Backlog 2022

Kikki · Post Posted: Jan 01, 2022 1:42 pm

Yeah, I'm doubting that Genshin will come to switch. I personally feel like it doesn't run all that great even on ps4 so putting it on switch sounds impossible, to me. (I only played Genshin in the first month of release, mind you!) Though I have seen some companies do what must be genius-level optimization.

~

I've surprised myself, and I actually have what amounts to a New Year's Resolution (because I thought of it today, and it happens to be New Year's Day.) I am not going to take my replays seriously in 2022.

I get really hung up on completing any replay I start, like it's my duty to finish it. How pointless! Replays of all things should be purely about desire to play. If I don't feel like playing X or O game today, then I just won't, without telling myself I'm shirking my responsibilities, which is way harder for me than it should be, lol. Honestly, I need to save the self-guilt-trips for exercise, not gaming! Especially not on REPLAYs.

Pick a game back up if I want, and drop it the minute I don't. That's my gaming goal this year, lol.

I actually don't feel like I can live up to that, though. But must try! I currently have sos1, My Time at Portia, Tales of Berseria, and Cold steel 3 and 4 that I want re-complete, but...well, I'll just have to tackle them whenever I really WANT to and forget about them otherwise. What merit is there in turning a replay of sos into a job? It's not like the time spent replaying is somehow validated by a full re-completion, or invalidated by not getting one. Or so I'm trying to tell myself. I really don't know why I'm like this...kind of a dumb thing to get hung up on!

Bluie · Post Posted: Jan 01, 2022 2:44 pm

Huh, well, Styling Star soft locked. A story quest requires me to outfit someone with a Soy brand swimsuit, but they asked for it in the middle of winter, so no one is selling any. The only other ways I could get one is sleep skipping to summer (hell no, aint nobody got time for that) or going online and finding a player's store stocking said very specific swimsuit. The problem with the second option is no matter how much I level up my stylist rank, Shopdo refuses to unlock so I'm quite literally locked from naturally progressing the story. Honestly feels like a massive oversight by the devs. Welp, I'm not too upset about it, just more minorly frustrated. The way you unlock features in this game was already annoying and I was already getting customers with repeating dialog 10 hours in, so I guess this was just the final straw. It was another Style Savvy game, I got some fun out of it.

Gonna add 7th Dragon to the growing pile of 'rainy day' games I have as I realized it has random encounters. Gross. I only put up with those in very specific titles, and I defs don't have the patience for them in my current state.

Still working on getting good teams in Yokai Watch 3. I've lucked out on Nate and got a fantastic team, but the Crank-a-kai is being really cheap with Haley. I can't get anything good with her besides high level items that I don't even need yet. I'll try again tomorrow...

I've been kinda thinking of using my 2DS as a work out companion. I fell out of going to the gym last year due to being busy and my only time being able to go just not ideal. There's a new gym right next to my workplace though and it'd be really easy to head on over after a shift and burn and hour or so. I like bikes, and I could easily play something to pass the time like a rhythm game with my hands free. It's a legit tempting idea, I just need to find my motivation.

I am starting to feel the draw of my PS4 again and it's only been a few days. Hnnnngggg. I think I'll play Concrete Genie on my next day off.

Simply Unknown · Post Posted: Jan 01, 2022 4:31 pm

Okay, completed my first route for Cupid Parasite for the new year! Shelby's route was...very different from Ryuki's to say the least.

Spoiler:

Gill is up next, and I'm hoping that I can at least get through it before staring on Raul and Allan!

yzafre · Post Posted: Jan 02, 2022 7:19 am

Right now I'm in a bit of a holding pattern until spring, randomly choosing from my list of "I want to play these at some point" games. I did buy Unpacking, recently, and I know I'll finish that off, but other than that I'm not sure. Maybe this will be the year I finally pick up Astral Chain?

What I won't be doing is finishing Dragon Quest VIII. I picked it up because I noticed it often fought with Dragon Quest XI (which I adored) on lists of best Dragon Quest games, but... I don't know, it's just not doing it for me for whatever reason. Lack of good character cut-scenes so far, maybe, or lack of diverse enough city environments? It doesn't have side quests the same way XI did, either.

For now, I'm continuing an old BotW save, running around collecting materials for armor and completing the Champion's Ballad DLC (again). It's something to do. Ahhh, I want the sequel so bad!

Bluie wrote: Welp, I'm not too upset about it, just more minorly frustrated. The way you unlock features in this game was already annoying and I was already getting customers with repeating dialog 10 hours in, so I guess this was just the final straw. It was another Style Savvy game, I got some fun out of it.

