Mini-Review/Backlog Destruction Thread

Finally finished Red Dead 2. My gosh, I loved and hated this game. At times it was so fun and engrossing, then at other times so slow and tedious.
 
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Finally finished Red Dead 2. My gosh, I loved and hated this game. At times it was so fun and engrossing, then at other times so slow and tedious.
The spiritual successor to Barbie Horse riding.
 
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The spiritual successor to Barbie Horse riding.
Mean Girls Shut Up GIF
 
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Tried Wonder Labyrinth on game pass. Died same fking spot for 3 times in a roll. Uninstalled.

Edit: decided to reinstalled & managed to go much further. It is supposed to be "easy" (by Metroidvania standard), but some areas can be a pain.
 
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Finally beat Wonder Labyrinth at 94% map clear, Notice I missed a few areas after I complete but I am too tired to return to open up a few areas.

I have a lot of thought playing the game. Not so much the gameplay itself, which is pretty decent if you like Metroidvania-style games, but some design regarding accessibility.

In a sense, the game can be made easier if you püack enough consumables like potions & heals, as well as spam magic & overleveling the area you fight.

In the final boos fight, which is 2 stages, they throw everything at you. At first try, I manage to get to stage 2 but only manage to do 15% to the boss. On the second try, I manage better & get deal of about 35% damage.

So I decided to gain some level & come back. Every level increases weapon damage by 1 (not much) but also significantly increases magic damage.
At level 44, the wisp Spell does 140+ damage per hit, when I level up to level 54, I do 180 damage per hit. Also it also reduce damage from mobs.

I returned to the boss fight & manage to beat it.

Anyway, the takeaway is that; I feel (with exception of games like dark souls that are mean to be hard) I feel in terms of game design, I like the trinity of Luck/skill/perseverance. YOu get back by being lucky, by being skillful, and if you are less skill, if you keep perseverance by grinding level, you can overcome the challenge, which allow more players (skillful or not) to enjoy the game.
 
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Playing Sifu (PC). It really fun but really difficult. Dynasty warriors Empires 9 (PC) and Horizon Forbidden West (PS5) later this week. Giving Series X backlog a break this month. Dropping FF7 Remake (PS5) for now. Square really got extra with the liberties its taking with the story. Will come back to it in the summer, probably.
 
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Playing Sifu (PC). It really fun but really difficult. Dynasty warriors Empires 9 (PC) and Horizon Forbidden West (PS5) later this week. Giving Series X backlog a break this month. Dropping FF7 Remake (PS5) for now. Square really got extra with the liberties its taking with the story. Will come back to it in the summer, probably.
Crazy how there is a gaming drought in Jan, followed by too much games in Feb.
 
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Still playing SIFU. Decided against getting Horizon Forbidden West right now due to the backlog. Will catch it when I get some free time or when it goes on sale.
 
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Finally finished Far Cry 6. I really liked it. I know it is the same formula over and over, but it is fun. Something about open world shooters just works for me.

Finally on to Cyberpunk next. I never started it.
 
Just finished Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix. Thought this game was great. Really awesome seeing how the events from all the other games got set up. Definitely one of my favorite KH games yet, certainly my favorite spin off.

Next I'm going to be finishing off a new for me series that I've started playing over the past 6 months, with Dead Space 3.
 
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With the COVID thing much of last month I was stuck in the bedroom on the X1X. I can't remember what I was playing before, but I went ahead and did a full replay of FF XIII (the story at least, no postgame stuff) and it seemed better than I remembered so I started on XIII-2. I did get a few hours in the living room (because I couldn't freaking sleep) one day so I did a few hours of the Cyberpunk trial, but now I just bought Elden Ring so I guess I'm going to be it's bitch for a while.
 
Finished Sifu. Had to play through it twice to get the good ending. Athough story is VERY secondary to the game-play. Game has the absolute best free flow combat I've played since the Batman Arkham games. If for a sequel they fleshed out a less bare bones story I'd be very impressed.
 
