August 2020 Gaming Report

Where has August gone? It feels like we just finished July, and now August has ended as well. I am not going to complain since that means we are one step closer to Fall. One tree in my yard is already starting to change its colors and shed a few leaves. Soon it will be so long to shorts and hello comfy jacket season!

But this is a gaming blog and not a nature one (though I could talk about nature at some point). I spent the first half of the month trying to finish one game in anticipation for the next. The grind was rough, and I am proud to say that I didn’t manage to finish much this month. With the return to work and school, I have to completely redo my schedule just as I was getting used to my current one. If I need the motivation now, my coursework and work tasks will have me begging to pick up a controller when I can. 

Finished This Month

The only game that I can closely say that I finished was NieR: Automata. I say closely finish, because I only got the the first ending, which classifies in my books as a finish. I do know that I need to play the other stories to get the true ending, and I have plans to do so. Just don’t bully me for counting this as a win for me!

Added This Month

A few new titles were added this month. I decided to try this new game everyone was talking about called Fall Guys. It was free via PS Plus, so I figured I had nothing to lose. Can’t say that I am a big fan of this one. I see the charm of it by trying to out best everyone that you are competing against. To me though, it feels very stressful, and I already have enough of that as is. People have been saying that the appeal of the game is playing with friends, but I think I am good on that front. Not my cup of tea, but I’m glad others seem to be enjoying it.

For my random purchase of the month, that goes to Onimusha: Warlords on the PS4. I’ve seen the game before, but never bothered to try it. I saw it on sale for $15 USD and decided to bit the bullet. I had a feeling if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to find it later like so many other games on my wishlist.

Are people still buying 3DS games? Because I sure am! I have been meaning to pick up WarioWare Gold for a while, but I was always looking for a good deal on it. I thought I did last week when I found a copy in Target for $20 USD. That sounded too good to be true…and it was. When the cashier rang it up, it came to $40 USD instead. I could have insisted that I didn’t want to purchase it or that the price lied to me, but if you know me I’m not a confrontational guy and just accepted it.

This comes to the last game I got this year, and I thought this was going to be my game of the year. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered came out on the 27th (for some reason I thought it was the 28th) to a heated reception. I won’t go far into details as I already did in a separate blog post. Just know that it came out and had the opposite effect Pokemon Sword did for me last year.

Plans For Next Month

Survive. Joking aside, my schedule is all over the place and I can’t seem to find a moment to relax. When I do, it feels like a false sense of relaxation and my brain starts to stress me out. There are a few games that I want to attempt to finish this month like Trails of Cold Steel III since the next game in the series is coming out in October. Speaking of October, the blog will celebrate its one year anniversary. I didn’t imagine that I would be keeping up with the blog this long, but I’m glad I did and I have met some amazing people along the way. I am still working on some updates to reveal during the time, so please look forward to those things.

Numbers

August 2020
Games Finished: 1
Games Added: 4

Finish Total: 203
Total Collection: 681

Most Played Game: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III

Most Played System: PS4

Achievements:
Steam: 4
Playstation: 19

Current Games in Progress:
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered
Disgaea 5 Complete

DateTitleHours
8/9/2020NieR: Automata15
DateTitleSystem
8/7/2020Fall Guys: Ultimate KnockoutPS4
8/8/2020Onimusha: WarlordsPS4
8/27/2020Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles RemasteredPS4
8/27/2020WarioWare Gold3DS

July 2020 Gaming Report

Something…something..July. Something…something…gaming. Each month seems to begin and end quickly. Soon, work will start to pick up again, and my third to last semester will begin. My gaming routine will have to alter some, but I have noticed that it has been on a decline lately. I’ve been juggling titles less and have opted to focus on one or two games at a time. That’s not to say nothing has been keeping my attention.

Ghost of Tsushima looks really good and I want to play it so badly. The new Paper Mario game also looks excellent with people not being afraid to say that it is a good game. Not to mention next month, we will finally get the remastered version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles; one of my favorite games of all time. The only thing that is preventing me from getting all these new games are time and money. Due to being in lockdown for what feels like a majority of the year, I have saved a pretty penny as of late. This is good since my savings didn’t really have much in it. I would like to continue to build it up, and that will require me to sacrifice new experiences until a later date. The only exception will be when Crystal Chronicles comes out since I love that game so much.