Ah, this makes me glad I never picked up that game, honestly. I played the free demo ages ago, back whenever they put that out, but I never could quite justify the purchase to myself. Glad to have my decisions validated, even years later.

Kikki · Post Posted: Jan 02, 2022 8:45 am

I want to replay BotW (again) too, but probably if I pick it up I'll be bored right away. No reason why I can't just enjoy restarting the beginning again, though. I'm thinking about playing it with earphones; I never even notice the music in BotW, beyond the occasional couple of strikes of a piano key. I have a Faceoff controller with a headphone jack, so it'd be easy to try it, and I'm curious if I've been missing out on some really good music. Do I not hear well, or is it really just that sedate, that it won't catch my attention even with earphones?

I wonder about sos1, too. Maybe that awful music that is barely better than mid-80's tinny MIDI plink-a-plonk is actually pretty through earphones? Must try both! Really, REALLY wanting BotW2 now. I don't know why it hit in the past two weeks...I had not heard the rumours at first, so that wasn't what caused it. (I also wish people would stop saying 'leak' when they're actually talking about a RUMOUR. 'Leak' legitimizes it as official info, accidentally spilled or nefariously uncovered, but the IGN guy talking about us playing BotW at a certain time next year is NOT a leak. There's no reason to believe he's any more aware of an actual release date than any other established game journalist, imo. People are getting carried away yet again. I keep telling my little cousin to stop getting her hopes sky high every time she hears something and is convinced it's probably legit, but she just doesn't want to be realistic about it, and this is the first game she's ever waited on and full feelings of injustice over the reality of how long these things take. I told her they never shadow drop a LoZ game and her response is 'Well, they should!' Can't get her to accept that Nintendo is about making money, and that their decisions are based around maximizing how much of it they'll get. That or she just has no idea what making games entails at all, I guess.)

Oopsy. I just hate to see her getting her hopes up again. Can't keep her from it when she's continually combing the internet for anything 'BotW'. Aaaaaaaaaaanyway...I do need to try playing some games with earphones. I can't help but think it's weird that I can never remember music from any of my games (unless they have a rare rousing beat.) The GotY thread reminded me again that I am terrible at noticing music in games. I've heard people say that BotW's soundtrack is pretty, and every time I'm like...BotW has music??

EDIT: I wonder how few new games I could get through 2022 with. Right now it seems like there are 4-6 must-have games (mostly unspecified '2022' right now.) I find that an interesting challenge. Aim for the fewest possible purchases (without feeling like I'm being punished for something, lol.) I think I'll try it...it'd be great if I could keep it under 12...less than 1 game per month. I think that's pretty doable...unless it really does turn out to be the huge AAA gaming year that a lot are predicting.

Simply Unknown · Post Posted: Jan 03, 2022 4:14 pm

Okay, that's Gill's route done. Halfway through Cupid Parasite and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Mostly. This route was...weird.

Spoiler:

Raul starts next time, and that should be a fun ride.

Bluie · Post Posted: Jan 04, 2022 4:48 am

Played about halfway through Concrete Genie a day or so ago. I plan to finish it tonight when I get home from work as my evenings have been surprisingly busy since then. It's very cute and a feast for the eyes graphically. It's honestly a shame it's stuck on PS4 because I can see a lot of people gushing over it for it's concept alone, but they'll never play it due to exclusivity.

Stilllll trying to get a good team for Hailey in Yokai Watch 3 *violently shakes the Crank-a-kai* . I wake up, I check if it's 6 am, I turn on my 2DS if it is and walk Hailey to the Crank, I get garbage. It's all gacha luck, but I'm getting repeats of lower prizes instead of better ones. I'm just trying to make a double unity bonus team for those extra stats, but I still can't even do that. Recruiting team members in all of these games is a right pain. Good thing I adore literally everything else about them.

I was very easily convinced to purchase a game via several people lauding it. It's a metroidvania called Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights and it's being thrown around that if you like Hollow Knight and are sick of waiting for Silksong, play it. Welp, I fall into that category pretty hard, and it was on sale, so it's now in my backlog. I'd like to finish some of my PS4 backlog before Legends Arceus comes out, so I may or may not play this soon accordinly. The pull of FFXIV is still strong outside of doing my weeklies. They just added the new treasure maps and I wanna goooo! ;w;

I should really stop myself from buying any more games (besides the day one releases) until I get through at least some of these games.