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I have a backlog. Don't feel like starting any new games till I get through at least one game I've already started. But I don't feel like finishing the games I've started.

Describe what this quandary is.
 
I have a backlog. Don't feel like starting any new games till I get through at least one game I've already started. But I don't feel like finishing the games I've started.

Describe what this quandary is.
I understand this feeling. Barely have time for games, but game keep getting longer......When I have time, I rather spend playing Fortnite with some friends. After I am done, I also spend about 2-3 hours at night on the 3D print side design job I am trying to branch out (because one 35hours job is not challenging enough....).


By the time I can play game, its mostly late at night, 10 11+, & often I prefer to just chill rather than play game. Doesn't help when many games have s***ty checkpoint save system that are very far apart. The fact that I have to devote at least 1 hour or so (thats assuming I did not died to bosses or something) of gaming to have any progress.

Its 2022 already, why can't we just save the game where we are, & return to eactly where when we load instread of stupif checkpoint 10mins from where you are & you have to refight all the mobs you already beaten. .
 
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Here's what I'm juggling right now:

Switch: Triangle Strategy - Seems like this will be a slow LONG burn similar to Fire Emblem: 3 Houses. Might only get 1 playthrough out of this one.
Series X : Psychonauts 2 - Picking this back up as a palette cleanser. All I can say from being half way done is this game SHOULD have won more awards or gotten more recognition.
PC: Cyberpunk 2077 - A buddy convinced me to reinstall and see what Patch 1.5 was all about. So far what I'm seeing is this is the bare minimum of how the game should have originally shipped.
PS5 : Nothing right now but I anticipate Horizon Forbidden West in a few weeks.

I understand this feeling. Barely have time for games, but game keep getting longer......When I have time, I rather spend playing Fortnite with some friends. After I am done, I also spend about 2-3 hours at night on the 3D print side design job I am trying to branch out (because one 35hours job is not challenging enough....).


By the time I can play game, its mostly late at night, 10 11+, & often I prefer to just chill rather than play game. Doesn't help when many games have s***ty checkpoint save system that are very far apart. The fact that I have to devote at least 1 hour or so (thats assuming I did not died to bosses or something) of gaming to have any progress.

Its 2022 already, why can't we just save the game where we are, & return to eactly where when we load instread of stupif checkpoint 10mins from where you are & you have to refight all the mobs you already beaten. .
I'm with you. The older I get, the more responsibilities I have and the less time I have for gaming. When I was in my 20s and single, it wasn't nothing to lose my whole night and/or weekend to a game. Now in my 40s when I get home spend time with the wife and kids and by 10 pm I'm done. I may play for a few hours before I go to sleep but those marathon sessions are long gone. Shorter more digestible game are starting to be my jam.
I imagine if I ever retire I'm going to revert to my adolescence and my wife won't see me for days on end from marathon gaming. Assuming I still have the dexterity and cognitive functions to do so.
 
Here's what I'm juggling right now:

Switch: Triangle Strategy - Seems like this will be a slow LONG burn similar to Fire Emblem: 3 Houses. Might only get 1 playthrough out of this one.
Series X : Psychonauts 2 - Picking this back up as a palette cleanser. All I can say from being half way done is this game SHOULD have won more awards or gotten more recognition.
PC: Cyberpunk 2077 - A buddy convinced me to reinstall and see what Patch 1.5 was all about. So far what I'm seeing is this is the bare minimum of how the game should have originally shipped.
PS5 : Nothing right now but I anticipate Horizon Forbidden West in a few weeks.


