How's your backlog?

All other video games not related to the main farming series - Pokemon, Stardew Valley, My Time at Portia, and other indie-developed games.
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Night Owl
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All right, so I've taken a break from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for a bit. I beat chapter 6 and locked myself out of most of my Blade Quests as a result. Which was a shame as I was more than halfway done with Wulfric's. And I have no clue where I am in Chapter 7 length-wise, but I completed that really long dungeon with that annoying boss fight at the end. I also did summon more Rare Blades, but I've forgotten the order. I know I summoned Boreas and Azami though. I accidentally skipped Azami's summoning because Discord went off and got my attention away from which button I was pressing, so I suddenly had her. I'm almost glad I skipped it because when I went back to watch it, I got creeped out. I don't think I'm a fan of ether cannon weapons. They feel... Strange. But for more of my plot related feelings, I guess I should spoiler it?
Spoiler:
So, in Chapter 6 when Niall took the blow for the party, I was so sad. I walked into the fact that Morag got Aeageon on the wiki when looking up Blade Quests, so I was knew something would happen. But luckily Nia healed him, so Morag avoided losing her family. Also, where the heck is their family? I figured the previous Emperor died because Niall's so young, but still on the throne. And then the scene where Niall acknowledges that it should've been Morag on the throne was really sweet. However, onto the end of Chapter 6... I'm kinda annoyed that I locked myself out of the Blade Quests because they need Pyra/Mythra there for some reason. I really wanted to unlock Wulfric Affinity Chart more. And then Nia being a Flesh Eater Blade was something else too. Again, I kinda walked into that spoiler when I went looking for stuff about Blades' favorite items or something. Anddd I still don't trust the Praetor.
So, with XC2 on the backburner for the time being, I turned my attention to « Harvest Goddess » Eater 2: Rage Burst and wow, what a shift in gears. There's something odd about the audio quality of the game, but I'm still having fun. I mean, the game has rocket propelled hammers as a weapon class you can use! Although I've found myself using the variant scythe weapon and the "sniper" gun. I say that in quotes because I don't think a cannon qualifies as a sniper gun. I enjoyed the character customization too. Oh, and one of the main characters is voiced by Matthew Mercer, and the game also uses the controller speaker on the PS4. So I nearly dropped my controller when I heard Matthew Mercer's voice coming through that speaker. There was an option to have the "radio" voices come through the TV, so I did that as soon as I figured out how to do it. It's just weird, I don't need my controller talking to me too. I had enough of that with the Wii era. The game doesn't look like a PS4 game, but it was also simultaneously released for the Vita, so I guess that's why the graphics aren't flawless. Either that or I played too much Persona 5. I probably played too much Persona 5. The game feels pretty nice. It's a bit button mashy, but it works. I'm still pretty early game, so nothing too hard has cropped up. I'm just more confused as to why it feels like some enemies take a few hits to kill and the others take like, 5 minutes to fight in order to kill. This game is also a lot of reading, like wow. I could probably spend 2 hours reading stuff and still not be done with all the text files the game gives you. So far, I'm enjoying it and kinda looking forward to when they ramp up the difficulty. So far they've only given me difficultly level 2 missions. It goes up to 15. Can't wait to see things get tougher and actually force me to strategize rather than just jump in and kill things.
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Bluie
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Azami is... clingy and REALLY loves her her driver. Canon weapons are great for enemies you can't reach (flying) and some of their skills can be veeeeerry broken.

And on the spoilers:
Spoiler:
Niall is best boy. It's never outright mentioned where the sibling's parents are or what happened to them, but Morag hints at 'bad memories' in one of her post battle quotes when someone asks about her past. I don't know if there's anymore than that, but I can't recall.
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Mikodesu
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ryume wrote:Mikodesu, I'm taking a break from HK for now. I struggled past the first boss and was like WOW, my skills at these kinds of games have totally DIED :lol: I think the last Metroidvania game I played was an actual Metroid game (Prime, in fact), but that felt a lot easier then HK. Or maybe I just didn't suck back then haha. Anyhow, while frustrating beyond belief, I'm determined to slowly chip away at that game, as it's too beautiful to ignore. I just can't devote a lot of time to it in one sitting because I might break my controller in anger :oops:
Aw don't worry! It was a hell of a struggle for me too. (I didn't quite beat the game and got so mad over it I had to cry a while over it...:lol: At least there's Octopath to make it better.)

From what I remember the Metroid Prime games could be pretty tough. But at least there was a LITTLE more room for error. It might just be me, but I REALLY think at times HK is harder than Dark Souls. Every boss battle is its own obstacle course and healing is nearly impossible. (That was the worst part for me...) And - I wrote this a little earlier but my best suggestion is to look up how-to's on Youtube (my favorite was Perpetual « new farmer »).