Chrysalis-Lyn · Post Posted: Jan 04, 2022 8:09 am

2022 has already been more scattered & aimless than I had hoped. I am taking a break from my backlog & playing Monster Hunter Rise again. It's sort of a comfort game. I adore riding my palamute through the wilderness, gathering items, using wirebugs to traverse sheer cliffs. The action is also refreshing. I'm feeling a little glum which makes it hard to focus, but MHRise really forces me to remain engaged. Maybe I will get to HR 100 before classes start again.

I also started researching Legends Arceus a little more. I am lukewarm about Pokemon nowadays, but i would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little glimmer of excitement when browsing the latest screenshots.

Kikki · Post Posted: Jan 04, 2022 9:39 am

That double booster yesterday temporarily trashed every major joint in my body, I think. It hurts to hold my head up, lol...gotta stay reclined whenever possible! At least pills do help a fair bit. But if I let them lapse, yowtch! I remember then that I was definitely feeling some notable side-effects.

Meanwhile, ACNH has died the final death for me. I already didn't bother to go on to do the Xmas event, and then I can't even be bothered to go on to collect New Years stuff. And today I was on Twitter and kept saying 'who cares' to every AC announcement. (In my head, I mean...not on the Tweets!) I don't wanna be that person who expresses their disinterest all the time instead of just letting things go by, so...I unfollowed all AC outlets. I no longer get AC news at all. If some came up I'm sure I'd hear it here anyway. But I think that was the game's final death, for me, when I take it off my news feed entirely.

I picked BotW back up, but very, very casually. Just for the sake of idly moving around in that world. I'll probably 100% the Great Plateau with all enemies and all koroks, before moving on. I did that once before and I enjoy not having to worry about the blood moon, so I won't leave the Plateau until I'm totally done with it. I don't really have plans to play the whole thing through again; I just feel like being in Hyrule alongside Link right now.

I don't think I care about playing anything 'seriously' right now. I can't be bothered to pick a game up atm except at a whim.

greensara · Post Posted: Jan 04, 2022 11:44 am

Cleared Grow for the first time today! I completed the story and rolled the credits, though there is still more to I could do. I have only fully grown 6 worlds, two more are in progress, and there are still 9 planters left that could be planted. Plus, I could build up the last unlocked area, as I hadn't even cleaned up its dock when the credits rolled, lol. I also have two "candidates" out of the five I think there are which I haven't seen the "just friends" or "they hope to be more" endings of their events yet. (I've already seen the friend ones for the siblings and the other one for Pallas, at least that's what I think they were.)

I quite liked the ending, and the story segments as well. I was kind of hoping there was an option to see the completed story as a whole when I finished it but I guess not. Not sure if that's something anyone would have streamed or stitched together in a YouTube video or not, seeing as there isn't a ton of info out there for the game anyway. I also loved the choral aspect of the music in certain places (trying to avoid spoilers). With the exception of some strong chugging, temporarily freezing during autosaves, and maybe one or two actual crashes, I am very pleased with the game. I do hope they at least plan some QoL updates to smooth out the technical issues, as that would help out tremendously.

Mikodesu · Post Posted: Jan 04, 2022 8:30 pm

Womp womp, Chinese government censorship time. The Genshin rumors have come to an announcement on the CN hoyolab...site. It's not entirely clear how many characters will be impacted, the only redesigns that have been announced are for Mondstadt girls (Jean, Amber, Rosaria, Mona), and it has been clarified that the changes will be CN only.

Article: https://bbs.mihoyo.com/ys/article/14129962

Tenten has a video explaining/translating.

On the (maybe) positive note, we got a new terms/conditions agreement for the new publisher with the update. Didn't put it together that the publisher is in Singapore, so maybe Mihoyo is already in the process of moving there? It won't change anything about censorship inside China, though. I have a feeling that's only going to get worse for all Chinese devs for a while. I understand the thought behind the other measures the Chinese government has taken to try to raise the birth rate, but not the attack on videogames. That one is beyond me.

Aaand in other news I am here to condone cheating. I've kind of hit my limit in terms of how much time I'm willing to spend waiting for puzzle solutions in Talos Principle to come to me, so... here we go. I could call it a hint, I guess. At least I'm trying to treat it that way by letting myself see the next step when I'm stumped, but. It's basically cheating. Thank you, Youtube walkthroughs.

You could say, why not just take a break from the game and try again later? I could! But I'm not sure I would, so, does it even matter if I give myself hints? I'd rather cheat a little and see more content than give up and not.

greensara · Post Posted: Jan 05, 2022 6:19 am

I don't think most people consider watching or reading a walkthrough cheating (some of us paid money for "player's guides" in the days before everyone was online

), unless you are going for a blind playthrough, so you should be fine. I always look up just the spot I am stuck on when I reach my threshold of frustration on a game I otherwise like, such as some of the Zelda puzzles. Now modding or using an Action Replay/Game Shark/Game Genie (dating myself on that one) would probably be considered more in the "cheating realm", lol. I would have probably never seen the ending of Super Mario 3 back in the day without codes for being able to jump continuously in the sky and stay as hammer bro Mario/Luigi.