Games Finished

SOULCALIBUR™Ⅵ_20200726142349

So what have I been doing this month? Well a lot of time went into just playing Soul Calibur VI. I already talked a lot about this game in a post I made last week. Without repeating myself too much, I was able to obtain the platinum trophy in this game and had an absolute good time doing so. It made me better at the game that now I enjoy just fighting random people online. If you are interested in the series, I would recommend it and it is still getting content to this day.


The only other game that I got around to finish was Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2. I was able to beat the first one when it came out in 1 day, and I was surprised that I did the same for this one as well. Curse of the Moon 2 is definitely harder than the first, but it is manageable once you get the hang of it (or play in Casual mode like I did). I prefer Domonique, Robert, and Hachi over the original characters as their weapons and playstyle appeal to me more. The sheer variety that they can pull off is probably why the difficulty was cranked up. Currently I am in my second playthrough and taking my sweet time to the true final ending.

Currently Playing

My evenings after work consist of a routine. I play Animal Crossing for about an hour to work on projects around the island. Afterwards, I play a second game for the rest of the evening. Currently, I have been playing The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III. After finishing the second game in April, I decided to slowly work my way through the Sky Trilogy. Long story short, I got impatient and started playing Cold Steel III. I understand a lot of things may go over my head for not playing the other games, but the cloud of mystery is what I loved about these games. After finishing the first chapter, I already want to go back to Sky and see all of the development that has led to this moment.

New Additions

This month was very tamed when buying new games. Since I knew I would not have the time to play Ghost of Tsushima, I opted to wait until a sale to purchase it. That also goes for Paper Mario: The Origami King. I know that Paper Mario will most likely not go on sale anytime soon, but I will get it one day and add it to the backlog. 

There were four games that I bought this month. The first was Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2. I knew that I could beat it quickly, so I made the justification and beat it the same day. The last two games that I bought were Overcooked 1 & 2 that came in one disk, and Injustice 2. My wife Kat and I just happened to notice a used copy of both and they were less than $15 USD. We have only played Overcooked 1 and have had a blast playing it. We have no idea what Overcooked 2 has in store, but I know we will get frustrated at each other while trying to accomplish each stage. 

We had talked about getting Injustice 2 ever since it came out. We never did though, and it remained on our wishlist ever since. Finding a copy for $15 was the convincing factor. 

The last game was Chocobo Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! It was on sale and I adore Chocobos! I have never played a mystery dungeon game before, so I am looking forward to see if I enjoy it or not. I enjoy the characters since they are the same from Chocobo Tales.

Plans For This Month

My goal is to finish Trails of Cold Steel III before Crystal Chronicles comes out. I cannot express how excited I am for this game. I haven’t been this excited for a release in a long time. If I manage to finish Cold Steel with time to spare, I might do some more achievement hunting in a few games. I have also been doing a few more streams here and there. I am trying to build more confidence and learn all the tech work in the background especially with sound. I want to figure all of this out before making my official “debut.” If you see me live, don’t be afraid to stop by. I get extra nervous/talkative when I notice someone watching.

Numbers

July 2020
Games Finished: 2
Games Added: 4
Finish Total: 202
Total Collection: 677

Most Played Game: Soul Calibur VI
Most Played System: PS4

Achievements:
Steam:3
PlayStation: 51

Current Games in Progress:
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III

Games Finished

DateTitleHours
7/6/2020Soul Calibur VI???
7/10/2020Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 22

New Additions

DateTitleSystem
7/15/2020Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2Switch
7/25/2020Chocobo Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy!Switch
7/28/2020Overcooked 1 + 2PS4
7/28/2020Injustice 2PS4

June 2020 Gaming Report

We’re halfway through this crazy year and I will admit that I will miss Spring. Summertime always drains my mood, resulting in a seasonal depression that is hard to kick. This has affected the blog and gaming, as I feel I need to spend my time doing “grown-up work” and not spend all my time playing video games. Regardless, there are some games that I am looking forward to playing, and eventually one of them will get me out of this funk.

*Update. As of before posting this and one awesome weekend, my motivation level is high enough for me to play and finish a couple of games.

Games Finished

I hit a milestone this month by finishing (what I think it is) my 200th game!
That honor goes to Fire Emblem: Three Houses. I have no excuses for why it took me so long to finish my first playthough of this game. While visiting my in-laws, my father-in-law was playing through the last two chapters in the Crimson Eagle storyline (the same one I picked). This sparked the interest to go back and finish the game. While I really want to start my next playthrough, there are other games that I want to finish first before sinking another 40-60 hours in a playthrough (it should be shorter due to New Game+).