Going into the fight with a strategy pre-prepared took a lot of the anxiety out of the fights for me. Other than that it's just time. Time and every upgrade you can scrape out.
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Kikki
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I keep trying, but I'm having trouble progressing because even playing for a little while and I need a nap, as pathetic as that is to say. Even reading or watching TV wears me out right now, lol. It's probably going to take quite a while before I can finish this game...it may be that this big gap in new games was well-timed, for me. Though I'm still hoping this period of heightened fatigue will end sooner rather than later. I'll be a bit frustrated if I have to wait until summer ends, lol. It could just be this heatwave, I suppose...I've never really had a good gauge on my heat sensitivity.

I have a nice chunk of time this weekend so I'm going to try to make some decent headway with SRR now, but I have a feeling I might end up letting this stay on the backlog this month. Hopefully not. I may also try moving to handheld mode...maybe moving around more while playing will keep me awake longer.
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Bluie
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SRR looks and runs fantastic in handheld mode. Not even lying, I think it's one of the best looking i've seen 3D model gamewise.

Xenoblade 2 looks passable in handheld while Shining Resonance looks fantastic (to be fair, XC2 has a lot more to load, but just for looks, SRR looks like it was meant to be played portably).
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Kikki
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It does play nice in handheld. Honestly...I think it might look even better in handheld than it does on the TV. This is, I think, the only game I've played on Switch that I'd say that about. XC2 and BotW are better on the TV, and games like Battle Chef are fine either way, but SRR looks better in handheld. Something about the graphic style is kind of overwhelming on the TV...it looks classier on the Switch itself.

I thought it'd make me dizzier since playing XC2 in handheld mode made my head spin, but apparently that is not the case. And as pitiful as this is...I can play longer lying down than I can sitting up. (That's legitimately embarrassing to admit, but I use all my energy in the morning on necessary stuff and then by about two I've got nothing left.)

I'm going to tackle a few dungeons and buy some mana potions before re-challenging the unexpected boss I ran into who stomped all my guys flat. Tomorrow, probably, since I usually let my sis have the Switch in the evenings.

NEXT DAY EDIT: Okay, I'm into chapter 4 (of 8 ), and though I've been trying to stave off my sinking feelings, it's time to admit it. As much as I didn't want to say this, because it means I am wasting both money and time...I don't like Shining Resonance Refrain. :( And here's why...
Spoiler:
It feels like a few pages of LotR were thrown in to a blender with every classic JRPG ever, whirled into a smoothie, and what was poured out was Shining Resonance refrain. I could still be surprised, getting only to about half way in the story now, but...so far the story and characters are all very, very predictable...it feels very regurgitated, not fresh at all. The exploration is the pits because there is none, just very small, linear maps with no secrets to find within. The fighting is monotonously simple yet hard to make sense of when trying to determine exactly what effect things like titles and friendship levels actually have. Grinding for levels...which you must, sometimes...is tedious enough to make me want to just quit playing. Marga is boring because it's not that big but you spend almost the entire game there, picking up the same quests FOREVER because I have had the same quests in chapter 2, 3, and now still the same ones in 4. The evening visits at the inn also repeat! Yuma has already asked to borrow romance novels from Kirika three times, in my game.

The dungeon system is interesting at first, but the prize they say you get at the end...I never actually get it. And the dungeons are also very bland, just a few rooms connected by halls with different themes...fire, water, etc. They basically all feel like the same dungeon, just re-skinned. I tried increasing the dungeon's difficulty to A, and still the treasure listed in the grimoire never popped up anywhere. There are a few things I like about the game, but they're getting overwhelmed by the things that are making this a chore to play. Maybe I'm just a weirdo, since I hear this game is getting great praise everywhere else, but I don't get it. There isn't a single unique aspect in this whole game when it comes to story, character or world design that I have yet enountered. *cries* Stupid me, why didn't I trust my initial instincts and save $70 and 15 hours? And if I don't clear it up I'll have to add +1 to my backlog, so I've got to finish it...
EDIT 2: Hrm. I had levelled enough after the beginning of Chapter 4 that I was able to get through the entire rest of the chapter without any more dungeons (though I did find one dungeon whose theme is so pretty that I just wanted to sit Yuma down on the white sand and live there) or questing...about two solid hours of pure main story. During that time, I think the game is okay. But as soon as I go back to having to do quests and/or dungeons to level up, or go on repeated dates or talk to everyone all over again, circulating the two sections of Marga over and over...my dislike quickly grows back. But at least I'm in Chapter 5, now. Shouldn't be a problem finishing, even if half the time playing feels like a chore.
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Bluie
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Shame it ended up not being something you enjoy, Kiki. I'm looking forward to going back to it once I finish Octopath. I kinda find the formula refreshing in a sense as it reminds me of the games of my childhood with a fresh coat of paint. So many games today are trying to do things different, keep trying to wow and keep up with gamer meta, so a throwback is kinda nice for me.
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Ehppy
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Ahhh sneaks in here-

I finished the main story for Splatoon 2! Having beat the octo expansion just before that, the main story mode felt kinda like a tutorial. :lol: Still challenging in parts for sure, but nothing like the rage I felt playing octo.
And I also finished Style Savvy: Styling Star! Which was really fun, and once again I was surprised how long it was, just like Fashion Forward before it.

