Tales From The Backlog

I feel weird writing this. As of this post, there were only two post from me this entire month. This is definitely the slowest upload rate since I started, and I want to blame the change in routine for that. My energy and motivation toward anything is at an absolute low and I am trying my best to keep the gears turning. For that, I want to apologize, but at the same time I know that I don’t have to.

With that being said, holy crap have I been super productive in finishing games off the backlog! It started with finishing one game that I’m surprise that I finished this year and then knocking out game after game afterwards. The train for finishing games off the backlog is at max speed, and I’m glad I at least have that motivation. So yes, while I have not posted anything in a while, know that I was “working” and I now have some ammunition for future post.

Games Finished

If you have not heard yet, I have become a big fan of The Legend of Heroes series. I was unsure if there was would be another series introduced to me that would make me completely invested. I started with Trails of Cold Steel; which I finished at the beginning of the year, and now I finished the second one. In my opinion, this was a perfect sequel and it kept the same level of intensity from where the first game ended. There were moments at the end where I felt elements were rushed, but the complete package at the end was worth it. I plan to write a post that goes into detail of what both games did right and wrong.

After finishing Cold Steel II, I got into a kick of finishing games that I had started but didn’t finish. The first game on that list was Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Bloodstained: ROTN is not a long game, so I have no idea why I didn’t finish it beforehand. This game really filled the void I had for a Castlevania game. While I still give the gold crown to Symphony of the Night, Ritual of the Night was a good first return for series created Koji Igarashi. There were a few performance issues (including one boss fight that really tested my patience with lag) and some areas could have used a bit more polish. While the 3D style of the game made some areas stand out and great visuals, I would prefer the next game (if there is one) to tone down on some of the 3D effects. With that being said, I still enjoyed my time with the game and exploring this new castle and lore. I will slowly take the plunge to 100% complete the game over the next few months/years.

The last three games that I finished were on the shorter side and thus just add a “finished” check mark next to them. I finished Tekken 7‘s story mode and felt satisfied with it. This is the first Tekken game that I own, but I have played others. I never really know how to classify a fighting game as “finished,” but I got to the end of the story mode and saw credits; so it is a win for me. I plan on doing the character stories and work my way up the on the other modes. The second game is declared finished was Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There is no clear cut way of finishing Animal Crossing, since being finished with the game means that you are just done playing it regularly. After finishing the task for Tom Nook and persuading K.K. Slider to hold a concert on the island, I felt that the image below told me that I was free from any obligations left on the island. That message alone made me feel that the game was no longer going to hold me accountable to finish anything and that the world was truly open for me to do anything.

The last game that I properly finished was Sonic Forces. After watching the Sonic the Hedgehog movie twice, I felt the urge to play a Sonic game that I had not finished. I only wished that I had played an enjoyable game. When reviews for Sonic Forces came out, the general consensuses was you either enjoyed it or hate it; I am in the hate it group. I generally can find enjoyment out of any bad game, but the many problems I had for Forces made me hate playing it to the end. Gone were the tight controls and mechanics from Generations. The biggest problem I had was that the game was never challenging despite playing on Hard mode. The hardest part of the game was keeping Sonic on the path during the abundant boost sections. The story had a good premise, but it was a missed opportunity to tell a interesting story akin to the comics from the 90s. I don’t expect to write a full post on this game just because I don’t want to write about a negative experience.

Currently Playing

I am continuing the path of finishing games that I am close to finishing. Right now I am closing in on the finale of Shin Megami Tensei IV. This was the fourth game that I got for my 3DS back in 2013, and I’m glad that I am finally finishing this one. What held me back in the past was how completely lost I get in the game. You have to know the districts of Tokyo to know where to head next; and I am already challenged when it comes to geography. The only other roadblock I had was that without even trying, I managed to get the Neutral ending route. I was happy to do this since it is difficult to do on a first playthrough without guides. This however meant that I had to travel all around Tokyo and complete specific side quest that are found in random places without a hint in the game which ones you have to do. Without a walkthrough, this was a nightmare for me. I have since then found a guide and blazing through the game since I had time to grind. After I am done with SMT:IV, I want to finish a couple more games before tackling the next Legend of Heroes game. I decided that I am going to pause Trials of Cold Steel and play the first three games, Trails in the Sky.