I'm with you. The older I get, the more responsibilities I have and the less time I have for gaming. When I was in my 20s and single, it wasn't nothing to lose my whole night and/or weekend to a game. Now in my 40s when I get home spend time with the wife and kids and by 10 pm I'm done. I may play for a few hours before I go to sleep but those marathon sessions are long gone. Shorter more digestible game are starting to be my jam.
I imagine if I ever retire I'm going to revert to my adolescence and my wife won't see me for days on end from marathon gaming. Assuming I still have the dexterity and cognitive functions to do so.
I resumed my first playthrough of Cyberpunk and am over halfway through the game, I think. Some of the side character close ups are amazing but the NPCs on the street still look like crap.
 
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Dead Space series is officially finished. While Dead Space 3 was certainly a different type of game than 1 or 2, I still enjoyed it and it shed a lot of light on the overall story and lore. It just isn't a survival horror game.

Now to finish the Dragon Age series with Dragon Age Inquisition next.
 
Dead Space series is officially finished. While Dead Space 3 was certainly a different type of game than 1 or 2, I still enjoyed it and it shed a lot of light on the overall story and lore. It just isn't a survival horror game.

Now to finish the Dragon Age series with Dragon Age Inquisition next.
I put over 100 hours into Dragon age inquistion, Good game. What I like is you can gear everyone of your team, as well as gain FULL CONTROL of each (toggle), So you can play as warror, mage, archer etc in a single campaign, just switch to a teammate.
 
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After about 88 hours, I just finished Dragon Age Inquisition along with the Descent and Trespasser DLCs. I see that DAI get some criticism on the internet, but I absolutely loved every minute of it. Now I can't wait for Dragon Age 4.

Next up, going to being playing Alice Madness Returns.
 
I see that DAI get some criticism on the internet
It's strange, from my memory it got great reviews at release with no complaints as to it being worse than it's predecessors. Sometime after (when Andromeda released?) it suddenly was as low point for the series according to the internets.

It's a great game and I'll even rank it higher than Origins imo.
 
It's strange, from my memory it got great reviews at release with no complaints as to it being worse than it's predecessors. Sometime after (when Andromeda released?) it suddenly was as low point for the series according to the internets.

It's a great game and I'll even rank it higher than Origins imo.
DAI is a great game. I enjoyed my 100+ hours of gameplay. The female chars are "unconventional" in look though, which is a minor complaint.
 
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I commented earlier in this thread on DAI. I played it finally like… last spring? Sunk about 100 hrs in and LOVED it.
 
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I'm still working on Triangle Strategy. Its a long game and I got distracted. However so far its my GOTY. Again its a shame it will get overlooked by the end of the year because it is a really good game.

I also started Dishonored: Death of the Outsider as it was the only game in the Dishonored series I hadn't played. You can say what you want about Arkane but they are superb level designers. Dishonored 1-2 and Deathloop have excellent level design and balance. So many different ways to tackle a mission.
 
I'm still working on Triangle Strategy. Its a long game and I got distracted. However so far its my GOTY. Again its a shame it will get overlooked by the end of the year because it is a really good game.

I also started Dishonored: Death of the Outsider as it was the only game in the Dishonored series I hadn't played. You can say what you want about Arkane but they are superb level designers. Dishonored 1-2 and Deathloop have excellent level design and balance. So many different ways to tackle a mission.
I got burned out by the original Dishonored, Played no kill/Steath, & all DLC that I never felt like returning to the series.
 
Finished Triangle Strategy. Until something else comes out and sweeps me off my feet, its my GOTY. Its a tactics game done right. Not too grindy, good story and characters, along with fun game-play. Can't ask for anything else. I personally never got tired of playing it. LOVED the HD-2D art style.
Based on the story and battle choices you make during the game, you get substantially different endings. There are 4 endings and I got 1 of the ones that's mostly neutral. I might go back and replay the game since it has a new game+ mode and try to get the happiest ending. The only thing stopping me is my backlog and how long this game is.

Also finished Death of the Outsider. The controls are not nearly as tight as Deathloop especially the teleporting, but you can feel and see that Arkane DNA in the game. Still it was a pretty good game and I'm glad to see another story in the Dishonored world. I hope Arkane revisits it down the line when their current projects are finished