It's so hard to get through my backlog right now. I'm not sure what's going on but I've been dealing with hand and wrist pain for more than a month now. Some days it's okay but it quickly gets bad if I play games for more than 40ish minutes.
Like really bad ugh hahah. I'm doing an art event of sorts this month as well so my hands are crying out.
Which means I'm not picking up the other games I really want and I'm afraid of getting behind on current releases that I want. :o
Already having to exercise extreme impulse control with everyone talking about Octopath Traveler.
I wasn't gonna get it, but seeing everyone so excited over it is making me kind of wish I had it. :lol: Oh well.

Edit: Also started XC2. <3 I'm gonna get addicted to hunting for cool blades I feel...
I'm only a couple hours in but for the most part I love it so far. The voices are not what I expected but I like most of them anyway. Also they repeat battle voice lines a biiiit too often lol
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Mikodesu
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Ehppy wrote: It's so hard to get through my backlog right now. I'm not sure what's going on but I've been dealing with hand and wrist pain for more than a month now. Some days it's okay but it quickly gets bad if I play games for more than 40ish minutes.
Like really bad ugh hahah. I'm doing an art event of sorts this month as well so my hands are crying out.
Aah that sounds like a repetitive stress injury. D: (Speaking as a fellow artist with a repetitive stress injury...) Do you game with any kind of wrist support? It's kind of hard to draw or paint with those on, though. The other thing I can suggest is to try to take breaks to stretch your hands. As hard as it is try to rest your hands as much as you can - take it from me the pain WILL escalate to the point that your body will make you. It's just a matter of when. :?

Oh! Also. If you draw digitally let me know - I've got a tip from another illustrator that helped with my wrist pain. :)

Yay about XC2 though! :) I THINK there's a way to turn off the battle lines in the settings. I personally had the Japanese voiceover on and the yelling made me struggle to understand about half of them so they ended up sounding like generic sound effects.
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Kikki
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I don't think there are any comfort grips for the Switch, yet, but...have you tried playing with the joy cons held separately, one in each hand? It's the most natural positioning for your wrists when you're not forced to hold them at a specific angle because they're locked onto the Switch itself or into the joy-con grip. The pro-controller is also quite a bit bigger, if you haven't tried it yet. If you have tiny hands, that'd be bad, but if they're long or big in any way, it'd probably be more comfortable.

I know that wouldn't solve all problems, though. The act of repeatedly moving your thumb around by itself tends to stress the wrist. If you do take little breaks, stretching your hands/wrists gently or maybe applying a bit of ice (or heat, depending) might help? Kind of depends on what's wrong with all those delicate little parts in there, of course.

Oh...I looked it up just now and there ARE comfort grips for the Switch...the whole thing can be encased in a rubbery grip like the one that works so well on my 3DS. That thing extends my comfort zone by a few hours, so it's a big help. I might by that Orzly grip for the Switch, myself, since it looks easy to pop on and off.

I hope something can work to help, anyway.
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ryume
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Pity about SRR, Kikki. It sounds like it's exactly what I was expecting though, so that's a plus in my book for when I DO get around to it.

If it's a comfort grip for the Switch, I actually purchased this one over the Orzly because of the holes in the back of it, since I noticed the Switch does get pretty warm in handheld mode, and with this on, it doesn't seem to get hot like I thought it might with the other ones out there:

https://www.amazon.com/YCCTEAM-Protecti ... witch+grip

I like it, but the grip portion might be narrow for some people. I have baby hands so it's the perfect size for me lol. I didn't actually test any other ones, so i can't say for sure if your Switch will get hotter than normal with them or not.
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Kikki
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SRR is what I suspected, just...even more so? I like it okay when I'm playing the main story, but everything else is just exhaustingly tedious. There's only about five different dungeons. You get the same, oh, about three night time inn visits repeating over and over with each character...and the same dates, too. The same side quests repeat eternally no matter how many times you complete them. (How many rosso tomatoes have I given Primula by now? I have quite a few of her useless sandwiches in reward.) And you don't level up much when pursuing just the main story so you either have to fight endlessly while gathering what you need for quests (which don't offer any EXP) or do dungeons repeatedly. I find it such a chore. I am going to finish it, but if I could go back, I wouldn't buy it again. And unless a NG+ feature exists that lets you keep your levels, thereby letting me skip the part of the game I can't stand, I won't ever replay it, I don't think.