I am still contemplating what I will be seriously working on next, but I am thinking maybe Xenoblade or Nexomon.

yzafre · Post Posted: Jan 05, 2022 10:36 am

I firmly believe in walkthroughs to get through points that are ruining your enjoyment of a game. Sometimes you just gotta take the phone-a-friend option. Sometimes you need a walkthrough to make a game match your style of gameplay! If you're just here for the story, and want to move things along. Or if you're a "efficient pathing" style and need to know what your goals are to plan for.

Kikki wrote: I picked BotW back up, but very, very casually. Just for the sake of idly moving around in that world. ... I don't really have plans to play the whole thing through again; I just feel like being in Hyrule alongside Link right now.

One of my favorite "just existing in Hyrule" things from my most recent dabbling has been talking to all the random NPCs. They really payed attention to developing the world through the mundane characters! Like... finishing the Terrytown side-quest, I found out the junior carpenter that stays in Hateno is dating the clothing shop clerk - you know, the shy one that hides in the corner? Such a small detail, but I think it's cute. Adds a bit more depth and story to the world. There's also a traveler NPC that is trying to re-create Zelda's pilgrimage. She's neat.

Kikki · Post Posted: Jan 05, 2022 11:11 am

yzafre wrote:I firmly believe in walkthroughs to get through points that are ruining your enjoyment of a game. Sometimes you just gotta take the phone-a-friend option. Sometimes you need a walkthrough to make a game match your style of gameplay! If you're just here for the story, and want to move things along. Or if you're a "efficient pathing" style and need to know what your goals are to plan for.

[...]

There's also a traveler NPC that is trying to re-create Zelda's pilgrimage. She's neat.

That's a good way to put it. The only way I'd feel there was any 'cheating' in a game is if you were playing it competitively with agreed-upon rules. Otherwise, gaming is a hobby, and however you enjoy it most is the RIGHT way to play. If a guide or walkthrough allows you to tailor your experience to what best suits you, the game becomes even better. I am a HUGE fan of guides and walkthroughs.

~

I think I met that NPC when I was trying to catch Zelda's horse. Or maybe it was when I was that area where I got the heat-protection potions near that stable. I'm...not the best at remembering many of the connecting details, lol.

It'd be nice if Link had more personality, but if he did, they run the risk of making him dislikable. Giving him no personality (outside of the dribs and drabs they tell us via memories and journal entries, like the act that he's a 'glutton' or that he seems to be an enthusiastic athlete who really enjoys games of skill...the more challenging, the better.) makes him a blank slate that the player can imagine however they want. I get that, but I'd still like a chance to love whoever Link really is, which doesn't feel satisfying if I made it up for myself. The dribs and drabs are not bad, though...they form a pretty interesting idea, imo.

Bluie · Post Posted: Jan 05, 2022 12:03 pm

I not only finished Concrete Genie, I platinumed it! At first I wasn't gonna, but idk, I just ended up feeling up to it! I was able to find everything on my own except two pages and one genie moment. Which is why I will also condone cheating lol.

Mikodesu wrote:Aaand in other news I am here to condone cheating. I've kind of hit my limit in terms of how much time I'm willing to spend waiting for puzzle solutions in Talos Principle to come to me, so... here we go. I could call it a hint, I guess. At least I'm trying to treat it that way by letting myself see the next step when I'm stumped, but. It's basically cheating. Thank you, Youtube walkthroughs.

Yes, thank you, Youtube walkthroughs. I would have never EVER found those last few collectables because they were all expertly hidden in areas I didn't even know you could explore. Sneaky. I'll take the hit for note being a 'tRuE gAmEr' to save myself hours of frustration over a handful of collectables, and I'll do it again!

After that I started up Ender Lilies and I think it's pretty neat! I beat the first boss on my first try (I've still got my Hollow Knight reflexes 2 years later!) and I'm looking forward to playing more of it. It really feels like it's channeling Dark Souls and Hollow Knight, but it's art style sets it apart from the two. It reminds me of a manhwa I read in college that I can't find any more. Anyways, not sure if I'm gonna focus on it next or not. I think I want to try a few more titles I haven't even booted up yet first before settling.

In other news: the Crank-a-Kai is still a little « Baaaa *glomp* ».