Currently Playing

Um…. I don’t really know what I am currently working finishing. I thought I was almost done with Hyrule Warriors for the Switch, but the adventure mode just kept on going, and I was starting to burn myself out. The same happened with Fire Emblem Warriors. I got to a chapter that felt like padding and it completely turned me off when it felt unnecessary. I want to continue working on finishing all the Fire Emblem games that I have, but that means finishing all three versions of Fates (ugh).

Another game that I have been trying to finish for the longest time is Pokemon Ultra Sun. While the Aloha region was fun new region, I dislike the trail system and I get bored of them quick. I am at the last trial, but found out quickly that half my team is weak to dragon or fighting. I spent my time playing this month to train my team up only to realize that my Araquanid does not complement my party well; meaning I have to find a replacement and train them up (ugh…). I am determined to finish this game and never revisit the tropical “paradise” ever again.

New Additions

I was attacked by the unexpected Steam Summer Sale again. Before that however, there were a couple of games that I obtained. My copy of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition came in and is now sitting pretty on my shelf. The masterworks book that came with it is fascinating to look at and was worth the bonus purchase. 51 Clubhouse Games was a game Kat was really looking forward to and has been a fun experience. It is cool to have these classic games readily available on the Switch to just bust out and start playing.

After finishing Three Houses, I had the itch to play another Fire Emblem game instantly. The problem was that I was miles away from home for the next 5 days. So I cast my best judgement out the window and bought a copy of Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright. So far, I am enjoying Birthright more than Conquest. It could be due to the lower difficulty or that I just really wanted to play another Fire Emblem. I will eventually push through and get over my hurdles.

As for the requiem that was the Steam Summer Sale, I picked up some titles that I’ve been meaning to get for a while now. The one that I am most excited to start playing through is the Danganronpa series. I am invested after finishing the prologue for the first game. The style and characters is giving me a good mystery vibe that I can’t wait to solve. The only other interesting title that I picked up was a game called Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. It is a tactical stealth game where you play as different characters with different abilities to carry out task that the shogun gives you. I have not started it yet, but it looked very interesting and I can’t wait to try it.

Plans for Next Month

I am going to go without a plan for next month. I know my mood is going to fluctuate daily, and it is going to frustrate me trying to stick to a plan. I am going to focus on whatever I’m in the mood of playing and just take it from there. I do however need to finish the Iceborne expansion for Monster Hunter since they are unleashing the Alatreon (badass dragon that can control all the elements). My friends and I have beaten this beast before and I hope it is just as tough. Other than that, we will see where the wind takes me from here.

Numbers and Stats


June 2020
Games Finished: 1
Games Added: 9
Finish Total: 200
Total Collection: 673

Most Played Game: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Most Played System: Switch

Achievements
Steam:5
PlayStation: 1

Current Games In Progress
???

Games Finished:

DateTitleHours
6/7/2020Fire Emblem: Three Houses71

Games Added:

DateTitleSystem
6/1/2020Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive EditionSwitch
6/7/2020Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide ClassicsSwitch
6/9/2020Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright3DS
6/24/2020Sonic and All-Stars Racing: TransformedPC
6/24/2020Shadow Tactics: Blades of the ShogunPC
6/27/2020Monster Hunter 3 UltimateWii U
6/29/2020Danganronpa: Trigger Happy HavocPC
6/29/2020Danganronpa 2: Goodbye DespairPC
6/29/2020Danganronpa V3: Killing HarmonyPC

May 2020 Gaming Report

Wow. Where has the time been going? May seemed to have ended so quickly that I did not realize that we are in June now. I try to have these done by the first of each month, but yeah.

Games Finished

Continuing my trend from last month, I have found some success in finishing some games. There were a ton of games that I started playing this month, and that is where most of my time was spent. I am happy to say that the first game that I finished this month was one of the first four games that I got for my Nintendo 3DS back in 2013.