If I ever need a break from the grind, I will do a different type of grind and work on obtaining achievements in different games. I have been on a kick recently and there is some satisfaction of seeing that achievement unlock window pop up. My goal is to earn at least one platinum trophy on PS4 by the end of the year. Kat has been showing me up lately with the 4 that she has (Edit: she now has 5).

New Additions

Is it just me or have there been a lot of video game sales this month? Every week there would be new deals popping out everywhere. This would make sense, since publishers and retailers might be thinking people need something to do while stuck at home. For that, I say thank you and f*** you. I bought seven games this month, and half of them were on impulse. Immediately after finishing Cold Steel II, my FBI agent must had been happy for me because the third game went on sale the same day (coincidence I think not!) Along with Cold Steel III, I ordered GreedFall. I read mix things about the game, but the setting looked appealing to me. For $15 USD, I am willing to give it a try. Along with impulse buying, I bought the Sega Genesis Collection on Switch. I had a Genesis growing up, but the Super Nintendo definitely won me over during the time. I have no idea why I bought it, but it does have Gunstar Heroes on it and I love that game.

I was fortunate enough to pick up my copy of Final Fantasy VII: Remake a day before it’s official release. I’m currently up to chapter 5 and just taking my time through it. I only played the original once back around 2009, so all memories of the Midgar section is gone to me. I won’t leave this on the burner too long since it won’t take long to finish. For something on the opposite end, I picked up Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 for $0.99 USD. How could I say no to that deal!? I played the first game to death and I never touched the second game. I’m looking forward to see what improvements were made all those years back and never improved afterwards. The last game that I bought recently is Persona 3 FES. After watching Kat fly through Persona 5 Royal, it has given me the urge to play through one of the earlier titles. Kat showed interested in playing/watching the third game, and I thought this would be appropriate since the only other version I have is the PSP version.

Edit: I also forgot that Bandai Namco was giving out copies of Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 out for free. I know some people have been saying the first one was better, but I never played it and I am enjoying my time with the one.

Plans for Next Month

Geez this report has been long. As I mentioned before, my plan next month is to continue playing games that I started but never finished. Some titles that I have in consideration are:

Xenoblade Chronicles
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
Transistor
Fire Emblem: Three Houses

These are just a few titles, but my mood might pull me in a different direction.

I have started to do small 1-2 hours streams on random days. I tried playing games on my PC, but the poor girl was having difficulties. I am currently in the process of upgrading her, but I have to wait for a few more parts to come in. To curve that, I have been streaming Monster Hunter World with my younger brother Cam. The streams feel slow since the first hour is just us trying to get in the same game, but then afterwards it just features us helping each other with whatever task we are working on. I am reluctant to create a schedule or commitment to streaming as I’m afraid of committing to a set time and not keeping up with it. I do try to plan them out and post on Twitter when I am, but they are random and slow at the beginning. With enough practice and getting comfortable with streaming, I may work out set times when I go online.

Numbers and Stats

And here are the stats:

April 2020
Games Finished: 5
Games Added: 8
Finish Total: 197
Total Collection: 681

Achievements Earned: 65
Steam: 13
PlayStation: 52

Most Played Game: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Most Played Console: PlayStation 4

Current Games in Progress:
Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Shin Megami Tensei IV

Games Finished:

Date	Title	Hours
4/18/2020	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II	134
4/19/2020	Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night	16
4/20/2020	Tekken 7	?
4/21/2020	Animal Crossing: New Horizons	85
4/23/2020	Sonic Forces	4

Games Added:

Date	Title	System
4/9/2020	Final Fantasy VII: Remake	PlayStation 4
4/12/2020	Sega Genesis Collection	Nintendo Switch
4/20/2020	Roller Coaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack	PC
4/21/2020	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III	PlayStation 4
4/21/2020	GreedFall	PlayStation 4
4/25/2020	Pac-Man Championship Edition 2	PlayStation 4
4/25/2020	Monopoly: Nintendo Switch Version	Nintendo Switch
4/28/2020	Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES	PlayStation 2

Thanks for reading,

DanamesX