I'm kind of surprise it's getting so much praise, but afaik, it is, so I think people are enjoying the...really typical, kind of old-school, classic approach to a JRPG? But my nostalgia gland was left out at birth...I never seem to appreciate a return to old classics.

I have very long hands. My dad is six feet tall and very big-boned but my fingers are identical in length to his, even though the overall size of his hand dwarfs mine when it comes to breadth and thickness. But then, they say the Dualshock controllers are uncomfortable for larger hands, but I love them and find them wonderfully comfortable. I think it's because of my long fingernails...I always hold things loosely, and on the flat of my fingers rather than with the ends. I've noticed that other people hold more firmly and curl their fingers in more to use more of the tip of their finger than I ever do. So I'm never really sure where I fit in the 'should use items for small hands' or 'should use items for big hands' decisions. Without a grip, the 3DS XL was too small...my fingers practically wrapped all the way around it and holding it to play was very cramped because I had to bend my fingers up so much. But I do love those dualshocks just as they are...

Still, that does look like a good grip. I like the extra ventilation. Others I saw were hard plastic, but I want a nice squishy rubbery grip, both for feel and because they tend to pop off very easily if you're regularly taking it in and out of the dock. :)
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Ehppy
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Mikodesu wrote: Aah that sounds like a repetitive stress injury. D: (Speaking as a fellow artist with a repetitive stress injury...) Do you game with any kind of wrist support? It's kind of hard to draw or paint with those on, though. The other thing I can suggest is to try to take breaks to stretch your hands. As hard as it is try to rest your hands as much as you can - take it from me the pain WILL escalate to the point that your body will make you. It's just a matter of when. :?

Oh! Also. If you draw digitally let me know - I've got a tip from another illustrator that helped with my wrist pain. :)

Yay about XC2 though! :) I THINK there's a way to turn off the battle lines in the settings. I personally had the Japanese voiceover on and the yelling made me struggle to understand about half of them so they ended up sounding like generic sound effects.
You're probably spot on unfortunately. I've had little aches before but nothing this long lasting. :(
I do have a wrist brace but it's itchy so I'm kinda bad about using it. RIP I should probably be more diligent about wearing it.
I have a few stretches I've been doing, and they seemed to do wonderfully at first, but they're not doing as much for me now. I'm trying to do them at least a few times a day though! That said I've been bad about taking breaks. I tried not doing much of anything with them for a week and I about crawled out of my skin I was so bored. I should probably find a way to deal though and be more careful with them. :(

And I'd love to hear your tips if you don't mind sharing! I draw both traditionally and digitally. Usually I sketch everything on paper and then line/color on my computer.

I might have to turn off battle voices then, or at least turn them down. :lol: They do get distracting quick.
And also I legit thought Nia was saying "healing heal," for the first few battles and it was cracking me up. I knew that couldn't be it but I swear that's what it sounded like. "Healing Halo" makes more sense whoops.

@kikki
Thanks Kikki for the suggestions! I tend not to play with the joycons separated because it feels awkward and I have trouble getting the buttons right when they're like that, I'm not sure why. But I don't know that I've tried it when dealing with wrist pain, so I'll give it a shot!

@Ryume
I don't tend to play in handheld mode very often, but I might look into picking up that grip anyway! The few times I have played handheld mode it's felt a bit off, so it might be a nice thing to have.

Thanks everyone for the help and tips. I've been frustrated over this for a while now and even just talking about it and hearing your suggestions has helped me feel a bit better. :)
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Kikki
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It's always reassuring to know that others share your problems and have been sorting through solutions of their own, giving you a few more things to try :) If you continue to have trouble with no relief, Ehppy, you should say so...you might wring more suggestions out of us. I have a loooot of experience with inflammatory conditions. (I am basically one huge ball of flam!) I don't know if yours actually is one, but if it is, I probably have quite a bit more I could suggest. :)

Meanwhile, I'm considering buying a second copy of A New Beginning since I want to play it again, but I went to the bother of getting Amir and Sanjay unlocked Winter of Year 1 twice now, and it's a big rush...you've really gotta bust it, plus save and reset if you don't manage to get sweet potatoes from a festival win naturally by the end of Summer Year 1. Amir was always my second choice after Sanjay so if I manage to persuade myself to go for someone else, it'd be him. (I did TRY a file with Neil, but I was always comparing him to Sanjay and thinking, "Boy, you are so not my guy...". I think I could go through with an Amir file.) I'd like to be able to trade a sweet potato from my existing copy to a new one, so...yeah, probably going to buy ANB for a second time.

My question is...do you think I should count that as a backlog game? Buying a second copy with the intent of replaying?
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Hmm I would consider that as backlog. It might not be the exact same case, but I still consider FE:A in my backlog even though I have finished my first playthrough of it because I have intentions of playing again two more times (gonna go with best S support setups then best children setups).
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