Shin Megami Tensei IV was a beast of a game for me at the time. I had played Person 3 and 4 at the time, and I got far in Strange Journey and Devil Survivor 2 before this game. Mainline Shin Megami Tensei games are known for their difficulty and interesting themes of law and chaos. My biggest difficulty in the game was getting lost all the time. I am terrible with geography and at the time, I refused to use a guide to help me through the game. What made things even more difficult was me landing the neutral ending on my first playthrough. Throughout the game, you have to answer questions and do actions that affect your alignment rating. You never see this rating throughout the game and you only get a hint to where it is from a guy at each Hunter’s Association. My alignment was toward the Chaos route during the last chapter before the lock. I based my choices and decisions toward Law during that chapter, and I was surprised that I landed the Neutral route. Unless you are using a guide, there about an 8% chance to get it. That is when the game really got hard, as I had to run around Tokyo and find random quest to fulfill the requirements for the main story. After all these years, I finally gave in and used a guide to get me through the side quest and put this game to rest. I highly recommend playing this game as the combat is satisfying and the amount of customization makes each playthrough unique (and you know since Shin Megami Tensei V is never coming out you might as well play the last good one).

The last game that I finished this month was Final Fantasy VII: Remake. I had thought about writing a separate post about this game, and I might eventually. I really enjoyed this game. I know that there is a lot of backlash from fans of the original game, but I knew from the start that this was not going to be a one-for-one remake of the original. The advertisements and interviews proved that, so I don’t understand why people say they were deceived by it. Anyhow, that is the topic for another post.

I really enjoyed atmosphere and music of the game. I played the original beforehand, but most of the beginning stuff faded with my terrible memory. I never really got the full atmosphere of Midgar in the original, but this game gave me a full understanding of the city and its people. I enjoyed all the little character moments and made a drinking game with Kat every time someone said the word “shit.” While some scenes felt campy, the original was weird and awkward at the same time. My favorite moment was have to be the Honey Bee Inn scene. Perfection.

I knew I was going to like the combat and I’m glad I was not disappointed for the most part. With a few more tweaks, I could see this as one of the best action RPG battle systems. I was worried that it was going to be a hack and slash feast, but there is a surprising amount of strategy that goes into each fight. Understanding enemy weaknesses plays a big role as bosses in this game do not play around like they did in the original. The different phases that they go into to protect weak spots and change tactics prevented me from shutting my brain off. I liked controlling Cloud most of the game, but I was surprise by Aerith’s gameplay that I found her enjoyable as well. I wanted to enjoy playing as Tifa and Barret, but for me at least, they felt situational and I avoided using them if I had to. The only other big complaint I have about the battle system is the camera. I already have a big problem with controlling the camera in most games, but I felt like the camera was not helping me during some fights. I tried adjusting them in the options, but I could not find a happy medium for me. Hopefully they fix this issue in the next game.

I am really looking forward to the next game in this side series. I did find things at the end to be weird and could have gone a different route to still reach the same conclusion. For someone who has no attachment whatsoever to the original Final Fantasy VII, I liked what I played and I’m looking forward to more of it.

Currently Playing

I have been in a Dark Souls mood lately. I have been playing DS2 by myself and DS1 with one of my good friends. Co-op Dark Souls is so much fun and getting through the game feels like a breeze. I will probably eat my words later, but DS2 feels easier than the previous. Maybe I have just grown as a player, but minus a few areas, this game has not been a problem for me.

Outside of Dark Souls, Me, Kat, and a friend of ours have gotten back into Overwatch. This is one of those games that I just enjoy playing with or without friends. The team aspect and the fact that I can play support is enough to make me keep playing.

Lastly, I started playing the first game in The Legend of Heroes: Kiseki series; Trials in the Sky. Trails in the Sky is charming and I feel in love quick. Since my computer was still out of commission, I bought the PSP version on my Vita. It…played. Something about PSP games on the Vita slows things down and add blurry resolutions. The PC version runs like a dream and has a turbo mode to speed things up. I’m normally not one to complain about graphics and whatnot, but if you decide to play these games, get the PC version.

New Additions

After playing heavy RPG games, I needed a break and branched out to other genres. I had the urge to play a shooter for once. Since my PC was under repairs, I bought Star Wars Battlefront II for the PS4. I enjoy it now that the pay to win stuff is out, but veteran players have a big advantage over newcomers. The game is free for PS Plus members for the month of June (of course something goes free after I buy it). A fun indie game that I bought was What the Golf? Developed by Triband, this is a fun game that uses golf physics (if golf physics is even a thing). You are given different objectives to get your “ball” to the goal. It is really fun and I have been enjoying it. The last game I acquired this month was Code Vein. I wanted to pick this up last year, but I am a cheapskate and like to wait for sales. Take Dark Souls and make them anime vampires. That is the vibe I get from it and I like it.

