tell the world on Twitter some lore about Albedo that was never disclosed before. Caitlin Thorburn updated her Spotlight page writing she's reprising her role as KOS-MOS for some Xenoblade related stuff we still don't know scheduled for 2026.
The same day the Caitlin Thorburn news came out, I started experiencing another content related to the series.
I'm slowly tackling every side content from this series that has been translated, officially or by fan, good or bad.
That's what wrote in Things I enjoyed in January 2026. And, oh boy, if the manga was somewhat decent, Xenosaga the Animation is definitely not.
One thing that is noticeable at first glance is that this anime had a very low budget. I lost count of how many times I laughed just seeing some of the horrible drawings. And don't get me started on some of the animations! It's... bad. Really, really bad.
But, hey, at least the story is the same you love and remember... right? Ehhh... Well, first of all many things from the second and third games were shown earlier here. Which is not bad per se, but if it's at the cost of cutting Cherenkov and his arc, was that really so important?
There's a bit of fanservice added that feels kinda bad (especially for Shion's characterization) and Kirsh, a new original character that felt like the screenwriters wanted to "fix" Albedo, giving him someone who likes him the way he is. There was no need, we all love him the way he is!
At least we have the ma belle pêche scene, even if it felt a bit less intense.
You'll probably say that I didn't like this one, but I actually had a lot of fun hatewatching it. Recommended.
Ever heard about the Cosmere?
Brandon Sanderson is a name you hear a lot among fantasy books fan. His worldbuilding, storytelling and magic systems get almost universally praised by those who read his books. The first time I heard his name, it was long after my adolescence, when I was an avid book reader. I've read a lot less since then and his books are long. And there's also a lot of them. A huge commitment for my reading habits.
Back in November I was forced to bed for a couple of weeks and I thought that it was a perfect excuse for me, between a manga volume and an Ocarina of Time dungeon, to start reading Warbreaker. The choice was mostly taken because, unlike a lot of his other books, this is standalone. I read about 80 pages, then my life was back to normal and I couldn't fit reading in my daily routine anymore. Until January at least. In January, as a personal challenge, I started reading a set amount of pages every day... and at the time I'm writing this, it's still working! After a little more than a month, I finally finished reading Warbreaker and I liked it a lot!
The beginning of the book is a bit slow, it serves mostly for worldbuilding and character introductions purposes. The book has multiple PoVs and I think some get interesting sooner than others. I especially liked Siri and Lightsong's most. Siri in particular is not usually my kind of character, but I really love how she grows and how she developes meaningful relationships.
As expected, the magic system is pretty interesting.
I'm definitley reading more Sanderson books in the future. Mistborn is probably next.
Telling the story of a life without words
I really like Taisuke Kanasaki's artstyle. Very realistic and expressive, and also extremely recognisable to me. It was very nice to get to know his works through Another Code and Hotel Dusk, so when Dear me I was... was announced my interest was piqued. I had to wait until the multiplatform release in February to play it as I don't own a Switch 2 yet. I knew it was short and I knew it was one of those games where interaction is very minimal (like Florence if you know that one), so I really enjoyed my ride with it. Short and sweet, the story is very intimate, told only through art and music. Maybe not the most groundbreaking experience of your life, but it's cheap and worth a try!
Let's make videogames!
Another short game I played in February that I don't have a whole lot to say is a game about... making games. Game Dev Story is probably one of those games everyone in the niche knows. It's a videogame studio simulator, if you will. I had fun trying to figure out the right matches of story genre and gameplay, as well as coming up with stupid videogame names and my own console, the Laxbox! In the end it's kind of a love letter to the game industry, with a lot of fun easter eggs. Not a game that takes itself too seriously.
It was a fun ride, but I'm not sure I'm gonna do another run. Just one was ok!
See you again, o' Zemuria
And after two games I don't have much to say, here's the game I have far too much to say. The game that glued me to my sofa for over 100 hours.
Trails beyond the Horizon is the 13th game in the Trails games (Kiseki in Japan), a JRPG series featuring a continuing story set in the fictional continent of Zemuria. As you probably already know, I love Trails and Horizon was probably one of the best for me: I had far too much fun. Combat is the best in the series so far and the story had many twists and turns that need some closure in the next game in the series (hoping it comes out soon1).
It definitely has its flaws and I'd love to write a dedicated post eventually with everything I have to say. It's gonna be lenghty and spoilery, because you can't really write a proper critique (both positive and negative) of this game without delving into what the hell happened here. But take this paragraph as your daily reminder to try Trails if you still haven't. It's a great journey!
What else?
Not much, except I watched quite a few Masterchef Italy episodes, both old and new. I promise March's gonna be a bit more exciting!
I know it can't be sooner than fall 2027 but finger crossed↩