Plans For Next Month

I have no real big plans for this month. I have been doing secret Monster Hunter streams just so I can get comfortable with streaming. I’m lacking in the conversation department, but I hope the gameplay in Monster Hunter is entertaining enough for me to start small conversations. I normally will post on my Twitter when I go live. Other than that, I have a good feeling that I can finish one or two games this month. Nothing is really stopping me from doing so, although my mood plays a big part in that.

Numbers and Stats

May 2020
Games Finished: 2
Games Added: 3
Finish Total: 199
Total Collection: 684

Achievements Earned:
Steam: 8
PlayStation: 41

Most Played Game: Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Most Played Console: PlayStation 4

Current Games in Progress:
Dark Souls Remastered
Dark Souls 2
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Thanks for reading,

DanamesX

March 2020 Gaming Report

March. Oh March. I feel like this March will go down as the Marchess March of Marches. You’ve heard it all from everywhere, so I won’t repeat it all. Stay safe and hygenic.

The month started out strong, crumbled a bit, and then went upwards toward the end. I fell that my attitude towards gaming was improving at the beginning when I finally finished one of my favorite games. After that, I was lost on what to tackle next; and then things got chaotic in the world. You would think being forced to stay home would mean that I can play all the game I want, but nope. I have been stressed with the whole lifestyle change that my gaming time has felt reduced. The release of a certain game reinvigorated me, and now I’m slowly starting to de-stress.

Games Finished

I managed to finish something this month! I was able to finish Final Fantasy VI: Advance for #MaybeinMarch. I enjoyed my time with the game, and I was sad to finally see the credits roll. If you would like to read about my time throughout the game, I made two post about the setup and my overall thoughts on the game. I plan on going back and completing the Dragon’s Den.

Currently Playing

During my lump, I have attempted to play different games. I managed to find my way to the Four Kings boss in Dark Souls and slowly making my attempts to defeat them. I popped back into Nier: Automata briefly only for my computer to crap out on me. That’s what I get for keeping it on for work. Other than that, there are two games that I have been playing recently during my uplift.

The first one (surprise surprise) is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Just like how Pokemon Sword helped me during my depression, Animal Crossing is doing a good job keeping me sane during these times. My brothers and I have been visiting each other’s islands; which has been a great way to stay in touch while isolated. I go back and forth on how I feel about this game. Eventually I will write a post on my feelings about this game, but right now I feel that the space has been heavily saturated with Animal Crossing.

The second game I’ve been replaying is Dynasty Warriors Gundam: Reborn. This is the fourth and last installment in the Dynasty Warriors Gundam games. I recently went back to it so that I could obtain all of the trophies in the game. This won’t be too hard since there are no annoying online achievements in this game (what prevents me from 100% the third game). I will say that I enjoyed the third game more than this one, but it is still mindless fun.

New Additions

Besides Animal Crossing, I have been rocking at not buying new games that I don’t have time to play. I picked up this party game called Screencheat, a competitive “shooter” where you have to look at each other’s screens in order to find them. I played it with my wife and brother and we had a good time playing it. I also re-bought Final Fantasy VII for the PS4 in an attempt to play through the game before the remastered came out. I played through it once, but never defeated Sephiroth at the end (if you know my luck with games you can guess why).

Plans For Next Month

My plans drastically changed from what I planned last month. I was suppose to go on a trip and that did not happen. I was also suppose to beat three games, and that did not happen. One would assume that with being stuck at home I would have all the time now to finish up some games. I am still working from home however, and I have been really good about not gaming during those hours. This may not always be the case once my duties start to dry up and my mentality goes out the window.

I still want to stream, but recently I’ve been getting this feeling of Impostor Syndrome. I’ve seen a lot of people starting to stream, and for some reason my brain makes me feel like I’m just jumping on the bandwagon like everyone else. I know it sounds dumb and I should do what I want, but the feeling is there nevertheless. Please fill free to tell me that I’m being ridiculous and that I should do it. Motivation from other people may help me break the mold.

Numbers

March 2020
Games Finished: 1
Games Added: 3
Finish Total: 191/676

Achievements Earned:
Steam: 9
PlayStation: 5

Most Played: Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Most Played Console: Switch

Current Games in Process:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons


*I am going to refocus all of the games I’ve started and figure out what I am actually playing.*

Thanks for reading,

DanamesX